Graduate School

Determine what programs interest you, help review for entrance exams and prepare for interviews.

Choosing a graduate program

You can learn about potential programs of interest in several ways: 

• Graduate School tabling events on-campus through the year

• Online research of various programs

• Speak with professors in your area of interest

• Meet with a Hubbard Center adviser

The degree you pursue depends on your interests and aspirations.

It is important to explore careers you are interested in so you can investigate the best approach. Talk with current professionals in  your field of interest, your professors, current graduate students in your chosen area and Hubbard Center advisers.

Be aware that many entry-level positions may not require education beyond a bachelor’s degree.

In some industries, progress into higher level positions requires an advanced degree in additional to experience, while other a 4-year degree is sufficient.

Certain careers require an advanced degree and specialized training.

If you want to be a lawyer, doctor, college professor or librarian, for example, an advanced degree is necessary. Yet completing this degree (even from an elite institution) does not guarantee that you will secure your desired position.

Graduate study outside the U.S.

While some aspects of applying to an overseas program can be easier, you will need to spend more time researching funding, immigration requirements and living arrangements.

Some countries offer degree programs that are shorter in duration, saving time and money.

While this should not be the motivating factor, it can be a benefit if the content of the program is right for you.

Some schools outside of the United States accept U.S. federal student aid.

A list of these schools can be found on the www.studentaid.gov website, but you should always inquire to verify this with overseas schools you are considering.

Preparing for Graduate School

• Seek faculty mentors

• Take additional 300/400 level classes beyond the minimum

• Complete an independent research, scholarly or artistic project

• Develop a writing sample

• Begin working on your personal statement

• Start a portfolio of your work

• Prepare to take the graduate entrance exam

Financing Graduate School

The cost of an advanced degree and available funding varies widely across disciplines.

• Investigate the kind of financial support available in your targeted program. These could be teaching assistant-ships, fellowships, grants and other graduate student appointments. Contact the program directly to find out more about their resources.

• Once admitted to a program, inquire about additional funding. You can work to negotiate a better financial package, fellowship or teaching position. If you have multiple acceptances, you can leverage that in negotiations.

• Some competitive fellowships and awards fund graduate study. Review ones that may be relevant to your proposed area of study, or speak with the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships.

Prepare for Graduate School

To prepare yourself to be successful in the graduate school process, here are some things to accomplish:

Seek faculty mentors. Professors are your best resources in helping you identify your personal and scholarly interests. They can supervise an independent writing or research project and write letters of recommendations for you, because they know you and your abilities.

Take additional 300/400 level classes beyond the minimum and at least one course requiring critical analysis.

Complete an independent research scholarly or artistic project. Demonstrate the initiative and follow-through, as well as the ability to do independent and thoughtful work.

Take courses that will fulfill, or help with fulfilling, the graduate program's degree requirements.

Develop a writing sample. Try to have the sample reflect questions, issues or work that relate to your area of study.

Begin to write your personal statement. Workshops and resources are available.

Start a portfolio of your work. Graduate programs and employers may ask to see your previous work.

Prepare to the graduate entrance exams. The Graduate Records Exam (GRE) is the most common entrance exam. Every school and program is different, so check with the program about all admissions requirements.

An Intellectual Narrative

Provides the reader with a sense of your priorities and judgement, allowing them to know you more personally.

The personal statement is just one, but very important, part of an application. Each personal statement must be tailored to each specific application. Pay close attention to the prompt, as some things you may include in a personal statement for one application may make more sense to include in another part of a different application. 

Writing & Editing Suggestions

• Keep your primary points brief and clear. Reviewers will likely skim your statement because of the volume they are reviewing.

• While addressing the prompt, be sure to keep to word or character limits.

• Your opening sentence should catch the reader's attending and last sentence pulls ideas in the essay together. Conclude with something specific and visionary.

• Be sure there is a thread connecting the different parts of the essay.

• Give specific, detailed examples to illustrate each of the points made. Make it relevant; if it's not, then it doesn't belong. 

• Be sure topic sentences [first sentence of each paragraph] lay out an idea that is then developed and illustrated by the following paragraph.

• Edit your statement. Have many people read your statements and provide feedback. Cut out unnecessary words and avoid cliches.

Brainstorming Your Essay

As you begin planning your essay, consider the following:

• What is special, unique or distinctive about you and your life story?

• What details n your life shaped you or influenced your goals?

• When did you become interested in this opportunity and what have you chosen to do to reinforce your conviction in pursuing this opportunity?

• What do you know about this field and how did you learn it?

• What are your career goals?

• Are there gaps or discrepancies in your academic record worth explaining?

• Have your made any mistakes or have any regrets that taught you something important about yourself?

• Why might you be more successful and effective in this opportunity than other applicants?

Tell your story: your qualification [Background, Skills, Experiences, Traits]

Demonstrate your fit or suitability:  Connect your story with your future, Show how the opportunity is essential for a bright, More successful future

Project your Future: Short Term[1-3 years], Long Term[5+ years]

Additional Resources:  Writing Personal Statements Online, Purdue OWL

Professional References

Get to know your faculty members and let them get to know you. They can write a specific, detailed letter that speaks to your accomplishments. You can build a relationship in a variety of ways:

• Attend office hours

• Talk with them about your areas of interest and future aspirations

• Ask them about their research

• Take more than one course from a faculty member whose work closely aligns with yours

• Consider conducting research with a faculty member

Request letters of recommendation at least a month in advance of the deadline, preferably 2-3 months in advance. You can send a reminder to the letter writer closer to the deadline.

Be professional in making the request, but don't feel awkward about it. Faculty members and former employers want to support their students. They are accustomed to writing letters of recommendation. Provide them with as much information as possible to help them write the letter and be sure to share information about your proposed program or activity. A draft of your statement of purpose, application, and copy of your resume is helpful, so they have a full picture of what they are supporting you for. Establishing a portfolio of your work is helpful to share, to refresh their recollection of your skills and abilities. 

Letters for Off-Campus Study, Graduate study, or a fellowship

Request letters from only faculty members. Letters from colleagues or employers should be requested in the very rare case when your proposed study is extremely well aligned.

Graduate School: Be proactive about gaps between when you graduate and when you apply to graduate school. The best letters of recommendations are from faculty who know you well. But because they teach hundreds of students, it is harder for them to write strong letters the longer it has been since you were in their classroom.  If you have a gap between graduation and applying, consider requesting the letters while you are still fresh in their memory and keeping them on file.

Letters for an internship or Job

Request letters from a combination of supervisors and faculty members. These individuals should be able to speak specifically to the work you have done and connect it to your proposed work.

Say thanks

Send a thank you note and update them on your progress. A good reference writer will be interested in your success. It will also help next time you might need a reference from that individual. 

Starting the applications after selecting schools to apply to.

Know your deadlines

Applications are often accepted in late December or early January for the following fall semester, but some schools have a "rolling admission" process or different application cycles, so be sure to get the deadlines and instructions from each school.

Prepare all documents

The following are typical admission materials, but you should check with each graduate program before proceeding:

• Application(s)- Complete and submit the application and all required materials on time. You can always ask questions directly of the graduate program. Be aware you may be asked to pay an application fee.  If that is a hardship, there may be scholarships or waivers available, so check with the graduate program admissions staff.

• Official transcripts- Request all transcripts from all universities attended. To request your DePauw transcript, visit the DePauw Registrar's Office.

• Writing to relevant faculty- Write to faculty at your chosen schools; let them know of your scholarly interests and read their published works. You can ask them questions about the program and their research, but keep it balanced between general inquiry and professional dialogue.

• Statement of purpose- Sometimes referred to as a personal statement, you should begin writing early and ask for lots of feedback on your writing. This is a critical piece of your application, so spending time to work on multiple drafts is necessary. Ask peers, faculty or other advisers to provide feedback.

• Critical writing sample- If requested, your writing sample should reflect your best work as it relates to what you want to pursue in your graduate program. 

• Entrance exam scores- Take the appropriate graduate entrance exams well in advance (e.g., GRE, MCAT, LSAT). Request your scores be sent to your schools of choice.

• Letters of recommendation- Request letter from faculty member who know you well enough to discuss your work and potential in detail. General statements about you doing well in a class or general reference to your GPA are not helpful.

• Curriculum vitae or resume- You also will need to submit your resume or CV that conveys the experience you’ve had so far. You can take advantage of on-campus leadership opportunities, Extended Studies offerings including community service and off-campus study, and job shadowing to create a well-rounded DePauw experience

• TA/fellowship application- You can apply for teaching assistantships or other available fellowship programs. There is usually a separate application for financial support opportunities.