TL;DR: Spoiler alert here; if you're getting ready to apply to a Doctoral program, be prepared for this section to fall away. Once in, you're going to be reading A LOT.
This section covers what to expect when applying for grad school. If you have already undergone this process, please feel free to skip this post.
Ahhh…the application process. If you're here, you have decided to go for it (or at least apply to programs to see what options are available to you.) Congrats! This decision is a BIG step, and you should celebrate taking it. (Seriously, learn to celebrate every small win along this journey.)
What lies ahead for you in the application process? Well, it varies by the programs you're applying to, and generally, it consists of the following tasks:
Filling out the Application (Pro tip: Have your recent and polished resume handy)
Pay the Application Fee (Or call admissions and have it waived)
Provide a Writing Sample or Write a Professional Statement
Submit Official Transcripts for your Past Degrees/College Courses (if no degree earned)
Obtaining 2-3 Letters of Recommendation
(For some fields of study) Passing an exam with a minimum acceptable score, such as the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, etc.
An interview
(Pro tip: make sure to check each program's specific requirements. I chose to bookmark each program's "how to apply" page and used it as a checklist, but do what works best for your process.)
How many programs should I apply to?
Excellent question! Doctoral programs are more selective than undergraduate studies and, thereby, more competitive by design. If you're set on making it happen, you should plan on applying to at least four programs. For example, when I was in this stage, I applied to four programs and was accepted by three.
From a quick cross reference of a few sites, consensus advises applying to four to six programs. From a statistical perspective, the more applications you submit, the more likely you'll be admitted to a program. In contrast, applying to multiple programs takes a lot of time, bandwidth, and money, so striking a manageable balance is also essential.
The Actual Application
Let's talk about these tasks individually, beginning with completing the application. If you have ever completed a job application, filling out a graduate school application is largely what you would expect. Colleges ask for basic background information along with areas to upload the other materials requested, including your writing sample, unofficial transcripts, and exam scores, or may link you to the sites that can provide the official version in a streamlined system.
A critical mindset to maintain here is to be honest while presenting your best self. Just as a resume is considered a legal document when applying for a job, so too is this application used to determine candidacy as a prospective scholar.
There is often a fee associated with processing and considering you for entry into a program.
Fees range from $50-250 per program and can stack up quickly, depending on how many programs you apply to. The not-so-secret savings grace here is most times, you can call the admissions office and ask them to waive the application fee. From a fiscal sense, it works well for both parties; you save a little on the admission fee but may accept an entry, thereby paying tuition, and the college gets to report higher application and admission rates.
My philosophy here is it never hurts to ask. The worst-case scenario is the answer is no, and you pay the fee.
The Writing Sample
Applications may ask for a sample of something you have written in the past, for you to respond to a specific prompt with a word limit, or they may ask for both. The thing to remember about the writing sample is the frame of mind the reader will have when reading your work. Applicant reviewers are looking at your work from the lens of: "Will this person bring value to the program and the school as a scholar?" Accordingly, a quick delude into what it means to be a scholar is appropriate here. Without further ado…
What is a Scholar?
Echoes of the movie line "You are a gentleman and scholar" come to mind here, but for the life of me, I cannot remember where it's originally from, so I will assume it came from an episode of The Office, as suggested by a quick Googling. Anyhow, Merriam-Webster defines a scholar as "a person who has done advanced study in a special field or a learned person." Still, one lesson I received from grad school is that dictionary-based definitions are not the most reliable source for defining terms. Researchers should instead elect to use definitions from experts in the relevant field or those that garner consensus. With this in mind, I offer this alternate definition from an article written by Callie Womble Edwards "someone who consistently strives to learn while concurrently educating others."
The former definition advances the notion and expectations that a scholar will propel the universal body of knowledge forward in some way, shape, or form and is agreed upon among scholars. After all, dissertations are pimples on the face of academia (bear with me, and I'll explain this metaphor). Dissertations are first formulated by assessing all available literature on a specific topic or phenomenon, finding gaps in the literature, and then conducting a study to fill the void. The result furthers what is known about the subject in a very minute, albeit significant way. A pimple (when present) expands the surface area of one's face, again in a small but significant way (especially when an event is happening, but isn't that always the way with pimples?) I digress.
As I interpret it, the latter definition conveys the scholar's mindset. Constant learning and sharing knowledge as a way of life. The work you will do in school and the final research you publish further your learning and teaching of what you have learned. To be fair, both definitions have value in the larger conversation of what it means to be a scholar, so I present both with equal weight for your consideration (FYC, for future reference).
How does this relate to your writing being reviewed under the eye of prospective scholarship? Another excellent question! Reviewers will be looking for your academic research interests and how they will further collective knowledge on a topic (not to mention you make the college look better by extension). When you talk about yourself as a candidate, mention your research interests. Bonus points for aligning them with a current professor's work (research needed here) at the institution or the university's larger mission. Your ultimate goal is to authentically convey a fit between what you bring to the table and the aim of the program you're applying to.
Transcripts
There's no getting around this requirement, so ensure you have enough time between submitting and ensuring the college has received your official transcripts. The same note goes for any test scores. In most cases, you must provide transcripts for any college credits or prior degrees you have received. In my case, this went all the back to my community college days, so again, ensure you have the time to follow up with each institution and double-check the addresses beforehand.
Letters of Recommendation
When applying, you'll need 2-3 letters of recommendation (LORs), but who you get them from and what they say about you are especially important at this level. The people you want to ask for LORs should be able to speak to your knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) as a professional or as a scholar. Depending on the programs you are looking to apply to, some may consider professional recommendations with more weight than those of a more scholarly nature or vice versa.
Your recommenders should be able to speak to your ability to write, think critically, or work under pressure. Plan on asking 4-5 trusted folks to recommend you. When asking, explain which programs you're applying to (include the links to each program's website), remind them of the skills and value you would bring to the program, let them know what to expect, and set the deadlines for each application. After they have submitted their LOR, make sure you thank them for their support. While creating a single letter is relatively simple, several LORs take time, and their advocation should mean a great deal. As a cautionary tale, only elect someone with their knowledge and consent in advance. No one likes to be blindsided, and generally, the best results come from a place of awareness.
Testing
Ick. Not my favorite element of this process, but it's still required for some programs, so here we go. Prestigious or more traditional colleges and universities may require this hoop-to-be-jumped-through. If this is the case for you, do this BEFORE all the other application elements. At one point, the GRE was required for me. While I did my best to block this out, this exam is as much an endurance test as it assesses written and mathematical skills.
Give yourself at least six months of diligent study and practice before taking the exam. There are also courses out there to help you maximize your potential, but these are at a cost, and not all courses are of the same caliber. Do your homework before spending that extra money. Another important note is that some exams have a guessing penalty, and some do not. Make sure you know which scenario you're in.
Note: If you are not a great tester (like me), you can take it more than once, and the higher score will replace any lower counterparts, but keep in mind the exam is expensive and takes about six hours. I doubt you'll want to do it again for fun-sies.
And lastly, the Interview
Akin to a job interview, the last hoop before you are left to sweat about it for a while is an interview. Interviews may consist of a phone one-on-one or a video conference with a panel of interviewers and feel like a job interview.
You can expect to get the basic "Tell me about yourself?" questions to more targeted questions about your research interests. The resounding guidance I can give here is to look up "interview questions for doctoral candidates or grad students" and have an answer ready in anticipation. When I ran this Google search, here are some prospective questions that came up, compliments of Indeed:
Tell me about yourself…
How will you contribute to our program?
What are your career goals? (i.e., How will you use this degree upon graduation?)
What are your research interests?
What would you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
Why this program?
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
You may also have the bonus questions of explaining any shortcomings of your academic progress. The best advice here is, to be honest and emphasize how you have grown from any weaknesses in your transcripts. In my case, this was college algebra. Curse you, quadratics.
Again, the goal here is to highlight the value you bring to the table, your enthusiasm for the program, and, last but not least, the fit between your interests and theirs. Like dating, you must show the best and most authentic version of who you are, so both parties can make an informed 'swipe right.'
Check, and check….
Once you have successfully applied (within the deadline), there's nothing more to do besides waiting for the news. In my experience, the longer the wait, the more likely the response will be good, but pending on how backed up the review committees are, this can take a couple of weeks to six months. Most programs list a date applicants can expect to hear decisions, so mark your calendar and stay positive. You did the hard thing by putting yourself out there; if you did your best, let the universe sort out the rest.
In our next installment, we'll discuss what happens when you are accepted into a program or, better yet, decide between multiple opportunities. Til' next time!