Welcome to Lipstick and Laughter!
I decided to create a
blog where I could have a creative outlet, but also where I could share my
experiences and what I learned from them.
I have spent the last 9
months or so preparing for graduate school from the application process, to the
interview process, to the process of selecting a graduate school. I will
be the first to tell you that it can be daunting but it can also be
exciting if you are well prepared and have some idea of what you are doing.
Here I will provide you
with the steps and tips that helped me get started, and what to keep in mind
while you get ready for this next journey in your life.
Decide What You Want in a
School
This is the most
important step, in my opinion, but keep in mind that what you want out of a
school may change. Depending on how long your program is, you are committing to
being a part of that program for YEARS, so you must apply to schools that you
can really see yourself attending.
When I first started out
looking I only knew that I wanted to go to a school in a city where I could see
myself living for the next few years, and I wanted the program to be accredited
by both the National Association for School Psychologists and the American
Psychological Association. As you continue to read about different programs
online, you may find that there is more you want.
Make an Organized List of
Schools
Before I started to get
too deep into the process, I created a list of schools where I was interested.
It is up to everyone how to make their list, but I began my search with the
area where I wanted to live. I was born and raised in the Midwest, and knew
that I wanted to go to a completely different area for graduate school - after
all, my program is 5 yrs long and that is a long time to live in one
city. I picked states where I was interested in, and then began to
research programs within those states.
I organized my list in a
Google Drive Spreadsheet and created columns and rows where I could compare each
school side by side. Here I compiled my notes about each program - the city,
ranking (if your programs have a ranking list), if the program is accredited by
a particular educational association (American Psychological Association, for
example), training model used by the program, average GPA of admitted applicants,
average GRE score of admitted applicants, APPLICATION DUE DATE,
notable faculty, funding information, etc.
Call me OCD, but I
cannot stress how helpful it was to have a chart of compiled notes so that I
did not need to go back to a program's website every single time I forgot
something. It saves you time when you have the most important information
already in one place.
Talk to References
Early
Each graduate school
program where I applied required 3 letters of recommendation. This can be the
easiest step of the process if you ask your references as early as possible. My
applications were due in November and December, but I spoke to my references in
July. It is never too early. I suggest speaking to your references as early as
possible so that you can begin to focus on the more stressful parts of the
application process like your personal statement and GRE.
In your first
conversation with your reference, make an effort to talk to them in
person. Let them know that you are applying to graduate school, ask them
politely for a letter, and give them a general idea of when you would like the
letter to be submitted. Follow up with your references within the next week via
email, with your resume attached, and include specific information about each
program in this email. We do not want to overwhelm them, but at the same
time we want to make sure that they have all appropriate information. In the
next coming weeks and months, make sure that you are reminding your references
about the deadline. After all they are probably very busy people, and they are
not nearly as concerned with your application deadline as you are.
Study for your GRE (or
whichever entrance exam is required)
Each program where I
applied required a GRE score, but there are also others that may require
something else such as the GMAT. Regardless of the exam, make sure that you
create a study plan that works for you and your schedule, and try your best to
stick to it. I suggest seriously devoting about 3 months to studying, and take
this test seriously. The score you receive on this test may not be everything -
it could actually be the least important part of the application - but you want
to be confident in each aspect of your application.
Click here to go to my post about how I studied for the GRE, and which resources I used to get prepared.
Submit Your Transcripts
and GRE Scores to the Programs
This is a very very
important step! Some programs will not even consider your application if they
have not received your transcripts and test scores by the deadline.
As soon as you decide
which programs you are applying to, I recommend sending off your transcript(s)
- some programs require 2 so be mindful of this. There is nothing
worse than freaking out last minute wondering if your transcript got to your
school in time because you decided to send it off a week before the deadline.
Send them off as early as possible, so that you will not have to fret about
it. You want to ensure that you have enough time to possibly send off a
second or third if the first gets lost in the mail.
As for your GRE scores,
those take about 2 weeks to get to the program and they are submitted
electronically. I recommend taking your GRE months before the deadline,
just in case you want to take it a second time for a better score. After you
finish your test at the testing site, you have the option of sending your score
to 4 schools for free (this is included in your fee). Later, you can go on the
ETS website to have your score sent to any further schools for a fee.
Write or Perfect Your
Writing Sample
Only one of my programs
required a writing sample, so it was quite a hassle creating one for just one
program - yes I am still bitter about this.
The writing sample is a
way for the faculty to see that you are capable of graduate level writing. This
is different from your statement of purpose. Your writing sample will be much
longer - I'm talking research paper length.
If you have already
written a research paper or senior capstone thesis or something along those
lines, all you need to do is retouch and perfect what you have already
written. Only do this if the topic of your paper was
somewhat applicable to your future field of study. If you are like me you
had nothing that you thought would suit the application, and had to write an
entire paper from scratch. This can be a very time consuming process, so find
out EARLY if any of your programs require a writing sample.
Tailor Your Resume
This is an essential step
that often goes overlooked. A graduate school resume is a bit different
than a job resume. I am no resume writing expert so in order to get my graduate
school resume perfect, I set up an appointment with someone at the Career
Counseling at my university. It will not take long to doctor up your resume,
but make sure that it is solid. Remember, the faculty of your programs will
have many to comb through, so you need yours to stand out.
Craft and Perfect Your
Statement of Purpose
Your statement of purpose
or personal statement will probably be the most important part of your
application. If you have a stellar GRE score and amazing resume, yet have a poo
statement of purpose, do not be surprised if you are not asked to interview for
the program.
I recommend getting the
GRE out of the way completely before settling down to do the statement. It is
overwhelming for me to do a thousand things at once, so I found it easier to
finish studying (cramming) for the GRE before I started writing my statement.
Another tip with writing
your statement would be to enjoy writing it. This is your time
to let a bit of your personality and who you are come through to the faculty.
Your test score is a score, your letters of recommendation are not even written
by you, your resume is a list of things you've done, but your statement of
purpose is where you get to use your voice to explain why you are passionate
about your field and their program.
While this is your voice,
make sure that you allow others to read and give you feedback. Don't ask Uncle
Larry who wears plaid socks to review it for you, but ask professionals who you
know will give solid critiques. Find examples of statements online to give
you inspiration.
Review Everything
Before you submit your
application for any school, review every thing. Make sure you did not put the
wrong school name in your personal statement, and please ensure that you did
not check the box "yes" for committing a crime on the application if
your record is clean as a freshly Windexed window. These are minor mistakes,
but they happen and they can really ruin all your hard work.
I made the mistake of
entering my GRE score improperly on one of my applications, and spent the next
day panicking attempting to get in contact with someone at the school to fix
the problem. I entered a score so low that it is not even possible to get - you
do not want this to be you. Take the time to correct these issues to avoid any
sudden panic.
Do's and Don'ts to Keep
in Mind
· Don't take on too crazy
of a class and work schedule during this time - You will burnout and suffer
from overload
· Do limit distractions -
Social media is not your best friend during this time. It will only make
you procrastinate more.
· Don't become so focused
on your process that you are not enjoying your life. I made this mistake, and
did nearly nothing enjoyable my entire Fall Semester of senior year. At some
point you will have to put the GRE study guide down and maybe have lunch or
dinner with a friend.
In the future I
will have a post on how to prepare for a graduate school interview.
If you have any questions
about this post or the graduate school process, leave me a comment. Good
luck with your process! :)
xo, Deija
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