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Graduate School Decision-Making

Are you ready for Graduate School? View the Graduate School Timeline.

The following questions can help you decide whether or not graduate school is right for you.

  • Why do I really want to attend graduate school?
  • What do I want to study?
  • What makes me an outstanding candidate?
  • Am I ready to go into a program that may take me 2 to 6 years to complete?
  • Could I get a personally fulfilling job in this field without further education?
  • Would I have a better idea about furthering my education in this field if I worked first?
  • Do the students in the program I am interested in have work experience?
  • How will I finance graduate school?
  • How do I honestly rate myself as a student? Am I in the top 5%, 10%, or 15% of my class?

Here is a list of some of the personal characteristics of successful graduate students. Do any apply to you?


CommittedEmpatheticDetail-oriented
OrganizedCuriousFlexible
Hard-workingMatureDetermined
FocusedCompetitiveSerious
PersistentSelf-disciplinedIndependent
Self-motivatedEnduranceArticulate
AdaptableEffective
  • If you are applying to graduate or professional schools, the Career Center can assist you in preparing applications and writing personal statements.
  • The Career Center has the Peterson's Guide to Graduate and Professional Programs series of books to assist you in locating schools offering programs in your field of study.
  • Stop by the Career Center to pick up registration booklets for graduate school examinations such as the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, and GMAT.
  • You may practice for the GRE and LSAT on the Career Center computers.
  • To prepare for your interview, you may sign up for a Mock Interview in the Career Center.
To schedule an individual appointment with a career counselor to go over your graduate school plans, call 794-7339.