Grad School Application Tips

Not to sound full of myself or anything, but I think I've made quite a bit of life progress since January. Let me elaborate: I was two weeks into the second semester of my senior year of college, and I had no idea what my next step would be. I went home for a weekend under the pretense of "applying for jobs away from the distractions of school," but really I went home to freak out. I think it was midway through one of the intensest freak-out sessions that my dad suggested that I look at graduate programs in Germany. I was a German major, after all. So I did, and I think at this point I can safely say that that internet search changed my life. 

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but here's a donkey for your viewing pleasure. I was going to my iPhoto looking for something relevant, and, well, donkeys beat relevance.   

On the University of Hamburg's website, I found the description for their Master's of European Studies program. Coursework in international relations, politics, and European culture? Check. European location? Check. All of a sudden, this beautiful thing called a Master's of European Studies emerged from the smoldering wreckage of my "job search." And I desperately wanted one of these Master's degree things. 

I promptly abandoned the "get a job" plan in favor of the "go to grad school" plan, and during the process, I learned some things:

1. Apply to some schools that you think are basically guaranteed to take you, as well as some schools that you think would never, ever, ever take you. For me, UCL was my reach school. And guess what? I got in. Taking chances can pay off. 

2. Write a few drafts of your statement of purpose. It can take some time to settle on what you want to say, but if you're really proud of what you wrote, you'll feel slightly better during that torturous waiting period between submitting your applications and getting decisions from schools. 

3. Set aside some time every week to work on applications and only applications. For me this was Thursday between 10 am and 1 pm. I think this designated application time was the only reason they actually got done. 

4. If your recommenders agree to it, get pdf copies of your letters of recommendation. This way, you have them for future use. I found this to be extremely useful, since it allowed me to make additional, last-minute applications when I was panicking about not getting in anywhere. Which brings me to my next point…

5. Don’t panic. I know this sounds like empty advice, but seriously, your quality of life will be infinitely better if you at least attempt to maintain some perspective through the application process. How to maintain perspective? Always keep in mind that there are lots of things you love in life that are not at all associated with education. Listen to good music. Focus on developing new skills (mine was writing/blogging). You'll get through it. Really.

TIP: If you start the grad school application process late, like I did, it may be a good idea to look at schools abroad (assuming you're American). Their application deadlines are generally later than most American universities, AND they don't require the GRE.