Fall term is the start of a new academic year, but it also signals the start of the application cycle for graduate and professional schools.
Many first-generation college students I have worked with often express they are not sure what steps to take to prepare for graduate or professional schools. I can relate! I can still remember the very first time I heard about graduate school. I was in a large lecture room for an upper-division Psychology class when the professor started talking about applying to graduate school. At the time, it was like listening to someone speak in a different language.
While the graduate and professional school application process might seem enigmatic, it is similar to the application process you might have completed when applying to college. In addition to the application itself, applying to graduate and professional schools typically includes submitting a personal statement, which is a short essay introducing yourself and your reasons for applying to the program; academic transcripts; letters of recommendation; and standardized test scores. The standardized test for most academic graduate programs is typically the GRE (Graduate Record Examination). Students considering professional schools, such as law schools typically take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), medical schools typically take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), and business schools typically take the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test).
Admissions committees are often interested in who you are as an individual and the qualities you can bring to the program. You can take steps throughout your time at UO to prepare and develop each component of the application.
The personal statement is your opportunity to let the admissions committees know how your lived experiences, including in- and out-of-classroom experiences, contribute your own learning and the learning of other students in the program. UO offers a variety of opportunities for students to gain experiences inside and outside of the classroom. For example, joining student organizations through the Center for Student Involvement or getting a job or internship through the University Career Center could help develop skills such as leadership, problem solving, and collaboration. Participating in the Undergraduate Research Symposium could be an opportunity to highlight your interests while demonstrating how you extended what you learned in the classroom to outside of the classroom to contribute to the learning of others.
Academic transcripts provide admissions committees insight to your academic experience, such as your GPA and coursework completed. Do the best you can academically and utilize academic support, such as the Tutoring and Academic Engagement Center and your professors’ office hours. If you did not do as well as you had hoped in a class, don’t despair. Admissions committees often consider patterns of performance and improvement when reviewing academic transcripts.
Letters of recommendations are opportunities for others, typically professors, to address your abilities and potential for a graduate or professional program. Getting to know your professors could help lessen the feelings of uncomfortableness or awkwardness most students feel when requesting letters of recommendations. Additionally, if your professors know you personally, they can better attest to your abilities and potential for graduate or professional programs. Attend office hours to start building the professional relationships with your professors. Additionally, consider engaging in research or experiential learning opportunities with your professors so they get to know you, your skills, and your experiences outside of the classroom setting. CURE (Center for Undergraduate Research and Engagement) is a great place to explore research and experiential learning opportunities.
Standardized tests are a mean for admissions committees to compare abilities among applicants from different schools and with different backgrounds. Test preparations for the GRE and MCAT are available through the Teaching and Academic Engagement Center. Prepare for and do your best on the standardized tests but remember that standardized tests are only one part of the application. Some individuals are better test takers than other so if the other components of your applications are stronger than your test scores, admissions committees may place more weight on those other aspects of your application.
The application process might seem overwhelming, but there are lots of support as you prepare for graduate or professional schools. Advisors, including Health Professions Program and Pre-Law advising, and faculty members across campus are available to provide support and guidance so please connect with us. We’re here for you!
Written by: Chia Her; PathwayOregon Advisor
