Graduate School Preparation

Know You ( know you well enough to write an excellent recommendation)

. It is important that your recommend letter writers

All (maudlin approach, iconoclastic approach, and the humorous approach.)

. What approach should you avoid in your personal statement?

All of the above (Practical degree, entry degree, and a consolation prize)

A master's degree is typically seen as

Criminal record (They do look at letters of recommendation, personal statement, and undergraduate GPA.)

Admission boards do not look at your

Sounding too confident (Common mistakes include: sounding like everyone else, having boring content, and being sloppy.)

All of the following are common mistakes applicants typically make in their personal statements, except for

Full-time students

Financial aid is far more accessible to

False

If you accept a financial aid offer before April 15, you cannot back out of it, even though a better offer may come from another school.

March

If you apply for fall semester admission, when will you probably be notified?

True

If you do not feel qualified to attend your dream school, it is still worth it to apply.

True

If your graduate school requests that you provide them with FAT (financial aid transcripts), you no longer need to do so.

Current Experience (start by discussing your current relevant experiences and work chronologically backwards. Do not start by talking about your early life experiences and job directions. Do not make it personal, and do not spend fifteen to twenty minutes answering the question.)

In an interview, when the interviewer says, "Tell me about yourself," you should

GPA (But they do focus on your uniqueness, your prior contacts with the department and faculty, and the match between your interests and theirs.)

In the final stage of the application process, the admissions committee does not usually focus as much on

Sciences

Loans are more readily available to students in which areas?

True

Part-time students are considered less serious students by some in the academic community.

Subtracted (from your federal income tax. It is NOT only applicable to professional degree courses, applies to all married and single students, and is not highly competitive to obtain.)

The Lifetime Learning Tax Education credit

True

The admissions application deadline may be earlier or later than the financial aid application deadline

False

The personal statement is the part of the application the applicant has least control over.

True

The use of strong action verbs is a crucial part of resumes and vitas.

False

There is no way to make up for having a less-than-stellar GPA.

True

True or false: A PhD does not always ensure a higher salary than a master's degree.

False

True or false: If a program does not offer to pay transportation costs for you to visit their school, it usually means you are not a competitive applicant.

True

True or false: It is best to waive your right to read your recommend letters.

Name Vale (the name value of the program)

What can a list that ranks graduate programs typically tell you?

all of the above (current students and alumni; professors at your undergraduate institution; professional organizations in your field.)

What can be a good source of information for graduate programs?

Contact Information

What is a good way to help out your recommend letter writer?

Like a resume (Do not make it like a resume, but do make it unique persuasive, and personal.)

What is one way to make your personal statement a failure?

High School Information (However, degrees or certifications, graduation date, and listing information in reverse chronological order is important)

What is usually not an important consideration when listing your education information on your resume or vita?

Stress unique material (Also tell why not what, concentrate on a single theme, and show don't tell)

What should you do in your personal statement?

Turn Weakness into Strength (Do share weaknesses, and take your time on these questions, but do do articulate every detail of your weakness)

When asked to answer a question about a weakness,

Negative Spin (When it was a negative experience. But do respond by stating how the situation turned out, discussing the basic situation, and articulating what you did to remedy it.)

When responding to a behaviorally based request such as "Tell me about a time when you were unable to meet a deadline," do not

Don't Worry (about the student success rate; good advice: make sure you are devoted to your field of interest; Get to know the professors in the programs that interest you. Do not attend if money is your main motivation.)

Which answer is poor advice for someone considering grad school?

Terminal Master's Degree (at a private university)

Which graduate program is typically the most expensive per semester?

70 dark 30 white space

Which guideline applies to formatting a resume or vita?

Do not call (DO CALL; to make sure they have received your application; also put your name on all the papers in your application; if they are accidentally separated they can be easily brought together again. Have a good filing system; it will ensure that you don't lose papers. Also do call the school if there is a problem or question you have..)

Which is not good advice for staying organized through the application process?

No deadlines (There are deadlines for the application, and the application can be sent to a maximum of six graduate schools, it is always required to request any type of federal financial aid, and online electronic submission can speed up your application process by two to three weeks.)

Which is not true of FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid)?

No Borrowing Limits (There are, and there are both subsidized and unsubsidized loans, must pay a fee for these loans, and you must complete a FASFA first.)

Which is not true of federal Stafford student loans?

Do Not Offer (Many online schools do in fact offer accelerated programs. They allow you to work at your own pace. There are usually extensive library networks available. and Accredited and reputable programs are hard to find.

Which is not true of online graduate programs?

Political Beliefs (But do consider how well they know you, their writing style, and their qualifications.)

Which is not typically something you should consider in someone who could write a letter of recommendation?

Gift aid

Which of the basic categories of graduate school financial aid is the most difficult to obtain?

Construct Professional Identity (It is usually more than one page, it is used for those seeking teaching, research, or scholarly directions, and it focuses on education, academic background and research.)

Which of the following does not apply to a vita?

List Reference (Do not list reference contact information after your last bullet point. But do Use %, $, or # to describe information more accurately;Leave out I, me, my, we, our, their , and so on as much as possible.;Focus on your accomplishments.)

Which of the following does not apply to using bullet points on your resume or vita?

GPA (But differential factors include, the match between your interests and theirs, your uniqueness, and your prior contacts with the department and faculty.)

Which of the following does not usually make a difference for the admissions committee in the final stage of the application process?

Less Emphasis on Reading (There is actually more emphasis on reading, additional unscored sections, fully computerized process, and longer time frame.)

Which of the following is not a feature of the new GRE test?

Great Teacher (The goal is for you to become a great teacher in your field is not typically an attribute of a doctoral program. However; financial aid is generally more available, a doctoral dissertation is expected; and field or qualifying exams determine if you get to move on to independent research.)

Which of the following is not typically an attribute of a doctoral program?

Attention (Those on an academic track get just as much attention as doctoral students.)

Which of the following is not typically an attribute of a master's program?

Finalize financial Aid (But do begin to fill out applications, asking for letters of recommendations, and ordering transcripts.)

Which of the following should not be considered during fall semester of your senior year?

Nobel Prize (How many professors have? Not important, however important questions include who could be a great advisor, is the department stable or changing, and how much does the faculty actually work with students.)

Which question is not important to ask about your potential graduate program?

First and Last

Which years are the most difficult to finance in doctoral programs?

All (employers, professional who have supervised you, undergraduate professors.)

Who would be good sources to write your letters of recommendation?