1. Research Internships Masters PhD Why go to graduate school?
Why do a research internship?
Research Internships
Masters
PhD

2. Finding graduate programs
CUR registry
Kaplan program finder
GRE search service
PhDs.org
Google search
Talk to a faculty member
Resources to look for schools and to have interested schools contact you.
Don’t go by school name alone you need to look at the actual program.
Even within “Bio” there will be several programs at some universities with different status levels.
Think of areas you would like to move to and look at options
Look at their requirements for:
Grades
GREs
Research Experience
Look at the faculty memberes

3. Finding research internships
Check the ResPAC my.westminster page
Research Experiences for Undergraduates
Large Research Universities
Research Institutes and Hospitals
Google search
Talk to a faculty member
Resources to look for schools and to have interested schools contact you.
Don’t go by school name alone you need to look at the actual program.
Even within “Bio” there will be several programs at some universities with different status levels.
Think of areas you would like to move to and look at options
Look at their requirements for:
Grades
GREs
Research Experience
Look at the faculty memberes

4. What is involved in the application
Personal Statement
GRE General Test
GRE Subject Test
Letters of Recommendation
Undergraduate Transcript
CV/Resume
Application
Personal Statement
GRE General Scores
GRE Subject Score (recommended, not required)
TOEFL Score (International students only)
Undergraduate Transcript (and others where applicable)
3 Letters of Recommendation
CV/Resume
Due dates
Rolling admission
Interviews

5. What is life like as a graduate student?
Masters
PhD
What to expect when you go to school and how to be aware of that in advance ( use brown website)

6. Questions to ask yourself before you write your personal statement:
What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story?
What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants?
When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained?
How have you learned about this field—through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field?
What are your career goals?
Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in the beginning)?
Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic, familial, or physical) in your life?
What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess?
Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants?
What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you?
How would you fit in the program? WHAT do you want to do? WHO do you want to work with?

7. General advice Answer the questions that are asked Tell a story
Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write separate statements.
Tell a story
Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst things you can do is to bore the admissions committee.
Be specific
Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical, the result of specific experience that is described in your statement.
Concentrate on your opening paragraph
The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the reader's attention or lose it.
Tell what you know
The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it.
Don't include some subjects
For example, references to experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea.
Do some research, if needed
If a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs.
Avoid clichés
A medical school applicant who writes that he is good at science and wants to help other people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired statements.

8. General Outline Introductory Paragraph- setup the following:
Career goal and why it is your goal
Why you are applying to the particular program to achieve this goal

9. General Outline
Middle Section- your interest and experience in your particular field, what makes unique
Outline research and classroom experience
Identify other activities or groups that have influenced you
Explain any situations that may have influenced gaps or discrepancies in your academic record, GREs etc BUT still highlight the positives more than the negatives

10. General Outline
Conclusion – tie everything together and give the big final pitch to sell yourself

11. Writing the Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules
Strive for depth rather than breadth. Narrow focus to one or two key themes, ideas or experiences
Try to tell the reader something that no other applicant will be able to say
Provide the reader with insight into what drives you
Be yourself, not the 'ideal' applicant
Get creative and imaginative in the opening remarks, but make sure it's something that no one else could write
Address the school's unique features that interest you
Focus on the affirmative in the personal statement; consider an addendum to explain deficiencies or blemishes
Evaluate experiences, rather than describe them
Proofread carefully for grammar, syntax, punctuation, word usage, and style
Use readable fonts, typeface, and conventional spacing and margins

12. Other Resources for writing Personal Statements
Princeton Review
RPIhttp://
WPI
Dartmouthhttp://
UC Berkley

13. Think EARLY! Letters of Recommendation
Who knows you? Can they say positive things about you? Can they be specific?
ASK early:
Be polite
Do you have someone who could write a GOOD letter for you?
Provide info to writer
What to expect when you go to school and how to be aware of that in advance ( use brown website)

14. Best for academic audience
CV (curriculum vitae)/Resume
Best for academic audience
Resume – brief, 1-2 pgs, education & experience – for a particular job
CV – same content as resume, but can be longer – more detailed ( > 2 pgs)
What is a CV vs. resume?
Contact info
Educational background
Academic achievements
Teaching experience (TA, tutor, etc.)
Research experience
Grants awarded (travel?)
Publications
Activities (clubs, volunteer work, etc.)
Professional affiliations
References (available on request)
What should I include?
Clarity/order, NO ERRORS!
Formatting/Examples
The CV is a summary of all your educational and professional background.
A CV commonly includes a full list of publications and can be several pages in length. Space is not at a premium.
The resume is a summary of those aspects of your job experience and education that qualify you for the particular job to which you are applying.
A resume is shorter, usually 1 page, sometimes 2 for higher-level positions.

15. CV Content
Contact information
Name, address, phone/fax, .
Make sure NAME is on each page (header/footer)
Education
List degrees, department, institution, and dates of completion (or expected date)
List minors, sub-fields, and any academic honors like Summa Cum Laude
Title of thesis and name of advisor if applicable
Identifying information
Usually your name, address, phone/fax number, and address come first. Be sure to include your citizenship AND make sure your name appears on each page (either in the header or footer of the CV).
Education
List your degrees, along with the department, institution and dates of completion (or expected date). In each, list minors, sub-fields and any academic honors such as Summa Cum Laude. Some people list the titles of their theses and the name of their advisor as well, others have a separate section for this.

16. CV Content
Experience
Research/internships: brief description of work and name of advisor
Teaching: TA, tutor, etc.
*Important to list more than just job titles. Explain briefly what you did in each position, quantify your accomplishments as much as possible
Dissertation or thesis
Some people have a separate section giving the title and a brief (one paragraph) description of their work.
Professional experience
This section should be used to describe all your past positions and experience. Some people structure this chronologically, giving the position, such as Research Assistant, along with the institution, the date (usually month/year), and a brief description of the activities involved.
It is important to list more than only job titles. Explain what you did in each position. Don't assume that those reading your CV will know exactly what went into your year as a TA. Be specific, be brief, and quantify your accomplishments as much as possible. Some people break this section up into subheadings such as Research Experience, Teaching Experience, Consulting, and others. If you do opt for this, make sure that the information is still easy to find.

17. CV Content Publications Conference presentations (Westminster counts!)
Awards, honors, fellowships, scholarships
All honors and awards outside of academic honors listed here along with year of the award
Publications
Conference Presentations
Awards, honors, fellowships, scholarships
All honors and awards outside of academic honors should be listed in this section. Honors such as membership in Phi Beta Kappa, outstanding paper awards, and competitive fellowships and scholarships should be listed, along with the year of the award.

18. american.edu/loader
a CV that is organized, attractive, easy to read, and contains all the information of interest to the search committee will help them evaluate you.
CVs that are missing critical information, are poorly laid out, or are hard to read can only hurt your chances.
Check out your advisor's CV, or the CV of a recent alumni to see what categories of information are included.