Graduate & Professional School Overview for Parents

If your son or daughter is considering graduate or professional school, here are some facts you might want to be aware of:

About 20% of each Dickinson College graduating class go directly
on to grad school; one year after graduation, about 33% are in grad school;
five years after graduation, 55% have enrolled.
The best reason to apply to graduate school is because a student’s
chosen career requires an advanced degree. Those who are clueless
about careers now might still be clueless after finishing another degree!
Those students going directly on to grad school should begin to search
for schools no later than the junior year; applications are completed no later
than the end of November of the senior year. For health professions, this
can be as early as Sept. 1.
Preparing for entrance exams should begin 6-12 months prior to taking the exam.
And, taking a prep course alone does not guarantee a good score. Time spent preparing for exams - and taking practice tests - is time well invested.
Work experience following graduation is looked upon favorably by graduate
schools, especially if it is in a related field. It can also help students better define their graduate school goals.
Applying to grad school late in the application cycle is rarely a good idea.
This can result in making a poor decision, sacrificing the undergraduate GPA, scoring poorly on admission exams and failing to obtain glowing letters of recommendation from faculty.
Students planning to begin grad school immediately after graduation will
apply based on their academic record and experience from their first 3
years in college only. Delaying grad school for even one year gives them
the advantage of applying with a record of 4 years – including academic,
research and internship experience gained during the senior year.
Regardless of each school’s application deadline, students should apply
early! Many grad schools have rolling admission policies and review appli-
cations as they are received. Early application means a better chance for
acceptance, graduate assistantships and scholarships.
Students should write a resume to submit with their applications. This will
accompany the statement of intent or personal statement required by the
grad schools. The Career Center staff is available to help students fine-tune
these documents.
Students who plan to work prior to grad school should obtain faculty letters
of recommendation while they are still on campus. The Career Center
maintains a permanent file for each student – and alumus – and will keep
these letters on file until the student is ready to apply.
How many schools should a student apply to? It’s not uncommon for students to apply to 10-15 medical or law schools; for other graduate programs, 3-4 is most typical.
Graduate school on a part-time basis might be an option, and some employers
will foot the bill, if the advanced degree benefits the organization.
It’s not uncommon for students to do a job search and apply to grad school.
Having more options at graduation is the result.

It’s never too early for your student to begin thinking about graduate school. For more information see the Career Center website at: http://www.dickinson.edu/career/student/graduate.html

return

Timeline for applying to graduate/professional school

Junior Year/Summer

Start researching graduate programs to decide where you would like to apply. Good place to start: www.petersons.com. Meet with faculty members and the Graduate School Advisor to discuss programs.
Determine test requirements, application deadlines, test dates, etc. Check
for academic prerequisites; if you aren’t able to meet them during your senior
year, consider taking summer courses at home.
Register for required standardized tests. Take a prep course and/or take practice tests until you are well prepared. Do NOT take an exam unless you are prepared and take it only once. All scores are reported to the grad schools.
Investigate scholarships, grants, loans and assistantships for each school.
Talk to faculty about writing letters of recommendation. It is helpful to provide them with a resume and statement of intent. You might also request letters from
internship supervisors, but, since you are applying to be a student, faculty recommendations are usually preferred.

return

Mid-summer/early fall of senior year

Take required graduate admission tests. The MCAT is usually taken in
the spring of a student’s junior year. June after the junior year is an ideal
time to take the LSAT. If possible, take the GRE prior to the start of the
senior year. Subject tests are given only 3 times a year.
Write your application essay. Request reviews from many readers and
be willing to rewrite, edit and edit again.
Check on application deadlines and rolling admissions policies.
Register for the national application or data assembly service most programs use, if needed, for medical, dental, osteopathy, podiatry, or law school.
Request official transcripts from every school attended!
Ideally, submit all applications no later than November 30.

return

Winter, before matriculating in the fall

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at:
If you are applying for need based financial aid, you may have to file a copy of your federal income tax returns.

return

Spring, before matriculating in the fall

Check with all institutions before their deadlines to make sure your file is complete.

If you are rejected, contact the school and discuss the reasons for your rejection and obtain suggestions on what action you can take to get admitted in the future.

Discuss acceptances, rejections and other career options with a faculty member or a member of your college's Career Center office.

Visit institutions that accept you.

If you decide to defer enrollment for one or two years, contact the graduate school to discuss this.

Send a deposit to your institution of choice.

Notify other colleges and universities that accepted you of your decision so that they can admit students on their waiting list.

Send thank you notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters, informing them of your success.

return