Hi! My name is Elena, and I am a third-year psychology major at Georgia Tech. I graduate this coming Spring (2023) and have hopes to continue my education in grad school. After finally submitting all (14) of my applications, I came up with the following list of tips for future grad school applicants. Hope these help!
- The time commitment for applying to grad school is the equivalent of a 3-credit course.
- Keep this time commitment in mind when choosing your courses for the semester in which you will be applying to grad school.
- Find a current graduate student who can help you revise your CV/resume.
- Graduate students have an insider look to the application processes and know what professors are looking for. They are the perfect people to assist you in creating/editing your CV/resume.
- Keep a comprehensive document of everything you need for each application.
- Have a single document that lists all of the schools you are applying to, the sections you need to complete for each application, the essay prompts (and word limits), etc. This will allow you a single place where you can see what you still need to complete for each application and see where you can double-dip on application sections from one school to another.
- Organize! Organize! Organize!
- There will be several application components – essays, short answers, CVs, writing samples, etc. – so keeping them organized in your computer is a necessity. Create a “Graduate School” folder on your computer and then create further folders within that one for each school you are applying to.
- Look into GRE testing early.
- GRE subject tests are only offered 3 times a year, therefore, you need to look into this early so you can have ample time to take it before your applications are due (and potentially retake it if desired). There also may not be testing centers near you, so you may have to plan to stay at a hotel near the testing site. Additionally, you can only take the general GRE every 21 days. You may want to take it in the summer so that you do not have to worry about studying while taking classes in the Fall.
Helpful Resources!
How to Prepare a Strong Graduate School Application | The Graduate School (duke.edu)
Five tips for nailing your US-based graduate-school applications (nature.com)
