My name is April Coan, and I am an Academic Success Coach and the Assistant Director at the Office of Undergraduate Student Success. Throughout the fall semester, I will be offering tips and suggestions in The Current, which will focus on topics like success in college and taking advantage of the unique opportunities available at NSU.
When you’re in undergrad, you might not think that one day you’ll pursue a master’s degree. As a result, you might not prepare yourself as well as you could have before you apply to graduate school. The lesson to be learned is, “You never know.” You never know which path life will lead you on, and someday, you may be headed for graduate school. So if you’re thinking about taking the next step in your academic future, or even if you’re not, it’s a good idea to start preparing early. Here are some ways you can increase your chances of getting into a graduate or professional program of your choice.
- Know your admissions requirements. Knowing what is expected of you from a graduate program can help you prepare yourself for the future. If you’re thinking about going to graduate school, it’s never too early to explore admissions requirements for colleges and programs you would like to attend. With this in mind, some graduate programs have GPA cutoffs, so earning a good GPA in your bachelor’s program is very important. If you’re interested in medical schools, GPA is even more important, since you will probably need to obtain a GPA well above a 3.5 to even be considered for admission. In addition to GPA, the graduate and professional programs might also have certain prerequisite course requirements you will need to take before you graduate from your undergrad. Most of this information can be found by visiting a graduate school’s website or contacting their admissions office.
- Get to know your faculty. Graduate and professional programs typically ask for letters of recommendation from your undergraduate faculty in their admission requirements. In order to write a quality letter of recommendation, a professor will need to know a lot about you. With that said, it’s a good idea to foster your professional relationships with faculty early on in your undergrad by visiting them during their office hours, participating in independent study programs or working with faculty members in research projects.
- Practice your interviewing skills. This may come as a surprise, but some graduate and professional programs will ask to interview you as part of their admissions process. Don’t panic. If you’re interviewing skills are a little rusty, you can brush up your skills with a Career Adviser at the Office of Career Development.
- Nail the entrance exam. Do some research, find out which entrance exams you will need to take for your graduate and professional programs, and start studying early. Whether or not you’re taking the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT or PCAT, be prepared to spend a pretty penny on these exams and any retests you may need to take. Depending on which exam you take, prices for entrance exams can be close to $300.
- Make yourself stand out. If you want to make yourself stand out from other applicants, it’s also a good idea to demonstrate dedication to your field by gaining experience in your area of interest. Not sure how to gain experience? A good place to start is volunteering, shadowing professionals, joining professional clubs and organizations, conducting research with faculty or interning.
If you have any other questions regarding graduate admissions, it’s never too early to contact the graduate admissions department of the college you wish to attend.
