I thought now might be a good time to talk about the
grad school application process, considering that it was about one year ago
that I decided I was interested in 1) getting a master’s degree and 2) studying
higher education.
Last summer, I began to toy with the idea of going
to graduate school for either journalism or higher education (and for a brief
moment, interior design—a huge side passion of mine!). Until then, graduate
school was never something I had planned to pursue—although I know several of my
college professors expected that I would go on to get another degree and even
dropped some not-so-subtle hints to my parents at graduation!
After thinking about the type of career I most
wanted to pursue, I decided that getting a master’s in higher education was the
next step for me. This meant that it was time to search for institutions
offering this degree—and higher ed programs can be less common. Additionally, I
knew that no matter what, I wanted to start school the following fall. Many
people I know at GSE only applied to one or two institutions and were more
willing to take their chances! While there were a couple of programs that I
most wanted to attend, I decided that ultimately, I was better off applying to
multiple schools so that no matter what, I would (hopefully!) be able to enroll
somewhere.
While there are so many factors to take into account
when applying to graduate school—cost and location being two big ones—I wanted
to share a few other things I kept in mind while completing the application
process.
1) Look
into different programs’ lengths, strengths, and reputations. You can do this
by going online, speaking with a mentor in the field, or even by reaching out
to the schools themselves. One of my mentors from undergrad was very positive
about his own master’s in higher ed program but also named other universities
with strong education schools that were worth considering. Program length is
significant in that some students wish to spend a longer amount of time
mastering a skill and gaining internship experience while others are eager to receive
their degree within a year or less. There are many strong higher ed programs
that are only one year (or in many cases, nine months!), but there are also
great two-year programs. Considering a program’s strengths is also important.
It was important to me to go to live and learn alongside a tight-knit cohort
and to study under accomplished faculty. Talking to a professional I know in
the higher ed industry alerted me to some of the well-known research coming
from Penn faculty, something which positively impacted my decision. Lastly, despite
all the controversy about university rankings, it can be helpful to look at how
1) the education school and 2) your specific program ranks with respect to
other schools. Whether or not a school is competitive in terms of its undergrad
admissions is not always correlated with the strength of its graduate programs.
Don’t rule out schools you never would have considered attending as an
undergraduate (either because they’re too competitive or not competitive
enough), as grad school is in many ways a different ballgame.
2) Look
at your stats. Most of the schools I looked at had class profiles posted
online. This information was useful when I was wondering what range of GRE scores
I would need to receive to be considered a competitive applicant. However, keep
in mind that these statistics are averages. As part of my work in the
admissions office, I answer a lot of phone calls from prospective students who
are wondering if a particular GPA is too low for Penn GSE. I always remind them
that the application process is holistic—there is no one factor that gives an
applicant an automatic yay or nay. Still, knowing I fit within the score ranges
for each school gave me a boost of confidence when I sent in my applications. There
are so many factors about your application that you can’t control, so it’s
definitely worth putting your best effort into standardized testing. I just
wish I had taken the GRE sooner—such as during or immediately after college—so
that I would’ve had one less thing to focus on during application time.
3) Start
early. My applications were due between December 1 and February 1, and it was
important to me to complete as many as possible before the holidays so that I
could relax and enjoy time with family. Plus, after spending the past several
months building my school list, attending visit days, studying for and taking
the GRE, and working three different jobs, I was ready to be wrapping up by the
time my full-time position started in January. Though I was working on my last
two applications in the new year, I was able to complete them in much less time
and stressed much less than I had with the first few, even though they were for
two of my top choice schools. Once you’ve found your rhythm and have gotten one
app out the door, the next ones will be that much easier.
While I’m certainly no expert, I hope that my advice
comes in handy for anyone working on their own grad school applications,
whether they’re for a program in education or something entirely different. Though
the process seems daunting, it will be worth it in the end to have options!
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