The word “graduation” used to be the scariest thing that anyone could say to me. I didn’t have a plan, I didn’t know what would come after finishing college, and I had no idea where I’d end up. The job market is terrifying right now and being an international student adds an extra layer of stress. However, these issues aren’t unique to me; we’re all familiar with this feeling of impending doom, even if in different contexts. 

A few options seemed to stand out: going back home and working somewhere, applying for internships and entry level jobs, or going back to school for a graduate degree. To me, pursuing a graduate degree was always the most appealing idea. The world is constantly changing and so are many of the existing fields of study that we have pursued in college, so why not enhance my existing skills, learn new ones and explore areas that I didn’t have the chance to in undergrad before jumping into the job market? 

I quickly fell in love with the idea — just as quickly as I realized that there were many, many different options to choose from. I went right back to square one: not knowing where to start. Many of you might be in the same position that I was just about a year ago: questioning if this is the right path and wondering who to rely on for help. Lucky for you, I have gone through the entire process — and came out alive on the other side — and I am here to help you figure out what to do next. 

Know your resources

About two months before senior year started, I knew it was time to lock in. Over the summer, I started with the most basic step: scheduling a meeting with the Career and Professional Development Office. I had so many ideas — some of which I thought were set in stone — but I knew I needed to consult someone before making any decisions.

I cannot emphasize enough how pivotal CAPD was to my grad school application process. Right on my first meeting, one of the CAPD advisors told me about graduate assistantships, a paid, part-time role for graduate students. As a graduate assistant, you can serve as a teacher’s assistant in undergraduate courses or a research assistant, depending on your field of study, or even serve in more administrative roles outside of the classroom. Sometimes, these positions require a separate application, while other universities automatically consider you with your standard application. 

Being aware of opportunities like this can be life changing. Although that may seem dramatic, it really isn’t. Graduate school is incredibly expensive, but graduate assistantships are a good way of getting extra funding along with focused professional experience during your studies. Without CAPD’s help, I probably would have taken much longer to find out about these positions, and it would have delayed my application process. 

CAPD continued to help me until my last admission decision came in. I relied on them when narrowing down my options, submitting the necessary documents, reviewing essays I was unsure about, polishing my resume and communicating with admissions officers from the schools I was applying to. They also offer great resources online, such as the application tracker, which was my lifeline while applying.

Besides that, CAPD was there to celebrate my wins and serve as an incredible support system. I confided in them when the process got increasingly scary and when I thought I wasn’t going to make it, but they were also the first people I told when I received good news. They made the process as stress-free as it could have possibly been and believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. Seriously, if I could give you just one piece of advice, it would be to rely on CAPD during this process.

Understand your priorities and what matters to you

Applying to as many schools as possible may seem like a good idea at first, but don’t let the wide array of options distract you from how expensive those nonrefundable application fees are. Understanding what your priorities are as early as possible is key to a successful application process.

My advice is starting with a broad search. Think about what program of study you want to pursue and look at all the schools that offer that program. I know, that may seem counterintuitive based on what I first told you, but trust me that it will all make sense soon. When you look at a wide range of options, you will quickly see that there are differences in each program — the length of the program, if it’s thesis or project based and its required classes. Think about all of these general program factors, because that could completely change the pool of schools you end up applying to.

Once you narrow those basic factors down, start thinking about funding. How many different funding options does that program offer? Is it only financial aid, internal or external scholarships, or a combination of multiple avenues? Do you have to send additional applications or are you automatically considered? Understand how many additional documents you may need to collect. Graduate school applications are lengthy, so make sure you’re not doing too much extra work for one program and taking away time that you could be working on the others. 

Track the deadlines. Some program applications may be due in early December, while others are only due in March. Use the application tracker, that will change your life. Do general things first — refining and updating your resume, collecting financial documents and filing out general information — and then focus on each university by deadline urgency. Also, don’t forget to ask for your recommendation letters early on. Professors, supervisors and mentors have their own lives to worry about, so give them plenty of time to work on the letters. Think about which professors know you best, the people who have seen you grow and serve in different capacities during your undergraduate career. Think about people who know you as a student and a professional, but who can also speak on your character and on you as a person. You can ask the same people — usually two to three different references — for multiple applications, just make sure to tell them that in advance.

Finally, location matters, but do not let that restrict you. Just because the location of a school seems great — or just because it isn’t in your dream city — doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth applying to. That’s why starting with a broad search is important: you may find the perfect fit in a city you never even thought about moving to. The same goes for the name of the university. Yes, big names are the most appealing at the end of the day, but maybe the university of your dreams doesn’t have the program that you were looking for. Just because that may be the case, don’t let that stop you from looking elsewhere.

Write honestly

As many of you may know, the essays tend to be the part people dread the most. With that being said, please do not wait until the very last minute to write your application essays. They may not be lengthy — averaging about 500 to 1,000 words based on my experience — but writing less is much more difficult than writing for pages on end. 

Also, writing about yourself and why you want to pursue a field of work for the rest of your life is more difficult than it seems. You want to be confident, but not cocky. You want to be persuasive, but not plead for their acceptance or funding. You want to be interesting, but not corny. Although every essay may seem the same, make sure that you conduct thorough research on the program you are applying for and add why that specific program will be ideal for you; avoid cookie cutter responses that could be applicable to any program. They want to understand why you would be a good fit for them, but also why they are a good fit for you. 

If you can’t find clear reasons why that program is appealing to you, then it might not be worth applying to. You don’t want your essay to be devoid of purpose and personality just because you think that the city where the university is located is really cool or just because you think that the university name will look great on your resume. 

Network, network and network

Do not be shy: email admission officers, reach out to current students and alumni, watch webinars and connect with professors on LinkedIn. In the age of the internet, use it to your advantage. Browse the universities websites — and yes, I know, most of them are incredibly difficult to navigate — find the professors who you’d like to learn from, look for the classes you find interesting and see where alumni have ended up professionally. 

See if any of your current professors have attended the universities you’re applying to and ask them about their experiences. At conferences or events, get out of your comfort zone and speak to different people, you never know what alumni or professors you may encounter. Reach out to your former colleagues who you know went to grad school and ask them about their application process or about how their experience at their university has been so far. Honestly, just look up on LinkedIn people who attend the place you’re applying to and connect with them. These conversations can really be a game changer.

During interviews or meetings with school officials, just be yourself and be honest. Prepare questions in advance and show them that you’ve done your research and that you’d be a good fit. Follow the advice for the essays and you’ll do great. If they’ve offered you an interview or reached out to schedule a meeting with you before offering you a spot or a scholarship, there’s a good chance they already like what they saw in your application. 

Final thoughts

Applying to graduate school can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Having a good support system around you and knowing who you can rely on is the first step to a successful application process. Those people will help you navigate the toughest moments of the process, while also keeping you grounded and realistic in your expectations. Talk to professors you trust, not only for your recommendation letters but also to talk about the process as a whole. Chances are they’ve been in your shoes before, so they will understand better than anyone.

Know your options, your priorities and your deadlines. Be organized, thorough, honest and genuine. The schools that accept you will want you for who you are. Know your short and long term goals and why graduate school is the best path for you. Simply “wanting to go” will not get you very far, understand why this is something that will help you in your career. 

With the right people by your side and a clear understanding of what your end goal is, applying to grad school will be much easier — and much more successful — than you expect.