Graduate School Advice from the Women’s and Gender Studies Colloquium
“What do I do after college?” is the question that plagues most college students. One can go directly into the workforce with just a bachelor’s degree, but there is also the path of attending graduate school to earn a master’s or doctorate degree. During Fairmont State’s Women’s and Gender Studies Colloquium, Professor Elizabeth Savage discussed the perils and benefits of attending graduate school. During her lecture, Professor Savage focused particularly on the application process, with two seniors at Fairmont State joining in on the discussion. These seniors are applying for graduate school and law school, respectively, and they were able to share their own experiences about the application process and offer advice.
Professor Savage stresses that one should consider two factors when deciding whether or not to apply to graduate schools: time and debt. Graduate school sucks up both of these resources for students, even the application process can take as long as six months, with costly application fees, as well. If one plans to acquire an M.A. or Ph.D., that is at least a 7-8 year commitment. This is why many would rather go straight into the workforce, as another couple of years of schooling is not appealing. Not to mention the tuition costs of graduate school, which can be lessened by scholarships, but still can be very steep, depending on the school one chooses.
If one decides they are willing to make both the large time and debt commitments graduate school requires, they now must begin the application process. This can seem overwhelming at first, it is pretty much applying to colleges again, but with no high school guidance counselor to guide one through the process. Professor Savage says “You should start by talking to your professors to find out where you should go and where you definitely should not go.” Then, once one has a general idea of where to apply from their professors, they should do their own research into schools. This research includes not only learning about general things like tuition cost and acceptance rates, but also other factors not immediately thought of. These are factors like what the living cost of going to the school will be, what job opportunities are around the school, and even simply what is there to do for fun around the school.
Professor Savage says to cast your net as wide as you can afford when applying to schools. For graduate school application fees typically range from $65-$85 dollars, while for law school they range from $50-$70 dollars. Law schools typically require paying for an application service, which can be upwards of $100 dollars. Both the Fairmont State seniors taking part in the lecture stressed trying to get fee waivers through doing things like attending a graduate school open houses or simply contacting an admissions officer of a school and asking for a fee waiver form. Once one decides what schools they are applying to and the fee admission cost they are willing to accrue because of this, they can begin to complete the applications.
Graduate school applications, like college applications, can be difficult to complete simply due to all the different forms required. Unlike college, though, there is no Common Application to make applying somewhat easier. Professor Savage says to “read each application carefully, as some may be online, on paper, or on both.” One should begin the application process early so there is time to thoroughly go through each application and see what exactly is required and in what format. Professor Savage also stresses looking into possible scholarships or apprenticeships to apply for, and says to “Always say yes to money.”
The graduate school application process can be overwhelming, but if done carefully and well, it can reap great benefits. The last piece of advice Professor Savage offers is to keep a realistic outlook and your ego in check. A lot of students from Fairmont State become big fish in a little pond at graduate school, so it is important to keep Savage’s advice in mind when entering graduate school. Savage also says “All grad students from Fairmont have said they have been exceptionally well prepared for grad school and law school.” So, though the application process may seem intimidating, one should know they are prepared both intellectually and emotionally to tackle graduate school.
