"Being a (Ph.D.) graduate student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarves.

In the beginning you're Dopey and Bashful. In the middle you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and

irritable (Grumpy). But in the end, they call you Doc, and then you're Happy."

Ronald T. AzumaComputer Science Graduate School Survival Guide

http://www.cs.unc.edu/%7Eazuma/hitch4.html

Choosing and Applying to Graduate SchoolBrian W. Tague

Department of BiologyWake Forest University

ACTIVITY SUGGESTED TIME .

Start earning good grades Freshman

Approach faculty about research experience Sophomore/Junior

Seek related work/volunteer experience Sophomore/Junior

Take GRE Summer Before/Fall of Senior Year

Request information on graduate programs Junior/Senior

Finalize decision about which programs to apply to Early Fall Senior Year

Request faculty to write letters of recommendation Mid-Fall Senior Year

Perfect your Statement of Purpose Mid-Fall Senior Year

Submit applications and Late Fall, Winter Break, Senior Year

check deadline for each application

Check to be sure your applications Late Fall, Winter Senior Year

are complete

Interviewing and visiting Winter, Spring Senior Year

Time table for graduate school

How does graduate school differ from undergraduate programs?

• Research first, classes second• Teaching experience• Focus on process, not just information

• Scientific process • Experimental design• Critical thinking• Problem solving

• Costs

Financial support for graduate students

• $15-25,000/year• Teaching Assistantship

• Research Assistantship

• Training Grants

• Fellowship

• Tuition Waiver

How can you judge if you would enjoy graduate school?

• Enjoy independent research

• Enjoy teaching

• Work before entering graduate school

• Talk with faculty

• Intellectual aspects

• Practical aspects

A bad reason to go to graduate school

When do people go to graduate school?

• Immediately after undergraduate school

• After several years of practical work experience

• After a career change

Choosing a graduate program

• M.S. vs Ph.D.

• Institution

• Department

• Individual Research Lab

M.S. versus Ph.D. programs

• Duration 2-3 vs 4-6 years

• Career options

• Area of study

• Certainty of research direction

• Amount of independence

What can I do with an M.S. degree?

• Enter a Ph.D. program

• Research scientist: • Industrial, academic, government lab

• Teaching: • Community college, high school

• Science policy or administration

• Other professions: • Law, MBA, health professions

What can I do with a Ph.D.?

• Post-doctoral research

• Teaching and Scholarship• College and university professor

• Research Director• Corporate Research

• Government Research

• Academic Research

Choosing a graduate program

• MS vs PhD

• Institution

• Department

• Individual Research Lab

Judging graduate institutions and departments

• Research reputation and productivity• The key to your future!

• Range of research options• Medical school vs. academic department

• Potential research advisors

• Size, geographic location, urban/rural

• Contentment of graduate students

Peterson’s guide: Searchable database of schoolshttp://petersons.com/

Jobweb: directories of graduate programshttp://www.jobweb.com/catapult/gguides.htm

Getting into Graduate School: an applicant’s lookhttp://dave.burrell.net//guide/guide1.html

US News and World Report: Rankings of graduate programshttp://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/beyond/bcphd.htm

Talk to your professors!Surf the web to particular departmentsVisit schools, interview, meet current graduate students

Resources for evaluating programs

Judging graduate institutions and departments

• Research reputation and productivity• The key to your future!

• Range of research options• Medical school vs. academic department

• Potential research advisors

• Size, geographic location, urban/rural

• Contentment of graduate students

Growing up and undergraduate

Graduate SchoolApplications

Eugene

Santa Barbara

Santa Cruz

San Diego

Judging graduate institutions and departments

• Research reputation and productivity• The key to your future!• Medical school vs academic department

• Range of research options • Size, geographic location, urban/rural• Contentment of graduate students

• Visit schools, interview, meet current students

Choosing a graduate program

• MS vs PhD

• Institution

• Department

• Individual Research Lab

Choosing a research advisor

• Common research interests• Peterson’s guide, web sites

• Laboratory rotations

• Compatible working styles• Visits, interviews and rotations

• Laboratory environment• Visits, interviews and rotations

• Availability of the advisor• E-mail, snail mail

Applying to graduate school

Research experience

• One of the best ways to be competitive is to have worked in a laboratory

• At your home institute

• NSF and NIH• Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences

• Volunteering or working summers

• Intensive summer lab courses

Taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

• Visit GRE website• http://www.gre.org/atglance.html

• Register well in advance

• Most schools require the GRE general test

• Many require (“strongly recommend”) the GRE subject test

Makeup of GRE general test

• Verbal• Analyze and evaluate written material• 30 minutes, 30 questions

• Quantitative• Basic math skills and concepts• 45 minutes, 28 questions

• Analytical• Reasoning skills, deduction, evaluation of arguments• 60 minutes, 35 questions

Preparing for the GRE general test

• Kaplan GRE preparation books• good software

• Barron’s GRE preparation books• Sample questions at www.gre.org

Taking the GRE general test

• Where?• Prometrics Testing Service

• (336-854-4230) • 3 Centerview Drive• Greensboro, NC

• Also in Asheville, Boone, Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Gastonia, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington

• Full list at www.gre.org

Taking the GRE general test

• When?

• General test

• Anytime, online

• Register well ahead of time– Saturdays are difficult to schedule

• Allow about 4 hours total

• Cost: $105.00– Fee waivers available

Taking the GRE subject test• When?

• Designated dates: 11/10/01, 12/8/01, 4/6/02

• Where?• On paper: Wake Forest University

• Other locations: see www.gre.org

• Cost: $130.00 (Fee waiver available)

• Format: 100-200 questions, ~3 hours

• Subjects:• Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology

• Biology

• Chemistry

• Physics

Application deadlines for graduate school

• Apply to 7-10 schools• From very competitive to “safety” schools• Many schools have on-line applications

• Wake Forest • Application fee: $25• Fall application deadline - February 1st.• Reply deadline - April 15th

• Others• Application fees: $0-100• Fall application deadlines: 12/15 – 4/1

Letters of recommendation (3)• Ask a teacher you know well.

• Helps to have research experience

• Cultivate relationships with a few of your professors!

• Best if professor is in your field, in science

• Provide recommender with a resume.

• Ask well in advance of the deadline.

• Provide any necessary forms and an addressed envelope with instructions on whether it is to

be sent to the school or returned to you.

Statement of purpose• Similar to essays written for undergrad applications

• Read the directions!

• Be familiar with the school• Discuss the science you have performed or an

interesting topic from your classes• Mention particular faculty members• Specific reasons you are interested in a field and in

the particular school• Be concise! Be focused! Rewrite!

• http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/writecenter/web/gradapp.html

Interviewing

• Usually arranged and financed by department• Individual interviews• Group interviews

• Go to department web site• Learn about school

• Read/review journal articles by faculty• E-mail faculty and ask for reprints of recent articles• A couple of intelligent questions go a long way!

The realities of graduate school

• You are being paid to do science!• A great privilege

• Things won’t work for a while!• Different than undergraduate experience

• Long hours• Work hard/play hard

• Tremendous satisfaction and achievement

Graduate school: One final view