Timetable and Checklist for Graduate School Planning
Junior Year, Fall and Spring
- Research areas of interest, identify appropriate institutions and programs
- Talk with your professors and a professional in the field of interest to get ideas and information about schools to which you might want to apply
- Talk to advisors about application requirements (Academic, Career Services, Graduate Admissions)
- Register and prepare for appropriate graduate admissions test (GRE, GMAT, MAT, LSAT, MCAT)
- Get internship experience if your field of interest when possible
- Investigate national scholarships and graduate assistantships at universities to which you areapplying
Junior Year, Summer
- Take required graduate admissions test
- Write or call for application materials
- Write application essays
- Visit universities and colleges of interest
- Check on application deadlines and rolling admissions policies
- Begin collecting financial aid, fellowship and scholarship information
- For medical, dental, osteopathy, podiatry, or law school, you may need to register for the national application or data assembly service most programs use
Senior Year, Fall
- Obtain letters of recommendation and establish a credential file in Career Services
- Take graduate admissions tests if you haven't already (or retake)
- Send in completed applications no later than December 30th
- Register for Graduate and Professional School Financial Aid Service (GAPSFAS) and complete a financial aid form (FAF) if required
Senior Year, Spring
- January 1 - February 15: Application Deadlines. Make sure your application is completed and sent in on time
- Check with all universities before the deadline to ensure that all transcripts, (send fall transcripts) recommendation letters, and other supporting material arrived
- Visit universities that accept you
- If you plan to live in university housing, apply for space
- Continue to maintain contact with schools and departments about fellowships and assistantships
- Send a deposit and registration material to the university of your choice
- Notify other universities that have accepted you of your decision to attend another institution so they may admit students on their waiting list
- Send thank you letters to people who wrote your recommendation letters and inform them of your success
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