Thinking About Graduate School? (TAGS) Dr. Jennifer Waldron Dean of the Graduate College & Dr. Gabriela Olivares Associate Dean of the Graduate College

Why Go To Graduate School? Intellectual curiosity Professional advancement/development Graduate degree is required to practice Examples for bottom bullet: law, health care, social work, counseling

Should You Go To Graduate School? Yes, if you… No, if you… Desire specialized learning in a field Enjoy research, teaching & writing Want to become more competitive in the job market Are required by profession Are unable or unwilling to make: Educational commitment Financial commitment Are avoiding the job market Graduate school is an investment of time and money. You should approach it with a plan.

What If I Am Not Sure? Take a gap year Research graduate programs Gain experience within your field of interest Volunteer, teach, work Programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corp offer graduate students the ability to combine their experience with graduate programs. Explain what a gap year is. Gap year flyer on website

What If I Want To Change Fields? It is possible May require additional undergraduate coursework or training Consult with your current department and department of interest Consult with your academic advisor In order to get in to most programs, there should be a correlation of coursework completed in your undergraduate program to the graduate program. For example: a psychology student could get a master’s degree in counseling; however, it would be very difficult to get into a geography program

What Is Graduate School Like? It is not like your undergraduate experience Higher expectations – reading, writing & research Intensive experience –project development Closer working relationships with faculty In-depth classes with focused learning High self-motivation required Set goals Less constant supervision Highlight the great things about graduate education as well such as the close knit classes and hands on experience.

How To Find Graduate Programs Learn about UNI graduate programs at www.grad.uni.edu Finding schools with your program of interest: https://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools.aspx Connect with organizations on campus Pre-Law Club, Pre-Med Club, Psychology Club https://cgi.access.uni.edu/cgi-bin/student_orgs/student_orgs.cgi?cid=1 Why connect with campus organizations? Often have recruiters and speakers come speak at meetings regarding graduate education.

Different Degrees and Types of Programs Master’s Programs Research Oriented (MA, MS) Professional (MBA, MSW, MAE, PSM, MATR) Research and Professional (MA Public History) Doctoral Programs Research Oriented (PhD) Professional (MD, JD, DVM) Research and Professional (EdD) Different programs and professions require different levels of degrees. Not all programs are the same length and will require different things.

Handout On Campus Resources To Help You Prepare For Graduate School If you refer to the blue handout you will find on campus and online resource links for you as you are preparing for graduate school such as Examination Services, Rod Library services, personal statement resources, financing information, Career Services and more!

Resources At UNI For Entrance Exams Rod Library Study books Online study materials Visit: Rod Library Online > Databases > LearningExpress Library > Register The Learning Center @ Rod Library https://tlc.uni.edu/resources The Rod Library staff is also extremely helpful and will point you in the right direction. The website offers free materials for pretty much every standardized entrance exam. The Learning Center link takes you to GRE preparation, Praxis CORE preparation, writing resources, math and science resources, and academic success resources

How Many Schools Should I Apply To? Somewhere between three to eight programs Students, on average, apply to five Keep in mind the cost of applying to schools- Handout on website for budgeting How do I select schools? Look into acceptance rate, minimum GPA, minimum entrance exam score, financial aid offered, etc.

How To Pay For Graduate School Budgeting calculator from Grad Sense https://gradsense.org/gradsense/budget-calculator Need-based financial aid FAFSA- available for completion October 1st Assistantships/Fellowships/Tuition waivers Employer tuition reimbursement programs Loan forgiveness programs (i.e., Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Teacher Loan Forgiveness Programs) Also think about cost of living expenses such as housing, utilities, car expenses, groceries, textbooks, travel to conferences

Handout What To Expect On A Graduate School Application If you flip over the blue handout you will find what to expect on a graduate school application, terms to know about applying to graduate school and a table of the standardized tests that you may need to take in order to apply. Within the table you will find the nearest testing site, test website, dates that the test is offered and the length of the test.

Components Of The Application Application form(s) Demographical information, list of undergraduate institutions attended Official transcripts from institutions attended Resume or CV Personal statement Recommenders’ information (e.g. name, email, title) Entrance exam scores if required Essay(s) if required Cover letter if required Must pay for transcripts and entrance exam scores to be sent ***Keep copies and check that everything is received by your schools!*** Handout online for how to stay organized when applying to graduate school

Handout Timeline For Application To Graduate School On the purple handout you will find a planning timeline for preparing for graduate school. This timeline maps out graduate school preparation from freshman year to the end of senior year of your undergraduate education. If you would like a timeline specific to senior year, we have this available on the Graduate College website.

Preparing for Graduate School: Sophomore Year Focus on your studies – your GPA is important Get to know 3-4 faculty members Office hours Classes connected to your future goals Find opportunities for undergraduate research or internships Get involved (e.g. clubs, volunteer, internships) Begin researching graduate programs Serve as potential references

Preparing for Graduate School: Junior Year Identify 3 faculty members who will write letters of recommendation for you Begin preparation for standardized exams Explore graduate programs Participate in research Volunteer, job shadow, and gain experience in your field of interest

Preparing for Graduate School: Senior Year Finalize list of schools to apply to Take GRE or other entrance exam Draft personal statement and give to faculty for feedback Finalize resume/CV; have it reviewed by Career Services Ask identified faculty for letters of recommendation Review specific requirements for faculty Finalize writing sample (if required) Prepare for interview (if required) Reference the tan half sheet with this information: We have a Personal Statement Workshop on Thursday, October 4th from 1:00-1:50 in ScholarSpace, Rod Library Room 301.

Asking For Letters of Recommendation Ask the required number of faculty whom you have a relationship with Give letter writers the following at least 1 month in advance: List and description of programs you are applying to with submission deadlines Resume/CV Personal statement Addressed envelope with stamp if needed Politely remind faculty of submission deadlines 2 weeks prior Send thank you e-mails/notes to recommenders Follow up in the spring with future plans It is your responsibility to know what is required of your references as well as the deadlines each application is due for references! Refer to planning timeline handout

Applying to UNI UNI requires: Department/Program may require: Application for Graduate Study (www.uni.edu/admissions/apply) Transcripts–bachelor’s degree and post-baccalaureate coursework Departmental application TOEFL or IELTS if first language is not English Department/Program may require: Letters of recommendation Personal statement Standardized entrance exam scores Program Specific Requirements (https://grad.uni.edu/sites/default/files/program_specific_requirements-website_5-5-17_1.pdf) Other (writing sample, essay(s), etc.) Note that the front of the purple handout below the agenda there is a list of all the graduate programs and emphases offered at UNI for your reference.

Sample Application For UNI Admission

UNI Application Fee Waived For UNI Graduates!

Additional Resources On The Graduate College Website https://grad.uni.edu/thinking-about-graduate-school Senior Year Graduate Application Checklist How to Stay Organized When Applying to Graduate School Budgeting for the Graduate School Application Process Taking a Gap Year How to Ask for Letters of Recommendation Check out the Graduate College website for additional handouts, PowerPoints and links to help you through the application process.

Questions? Susie Schwieger, Director of Graduate Student Life susan.schwieger@uni.edu Dr. Gabriela Olivares, Associate Dean of the Graduate College gabriela.olivares@uni.edu