Common Questions

Common grad school questions

 

 

How do I decide which school to attend?
  • For some people, deciding where to go is simple: they got into their top choice and are not interested in attending other schools.  For others, the decision can be stressful: all the programs they were accepted to are attractive. 
  • For those of you who don’t know where you want to go, take your time to thoroughly think through what place is best for you.  Some ideas and questions that you should consider are:
    • What program is ranked highest in the field I am interested in?  Also, which program has the most interesting research?

     

    • What are the reputations of the faculty from each program as a whole? 

     

    • Where did I get the best feel on my interviews?  Did I like the students and faculty?

     

    • Does this school treat its graduate students well?  How hard do students generally have to work?

     

    • What careers do grad students pursue after completing their Ph.D.?

     

    • What types of research facilities are provided by each school?

     

    • Does location matter to me?

     

    • What is the cost of living, and will I be able to live off the stipend I receive?

     

    • What is the teaching (TA) requirement?

     

    • Will I be funded during my entire Ph.D.?  What is the average number of years it takes a student to earn their degree?

     

    • What is the first year retention rate?
  • Another action you can take when deciding on which schools to attend is to contact current graduate students and faculty at each school to ask them specific questions about their program or research. 
  • You must make a decision by April 15th, which gives you more than two weeks to decide after you hear back from schools.  If you are accepted to a school you know for certain you will not attend, notify that school right away.  Doing so will open up another spot for a student who is on the waiting list.
Check out what About.com has to say about accepting a graduate school offer.

 

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