Is Graduate School for You?

Is Graduate School for You? Presented by Maureen Roach Senior Assistant Director Illinois State University Career Center

Goals • First Step: Assess your graduate school needs and goals • Learn what is needed to apply • Brief overview of how to research graduate programs • Timeline for graduate school applications • Brief GRE overview • Learn what selection committees look for in a graduate essay

Graduate Degree Options Master’s Degree (MA, MS, MSW, MSEd. MSN, MBA) • 2-3 years beyond Bachelor • 30-38 credit hours • Research experience • Comprehensive exam • Thesis option/Course option Doctoral Degree (PhD, EdD, MFA) • 2-4 years beyond Master • Research and scholarship • Comprehensive exam • Dissertation Professional Degree (MD, JD, AuD) • Professional competencies • Certification (Graduate Certificate in Social Aspects of Aging)

Some Numbers Education % over age 25 Degrees 2012/13 Bachelor’s 30.44% 1.8 million Master’s 7.95% 750,000 Doctorate 3.00% 175,000 Unemployment: HS 9.4% Bachelor 4.9% Master 3.6% Doctorate 2.5% Professional 2.4% *Master’s degrees are becoming more common. Doctorates remain rare. *Women make up about 60% of graduate students. U.S. Census Bureau 2011

Why Graduate School? Greater Earnings & SecurityHS $33,176Bachelor $54,756 Master $65,676 Doctorate $80,653 Professional $86,580

An executive summary of the September 2012 Salary Survey report is available Sociology: Master’s Degree: $43,900 Bachelor’s Degree: $33,000 Some Numbers

Is Graduate School the Right Fit For Me? What are your reasons?

Is Graduate School the Right Fit For Me? • Adds specialization to a broad major • Applied Community and Economic Development Sequence, Public Sociology, Religion, Applied Sociology, Development Sociology, Family Specialty, Gender & Sexuality, Social Justice • Specialties in a specialized field • Master’s degree may be required for certain positions or for career advancement • Advance past an entry-level position to jobs such as executive director or supervisor • Pursue a doctoral degree and transfer to research positions or become professor in higher education setting • Personal fulfillment • Greater earnings and security • Gap in education or undergraduate education outdated • Change career paths • Make you more marketable

Now or Later? Start Now • School experience is fresh • Fewer family or financial obligations • More flexible • Longer earning potential • Graduate Assistantship opportunity Start Later • Work experience might be required • May be academically under or unprepared • Financially more secure • Employer may finance • Financially prepared – if you don’t know where you’re going, or don’t have the focus to succeed, school can leave you with a whole lot of debt

Complete Package • Undergraduate major • Grades • Course difficulty • Test scores • Relevant experience • Leadership • Recommendations • Accomplishments • Essay/Personal Statement

General Timeline Junior Year: • Research graduate programs • Call, write or visit schools • Draft essay; determine graduate admissions tests • Consult study books and take free practice tests May-August • Take required graduate test that you registered for in the spring. If you have not registered for the test yet, register and prepare for them now Senior Year: August-Oct • Edit essay; consult with writing experts/faculty • Take required graduate admission test if you have not already done so • Letters of recommendation • Research financial aid Nov-Dec. • Order official transcript • Finalize essay and Mail application Jan-March • Contact schools to confirm receipt of application; visit schools • Finalize financial aid paperwork. Fill out FAFSA • Admission interviews scheduled April-May • Discuss acceptances • Visit accepted school • Choose a school; notify other schools that accepted you of your decision

Grad School Application Timeline • Most deadlines for master’s programs tend to hit in January, February or March – earlier the better • May - begin researching schools; study/practice GRE • June – take prep course if necessary • July – Request information from schools • August – take GRE test; begin writing statement of purpose • September – finalize list of prospective schools. Contact recommenders • October – Request official transcripts. Make campus visits • November – write personal statement • December – complete and submit all applications; keep copies • January – fill out FAFSA

What You Need to Apply • Cover Letter and Graduate School Resume (CV) • Personal Statement of Purpose • Transcripts • Letters of Recommendation • Writing Sample • ePortfolio • GRE exam score • Informational Interview • Campus visits • Interview

Choosing a Grad School – The Right Fit for You • Research and find schools based on reputation, academic quality and experience (faculty, research, experiential learning experiences, accredited, location and setting, career assistance, school culture, cost-grants, assistantships and fellowships) • Develop a targeted list and rank schools • Select a number you can manage (up to 5, 5 or more) • Make sure program is relevant to your interests • Check out admission acceptance ratios - http://prpa.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/graduate_databook/ISUGraduateDatabook12.pdf • Visit schools/programs • Student/faculty ratio-class size http://www.peterson’sguide.org http://www.gradschools.com http://www.princetonreview.com http://www.gradschools.com http://www.universities.com/edu/Masters_degrees_in_Sociology.html

GRE Overview • Graduate Record Exam is a 3.9 hour, multiple choice, required by most graduate schools • Some schools consider it important, some as a formality; ask how important it plays in the admission decision • $160 – general test; $140 – subject test; offered throughout the year; take only once every 60 days and no more than 5 times within 12 months • Take in August & September-receive scores early to mid-November Take in October-receive mid to late November Take in November-receive early December Take in December and later-receive 10-15 days • Practice! Free tests. Practice timing • Multi-stage – computer will use performance on one section to determine the difficulty level of the next section • Breakdown of GRE: 3 sections • Analytical Writing section contains two questions • Two Verbal Ability (vocabulary and reading sections) • Two Quantitative Ability (math) • Verbal and Quantitative Scores: scale of 130-170 in one point increments; • Analytical Writing section scored on a scale of 0 to 6 in half increments

Purpose of a Personal Statement • Shows whether you can write a clear, coherent essay that’s logically and grammatically correct • Opportunity to present the committee with more of a “three dimensional” portrait of yourself as a deserving candidate than GPA and GRE can • What you write sends signal about what’s important to you and what your values are • Explains why you want to pursue grad work • Explains career path • Explain how you have overcome significant obstacles • Awards or recognitions • What you can contribute to grad school community/school/program

Start Writing! • Start with a draft…(don’t worry about “perfection” with this first draft!) Write what you want to say about: • Why you’re pursuing this degree? • What led you to the field you’re interested in? • Who influenced you? How? Why? • Why did you choose this program? This school? • What do you plan to do with this degree once you’re done? • Write in active voice • Demonstrate everything by example • Spend the most time on your introduction; conclusions are crucial • Use transition between paragraphs

StatementConclusion • Tie together the various issues that you have raised in the essay, and reiterate your interest in this specific program • Remind the committee of your interest, qualifications and your future goals as a result of not only being admitted into the program but also your plans to apply this advanced education!

Final Tips • Follow the application directions. Stay within the number of words (AND the font size) requested—(usually 500 to 1000 words) when finalizing the essay. Another standard is to write no more than two pages. • Be sure to review (proof read) your personal statement and have someone you trust to review your statement • Be sure to start EARLY • Be sure to research the school AND the program you are applying to • Do not create a standard graduate school essay that you copy and send to every program to which you are applying. Just like your resume, tailor your personal statement to fit each graduate program for which you are applying • Many programs interview candidates, but not all, so know what you need to say in the written document and what you will have an opportunity to say in person

If I Decide to Wait, What Should I Do to Make Myself Competitive? • Gain relevant experience in the field • Peace Corps • AmeriCorps • JET – Japan Exchange & Teaching Program • Teach for America • City Year • Teach abroad • Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) • Volunteer/Volunteer abroad • Internship • Deficiency classes http://www.idealist.org

Swoosh. Flap, flap, flap. I heard the rush of wings and ducked just in time to avoid the outstretched talons of a red tailed hawk. It pounced, then retreated to a branch a few feet above my head, a squirrel clutched in its claws. This is a normal occurrence in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.  

Making a Difference That afternoon, this family separated by life’s circumstance became an inspiration and catalyst for me; in many ways they helped me find my next passion. Though I knew that legally, it was wrong for their loved ones to be living and working on “my side,” I also saw that doing so was making it possible for their children and even their parents living so many miles away to eat and have life’s basic necessities. I realized that despite my inability to improve the economic situation in Mexico, I could work to improve the lives of the people who were living here in my country and in my community. This commitment was strengthened by the academic perspective I was developing as a result of my classes that semester and in those that were to follow.  

Life Story At age 6, while in primary one (grade school), my grandmother gave me a goat as a reward for performing well in class. By primary 7, I had a herd of goats, and when I excelled going to high school, she gave me a cow that I kept on the family farm. Growing up as a child in Uganda, my dream was one day to have a big farm, so I could wake up in the morning and watch my cows from my farm house on top of the hill. This vision inspired me to acquire more knowledge in agriculture.  

Questions? Thank You! Maureen Roach Senior Assistant Director Career Center Illinois State University 309-438-5823 maroach@ilstu.edu

Is Graduate School for You?