Graduate School

In New York State, where I live, a masters degree is required in order to teach beyond five years. As such masters of education programs are relatively simple to get into. This is not the case for every major or every state. My daughter is half way through her bachelor's degree and it seemed appropriate to start thinking about how graduate programs would be different for her than it was for me. I purchased, Dave G. Mumby's ebook Graduate School: Winning Strategies for Getting In, 2nd Edition. The book addresses many aspects of the process of  graduate school application. Dr. Mumby is a professor who serves on graduate admission committees and has completed research around this topic.

The book is a quick read, but one that a student could frequently go back through during the process. One of the first thing that is addressed in the book is the idea that most good (B) students can get into a graduate school. In order to accomplish the feat, he makes several recommendations. First is picking the right school. Highly selective schools are probably going to automatically eliminate students lacking superior grades. That being said, many other programs are available. He recommends clarifying personal career and research goals in order to pursue entrance to programs that fit nicely within a university's program and more specifically a researcher's area of interest.

He goes on to describe the time needed to carefully craft the various components of the application. This includes tips on how to select and request letters of recommendation, how to write a personal statement and cover letter, and how to make positive first impressions. He wraps up with a description of various types of financing available to pay for the program.

The test is a useful framework for getting ready to move forward. Dr. Mumby's experience in selecting graduate students shines through the text and his advice is solid, practical and well- Students should have an easy time following the guidelines he puts forth. I have sent the book on to my daughter to read during this summer so that she has a good idea of the process needs to follow as she moves on to the next stage of her education.