Thoughts on going to graduate school from the Director of International Studies

So you want to go to graduate school…Here’s some advice. First, you need to do your homework. You need to:

            1. Decide what you want to study

            2. Decide where you are going to apply

            3. Decide who you are going to study with 

You need to know what you want to study. Wanting to study “human rights” is too vague. You need to be as specific as you possibly can, e.g. “human rights abuses in Columbia.” You need to find at least 5 places where you can study your very specific topic. Pick at least one place that you know you can get in and at least one place that you are pretty sure you are not going to get in to. Pick the rest in between. Also, you need to decide if you want to go to graduate school per se or a professional school. Generally graduate schools will pay you to go to school and professional schools won’t. If a graduate school won’t pay, they are not that interested in you. Next you need to identify faculty at each one of the places that you are going to apply that you want to study with. Read their publications to help you decide. 

Now you are ready to apply. You will want to mail your applications by 15 November for entrance the following fall. Just about everywhere will want a statement, 3 letters, a transcript and your test scores (GRE, GMAT, etc.). Your statement is the most important thing. Write it very carefully and use what you know about faculty members at that school in writing your statement. Have as many people read it as possible before you send it. Pick who is writing your letters very carefully; they are the second most important thing. Letter writers need to know you well enough to comment on your ability to read critically, to think on your feet and to write. Typically your letter writers will be professors from your 300 and 400-level classes. Do not use friends of the family or 100 and 200-level course instructors. Arrange to have a copy of your transcript sent to all the schools and take the GRE or GMAT and have that sent to all the schools.

Schools will typically contact you about admission in February and March. They may reject you, admit you without funding or admit and fund. Go to the best school that admits and funds you. If you are entering a professional school, go to the best school that admits you (you have to pay anyway!). You normally have until April 15 to commit to a school. Commit early if you can. Most schools that you turn down can offer to another candidate, if you turn them down by April 15, so help out others who want to go to graduate school by making a decision as soon as you can.

More questions? Contact William Rasch, Olga Kalentzidou or Emily Williams in International Studies.