MSU Tex CG Digital DM Accessible - Flipbook - Page 55
GRADUATE/PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL
APPLICATION PROCESS
Start gathering information early to be able to complete your applications on time. Most people should start the process a
full year and a half before their anticipated date of matriculation. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule. This
time frame may be different if you are applying for national scholarships, assistantships, fellowships, etc. You may have to
begin the process two years before your date of matriculation in order to take your graduate admission test and arrange for
letters of recommendation early enough to meet deadlines.
Application deadlines may range from August (a year prior to matriculation) for early decision programs at medical schools
using the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) to late spring or summer (when beginning graduate school
in the fall) for a few programs with rolling admissions. Most deadlines for entry in the fall are between January and March.
You should plan to meet formal deadlines. However, you should also be aware of the fact that many schools with rolling
admissions encourage and act upon early applications. Applying early to a school with rolling admissions in usually
advantageous, as it shows your enthusiasm for the program and gives admissions committees more time to evaluate your
application. Applicants are not rejected early unless they are clearly below an institution’s standards.
TYPICAL APPLICATION TIMETABLE
SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO APPLYING
Research areas of interest, institutions, and programs.
Talk to advisers about application requirements.
Register and prepare for appropriate graduate admission tests.
Investigate national scholarships.
THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO APPLYING
Take required graduate admission tests.
Write your application essay.
Check on application deadlines and rolling admissions policies.
For medical, dental, osteopathy, podiatry, or law school, you
may need to register for the national application or data
assembly service most programs use.
FALL - A YEAR BEFORE MATRICULATING
Obtain letters of recommendation.
Take graduate admission tests in you haven’t already.
Send in completed applications.
WINTER - BEFORE MATRICULATING IN THE FALL
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
and College Scholarship Service (CSS) profiles, if required.
SPRING - BEFORE MATRICULATING IN THE FALL
Check with all institutions before their deadlines to make sure your application is complete.
Visit institutions that accept you.
Send a deposit to your institution of choice.
Notify other colleges and universities that accepted you of your decision so that they can admit students on their waiting list.
Send “Thank You” notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters, informing them of your success.
You may not be able to adhere to this timetable if your application deadlines are very early, as is the case
with medical schools, or if you decide to attend graduate school at the last minute. Keep in mind the various
application requirements and be sure to meet all deadlines. If deadlines are impossible to meet, call the
institution to see if a late application will be considered.
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