This section has been prepared to give you some practical suggestions about the process of applying for graduate school. The section purposely does not discuss larger issues such as the kinds of students who should apply for graduate school based on academic profiles or other considerations, trends in graduate school acceptance, job prospects in various fields, graduate school in the arts and sciences versus professional schools, or the inherent or practical value of formal graduate study. The aim is simply to assist you with the process itself so that you will prepare careful applications that reflect your abilities. 

We urge you to consult with your faculty advisor, with the departmental Graduate Studies Advisor in your field of interest, and with other faculty with whom you have studied. In addition, members of the Committee on Graduate Studies and Fellowships and the Graduate Studies Advisor in Smith 212-213 will be pleased to help you in any way. The office is normally open Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 4:30 including summer and other vacations periods.  Otherwise the hours are posted on the door. 

The following material is organized in 14 sections as follows:

MAKING THE MOST OF UNDERGRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES	PRELIMINARY PLANNING	RESOURCE MATERIALS
GRADUATE RECORD EXAMS	LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION	PREPARING THE APPLICATIONS
PERSONAL STATEMENTS	WRITING SAMPLES	FINANCIAL AID AND FELLOWSHIPS
ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED	DELAYING GRADUATE STUDY PLAN	REFERENCES AND LINKS ON GRADUATE STUDY AND FINANCIAL AID
COMMITTEE ON GRADUATE STUDIES AND FELLOWSHIPS	DEPARTMENTAL GRADUATE STUDIES ADVISORS

Useful web sites

http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~burrell/guide This is a web-accessible version of a published guide, Getting In: An Applicant's Guide to Graduate School Admissions by David Burrell, Holy Cross '91, History. 

http://www.fastweb.com  This is a search service for scholarships. 

http://www.gradschools.com  This is a master site linked to subject-searchable web pages. 

http://www.usnews.com  This provides access to the U. S. News and World Report rankings of schools including graduate schools. 

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