If you have a bachelor’s degree, the next logical step for some students is grad school. With an advanced degree your job opportunities can increase and you possibly can make much more money over the life of your career.

Have you started the steps necessary to obtain a graduate degree? If not, the following step-by-step instructions can guide you through the process:

Graduate Prep

• economic projections — how much more can you make per year if you have an advanced degree vs. not having one?
• career and job types — what doors will open to you through having a grad degree?
• best jobs for the future — long term, what types of jobs will be most popular?
• personal assessment — what do you want to do?

School Search

• graduate programs — what program parallels your course of study?
• colleges and universities — which schools offer the degree you need?
• distant learning programs — can you obtain a degree online?
• community colleges — grad classes are sometimes held at your local community college.

Admission

• what’s needed to get into school — your undergrad GPA could be a factor.
• admission tests and application form — will you need a GRE, GMAT, or other entrance test?
• essays and recommendations — work and school references.
• work experience and sponsor — your work history may be an important factor in helping you gain admittance into some programs.

Pay For School

• calculating program costs — cost per credit, fees, and books.
• review the financial aid process — do you qualify for assistance?
• financial aid options — what options are available to you for help?
• student loans, scholarships, other — should you get a federal or private student loan? Check out scholarships, grants, and employee tuition reimbursement.

Getting Ready

• developing study skills — do you time to study?
• moving to school checklist — will you be attending school on campus?
• building discipline — can you balance work, family, and studying?
• important credit skills — what financial choices can you make today to help you keep your credit intact while attending college?

Clearly, balancing work, study, and life issues is one of the biggest challenges for the student seeking an advanced degree, something thousands of students manage each year. By following the outlined steps, you can get a clear picture of what you expect during the time you are going for your advanced degree.

Resources

Getting Ready For School

Stuff For Your Dorm

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Tags: college, college loan, federal loan, GMAT, grad school, graduate degree, GRE, higher education, private student loan, student loan, university

If you applied to several colleges and got accepted by some and rejected by others, there is a third category where you could find yourself: on the school’s wait list. You weren’t rejected, but you have been provisionally accepted: the provision being that if a spot opens up for you and/or you can demonstrate a reason why you should be accepted, then you may still be able to get in.

According to a recently published article (US. News & World Report, April 16, 2008), titled How to Get Off the Wait List and Into College, fewer than 30% of the students who agree to stay on a college’s wait list are eventually accepted. At high tier colleges the numbers are much lower.

Admissions officers, the gatekeepers who decide whether you will ultimately gain admittance to a particular school, recommend the following steps to take in order to increase your chances of admittance:

• Send your deposit money and commitment letter in by the May 1 deadline. Enroll in a community college while waiting as a backup plan.

• If you aren’t interested in pursuing acceptance, do not agree to stay on the list; you could be keeping an interested student from enrolling.

• Contact the school to find out what your chances are of being accepted and learn what criteria the school has to get on and off of the list. Students who have demonstrated that they are interested in a particular school (by visiting the campus, for example) have a better chance of acceptance than other students.

• Update the information the school has about you. Perhaps certain extra-curricular activity not mentioned by you earlier could sway the decision in your favor.

With the percentages of acceptance by wait-listed students being so low, it can seem to be a waste of time to take steps to increase the chances of your being accepted. However, many other students are likely to give up, therefore remembering nothing ventured, nothing gained should be all the impetus you need.

Futher Reading

How to Handle a College Waiting List

Resources

Financial Aid Charts

Understanding the Financial Aid Process

Tags: college acceptance, college rejection, college waiting list, higher education, schools, university