This is the vital first step in the application process that not everyone appreciates. Interrogate yourself about what you want to work on and what your long-term goals are. What do you want to do with your advanced degree that you can’t do with a bachelor’s? Graduate school is a huge time commitment and you should be sure it’s what you want. Having a PhD will close off doors to some jobs, but will allow you to work on more creative and interesting problems.
If you want to pursue research, earning a Ph.D. is a requirement that gives upward mobility. If you are considering academia then PhD is a must. Also, Patent Lawyers often have advanced degrees in engineering or science. Examine someone who has a job similar to your goals; does that person have a Ph.D.? For the authors, the answer to that question was yes.
If the reader takes only one thing away from this work, let it be this: you are the one attending graduate school, so the decision is yours alone. Temper the advice and influence you receive because others’ experiences will not be your own. More than anything, graduate school is what you make it and your own happiness is the most important thing you can achieve regardless of where you go or what you study.
Journey to Grad School 