If you’re thinking of going to grad school, it’s important to know what to expect. Are you truly ready for graduate studies? To make sure that you’re prepared for a graduate degree, there are a few things you should think about.
Many of people expect graduate school to be a lot like undergraduate school. Similar classes, similar classmates, and similar professors. And to some extent that’s true. The basic activities of graduate school-- reading textbooks, doing homework, attending class-- are the same as they’d be in a bachelor’s degree.
Beyond that, however, there are some significant differences. Grad school involves more research-based coursework, for one thing. And a grad degree won’t include any “general education” electives. Instead, everything you study will relate directly to your major.
There can be other differences as well, depending on what kind of grad degree you’re getting. To properly prepare for grad school, you should learn exactly what the expectations will be in your grad degree, and what new challenges you’ll face in your studies. To learn the unique academic expectations of your grad program, talk to admissions representatives and departmental advisers. Also try to get a look at some of the textbooks and syllabi for the classes, and speak with current students if you can. In grad school, knowledge is power… And some of this power comes from having knowledge about the grad program itself.
Most universities treat the undergraduate application process as “one size fits all.” Generally, every undergraduate student faces the same application deadlines, regardless of their major. However, this is not the case with graduate degree programs. To be sure, there are some general rules for grad school application timelines. But there’s also a lot of variation.
In your hunt for the right grad school, you’ll face very different application requirements, depending on the program. One grad program at a university could ask students to apply a semester in advance. Another grad program at the very same school could ask students to apply a year in advance. If you don’t research these differences and understand them, you might end up inadequately prepared for grad school-- so underprepared that you miss the deadline or submit the wrong application materials. And speaking of things you need in order to apply for grad school….
Most graduate degree programs require a grad school entrance exam. Law schools require the LSAT. Medical schools ask for MCAT scores. Many other grad programs ask for the GRE. And grad degrees related to business, finance, or economics often ask for GMAT scores.
As you look into your testing options, bear in mind that different schools can have different testing requirements for the same kind of degree. To give one example, a Master’s Degree in Finance could require a GMAT score or a GRE score, depending on the host university. And at some schools, this kind of Master’s may not require an entrance exam at all.
If you are interested in several different schools or a few different possible degrees, there’s a good chance you’ll have multiple testing options to choose from. If this happens, you’ll need to research your exam options in order to be fully prepared for grad school. You might need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of GMAT vs GRE. Or you might need to compare the merits of a program that requires testing and one that doesn’t.
David Recine is a test prep expert at Magoosh. He has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He has been teaching K-12, University, and adult education classes since 2007 and has worked with students from every continent.