BMES & GURU Present:Preparing for Graduate School

Will Goth

Daniela Santiesteban

Overview• Is grad school the right

choice?• General pre-requisites• How to find a program

that fits• The application process• Attributes of successful

applicants

TimelineMay

•Begin researching potential schools•Start GRE Prep

June •Register for GRE test (August-September test date)

July•Request information from schools•Begin forming connections with potential advisors

August•Take GRE test•Sign up for second GRE if dissatisfied with scores•Begin preparing NSF application materials (WILL BE SIMILAR TO GRADUATE APPLICATION)

September•Register for November GRE Subject tests (if necessary)•Begin narrowing down specific schools & advisors•Contact potential references (3-5)

October•Request official transcripts•Send supplemental materials to references (resume,•Finalize and submit NSF submissions

November•Take GRE subject tests (if necessary)•Modify & prepare graduate school applications•Have external reviews of essays by current advisors/grad students

December•Complete and submit all applications•Confirm references have been submitted

January-March•Make recruitment trips (sponsored or otherwise)•Try and pick a specific advisor (if possible)•Review and compare various incoming acceptance & funding offers

April•All offer will be made•Choose your next step! (By April 15th)

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May

What a graduate degree offers• Career opportunities

– Requirement for Academia– New doors/fast tracks in Industry

• Freedom of research– Every single graduate experience is

unique

• Personal & Professional Development• Opportunity to become an expert• Compensation

– Engineering grad school is a paid job– Greater future earning power

All of Human Knowledge

Graduate degree difficulties• HUGE time investment

– Average Engineering PhD: 4-7 years

• Requires ability to:– Self-supervise– Manage long-term projects– Handle stress– Adapt your thinking– Start from scratch

• Can both increase and decrease potential jobs

Bad reasons to pursue an advanced degree

• Not sure what you want to do• You want to be called “Doctor”• $$$

Finding your interests• Undergraduate research

– Understand what graduate school is like– Obtain experience for application

• Internships– Understand where a PhD can get you– Round out perspective

• Graduate level courses– Interact more directly with professors & students– See if you’re comfortable with the work load

START THESE NOW

Pre-requisites• Undergraduate Degree• Research Experience

– Publications!

• GPA (>3.0)• Test Scores (GRE)• Other Experience

– Internships, Co-ops, etc.

• Extra-curricular groups– Clubs, societies, etc.– Leadership positions

Balanced!

Things to consider• The research• Potential advisors• Funding• Location• Academic strength

Informational InterviewWhat is a typical day like? What are your functions and responsibilities? What percentage of your time is spent doing what?

What do you personally find most satisfying about being a scientist, scholar, or graduate student? What challenges do you face?

How did you become interested in your field of study? What sorts of changes are occurring in the field? Where is the research heading and where are the new opportunities for research?

How did you get to your position? What is a typical career path in this field? What are the skills that are most important for a position in this field?

What advice can you offer a student who is considering this field of study? What courses should I take? What kinds of experiences should I seek?

General Application• GPA/Transcripts (Online & Hardcopy)• GRE/Test Scores (Online & Hardcopy)• 3 letters of recommendation• Resume• Statement of Purpose

– Sometimes broken up into several smaller essays

• Application Fee– Financial need waiver– App waivers at conferences

4-8 Total Applications

Statement of Purpose• What do you want to study? Why?

– Include the big picture

• What background & experience do you bring?

• What do you plan to do with your degree?• Like a resume, tailor your statement of

purpose to each school you apply to

TimelineMay

•Begin researching potential schools•Start GRE Prep

June •Register for GRE test (August-September test date)

July•Request information from schools•Begin forming connections with potential advisors

August•Take GRE test•Sign up for second GRE if dissatisfied with scores•Begin preparing NSF application materials (WILL BE SIMILAR TO GRADUATE APPLICATION)

September•Register for November GRE Subject tests (if necessary)•Begin narrowing down specific schools & advisors•Contact potential references (3-5)

October•Request official transcripts•Send supplemental materials to references (resume, essays)•Finalize and submit NSF submissions

November•Take GRE subject tests (if necessary)•Modify & prepare graduate school applications•Have external reviews of essays by current advisors/grad students

December•Complete and submit all applications•Confirm references have been submitted

January-March•Make recruitment trips (sponsored or otherwise)•Try and pick a specific advisor (if possible)•Review and compare various incoming acceptance & funding offers

April•All offer will be made•Choose your next step! (By April 15th)

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I’m Accepted!

…now what?

Funding• PhD programs are fully funded!

– Tuition– Health Insurance– Stipend

• Fellowships– College– Department– Government– External

• Graduate Assistant• Teaching Assistant

Note: Masters programs may not be funded

Successful Graduate Students Display

• Enthusiasm for learning• Self-motivation• Ability to self-supervise (successfully)• Time management over different scales

Resources• PhDs.org• GradSchools.com• GradPortal.org• https://

www.cic.net/docs/default-source/diversity/gradschoolguide.pdf

• NSFGRFP.org• Look around you!