If you wish to continue your education after you receive a bachelor's degree, oftentimes you pursue a master's degree in your field. Obtaining a master's degree means that you have to apply and attend graduate school for a certain amount of time which tends to be a more intensive education than your undergrad was. If you know someone who is in the process of applying to grad school, here is why you should be extra kind to them.
1. Applications take forever to complete.
Applications can take several hours to complete and after a while you really get tired of inputting all of your personal information. Often times people will apply to multiple schools at once which only adds on to the stress of having to get everything done.
2. Finding the perfect grad school for you is no easy task.
Grad school programs can differ extremely from one school to another. It is so important to do research to make sure you are choosing a good fit while applying.
3. There is not enough room to put your qualitifcations on your personal statement.
What is the most important thing about me? Am I boring? Do I have enough volunteer experience? Do I even have experience?? HELP! Personal statements tell the school more about you and why you want to join their program. Try cramming that into a few pages.
4. Most programs require you to take the GRE.
Give them $200 so you can cry about your scores and then give them another $200 to take it again. Seems fun, right?
5. Some graudate programs require letters of recommendation from your previous professors.
Making sure you establish a good professional relationship with your previos professors is no easy task. A lot of time you have to wave your rights to see your letter of recommendations which means you cannot check to see if the professor wrote you a not-so-great letter. It is a huge gamble and can be nerevewraking.
6. Application fees are outrageously high for most schools.
If you apply to a lot of schools your application fees will start to add up quickly. Sometimes grad schools require you to buy a program on your computer to upload your applicationt to. I've seen application fees range from $50-200 depending on the program.
7. Individual programs require individual requirments. One school may require one thing and another school may not.
You have to keep your ducks in a row and make sure you have fulfilled all of the requirements to the school you are applying for. One mistake, one document left out, may cost you admittance into that school.
