Overwhelmed by the graduate school application process? Here are five tips to help you get started.

graduate admissions

Applying to graduate school can seem very overwhelming. When I decided to go back to school, I remember feeling slightly paralyzed by all of the work that I needed to do in order to submit a competitive application, and I wondered how I was going to get everything done while working full time. If you find yourself in a similar position, here are five tips to help you get started and set you up for success throughout your graduate school application process. 

1. Be really clear on your “why”

Always keep your rationale for going back to graduate school top of mind. Are you changing career trajectories? Do you need the degree to advance within your field? Are you hoping to gain a specific skill set? Whatever your reason is, reflect back on it whenever you feel stuck to help motivate yourself. 

2. Do your research

Keeping your “why” in mind, figure out which programs will enable you to achieve your goals. Desk research is a really useful starting point, but it is often not enough to really get a feel for the program. Make sure you take the time to speak with students, faculty, and admissions staff to learn more about the school from different perspectives. In addition to getting a better understanding of what you can get from the school, you should also use these conversations to figure out how you could make a meaningful contribution as a student. Take note of these insights as they will come in handy as you write your essays. If you don’t have contacts at a particular program, there are usually student ambassadors and virtual admissions webinars listed on the school website.

3. Get organized 

Applying to graduate school is a long, time-consuming process, and it is essential that you come up with a way to keep yourself organized. This will look different for every applicant, but make sure you have a system for tracking information about each school (deadlines, essay questions, number of recommendation letters required, target test scores, etc.). Create a timeline for yourself with deadlines for when you want to complete each component of the application process. With so many moving pieces, you don’t want to let anything slip through the cracks.

4. Break the process into manageable pieces 

It can be difficult to prioritize studying for a standardized test or writing an essay with all of the other competing priorities in your life. The process feels much more manageable if you are able to break it into pieces instead of working on everything at once. If possible, try to get your test out of the way early in your application process, and then shift your attention to the applications themselves. It can also be helpful to dedicate specific days to work on a given task (e.g. Monday/Tuesday I will write my personal statement and Thursday/Friday I will work on my supplemental essays for school X).

5. Try to keep everything in perspective

Pursuing a graduate degree is a huge decision, but applying to school is just one part of everything else you have going on. If you spend all of your spare time working on applications, it is easy to get burnt out. Give yourself permission to take breaks when you need them, spend time with friends and family, and continue any activities that bring you joy. This will help you return to your application process feeling reenergized.  

Graduate school can be a powerful tool to help you achieve your goals, so don’t let a daunting application process get in your way. I hope this advice helps you put your best foot forward as you begin your journey to graduate school. 

We have a long history of helping high school, college, and graduate students work smarter, not harder, on their applications for programs and degrees across a variety of fields. Are you interested in getting set up with a writing or strategy coach for your admissions process?

Contact us!

Making your personal statement stand out in just the first two lines

How to answer the “Tell Me About Yourself” question during interviews

How To Write More Clearly in Six Steps

Avery holds a BA in Public Policy & Global Health from Duke, and an MPH from Johns Hopkins. After working for Clinton Health Access Initiative, she's now earning her MBA at the University of Michigan.

Comments

topicTopics
academics study skills medical school admissions MCAT SAT college admissions expository writing strategy English MD/PhD admissions writing LSAT physics GMAT GRE chemistry academic advice biology graduate admissions math law school admissions ACT interview prep language learning test anxiety personal statements premed career advice MBA admissions AP exams homework help test prep creative writing MD computer science mathematics study schedules Common Application summer activities history secondary applications philosophy research organic chemistry economics supplements 1L grammar statistics & probability PSAT admissions coaching dental admissions psychology law legal studies ESL reading comprehension CARS PhD admissions SSAT covid-19 logic games calculus engineering USMLE medical school mentorship Latin Spanish parents AMCAS admissions advice biochemistry case coaching verbal reasoning DAT English literature STEM excel genetics political science skills French Linguistics MBA coursework Tutoring Approaches academic integrity astrophysics chinese classics dental school gap year letters of recommendation mechanical engineering technical interviews units Anki DO Social Advocacy algebra art history artificial intelligence business careers cell biology data science diversity statement first generation student freewriting geometry graphing kinematics linear algebra mental health presentations quantitative reasoning software engineering study abroad tech industry time management work and activities 2L AAMC DMD IB exams ISEE MD/PhD programs MMI Sentence Correction adjusting to college algorithms amino acids analysis essay argumentative writing athletics business skills cold emails executive function fellowships finance functions genomics information sessions international students internships logic networking office hours poetry pre-dental proofs resume revising scholarships science social sciences trigonometry writer's block 3L Academic Interest EMT FlexMed Fourier Series Greek Health Professional Shortage Area Italian JD/MBA admissions Japanese Lagrange multipliers London MD vs PhD Montessori National Health Service Corps Pythagorean Theorem Python Shakespeare Step 2 TMDSAS Taylor Series Truss Analysis Zoom acids and bases active learning architecture art art and design schools art portfolios bacteriology bibliographies biomedicine brain teaser burnout campus visits cantonese capacitors capital markets central limit theorem centrifugal force chem/phys chemical engineering chess chromatography class participation climate change clinical experience community service constitutional law consulting cover letters curriculum dementia demonstrated interest dimensional analysis distance learning econometrics electric engineering electricity and magnetism embryology entropy escape velocity evolution extracurriculars fundraising harmonics health policy history of medicine history of science hybrid vehicles hydrophobic effect ideal gas law immunology induction infinite institutional actions integrated reasoning intermolecular forces intern investing investment banking lab reports letter of continued interest linear maps mandarin chinese