5 Ways to Choose the Right Graduate Program For Your Career
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Finding the right graduate program to fit your career or needs can be overwhelming. Considering the average cost of a graduate degree in the U.S. ranges from $30,000 to $120,000 this is a huge investment in the future—one you will not take lightly.
Before you even start looking at schools you need to answer the “why” question. Why are you going? What do you need from this graduate degree you cannot get anywhere else? This is an incredibly individual assessment and one that you should definitely consider reviewing with your undergraduate professors, graduate program alums, and graduate admissions consultants.
Figuring out the “why” grad school is essential. Once you do that you will then need to find the right programs at the right schools. Following the tips below will help you succeed at choosing the right graduate program for you.
- Find the fit. You need to find the school that is right for your particular graduate study plans. You will have already determined what skill is missing from your arsenal or what knowledge you need to gain. Now, you will need to find the program tailored to that specific instruction. For example, if you are applying to a biomedical engineering program you will need to know the program focus whether the concentration is in biomechanics, medical imaging and molecular engineering—you want to match your needs.
- Trace your trajectory. Grad school is different from college. You need to eliminate the broad scope. In undergrad it was acceptable to not be sure of your major until even a year or two into college. In graduate school, and to make it past the graduate admissions committee, you need to know how this degree will help shape your career. This is even true for those who plan to continue in academia. You also need to research post-degree placement in industry and in further academic programs in order to make sure the school curriculum fits with your individual plan.
- Seek the space. You need to make sure that the program is geographically well located for your needs. This includes, but is not limited to, personal preference, cost-of-living, family considerations as well as availability of internships, jobs, and research facilities nearby the grad school.
- Evaluate not only what the school teaches, but also how the school teaches it. Is this program all lab work? Do they mix graduate and undergraduate students in lectures? Are you required to TA? These are other questions that need to be considered about how the program is run before the school is added to your graduate application list.
- School rank or Prestige. You should notice this item is last on the list. It is important, but not as important as these other considerations. You want to go to the highest ranked school that fulfills your individual graduate degree requirements. Rank is really just representative of the resources a school has to offer its students. That is what is important about a prestigious school; whether that be in state-of-the-art facilities and academic support, esteemed professors at the top of their field, or great alumni hiring and networking opportunities.
Following these steps will help you build a list of programs that suit your needs exactly. The more you hone your program list, the better applications you can build and ultimately more success you will have in graduate school. 📝
Laurie Martin is the Director of Undergraduate and Graduate Consulting at Stratus Prep. She she has ten years of experience in admissions consulting, including work at one of the country’s top college preparatory schools. She has her B.A. from Columbia and a master’s degree from NYU. A former journalist and published author; Laurie is also a former All-American athlete who understands the most important aspects of the college process and how to get an edge on the competition. Learn more about Stratus Prep’s Graduate School Admissions Consulting here.