Thinking of grad school? Prepare yourself

By Jennifer Duggan

ROME, April 12 - Graduate school is not just for students with a 4.0 G.P.A, it’s for students who do their research, make preparations, and are committed, Professor Mary Merva told a group of John Cabot University students attending JCU's Career Services Graduate School Workshop.

Each year, Professor Merva, chair of JCU's Political and Social Sciences Department, writes recommendations for JCU's degree-seeking and study-abroad students.  “I look at applications of past successful students to see what students today should do,” says Merva.  She proudly mentions that former JCU students have gone on to graduate programs at prestigious universities like Columbia University, McGill University, and the University of Iowa.

At the workshop, Merva spoke about five steps students can take to boost their chances for getting into the best graduate school possible. They included:

1. Apply to programs   that are suitable to students’ individual interests, career paths,   and goals.  Graduate programs are very specific and there are many   options.
2. Do a lot of research:   Research the specific programs of graduate schools where former students attended, and look at which career fields graduates have entered after earning a degree.
3. Prepare Early: Don’t   wait until the last minute to study for graduate school entrance exams. Study   for three hours a day for three months prior if you hope to ace the exam. On the undergraduate level, take courses   that are challenging and appropriate for your graduate program. Don’t   avoid classes that are challenging.
4. Letters of Recommendation:   Get letters of recommendation from people that are supportive, not just   “the best” professors. Make an appointment to sit down and talk   with them, so they can write more personally. Allow six weeks for the   letter to be written and provide them with a resume, unofficial transcript,   and a statement of purpose.
5. Letter of Intent:   Students should look at individual graduate programs mission statements   to see what the school are looking for in a student.   Students should be very specific about why they want to get into the   particular program and what makes them unique. The letter should show   that the student knows exactly what the program is about and what they   can add to it. Ask the people who wrote letters of recommendation to   help edit it. The coordination of the two letters is essential.

For more information and guidance on graduate schools, make an appointment to speak with a professor, academic advisor, or visit JCU's Career Services.