Applying to Graduate School

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"Being a (Ph.D.) graduate student is like
becoming all of the Seven Dwarves. In the
beginning you're Dopey and Bashful. In the
middle you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired
(Sleepy), and irritable (Grumpy). But in the
end, they call you Doc, and then you're Happy."
Ronald T. Azuma Computer Science Graduate School
Survival Guide http//www.cs.unc.edu/7Eazuma/hi
tch4.html
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Choosing and Applying to Graduate School Brian W.
Tague Department of Biology Wake Forest University
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Time table for graduate school
ACTIVITY
SUGGESTED TIME .
Start earning good grades Freshman Approach
faculty about research experience
Sophomore/Junior Seek related work/volunteer
experience Sophomore/Junior Take
GRE Summer Before/Fall of Senior Year
Request information on graduate
programs Junior/Senior Finalize decision about
which programs to apply to Early Fall Senior
Year Request faculty to write letters of
recommendation Mid-Fall Senior Year Perfect your
Statement of Purpose Mid-Fall Senior Year
Submit applications and Late Fall, Winter
Break, Senior Year check deadline for each
application Check to be sure your applications
Late Fall, Winter Senior Year are
complete Interviewing and visiting Winter,
Spring Senior Year
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How does graduate school differ from
undergraduate programs?

• Research first, classes second
• Teaching experience
• Focus on process, not just information
• Scientific process
• Experimental design
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Costs

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Financial support for graduate students

• 15-25,000/year
• Teaching Assistantship
• Research Assistantship
• Training Grants
• Fellowship
• Tuition Waiver

6
How can you judge if you would enjoy graduate
school?

• Enjoy independent research
• Enjoy teaching
• Work before entering graduate school
• Talk with faculty
• Intellectual aspects
• Practical aspects

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A bad reason to go to graduate school
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When do people go to graduate school?

• Immediately after undergraduate school
• After several years of practical work experience
• After a career change

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Choosing a graduate program

• M.S. vs Ph.D.
• Institution
• Department
• Individual Research Lab

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M.S. versus Ph.D. programs

• Duration 2-3 vs 4-6 years
• Career options
• Area of study
• Certainty of research direction
• Amount of independence

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What can I do with an M.S. degree?

• Enter a Ph.D. program
• Research scientist
• Industrial, academic, government lab
• Teaching
• Community college, high school
• Science policy or administration
• Other professions
• Law, MBA, health professions

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What can I do with a Ph.D.?

• Post-doctoral research
• Teaching and Scholarship
• College and university professor
• Research Director
• Corporate Research
• Government Research
• Academic Research

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Choosing a graduate program

• MS vs PhD
• Institution
• Department
• Individual Research Lab

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Judging graduate institutions and departments

• Research reputation and productivity
• The key to your future!
• Range of research options
• Medical school vs. academic department
• Potential research advisors
• Size, geographic location, urban/rural
• Contentment of graduate students

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Resources for evaluating programs
Petersons guide Searchable database of
schools http//petersons.com/ Jobweb
directories of graduate programs http//www.jobwe
b.com/catapult/gguides.htm Getting into Graduate
School an applicants look http//dave.burrell.n
et//guide/guide1.html US News and World Report
Rankings of graduate programs http//www.usnews.c
om/usnews/edu/beyond/bcphd.htm Talk to your
professors! Surf the web to particular
departments Visit schools, interview, meet
current graduate students
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Judging graduate institutions and departments

• Research reputation and productivity
• The key to your future!
• Range of research options
• Medical school vs. academic department
• Potential research advisors
• Size, geographic location, urban/rural
• Contentment of graduate students

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Growing up and undergraduate
Graduate School Applications
Eugene
Santa Cruz
Santa Barbara
San Diego
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Judging graduate institutions and departments

• Research reputation and productivity
• The key to your future!
• Medical school vs academic department
• Range of research options
• Size, geographic location, urban/rural
• Contentment of graduate students
• Visit schools, interview, meet current students

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Choosing a graduate program

• MS vs PhD
• Institution
• Department
• Individual Research Lab

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Choosing a research advisor

• Common research interests
• Petersons guide, web sites
• Laboratory rotations
• Compatible working styles
• Visits, interviews and rotations
• Laboratory environment
• Visits, interviews and rotations
• Availability of the advisor
• E-mail, snail mail

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Applying to graduate school
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Research experience

• One of the best ways to be competitive is to
  have worked in a laboratory
• At your home institute
• NSF and NIH
• Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences
• Volunteering or working summers
• Intensive summer lab courses

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Taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

• Visit GRE website
• http//www.gre.org/atglance.html
• Register well in advance
• Most schools require the GRE general test
• Many require (strongly recommend) the GRE
  subject test

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Makeup of GRE general test

• Verbal
• Analyze and evaluate written material
• 30 minutes, 30 questions
• Quantitative
• Basic math skills and concepts
• 45 minutes, 28 questions
• Analytical
• Reasoning skills, deduction, evaluation of
  arguments
• 60 minutes, 35 questions

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Preparing for the GRE general test

• Kaplan GRE preparation books
• good software
• Barrons GRE preparation books
• Sample questions at www.gre.org

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Taking the GRE general test

• Where?
• Prometrics Testing Service
• (336-854-4230)
• 3 Centerview Drive
• Greensboro, NC
• Also in Asheville, Boone, Charlotte, Durham,
  Fayetteville, Gastonia, Greenville, Raleigh,
  Wilmington
• Full list at www.gre.org

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Taking the GRE general test

• When?
• General test
• Anytime, online
• Register well ahead of time
• Saturdays are difficult to schedule
• Allow about 4 hours total
• Cost 105.00
• Fee waivers available

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Taking the GRE subject test

• When?
• Designated dates 11/10/01, 12/8/01, 4/6/02
• Where?
• On paper Wake Forest University
• Other locations see www.gre.org
• Cost 130.00 (Fee waiver available)
• Format 100-200 questions, 3 hours
• Subjects
• Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics

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Application deadlines for graduate school

• Apply to 7-10 schools
• From very competitive to safety schools
• Many schools have on-line applications
• Wake Forest
• Application fee 25
• Fall application deadline - February 1st.
• Reply deadline - April 15th
• Others
• Application fees 0-100
• Fall application deadlines 12/15 4/1

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Letters of recommendation (3)

• Ask a teacher you know well.
• Helps to have research experience
• Cultivate relationships with a few of your
  professors!
• Best if professor is in your field, in science
• Provide recommender with a resume.
• Ask well in advance of the deadline.
• Provide any necessary forms and an addressed
  envelope with instructions on whether it is to
  be sent to the school or returned to you.

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Statement of purpose

• Similar to essays written for undergrad
  applications
• Read the directions!
• Be familiar with the school
• Discuss the science you have performed or an
  interesting topic from your classes
• Mention particular faculty members
• Specific reasons you are interested in a field
  and in the particular school
• Be concise! Be focused! Rewrite!
• http//www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/writecenter/web/gradap
  p.html

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Interviewing

• Usually arranged and financed by department
• Individual interviews
• Group interviews
• Go to department web site
• Learn about school
• Read/review journal articles by faculty
• E-mail faculty and ask for reprints of recent
  articles
• A couple of intelligent questions go a long way!

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The realities of graduate school

• You are being paid to do science!
• A great privilege
• Things wont work for a while!
• Different than undergraduate experience
• Long hours
• Work hard/play hard
• Tremendous satisfaction and achievement

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Graduate school One final view