PREPARING THE APPLICATIONS

When preparing the application forms for each graduate school, be as neat as possible. Make photocopies of the forms and practice spacing and be familiar with the printer or typewriter you are using before you start. Some application forms are printed on colored paper so "white-out" corrections look messy. Proofread carefully even before you take the form out of the typewriter. You may be able to submit the Personal Statement and Statement of Graduate Plans on a separate sheet, in which case you should do them on a word processor so you can print them out. Do not use a typewriter with an old ribbon or word processor connected to a poor quality printer --- your application must be neat and in dark, legible print.  While you may think these instructions are rather high-schoolish in their attention to picky details and neatness, you would be surprised (we hope) at the carelessness and sloppy appearance of the applications students have sent in to graduate schools, where they expected to be accepted and even receive financial support. The care that you show in your application will be regarded as an indication of the professionalism that you will bring to your graduate studies. Write in a clear, unpretentious style and be sure that all grammar and points of style are flawless.

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