Years 1-3 of Undergraduate
It’s never too early to start thinking about graduate school. These are the years to branch out and get exposure to topics that interest you. This is the time to decide what you really like and want to pursue as a career. Diverse experience can take the form of on-campus research experiences like UROPs or some work study positions or it can take place over the summer in industrial internships or REUs. Reach out to professors who are doing research that you find interesting.
It’s important that you try a breadth of areas – you never know what you are most passionate about until you’ve tried many things. These years will form the basis of the experiences you write about in your graduate school application essays. It’s ok for these to not form a coherent theme – knowing what you do not want to pursue is just as important as knowing what you do want to pursue. Be sure to also get involved in leadership opportunities on campus, usually through extracurricular activities. Leadership roles and activities outside of school and research help demonstrate that you are a passionate, well-rounded individual.
Summer before Applying (May – August)
Now is the time to start thinking about the GRE. In early summer, select a test date for mid summer and mark it on your calendar. This will allow you time to retake it if you need to; I took it twice. I recommend aiming to be completely done with the GRE before classes start in the fall – this will allow you to focus more on writing your essays.
Also, in the summer, you should begin to finalize which schools you want to apply to and which research groups interest you. The authors recommend applying to 6-8 universities with at least 2 most schools. To determine which schools you want to apply to it can be very helpful to meet with faculty who do research in your area of interest. They will be familiar with research going on at other universities and can help you narrow down your list.
Safety schools are schools that you think you have a good chance of being accepted into based on published GRE scores, etc. but still have research you are interested in and places you would actually consider attending. It also doesn’t hurt to apply to dream schools, you never know where you’ll get into as long as you put enough time and effort into your application! Additionally, make sure all of the programs you apply to are fully funded, it’s not worth going further into debt to get your PhD.
Finally, reach out to professors and PI’s that you would like to be your recommendors. Almost all programs require three letters of recommendation, and fellowships typically require two-three. You want to make sure you ask for letters of recommendation well in advance because professors are very busy and have a limited number of letters that they can write for one application season. If you do undergraduate research make sure that you get a letter from the professor you do research for, it can be a red flag for programs if you don’t have a letter from your PI.
Most importantly, give yourself time off. The summer is your opportunity to recharge your batteries for your final year as an undergraduate. Don’t spend all your time studying – enjoy yourself!
Early Fall Semester (September – October)
Start drafting your personal statement. When you are doing this think about why you’re pursuing a graduate degree, what has brought you to this point, what are your goals, and what experiences do you have that might set you apart from others.
Many universities have a writing center where you can get feedback on your work – use it. Send your essays to everyone who will take them: your advisor, upperclassmen, peers, your PI, your labmates, your professors, etc. Do this well ahead of any deadlines (deadlines typically start Dec. 1st) to give your reviewers enough time to read your statement and give you feedback.
Apply for Fellowships.
Mid-Fall Semester (November)
Finalize your essays. Wrap up the writing process and put the finishing touches on your work. Send out your transcripts so they arrive well before the deadlines.
Late-Fall Semester (November – December)
Submit your applications a few days before each deadline to give yourself enough time if something happens (i.e. internet goes down, power outage). These deadlines are final, so give yourself enough time.
Early Spring Semester (January – February)
Some universities will begin issuing acceptances on a rolling basis, so check your email for updates. Some programs will also call you to inform you that you have been recommended for admission, so make sure you answer your phone.
Mid Spring Semester (February – April)
Most universities will offer visit weekends to give you a better look at the campus and life at that university. Try to visit all of your top contenders, but some weekends might overlap and you may have to choose to visit one school over another. Keep in mind that you still have classes, so missing Friday classes and being gone for many weekends will start to take its toll. One of us chose to visit 5 universities and was able to stay on top of class work, the other visited four universities and found balancing school and visits manageable.
April 15th
Time to make the big decision!
Journey to Grad School 