Graduate School Timeline and Information

Begin in the summer before your senior year of college or at least a year before you plan to start graduate school. Study deadlines for specific programs carefully since they may vary significantly depending on the institution to which you apply. All times indicated below are approximate.

*Summer*	Write a draft statement of purpose (why you want to be admitted to the program to which you are applying). Start browsing through directories of graduate programs and college catalogs.

*September*	Meet with current faculty members to discuss your statement and possible programs. Ask for letters of recommendation. Sign up for required standardized tests.

*October*	Take standardized tests. Request application materials from programs in which you are interested. The PETERSON’S GUIDE (available in Career Services, Collier Library and online) is a good source of information and addresses of graduate school programs.

*November*	Order transcripts. Ask if the Registrar’s Office can send a transcript with your fall term grades in time to meet the deadlines of programs to which you are applying.

*December*	Complete application forms (do a draft on a photocopy of the forms first). Give your recommenders the forms to fill out or the addresses to which they should send their letters and copies of your statement of purpose or your response to specific questions asked by the program.

*January*	Mail applications. Even if deadlines are later, it is good to get the applications in early. If you are applying for need based financial aid programs, you must also file an application for Financial Aid. You must have Financial Aid transcripts sent to the institution to which you are applying.

*February*	Contact programs about the possibility of visiting. Make trips if possible. (Be sure to brush up on your Interviewing Skills.)

*April*	When applying for need based financial aid programs, you may have to file a copy of your federal income tax return

Law School Information
Tips from UNA's Career Services Office. http://www2.una.edu/career/JobSearch/LawSchool.html
Skills, knowledge, and classes that law schools look for as well as tips on writing your personal statement and a calendar timeline.

General Information
Petersons: Education and Career Center. www.petersons.com
Contains comprehensive information on graduate school programs. Details application process. Specific programs or colleges can be researched through a keyword search. Online discussion and instant inquiries are available.

Deciding and Applying
Advice for Undergrads Considering Grad School. http://www.jobweb.com/Resources/Library/Grad_School/default.htm
One professor’s detailed advice on deciding to attend graduate school. Focuses on personal qualities, goals, and what to expect.

Movin’ On: Tips About Graduate School. http://staff.wm.edu/career/02/Student/Grad/Movin1.cfm
Provides advice about researching, evaluating, and choosing a school. Details important aspects of the application process. Addresses common concerns and questions. Suggests an application timetable.

Getting In: An Applicant’s Guide to Graduate Admissions. http://www.gettingintogradschool.com
Guide designed to stimulate creative thinking to increase possibilities of success in the graduate school admissions process.

Writing Central for Law, Medical, Business, Grad School Applicants. http://accepted.com/default.aspx
Specifies do’s and don’ts for writing application essays for Business, Law, Medical, or Graduate School.

Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (VCAT).....http://aavmc.org/

Kaplan Grad Line…..www.kaptest.com/
GRE info including the Computer Adaptive Test

Financial Aid
FinAid: The Financial Aid Information Page. www.finaid.org/finaid.html and www.finaid.org/otheraid/grad.phtml
Comprehensive guide to student financial aid. Links to all sources of aid including loans, fellowships, assistantships, and scholarships. Includes financial aid information for special interest groups. Contains calculators that estimate financial aid needs, budgets, loan payment, college cost projection, and college funding.

Graduate Programs
The American Association of Medical Colleges. www.aamc.org
Offers information about medical programs, financial aid for medical students, application information, and how to use the American Medical College Application Service.

Law School Admission Council. www.lsac.org
Information regarding taking the LSAT, online registration, application process and links to Law schools in U.S. and Canada.

Internet Legal Resource Guide-Pre-Law Student Services. www.ilrg.com/pre-law.html
Contains a tremendous amount of information. Provides links to law schools around the world. LSAT information, online tutorial and registration. Online law school locator contains information on applying to law school. Essays about the first year of law school and reasons to go are available for download. Law scholarships, grants, and financial aid information are available as well. Pre-law advisor program and law fraternity links are available. Law school rankings by U.S. News, Gourman Report, and the Insider’s Guide, and cost-benefit analysis of law schools are all accessible on-line.

The MBA Explorer. www.gmat.org/
In addition to providing GMAT information, this comprehensive site discusses the facts about getting a MBA, how to choose and finance a MBA program, and other resources available to MBA students. Includes many valuable links.

After the interview...
After your graduate school entrance interview, be sure to keep a record of the name and title of the person you interviewed with, along with names and titles of anyone else you may have met. Ideally, you'll have collected their business cards. This will not only help you remember whom you interviewed with but will also assist you when you write your Thank You notes!