STEPS to Successful Career Planning

 

Six months prior to applying:

	research areas of interest, institutions and programs (books/guides/ internet resources)
	know application requirements - there may be a lot to do!
	register and prepare for appropriate graduate admission tests
	investigate funding options (assistantships, loans, scholarships)
	obtain letters of recommendation

Three months prior to applying:

	take required graduate admission tests
	request application materials (if you have not already done so)
	write your personal statement/application essay
	make sure you are aware of application deadlines

One month prior to applying:

send completed applications (transcripts, essays, letters of recommendations, fees)

After you send your application:

	if you do not hear from the school that your application materials have been received, make sure you contact them before the scheduled deadline
	set aside time to visit the institutions that accept you
	once you make your decision on where to attend, notify other colleges and universities that accepted you, so that they can admit students on their waiting list.
	send thank-you notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters, informing them of your plans