As you begin to narrow down your grad school choices to a  few or a larger pool (depending on how much money you have for applications), you will soon realize that you now have to fill out applications, write essays, and ask for recommendation letters. Here are a few tips for you to make it through the process without being overwhelmed. Follow Directions It seems like an obvious rule, but…

If you haven’t dreamed of attending a particular grad school for your whole life, or if you haven’t aimed your studies to attend a certain grad school, then looking for a grad school can be pretty overwhelming. In this post, I’m going to give you a few tips about how to look sift through the many graduate schools out there and how to narrow your choices so that you can…

I have already touched a bit on what it looks like to apply for graduate school, but I wanted to make sure I included a few things that are needed in a grad school application. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores I know a test doesn’t sound appealing when you have many other things going on while you’re trying to apply for graduate school. However, many graduate programs require that you…

In this first part of my new series about graduate school applications, I wanted to inform you about the application process. The many hours that you will spend researching, writing, and finally deciding on a graduate program will soon become worth it when you receive the education that you deserve. One of the first things that you need to understand when it comes to graduate school applications is that you…

I’ve been writing a lot of blog posts about students who are already in graduate school and struggling with certain issues, such as balancing graduate school with other elements of life, communicating with dissertation committees, and choosing dissertation committee members. Now, I want to focus a bit of energy toward undergraduates and people who have earned their Bachelor’s degrees who want to move on to graduate school. As you may…

I’ve heard of many students who are confused regarding the opinions about attending the same school for both undergraduate and graduate studies. Employers are all different, and some might be looking for a more diverse education in your background, but some employers might be looking for longevity in your background. Here are some pros and cons to attending the same school for undergraduate and graduate school. Some of these pros…

Some students expect too much or too little out of their dissertation committee. I want to clear the air and give you a few tips on what you should not expect your committee to do for you. Your committee members are there for you every step of the way, but don’t expect them to do more than they should. First, you’ll want to read your graduate student handbook to understand…

Sometimes, it’s difficult to draw a line when it comes to dealing with your committee. What may seem appropriate to you may not translate well in a conversation with a member on your dissertation committee. The good news is that these issues don’t have to happen. Just read these tips to understand what is suitable in most situations with your committee members. The following are tips that you should follow…

I’ve written to you all about how to keep a well-respected and sophisticated social media site, but now I want to discuss the things that you want to avoid. This post is about what not to do in social media sites, including topics that you shouldn’t discuss and things that you shouldn’t put on your site. According to Alison Doyle, there are many do’s and don’ts in social media. We…

Have you ever worked for something for so long just to have it stripped away from you in the end? Sometimes, it takes failure for students to get a wake up call or even inspiration for another idea. Andrew David Thaler has a pretty amazing story about how he bounced back from failing in graduate school. Read his article,…