It´s that time of year again…. Admissions (and non-admissions) season. Which can only mean one thing: decision time. It´s a tough time of year. You may be waitlisted or rejected from the school you´ve wanted to go to since you thought you were going to study ballerina-ology. On the other hand, you might get into all of the schools that you thought were so amazing and you might be faced with the conundrum of choosing one of your many great options, overwhelmed by the repercussions that the decision will have on the rest of your life.
For some reason, I decided to put myself through this trying time AGAIN by applying to…. You guessed it, graduate school. The good news is, there are benefits to being a little older and wiser. The bad news that it is still stressful. So for your [future) reference, here are some similarities and differences between applying to undergraduate and graduate school.
The good news:
1) Overwhelmed by the number of choices for your undergrad? Well the first piece of good news is that for most disciplines, there are at least a little bit fewer options. That means less schools you need to research/visit!
2) Applying for a PhD? It is likely that someone will want to pay YOU to go to school!
3) Are you one of those There is only one school that is right for me people? Well for graduate school, if you don´t get in this year, you can take a year off, work in a related field, and improve your chances for applying next year!
4) Excited about getting to study something you´re really interested other than the basic high school subjects? Well in graduate school you get to study exactly what it is you want to study, although there will likely be a class or two that isn´t your favorite.
5) Don´t know what the heck this whole “personal statement” is supposed to include? Well, in contrast to undergrad, where you are trying to make yourself stand out in the vaguest way and a seemingly endless pool of competition, graduate schools usually tell you what they want to know. They want to know about your relevant experience and why you think their specific program is a good fit for you. When the time comes, you´ll know what to say.
The bad news:
1) You know when you think to yourself “what if I don´t get into any school?” and your parents/teachers/friends say, “you´ll definitely get in somewhere.” Well, this time, that is not the case. You might not get into any program… this year. But you can keep trying! (See 3 above)
2) Applying for a Masters or professional degree? Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you probably won´t get financial aid to meet all of your demonstrated need. Most aid that is given is merit-based and there is not much out there… so start applying early!
3) Remember that thing that made your life so much easier called the Common App? Unless you´re applying to Public Health school or some other disciplines, there is no such thing as a common app for graduate schools… so you´ll probably get really good at filling out your demographic information.
4) Have you ever thought that filling out college applications was like taking another class? Yep, try that with a full university schedule as well as a job and/or internship and no parents around to cook you dinner.
5) That´s all I have for bad news.
Remember that going to college and especially graduate school is an enormous privilege! If and when you apply to graduate, take advantage of the people and resources you have at your disposal and kick butt!
And when you do get into graduate school, or into undergrad, or you get that job you wanted, don´t forget to celebrate!