An Overview of the Grad School Application Process
Last Updated on February 8, 2024 by Jill Schwitzgebel
I’ve recently begun getting lots of questions about the grad school application process. Repeatedly, students are surprised when I explain what they need to consider and what actions they need to take to apply. While there are some similarities to the undergraduate application process, applying to graduate school has some important differences. Generally, it’s a lot more work.
While high school students select colleges at least partially based on their perceived “fit” on campus (can they picture themselves at ABC College?), that’s not usually a consideration for an applicant when applying to graduate school. At this next level, the field of study supersedes all.
First Considerations
What students frequently don’t realize as they begin the process, is how different graduate programs can look. There is no generic “grad school.” To some students, applying to a grad program means that they’re planning to pursue their PhD. To others, it means applying for a professional Masters degree. So, it is really important to know what goal a student hopes to achieve with their graduate degree. So, this is the place to begin thinking. It’s also important to note that the process to apply for a Masters or PhD program, is different from applying to law school or medical school.
Masters vs. PhD
Which of these is the ultimate goal? Depending on the field, an applicant sometimes can apply for admission directly to a PhD program, if that’s their goal. But, depending on a variety of factors ranging from undergraduate preparation to subject matter, sometimes, a student that wishes to pursue a PhD must first attend a Masters degree program. The type of Masters program will matter. Some Masters programs are research-based and set up to prepare students to apply for a PhD.
But, other Masters programs are set up to be more of a professional degree. The requirements of a professional program might involve internships and may just require coursework. They may even require work experience prior to applying. The assumption of this style of Masters program is that the student does not plan to go on to a PhD program, but plans to go out into the professional world after finishing.
Funding
A student’s plan for funding grad school has to be among the first considerations. Graduate school is much more expensive than undergraduate. Fortunately, in many cases, colleges won’t accept students to non-professional graduate programs if they can’t afford to fund them, at least partially. And, if they’re lucky, the college will also provide a stipend in exchange for a student serving as a teaching or research assistant. The amount of that stipend can vary widely. Sometimes, students will need to take out federal student loans to help cover their living expenses. Depending on career goals, and undergraduate debt, it’s possible that it won’t make sense to do that.
Applicants to graduate school that know they may need loans to make ends meet, should complete the FAFSA, which opens up on October 1st each year. Graduate students may be eligible for up to $20,500/year in loans.
Choosing Where to Apply
This time around, it doesn’t really matter whether the potential applicant likes the campus environment or the weather or the size. After an applicant has decided on the type of program they’re looking for, choosing where to apply will be primarily dictated by career field, with support from a mentor or advisor in their field of interest. If a student wants to work in academia eventually, then they need to attend a graduate program where the research aligns with their interests. If an applicant wants to work for a particular company, then they need to see from which schools that company is hiring. An academic mentor should be able to point them in the right direction. With luck, that advisor will also have connections to those schools, which will also help.
Potential applicants can also follow professors and researchers in their field on social media, particularly Twitter (now X) and now some are on Threads. They will learn where the opportunities are and what research is happening and where.
Additionally, their choices will be driven by their particular area of research interest. Usually, applicants who are interested in non-professional graduate programs have very specific research backgrounds or interests. So, those interests will easily dictate which places they will apply to.
Before Applying
This is the step that surprises many potential applicants. Applicants need to reach out via email to individual professors that they would like to work with, and to graduate admissions departments at schools where they intend to apply, prior to applying. The usual timeline would be late summer into early fall. For some programs, particularly at the PhD level, an applicant needs to be invited by a professor to apply, if they hope to be accepted. (Even then, there is no guarantee.) And even when an invitation to apply is not necessary, it is beneficial if an applicant has been in contact with a professor they hope to work with. Sometimes, the professor will even set up a meeting with the prospective applicant to further discuss the program. At that meeting, the applicant can get all kinds of information about admission. Sometimes, the applicant will learn that there is no funding for a new student in the upcoming year, so they can save time and money by not applying.
Another important way to reach out prior to applying is by attending academic conferences in the field. At these conferences, researchers and current graduate students will present their latest research. And, in addition to attending their presentations, there will be times built in to mingle at various events. Colleges will often host receptions, which can be a great way to meet the professors and graduate students from the schools that are of interest.
Applying
After everything above, this may seem like the easy part! To some degree, this part DOES resemble the undergraduate application process. Applicants submit their transcripts, an application, letters of recommendation, test scores (usually the GRE), and a personal statement by a firm deadline. The personal statement does differ from the essay students submit when applying for undergraduate programs. While it’s about the same length, it is usually tightly focused on the applicant’s qualifications and background, and their goals.
Be prepared – graduate school applications are not cheap!
Waiting
For applicants hoping to receive an assistantship or fellowship, their applications will usually be due sometime in late November through January. After the deadline, graduate schools will review applications and then, send out interview requests shortly thereafter, if that’s part of their process. The timeframe will vary depending on the college and the major, but interviews will generally be conducted from the end of January through early March.
Just like with undergraduate acceptances, the timeline for when grad schools send out acceptances, varies. But, applicants who have been accepted all have until April 15th to accept or deny admission offers. If an applicant has not heard something from a school by late March, I recommend calling the school to ask about their decisions.
Outcomes
Ultimately, there are four possible outcomes after applying to graduate school –
- Accepted, with funding
- Accepted, without funding (most common for those applying for a professional Masters degree, such as an MBA)
- Waitlist (Not common)
- Rejection
Remember, this article is only meant to be a general outline of the graduate school application process, which means it is not comprehensive for every major and every situation. There are variations – for instance, some fields actually have a “match process” where an applicant selects and ranks the schools that best align with their background, and hopes that one of the schools on their list also “matches” with them. And overall, the information here is most relevant for current undergraduates or recent college graduates considering grad school. I always recommend that college advisors and mentors are the first place to start. And of course, I am more than happy to support potential applicants as they explore this option and work on their applications.
