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| Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels |
Senior year is amazing. I mean, soon we’ll be out of here! The Coe bubble will pop, if it hasn’t already, and we’ll go out into the adult world: post-grad life. Yes, midterms are definitely a stressful time for all the same reasons it’s stressful for everyone else, except on top of the assignments, papers, and group projects we have to prepare for the future.
What are you planning to do after college?
is one of the most common questions we are asked,
but it’s a good question.
Are you going to grad school?
Are you going straight into the workforce?
Planning on starting a family?
Taking a gap year?
Have no clue yet?
Graduate School Preparation
Depending on your answer, you may have a lot of work to do this fall. Most graduate programs require you to apply in December or January, and while other programs may accept students in the spring, there’s no telling how many spots will be open. Seats are often limited, and we are still in a pandemic, so it’s important to research accurate information to better your chances of being accepted into a program.
If you weren’t aware: the type of degree you’ll may pursue graduate school, will depend on the career or field you’re interested in. Many jobs in the field of psychology require at least a Master's degree (M.A.). For example, I am interested in school and educational psychology, and I will need at least an education specialist degree (Ed.S.) to practice in schools. I’m also interested in social work which often requires at least a Master’s in social work.
You’ll most likely be asked to answer an essay question, or two, and provide recommendations for each program. To gather more specific information, you may want to contact graduate school professors, as well.
All of this preparation takes time, and, since we are in the middle of a pandemic, preparation is even more important. One requirement you need to check for your degree programs is whether you need to take the GRE. The GRE is the Graduate Record Exam, accepted and often required by most graduate programs. For more information on the sections of the GRE, check out Kaplan.
How to know whether you need to take the GRE:
Research your programs of interest and what their application requirements are
Determine whether you need to take the GRE at all
Determine which GRE you need to take (general? psychology? mathematics?)
How to sign up for the GRE:
Create an account with ETS, so that you have access to testing locations and dates - Test Taker Account
Verify your account - make sure all of your information is accurate
Check which tests are available for your location (in-person, online)
Select the date and time for your meeting
Now, my goal with this post wasn’t to make you more anxious than you already were, but to keep the near future on your mind, and how our new normal plays into it. It’s possible that this term, you’ve learned that online classes are not for you, which means online graduate school may not be for you. However, because of the pandemic, many programs are online to protect their students, faculty, and staff, so please consider this. Make sure to research whether your programs of interest plan to remain in-person.
There are many options for students outside of going straight to graduate school. Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll be focusing on senior planning to enter the workforce.
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Helpful Sources to learn more about life after college:
https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/how-to-get-into-grad-school
https://rossier.usc.edu/should-i-go-to-grad-school/
https://www.toptieradmissions.com/how-the-coronavirus-impacts-grad-school-admissions/
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