For the Niagaran Considering Graduate or Professional School
Some points to ponder for Niagara University students considering
graduate or professional education:
- Credentials: Your admission to graduate or professional
schools will likely be
based on your grades, your recommendations, and your scores on
the appropriate standardized exam for your field (e.g.,
the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) for a liberal arts program, or
the GMAT exam for a business school). It may not be necessary
to have strong credentials with respect to all of these,
but it's likely you need strength in at least one of them. It's
also likely that you need a stronger application to obtain
financial assistance than otherwise.
Taking standardized exam: If you're applying for financial
assistance, the appropriate standardized exam
generally should be taken during the fall prior
to your intended start of graduate/professional education. This is
because many programs start to decide which students will be
offered financial assistance by December or January.
Links with more information concerning standardized exams:
Dental Admission Test (DAT)
Graduate Management Admission Council (has links to GMAT info
- for business programs, including Management of Information Systems)
Graduate Record Examinations (for
most liberal arts programs, including computer science)
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT)
- Don't let fear of cost prevent you from applying. Many
graduate and professional students have financial assistance, which
may include both a tuition waiver and a modest income (in return
for which you may be a teaching assistant, lab supervisor, research
assistant, etc). Don't decide that graduate or professional school
is too expensive for you until you have found out what your
real cost of living is likely to be.
- Investigate programs. This is easier today than it was when
the author was applying to grad schools, due to the existence of the
Web. It may happen that a department
or school that isn't top-rated overall has an excellent programs in
your area of interest, or, conversely, that a highly-rated department
or school is weak in your area of interest.
- Apply to at least one large program, and/or at least one
program in Western New York. Many NU students chose
Niagara because they wanted to attend a small school. However, a
small school is often a little-known school, particularly outside
its geographical area (as far as NU is concerned, that's not
a statement about the quality of its education; it's just a realistic
assessment about its reputation).
Unless the admissions committee knows of
Niagara or a member of your major's department, it's likely that
your application will be regarded as a "gamble." A program that
only admits a small number of new students each year is less
likely to gamble on an admissions decision than a larger program.
- Will an employer pay for graduate/professional education?
Some will. If you think you want to work and
continue your education,
explore this question with potential employers. Because this would be
an investment by the employer in your future, there may be a requirement
that you promise in turn either to remain with the employer for a
period of time or refund the employer's expenses should you leave.
- What about my relationship? If you're married, engaged,
or just "going steady," your personal life is an important part
of your life, and should quite properly affect your planning.
It could well make a difference where you apply, what kind of
financial assistance you need, and under what circumstances
you can accept admission. You probably need to coordinate your
plans with those of your significant other - it may be necessary for that
person to find suitable employment, admission, or other activity nearby.
- Some links
Back to Boxer's Home Page