Cash For Grad School

Learn the secrets of experienced scholarship winners!

Cynthia and Phillip McKee have created the sourcebook on finding scholarship money that includes more than 2,500 entries representing over $2 billion in scholarships and grants! But this book is more than just a compendium of scholarships. It is also a step-by-step road map through the entire financial application process. The McKees explain how to create a sparkling résumé, write persuasive essays, obtain recommendation letters, negotiate the financial-aid maze, avoid common pitfalls, and learn the useful shortcuts that can pave the way for success. Sample letters, schedules, and charts show you how to prepare your strongest application and stay on top of deadlines. A comprehensive index helps you find all the scholarship opportunities for which you may be eligible.

Cash for Grad School

The Ultimate Guide to Grad School ScholarshipsBy McKee, Cynthia Ruiz

HarperResource

ISBN: 0688139566

Chapter Three

Getting In (Including Entrance Exams)

The playing field has changed since you first applied tocolleges and universities for your undergraduatestudy. In this chapter we'll provide some basic guidelinesyou may want to consider if you haven't alreadychosen a graduate or professional school.

Choosing a Program That's Right for You!

The best place to get information about evaluating andselecting a graduate program is from the schools andprograms themselves. Contact them and request catalogsand brochures. Visit their web sites. You can alsoapproach professors who taught you, professionals inyour career of interest, and mentors whom you respect.There are books and magazines that provide generalprogram information, but why get secondhand informationwhen you can go directly to the source?

Many books and magazines rank schools and programs,but we consider that a drawback. It doesn't matterif a program is number one in the country, in theSouth, or in a certain major, if you don't like the school, you won't do your best. You will get out of a program asmuch as you put into that program. If it's not the bestplace for you, the school's ranking doesn't matter. Ourson attended graduate school at Harvard and althoughacademically he did well, he just wasn't happy. Hestayed only one year. We also know scores of graduateand professional school students who absolutely lovedHarvard. Harvard was the best place for them, but notfor our son. Only you can determine the best place foryourself.

When you were in high school, you might have askedyourself any or all of the following questions about colleges.How far from home is the school located? Will Ibe able to come home once a month or only once a semester?In what part of the country is the school located?Do I want to see snow, or would I rather be warmduring my nine-month school year? Is the college in asmall, mid-size, or large community? Is it in the middleof rural America or in the center of a bustling city? Howmany students live on campus? How many studentscommute? Will I be able to live on campus if I sochoose? Is dormitory housing at a premium? Does the school offer a strong program in my major or possiblemajor? Will I be challenged academically? Do I want tobe a big fish in a little pond, or a little fish in a great biglake? How much is it going to cost?

All these questions are still good ones to considerwhen evaluating graduate programs. You just need toask yourself a few more. You must ask professors, otherstudents, and any alumni you know for their opinionson at least two topics: faculty and facilities. You maywant to consider the quality of the student body and thequality of the school, but both of these areas are harderto evaluate. Exactly what would be the guidelines forobjectively determining the quality of the school? Reputation?Endowment? Admission requirements?

As to the quality of the student body, you won't knowwho will be in your class until you've started the year.Moreover, the quality of the students who are alreadyenrolled may not have that much effect on the quality ofthe education you'll receive. It all comes back to the factthat you'll get out of your graduate school experiencewhat you're willing to put into it.

You can get information on a school's professors byrequesting the school catalog, which will list the professorsand where they received their degrees. You mightalso check Who's Who in America and/or the The Directoryof American Scholars.

Any graduate student, regardless of discipline, willhave to use the library. How large are the holdings andhow accessible are these resources to graduate students?There should be study carrels, preferably assigned,to ensure that you will have a quiet place to readwhile you're using the library. If you'll be doing graduatework in the sciences, you'll want to know what typeof labs and other facilities are available in your area ofstudy.

At the graduate level, you no longer declare a majorlike you did in undergraduate school. You must narrowyour field of interest to consider a period or a topic. Areyou interested in the women's movement since the IndustrialRevolution? Perhaps you want to study the economicimpact of the Crusades. You might want to askprofessors which schools he/she might recommend inthe area of study you've selected. You might be able tofind five to ten schools that offer studies in your particulararea of interest.

The next step is to find out which professors are conductingresearch and studies in the general area inwhich you have an interest. Your undergraduate advisor may suggest possible individuals, you can talk to professorswhen you visit a school, or you can conduct asearch on the Internet, which will provide you with aplethora of information about who is currently studyingan area. The field of research need not be identical toyour interests but close enough so that the professor cangive you guidance. You need to find out if the professorsare willing to take on another graduate student. Youmust have an advisor, someone who will not only agreeto be your advisor but who you feel you can work withfor the duration of your studies.

If you're seeking to work on a master's degree, thetime frame for study will vary. It could take one year ofintense class work (36 credit hours) and no requirementto write a thesis. Or it could take two years or more ifyou must write a thesis.

Continues...

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