FAQ
A contribution of The Cephalopod Page
| Question: |
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| How to get into graduate school |
| Answer: |
| Helpful hints for the mentally disturbed.
I found that graduate schools are primarily interested in only 5 things: 1) Grades 2) GRE scores 3) Publications/Experience 4) Money (major scholarships, dad is CEO of Pepsi, royalty) 5) Connections If you have #4 (such as an NSF fellowship) doors will fly open for you everywhere. Of course, to convince someone else to give you #4 you need #1 and #2 (or have your own $$$). Most undergraduates do not have #3 so those that do stand out - #3 will also help you get #4 at some schools. If you don't have #4 before you apply to a particular University but you do have #1, #2, and possibly #3 you may be able to get number #4 from the department, school or state (if resident). If a professor is interested in you and really wants you then anything can happen. However, professors are much more likely to be interested in you if you have #1 and #2 (which means that they might be able to get #4 for you) or #3 (esp. publications, which means that you are very productive and will likely increase their publication rate) so you are back to the same game. In my experience, #1 and #2 are easier for most undergraduates then #3 but this may depend on your honors adviser. In my case, I looked for professors that were working or had worked with cephalopods in the lab and field and wrote them a letter of interest in my junior year. I had a good gpa (3.97), but didn't have #2 (they generally want a 1300+ - I only have a 1240 "sorry kid, 2.4 standard deviations above the average doesn't cut it . . ." Shesh! Stupid damned standardized tests anyway :-), I had a bit of 3 though no sci. publications (publications in aquarium magazines, 2 internships and an honors project), and was runner up on 4 (nsf fellowship - no money but close). Basically one of the reasons I'm in Canada and not Hawaii is because the states put so much into GRE scores - in Canada they are optional (and even though mine were 2.4 std above the mean, they were intentionally not sent to Dalhousie). Play your hand to your best advantage. Of course you want a good essay and good letters of rec. but I've noticed that ALL the finalists have these so it really comes down to #1-#4 and how much a particular prof. is interested in you. #5 can work miracles but most of us do not play golf with the Dean Biology at Scrips or personally know the president of the country. Making contacts with cephalopod workers can help. Do some research first - undergraduates that have taken initiative and have a clue stand out. If you don't bother to read up on the researchers current work and interests you might do more harm then good. Of course, if you personally have lots of #4 and can provide your own support you may be able to get in. Some schools won't accept graduate students unless they know that the graduate student will be supported one way or another. Other schools will accept students that they know they cannot support; these schools leave it up to the student to figure out how to fund their full time graduate work and pay for room and board at the same time. Most of us do not have the means to pay our own way. If you do, it will help, especially if your grades and GRE scores are not up to par. A final tip. I've always learned a lot by talking to students that were a few years ahead of me. They can tell you what is coming and this information can help you plan. For example, many students don't allow enough time for all the essays and applications (the wording and directions of some of these applications is downright sadistic!) that they will need to fill out when applying to graduate school and/or applying for various scholarships. Just my $0.02. BTW, I by no means indorse the way things work but the above is how I've come to understand the game and to do well in any game you must first understand the rules. Once you understand the rules you must then decide how best to play your always limited resources. The only other advice I can think of is to write professors as soon as possible, ideally during your junior year and to be persistent. Dr. James Wood |