Graduate School Preparation

The following are the five general factors for admission to a graduate school program. You should always consult with the specific graduate school program that you are applying to for detailed information on admission factors and requirements.

Undergraduate GPA:

• Your official transcript will be reviewed by the graduate school program.
• Generally, the focus is on the last 60 credit hours of your undergraduate degree (Junior & Senior year).
• Your cumulative GPA should be above 3.0 for master’s degree programs and 3.5 for doctoral programs to be a competitive applicant.

Personal Statement:

• Your personal statement provides an explanation of career interests and goals.
• You are able to provide specifics on your academic background and experience.
• You can address any pre-established questions asked by the graduate school program.
• You should be honest and speak to distinguishing characteristics and qualifications.

Resume/CV:

• Your resume/CV provides an overview of your educational background, professional experience and research/internship experience.
• You will provide details on your responsibilities and tasks associated with work, research, internship, and/or volunteer positions.
• You should build your portfolio of experiences based on the focus of the graduate school program you are interested in.
• Most graduate school programs will accept resumes, but some ask for CVs if they are academic/research focused programs.

Letters of Recommendation:

• Generally, three letters of recommendation will be requested by graduate school programs.
• Your writers of your letters of recommendation should be individuals that can speak to your academic background and achievements.
• Your letters of recommendation should be from professors, internship site supervisors, and/or relevant work supervisors.
• Your selection of writers will vary based on whether the graduate program is a research or applied-focused graduate program.

GRE:

• Most graduate school programs will require that you take the graduate record examination.
• General test contains three sections: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. You can retake test.
• Score scale is 130 to 170 for verbal & quantitative and 0-6 for writing.