PRELIMINARY PLANNING

The best way to begin to gather information about graduate schools is to talk with faculty members who know you fairly well. Talk frankly about your academic experience and transcript and ask about the type of degree (M.A., Ph.D., M.B.A., M.A.T., M.F.A. etc.) and competitive level of graduate school that might be appropriate for you given your interests and record. Do not rely on one faculty member's opinion. Get realistic information and appraisals from two or three faculty members without letting yourself become discouraged (or overly confident). You also should check with the Department Graduate Studies Advisor and perhaps the Department Chair of your major or of the field in which you plan to attend graduate school. Do not be reluctant to talk with faculty about your plans. This is one of the most important aspects of our advising program. Find out where other students in your major have recently attended graduate school. You might write or visit them if they are enrolled in schools that interest you.

Your primary counselors should be the faculty you know best and the Departmental Graduate Studies Advisors, but feel free to consult with the Graduate Studies Advisor in Smith 212-213 or with members of the Committee on Graduate Studies and Fellowships. You should also attend some of the sessions on applying for graduate school, listed in the Workshops of the Career Planning Center.

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