Considering Grad School? Tips for Surviving the Admissions Game

Prior to "Fashion 2.0" and the return of gauchos, women’s hemlines used to be a good predictor of the state of the stock market: in good times, skirts were short (think flapper era). In hard times, hemlines fell. Today, a more appropriate predictor of the economy is the graduate school application rate: when the market goes down, applications go up. Today's market is no exception: many schools are predicting a very busy admissions season. In September, the number of prospective b-school students taking the GMAT admissions exam for b-school was already up 25% from 2006. (This is in stark contrast to 2004, when the Graduate Management Admissions Council for business schools published a white paper entitled "Where Have All the Applicants Gone?")
Before starting my own private practice, I spent eight years working with students and alums at Ivy League schools. After talking to hundreds of applicants, admissions officers, employers, and going through the process myself, here are my five tips for the application process.

1. Don't apply to graduate school just because the economy is bad. Ask not whether graduate school is a good option, ask whether it is the right choice for you...

Here's a great list of pros and cons from the Examiner's Heather Huhman.

2. Decide where to apply based on your career goals.Conventional wisdom is often rankings-driven: "go to the best school you can get into."

In practice, additional factors also include: financial aid/affordability, faculty research expertise, and campus recruiting. For example, if you are a Florida resident and hope to practice law in Miami, it may be easier to get a job--and less expensive--if you go to a state school than it is if you go to Yale.

You may also want to consider going part-time: employers often provide tuition assistance to employees, and so do educational institutions. (The employee benefits section of company websites often provides this information, check before you "make the ask.")

3. Benchmark your test scores--and practice before you take the "real thing."
Despite the fact that a handful of colleges have recently decided to eliminate the SAT requirement, aptitude testing is still in vogue for many grad schools--and your scores can help or hurt your chances for admissions.

Save yourself the headache of admissions testing and re-testing, and practice before you take a test for your "permanent record."

Testing prep companies such as Kaplan and Princeton Review frequently offer a free practice test prior to enrolling in study courses. Take it. Then decide whether you need the course or not.

Study guides for the LSAT, GMAT, MCAT, and GRE also often include practice assessments as well. Prior to getting my Master's degree, I studied for the GRE at home using these guides--and with the assistance of a friend who had taken several prep courses. It worked well for me, but "self study" isn't for everyone.

4. Be a Great Applicant: Study Programs & "What Not to Do"

Shortly after I started a graduate school program in counseling, I learned that I had committed a near-fatal application error: I had written my admissions essay with the same thesis as 90% of other candidates--i.e. "I want to pursue a Master's in Counseling because I like helping people." My professor rolled her eyes as she talked about reading our applications:

If you are a doctor, you are helping people. If you are a teacher, you are helping people. If you are a carpenter, you are helping people through what you build. There are so many ways to help people. If you want to be in this program, you need to answer other questions: Why counseling? And why this program?

Pretend you are writing a paper instead of an admissions essay: Study programs of interest, research faculty interests, and ask questions about outcomes. Then write your essays and connect your experience and interests with something specific that you have learned about the school--it will help you stand out.

If you're feeling stuck, get a second opinion on your essay...but remember that admissions officers have virtually memorized every essay from the "Best Graduate Admissions" essay books. I've heard them repeat them verbatim--and with glee. Be genuine, and write in your own voice.

5. Be Discreet About the Application Process

This article from Princeton University provides an interesting perspective on the use of Facebook by admissions officers. Key take-away: Admissions staff spend less time looking at applicants than employers, but prudence is still advised. It's a far better thing to comment about areas of interest to your course of study or to post news items of general interest than to say what schools you are most and least interested in...If you do decide to post in online forums on graduate school programs, use a screen name.

These five tips won't guarantee you admission, but they can help you getting a running start...Have any other tips for the process? Share them!