"I can’t decide if I should go to graduate school."
- Schedule an appointment with your Career Advisor. We can talk with you about your career interests and help you determine if graduate school is the right choice with your career plans.
"I know I want to go to graduate school, but I don’t know what schools offer graduate programs in my career field."
- Visit the Career Center Library (located on the 5th floor of Butler Pavilion) to review our many books on various graduate schools and the programs they offer. We have specific books on preparing for medical school, law school, MBA programs, doctoral programs, and much, much, more!
- The Graduate School Resources web page lists websites that contain information on graduate schools, preparation, application process, admissions essays/personal statements, and testing.
"How do I prepare for graduate school?"
- Start early and make a timeline for yourself.
- Talk with your Career Advisor, Academic Advisor, and Professors.
- Choose courses, internship and volunteer experiences that will prepare you for graduate school.
- Gather information about many graduate schools and their programs.
- Prepare for and take the appropriate entrance exam.
- Complete applications in a timely manner and know the deadlines!
- Complete scholarship and financial aid applications.
"How do I determine which graduate or professional school to attend?"
- Examine the programs being offered and their focus (practical application vs. research).
- Consider the reputation of the school. Is the university or program accredited and is the program nationally ranked?
- Consider the workload and what is expected of students in the program.
- Examine the tuition and fees. Find out what funds are available for assistantships, loans, scholarships, or work study.
- Look at the location and size of the school and determine if this meets your needs academically and socially.
- Find out how many students graduate from the program and find jobs in their field of study and if there is alumni support within the program.
"I know what graduate schools I want to apply to, but I am uncertain of the application process."
- Check out each school’s website and contact them directly to obtain information about their programs and the application process. It may differ from school to school. Be mindful of application deadlines and begin the process early.
- To view specific information about graduate school testing, please click here.
- Standardized testing services are offered at various locations in the Washington metropolitan area. The AU Career Center has registration materials for a variety of standardized tests and additional information on standardized tests and testing center locations can be found by clicking here.
- The Office of Merit Awards works directly with students to help them prepare essays and personal statements for graduate school applications. Call x1800 to schedule an appointment.
- Your Career Advisor can help you with preparing your résumé for graduate or professional school.
- We also have books in the Career Library that can help you with résumé writing and essays. One great book we have is "Graduate Admissions Essays – What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why" by Donald Asher.
- Our Career Library has books that contain information on scholarships and fellowships.
- To find out specific information about external funding to support overseas travel, tuition, or internships visit AU’s Office of Merit Awards.
- Contact the Financial Aid Office for information on student loans and scholarships.
- Check out the Chronicle of Higher Education for information on scholarships and assistantships.
"I need information about tests I need to take for graduate school."
"I need to write a résumé and an essay/personal statement as part of my application for professional or graduate school, but I don’t know what to write or how to begin."
"I want to find information about financial aid, scholarships and fellowships."