Prepare During Your Freshman Year

Self-discovery

• Explore your interests and abilities.Talk to and visit your academic support system, including advisors, counselors, professors, and graduate students.
• Develop effective study habits and skills.
• Attend workshops, tutorials, guest speakers and campus presenters.
• Establish a solid GPA of at least 3.0.

Prepare During Your Sophomore Year

Assessing options

• Define and establish your personal, life, and career goals.
• Begin to make contacts in your chosen area.
• Identify potential mentoring relationships with professors and graduate students.
• Conduct independent research with a professor.
• Attend graduate and professional school fairs and research presentations.

Prepare During Your Junior Year

Committing and preparing

• Continue to define and re-establish personal, life and career goals.
• Strengthen mentoring relationships. Discuss your interests with professors and others.
• Explore different types of graduate programs. Visit campuses and departments when possible.
• Explore standardized tests, test dates and fees.
• Participate in a summer research internship/experience.

Prepare During Your Senior Year

Applying and selecting

• Take standardized tests (GRE, MCAT, LSAT, etc).
• Apply early. Electronic applications are the norm for most programs and universities. Inquire about deadlines and other important dates.
• Stay organized. Applying to graduate programs is time- and labor-intensive. Set up an organization system to keep all the pieces of each application together.
• Initiate and maintain funding opportunities, like RAs, TAs, GAs, scholarships, grants, etc.
• Apply for financial aid (FAFSA) and other external funding opportunities.