Grad School Applications

Last year at this time I watched as all of the students, who had plans of pursuing post-grad programs, started to get stressed with all of the application procedures and deadlines; which, in some cases, are different for each school.

Fast-forward to this year and I am in their position while some of the other career assistants in the centre are watching me stress as I did to others last year.

I however, as a career assistant, feel that I am pretty knowledgeable about the steps involved in applying to grad school, so I started my process early! And now I am going to share some of that knowledge with you in hopes that it might relieve some stress if you are in the process of applying and that it might prepare you if you will be applying this or next year.

Also, if you are feeling overwhelmed, I want to let you know that you are not alone in that, and that this process is a very difficult one for everyone who has to go through it!

NOTE... IF YOU HAVEN'T STARTED PREPARING YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS LET THIS BE YOUR WARNING TO START!

 

Seriously though, most of the processes are very intricate. While all programs require different things, here is a list of some important things common to almost all grad applications which you should start considering and preparing:

 

1. Transcripts

•  These can be ordered through your my.brocku.ca portal and they cost $12 each

2. Letter of Intent/Personal Statement

• If you do not know the difference or want resources on how to write one or both of these ducoments come into the resource centre and we can give you some tips and suggestions

3. Test Scores

• GMAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, PCAT, DAT, SAT
• most of these tests can be taken year long and multiple times
• Once you take the test or before you book it make sure to see when the applications for the program are due because you will need to include your test mark in your application

 

4. CV

• we have CV guidelines in the centre if you would like help writing one!

5. Online Application Component

 

6. Online Payment

 

7. References

• Each program will say what it is they would like from the references
• It is important that you talk with some professors or professionals-which one you use will depend on the program- and have them agree to be a reference for you
• Once they have agreed they will either need to fill out a form online which you have to send them, or the program you are applying to will send them a form which they will need to fill out and send to  the program
•  It will be your job to stay on top of your references to make sure that they submit your information by the deadline

8. Lastly find out if you are eligible for scholarships/ Grad funding

• This isn't a necessary step; but, it does help to off-set the cost of grad school and allows you to focus on your research by giving you enough money so that you don't have to work
• Some of these applications also require things such as reference letters, research proposals, etc and take quite a while to complete so make sure you find out when they are due (the due dates are on the Grad Studies website) so that you can leave yourself ample time to complete them

DEADLINES

 

It would be impossible for me to be able to tell you guys the due dates for every program because there are so many programs you can apply to which all have very different application due dates. But I will list some of the due dates to the more common programs which I hope will help!

 

If the program you are hoping to get into is not listed, I would recommend going on the Grad Studies site of the institution and looking up your specific program to find out when your program's application is due.

 

Most of this information was taken from the OUAC website, where, if your interested, you can find even more information about some of these processes!

 

Medical School--> October 1, 2012 (already passed!!)

Dental School--> Western and U of T = December 1, 2012

Law School--> November 1, 2012 for first year students, May 1, 2013 for upper year students

Master of Business--> @ Brock = rolling admission.. for April 2013 start, apply by March 30, 2013

Teacher's College--> Decomber 3, 2012 (for applications), December 10, 2012 (for money order or electronic payment and all supplementary application forms and the experience profile)

ORPAS (for OT, PT, AUD, SLP) --> January 11, 2013 at 11:59 pm

 

I know that I have just presented a lot of information but be sure to consult the Grad School Office of the school you wish to apply to in order to find out the specifics of the application process.

 

Hopefully, now that you have all of this wonderful information at your finger tips, you can go through the process with less stress.

 

One can only hope :)

 

All the best with your endeavours! And remember everyone at Career Services will be happy to assist you in preparing your documents if you want some extra help. If you would like further or more specific assistance than feel free to contact the program coodinator for the program you wish to apply to who will be pleased to answer any of your questions. If you are applying to a Brock program than most answers can be found on the Grad Studies website.

 

So if you aren't applying to the same program as me, then I wish you the best of luck and hope that you get in where you want to!

 

Good luck,

Rosemary

Senior Career Assistant