Guide to Graduate Admissions

A General Guide to Graduate School Admissions

(provided as a courtesy by the University of Idaho College of Graduate Studies)

Purpose of this page
No matter what school you’ve set your sights on, applying to graduate school is a complicated process. To make it less confusing, this page provides the general information you need to understand the process and make it work to your advantage.

Undergrad preparation
The best preparation begins early, while you’re still an undergrad. Here’s a list of things to keep in mind that will pay off when the time comes to apply to graduate school.

1. Make sure your undergrad professors are familiar with you and your career objectives so that they can more effectively advise you.
2. Gain research experience by working with a professor. This can lead to the presentation of a paper at a conference or the publication of an article in a journal.
3. Never forget the importance of good grades.
4. Develop a well-rounded background with an emphasis on oral and written communication skills. One way of doing this is to take liberal arts classes as well as those in science and math.
5. To ensure that you’re well prepared for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), consider taking a GRE prep course.
6. Your resume and skill set can be greatly enhanced by participating in campus organizations relating to your discipline.
7. It may go without saying, but make sure the interests, career goals, and abilities you’re developing are suited to the particular program to which you’re applying.

What grad schools are looking for
Every grad school seeks applicants who will become important researchers and leaders in their field. They’re looking for someone who is:

• Talented
• Motivated
• Able to work independently
• Equally capable of taking direction and constructive criticism
• Eager to work hard in close collaboration with fellow students and faculty
• Committed to graduating on time
• Capable of excelling in the real world

What grad schools require from you
To gain admission, you must submit four essential items:

• Undergraduate grade point average (GPA) — particularly from the last two years
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores
• Letters of recommendation — the University of Idaho requires three
• A personal statement

Let’s take a detailed look at each of these items.

Grade Point Average (GPA)
Grades indicate more than intelligence. As indicators of motivation, commitment and work habits, they also predict how well you will perform as a grad student.

There’s one thing to keep in mind, however: Admissions committees know that an A at one university may equate to a B+ at another university. It can often be the case that a lower GPA achieved by taking challenging courses is rated higher than a higher GPA achieved in less-demanding classes.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
Because it’s difficult to compare grade point averages, grad schools rely on another measurement of your intelligence and skills. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is designed to provide a more standardized assessment of how you rank against your peers.

That being said, admissions committees vary in their valuation of GRE scores. Some use GREs as a cutoff to eliminate applicants. Others use them as criteria in awarding research assistantships and other forms of funding. At one school, a strong GRE score can offset a weak GPA. At another school, a poor GRE score may be overlooked if you can demonstrate significant strength in other areas.

Letters of Recommendation
Admissions committees know that GPA and GRE tell only part of the story. Letters of recommendation are important because they put your GPA and GRE in context.

Those who write your letters of recommendation should know you well enough to describe your skills, motivation and personality. The status of the writer is also important. A letter written by a professor who is well known in his or her field will carry significant weight, particularly if the recommendation is based on personal experience with you.

Personal Statement
The Personal Statement goes by several names: admissions essay, statement of purpose or personal goal statement. Regardless of name, it reveals much about you: your ability to write and express yourself, your motivation, your level of maturity and the passion that drives you.

The Personal Statement is your first opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions committee while providing information that appears nowhere else.

Admission committees read personal statements very closely because they provide the best insight into the personal qualities that will determine your ultimate success.

Be complete
When providing your GPA, GRE, Letters of Recommendation and Personal Statement, be sure all information is accurate and complete. In today’s intensely competitive environment, incomplete applications tend to be quickly rejected.

A note regarding transcripts and standardized tests
Your transcript is not included with the application you submit. Instead, it is sent by the Registrar's Office at the college or university you’re attending. To have your transcript included in your application, you must visit the Registrar's Office and fill out the appropriate forms for each graduate school to which you are applying.

Begin this process early. It takes time to process your request and have transcripts sent. Applications that arrive late can be rejected. It also pays to find out as quickly as possible if your transcript has arrived. If it was lost in the mail or never sent at all, it’s good to find out in time to do something about it.

Standardized exams such as the GRE are required by most graduate programs. But law, medical and business schools usually require different exams, such as the Law School Admissions Test LSAT, Medical College Admissions Test MCAT and Graduate Management Test GMAT.

Some programs may also require the GRE Subject Test. This is a standardized test that covers the material within a specific discipline.

Be sure to take standardized tests as early as possible, preferably the spring or summer before applying, so that your scores will arrive on time.

Need more info?
For additional information, you might wish to consult the following books written specifically on the subject of graduate admissions.

• The Grad School Handbook by Richard Jerrard
• Real Life Guide to Graduate & Professional School: How to Choose, Apply for, and Finance Your Advanced Degree by Cindy Rold
• Get Into Graduate School: A Strategic Approach for Master's and Doctoral Candidates by Kaplan
• Playing the Game: The Streetsmart Guide to Graduate School by Fredrick Frank
• Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D. by Robert Peters
• How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School by Richard Stelzer
• Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice by Donald Asher