GRAD SCHOOL PREP
What Do
Graduate Schools Want?
By Dr. Tara Kuther
What do graduate admissions committees look for in graduate applicants?
Understanding what graduate schools want in applicants is the first step in
tailoring your experiences and application to make yourself irresistible to the
graduate programs of your dreams.
So just what do admissions committees look for? Their goal is to identify
applicants who will become important researchers and leaders in their field. In
other words, admissions committees try to select the most promising students.
What's a promising student? One who has the ability to become an excellent
graduate student and professional.
The Ideal Grad Student
The ideal graduate student is gifted, eager to learn, and highly motivated. He
or she can work independently and take direction, supervision, and constructive
criticism without becoming upset or overly sensitive. Faculty look for students
who are hard workers, want to work closely with faculty, are responsible and
easy to work with, and who are a good fit to the program. The best graduate
students complete the program on time, with distinction - and excel in the
professional world to make graduate faculty proud. Of course, these are ideals.
Most graduate students have some of these characteristics, but nearly no one
will have all, so don't fear.
Criteria Weighed by Admissions Committees
Now that you know the ideal to which graduate faculty strive in selecting new
graduate students, let's look at how faculty weigh the various criteria for
admission. Unfortunately there is no simple answer; each graduate admissions
committee is a bit different, but generally speaking, the following criteria are
important to most admissions committees:
--Undergraduate GPA (especially the last two years of college)
--Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores
--Recommendation letters
--Personal statement
Sure, you knew these things were important, but let's talk more about why and
the part they play in admissions decisions.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Grades are important not as a sign of intelligence, but instead
grades are a long term
indicator of how well you perform your job as student.
They reflect your motivation and your ability to do consistently good or bad
work. Not all grades are the same, though. Admissions committees understand that
applicants' grade point averages often cannot be compared meaningfully. Grades
can differ among universities - an A at one university may be a B+ at another.
Also grades differ among professors in the same university. Admissions
committees try to take these things into account when examining applicants'
GPAs. They also look at the courses taken: a B in Advanced Statistics may be
worth more than an A in Introduction to Social Problems. In other words, they
consider the context of the GPA: where was it obtained and of what courses is it
comprised? In many cases, it's better to have a lower GPA composed of solid
challenging courses than a high GPA based on easy courses like "Basket Weaving
for Beginners" and the like.
GRE Scores
Clearly, applicants' grade point averages are difficult to compare. This is
where
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
scores come in. Whereas grade point averages are not standardized (there are
enormous differences in how professors within a department, university, or
country grade student work), the GRE is. Your GRE scores provide information
about how you rank among your peers (that's why it's important to do your
best!). Although GRE scores are standardized, departments don't weigh them in a
standardized way. How a department or admissions committee evaluates GRE scores
varies - some use them as cutoffs to eliminate applicants, some use them as
criteria for research assistantships and other forms of funding, some look to
GRE scores to offset weak GPAs, and some admissions committees will overlook
poor GRE scores if applicants demonstrate significant strengths in other areas.
Letters of Recommendation
Usually admissions committees begin the evaluation process by considering GPA
and GRE score (or those of other standardized tests). These quantitative
measures only tell a small part of an applicant's story.
Letters of recommendation
provide context within which to consider an applicant's numerical scores.
Therefore it's important that the faculty
who write your letters of
recommendation know you well so that they
can discuss the person behind the GPA and GRE scores. Generally speaking,
letters written by professors known to committee members tend to carry more
weight than those written by "unknowns." Letters written by well-known people in
the field, if they signify that they know you well and think highly of you, can
be very helpful in moving your application towards the top of the list.
Personal Statement
The
personal statement, also known
as the admissions essay, statement of
purpose, and personal goal statement, is your chance to introduce yourself,
speak directly to the admissions committee, and provide information that doesn't
appear elsewhere in your application. Faculty read personal statements very
closely because they reveal lots of information about applicants. Your essay is
an indicator of your writing ability, motivation, ability to express yourself,
maturity, passion for the field, and judgment. Admissions committees read essays
with the intent to learn more about applicants, to determine if they have the
qualities and attitudes needed for success, and to weed out applicants who don't
fit the program.
More Grad
School Prep Resources
About Grad School: What Do Graduate Schools Want?
Advice for Undergraduates Considering Graduate School
Grad Schools: Articles: Get Informed
Grad School Tips: Types of Grad School Essays
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