Researching Graduate School Options

1. Decide on the type of graduate program that interests you and meets your needs.

• Identify the factors that you want to consider - Size, Faculty, Facilities, Location, Reputation, Financial Aid, Student Body, School Affiliation, Campus Environment, Tuition Requirements, Student Organizations, Special Program Requirements
• Know your career objective - The reason for attending graduate and professional school is to prepare for a specific career. Clarity about this is essential for a strong application and a strong statement of purpose. Knowing your own values, skills and work characteristics is crucial in choosing which fields and programs to pursue.

2. Research specific programs and develop a criteria sheet to evaluate how well it meets the criteria important to you.

The Peterson’s Guide to Graduate and Professional Programs is a guide to all such programs in the United States. The guide includes basic information about each university and its faculty, and provides contact information. Other guides:

Try seeking advice from professors, faculty, students, and alumni of the programs you are considering as well as contacting people who work in your field of interest, unaffiliated with the programs. Use our Career Conversations Guide to find people to contact and an email script.

• Ask people who are in your field of interest what kind of training they recommend you receive and which programs they recommend.
• Find out if you are comfortable with the culture and locale of the programs you are considering.
• Know certificates, licenses, and degrees available in your field and understand the different career options associated with each. Find out if the school has accreditation, and what sort of prestige is attached to the program.
• Consider the value placed on the prestige of graduate school programs in your field of interest.
• Know how you will be matched with an advisor, and try to meet with an advisor before you make a final decision.
• Find out how departments support their students.
• Ask the percentage of students who graduate from the program and average length of time.
• Inquire about job placements of graduates from the program in the past several years.
• If possible, visit each campus, visit with faculty who specialize in your area of interest, meet with admissions staff, and sit in on classes.

3. Begin narrowing your options.

• Reach out to faculty in the department you are considering working with, or even set up a campus visit.
• Ask the departments for names of current graduate students who can talk to you about their experiences both in their current program and what they learned from their research while applying.

View graduate programs that CNS Alumni have attended! 

Interested in going to grad school at UT Austin? You can find all the graduate programs at UT Austin here.

Creating a Timeline

There are many things to take into consideration before, during, and after you have applied to graduate school. The timeline below will serve as a starting point when preparing for the process. Take a close look at the steps that you can take early on during undergrad to help you jump-start this new chapter in your life.

Note: This timeline assumes application deadlines are in December for an August start date. If your applications are due after December or you’re applying for spring admission then your timeline may be shifted in one direction or the other. Schedule an appointment with a Career Coach to create a personalized timeline!

Getting Started:

• Think about getting involved in research or get experience related to your field of interest 
• Schedule an appointment with a Career Coach to discuss your options
• Start gaining volunteer experience in your field of interest
• Talk to people in the field you are interested in to determine if graduate school is right for you
• Connect with professors and graduate students
• Get strong grades in prerequisite courses or courses related to potential graduate programs

1-2 Years Before Program Starts:

• Begin researching graduate programs you are interested in applying to
• Schedule an appointment with a Career Coach to plan your application timeline
• Research any required admissions exams for the schools you are interested in
• Begin thinking about who could write your letters of recommendation

Summer Before Applications Open:

• Finalize the schools you plan on applying to and make a spreadsheet of application materials and deadlines for each program
• Prepare for and take any required admissions exams (if not already completed)
• Contact professors of interest (if program requires securing research position prior to applying)
• Determine what application components you will need for the programs you are interested in
• Speak with your recommenders about writing Letters of Recommendation for you
• Begin compiling your application components: Personal Statement, Resume/CV, Transcript, and any additional materials
• Research financial aid information

Fall of Application Year:

• September - Most applications open
• October
  • Finalize list of programs to apply to
  • Draft admissions essay(s) and get feedback from coaches, professors, and Writing Center
  • Draft Resume/CV and get feedback
  • Request letters of recommendation from professors 
• November
  • Tailor admissions essay(s) to each program
  • Request official transcript(s) to be sent to the schools in which you applied
  • Complete and submit all applications before individual deadlines
  • Contact professors of interest
• December
  • Make sure official transcripts, test scores, and recommendation letters were received
  • Keep a copy of all application materials for yourself

Spring of Application Year:

• Receive interview requests (depends on program - common for STEM Ph.D.)
• Receive admission and rejection decisions
• Visit schools that accept you to help you make your decision
• Make final decisions on graduate school offers and notify the colleges and universities of your decision
• Complete any required paperwork or pre-graduate school tasks
• Send thank-you notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters and helped you with the process, telling them of your success and future plans

Considering a Gap Year Before Graduate School?

• Around 40-50% of students take one or more gap years after their undergraduate degree before attending graduate school. If you're considering a gap year (or two!), check out our Gap Year Guide.

Graduate School Application Checklist

Researching Programs

• Research areas of interest, institutions, and programs
• Talk to coaches, professors, and mentors about application requirements
• Create a spreadsheet keeping track of the application deadlines, requirements, and other details for each program you plant to apply to

Preparing Application Materials

• Check on application deadlines and rolling admissions policies
• Save money for application fees, testing, and transcripts

Graduate Admissions Tests

• Register and prepare for appropriate graduate admission tests
• Take required admissions tests

Personal Statement or Statement of Purpose

• Write your application essay(s)
• Seek feedback on your essays from professors, CNS Career Services, and the University Writing Center

Resume/CV

• Write your resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Seek feedback on your resume/CV from CNS Career Services and professors

Letters of Recommendation

• Generate preliminary list for writers of letters of recommendation
• Request letters and give writers sufficient time to write letters (4-8 weeks recommended)
• Send thank-you notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters, informing them of the outcome of your applications

Transcripts

• Request a student copy of your transcript and check for errors
• Request transcripts sent to each graduate program from all colleges and universities where you have taken college-level coursework

Submit Applications

• Send in completed applications
• Always make sure to keep a copy of all materials for yourself
• Check with all institutions to make sure your file is complete
• Be sure to call well before the deadline, in case you are required to send another copy of a document.

Funding

• Investigate national scholarships and their deadlines
• Contact the financial aid office at prospective institutions for additional resources

*Adapted from materials from the Vick Center for Strategic Advising, The University of Texas at Austin

Preparing Your Application Documents

There are many documents you may need to prepare for graduate school, including a personal statement or essay, research statement, and/or recommendation letters.  Here are some helpful resources to get you started:

Personal Statement, Statement of Purpose, and Admissions Essays

Check out our Graduate School Personal Statements & Statement of Purpose Guide to help you get started writing your admissions essays for graduate school. You can also schedule an appointment to brainstorm with a Career Coach for your essay or get feedback on the content you have already prepared.  We also encourage you to get feedback from Undergraduate Writing Center as well as your professors and current graduate students on your essays.

Letters of Recommendation

Typically, you will need 2-3 letters of recommendation. Use professional references, including present or past faculty, supervisors, or other academic references. Professors you worked with closely will be able to write the strongest letters for you. Start building relationships early in your college career! Remember to give your letter writers at least 4 weeks to write you letter as it can be a time-consuming process. Sometimes it is helpful to discuss with a coach who and how to ask for Letters of Recommendation. You can schedule an appointment with our coaches for help. 

• Check out our Letters of Recommendation FAQ (includes Email Template!)

Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume:

You may be asked to submit one of these documents with your application. Graduate school programs will look to assess your involvement with academics, student organizations, projects, and relevant work/internship experience. For undergraduates, a resume and CV are almost idential documents except that for graduate school, you resume/CV can be multiple pages long, whereas you will want your resume to be 1 page when applying for jobs.

• See our Resume Templates and Resources for help creating your resume/CV for your graduate applications. 
• For CNS undergraduates and recent CNS alumni: Submit your resume here to have it reviewed by a career coach! Comments and revisions will be sent back to you within 3 business days.
• You can also schedule an appointment with our coaches for resume/CV review

Interviews

Only a minority of programs require interviews, although this varies by field. Doctoral programs in the sciences tend to interview prospective candidates. Prepare for interviews by researching the school, being clear about your goals, and be able to speak intelligently about your past experiences and how they have prepared you for graduate school.

Be prepared to ask well-informed questions whose answers could not be easily found elsewhere. CNS Career Services offers interview prep coaching appointments for graduate school interviews. We also encourage you to use Big Interview to practice and prepare for interviews on your own as well.

Follow-Up

Even if schools say they will send emails to let you know what pieces of your application are missing, it is still your responsibility to make sure all your materials have arrived. Take charge! Check early enough so that if something is missing, you have time to get it in by the deadline.

Graduate Entrance Exams

Entrance exams are required for most graduate and professional school programs. Make sure you read the admissions website for each graduate program so that you know which exams are accepted and the expected scores. Use the links below to access more information about each exam on their specific websites:

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
• Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)

Free test preparation resources are available through the UT Library.

Making Your Decision

Once you have received your offers to graduate school, making a decision can be difficult if you have received multiple offers.  There are many different factors that should be considered when making your decision.  Keep in mind that you are looking for a program that will be the best fit for your interests, career goals, and needs.

Criteria for Choosing a Graduate Program

1. Reputation of the School, Department and Faculty
2. Faculty to Student Ratio
3. Focus of the Program and Faculty Research Interests
4. Type and Quality of Research and Facilities
5. Geographic Location
6. Alumni Employment Statistics
7. Financial Aid and Funding Offered

Graduate School Funding Opportunities

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
• National Institutes of Health Funding for Graduate & Clinical Students
• Johns Hopkins Graduate Student Funding Opportunities
• Pathways to Science Funding for Masters & Doctoral
• STEM Graduate Students Fellowships & Scholarships
• ProFellow Funding Database
• UT Office of Financial Aid

FAQ'S

Frequently Asked Questions About Graduate School