|
PROJECT 19: Graduate Study Research |
|
OVERVIEW: |
|
For many students the
option of graduate school is a foregone conclusion. But, which school is the
right one for them to attend? What coursework should they pursue? This
project will provide an opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with
graduate school options by examining admissions requirements, admissions
procedures, courses of study, and placement statistics. It is recommended
that you do Projects 19 and 20 as a set. |
|
PROJECT
INSTRUCTIONS: |
|
Read Chapter 21 in
the textbook. Your finished project
should fulfill ALL of the
requirements below. A. Why
Graduate Study? Write a one-page
analysis of why you are considering attending graduate school. Describe the type
of job you are seeking after you complete your graduate degree. Discuss your
background, qualifications, and probability of getting accepted. Discuss the
cost including tuition, books, housing, etc. Create a personal budget plan. B. Which
School? Identify three graduate
schools to which you might consider applying and include them in your
project. Do extensive research on each school from the web. Be sure to look
at admission requirements, course catalogs, financial aid, and placement
statistics. Print out two summary pages from one school and bring it to your
lab. C. Admissions: Describe the admission procedures and standards
for each school. Determine whether your qualifications match the admission
standards in each case. Assume that you are a faculty member at the school
who is reading your admissions materials. Write a one-page email to the
admission office explaining why you are recommending admission. D. Test
Planning: List the date that you
plan to sit for the admissions test. What are your plans for preparing for
the test? Will you be using a test coaching service such as Kaplan? If you
have already taken the test, please include your scores and describe how they
compare to the requirements of the program. E. Program
Plan: Select one of these three
schools. Lay out a specific course of
study at this school. (Do this term-by-term, based upon the school’s
catalog and your academic background.) Don’t forget about international
study, internships, and other recommended options. Discuss how and why you
plan to participate in various options. F. Placement
Analysis: Investigate the
placement success by referring to the number of recruiters, starting
salaries, demographics, etc. G. Financial
Aid Option: Discuss how financial
aid is awarded, if any, and how competitive you might be for obtaining aid if
you apply. Summarize the financial aid requirements at each of the three
schools and evaluate your chances of receiving financial aid. Deliverables: You should turn in to your Career Counselor: Ø
One-page
analysis of reasons for going to graduate school. Ø
Names of three
schools with descriptions of admission procedures for each with printouts of
information on one of them. Ø
One-page
hypothetical recommender email from faculty perspective. Ø
Information on
your plans for taking admissions test. Ø
Course of
study for one school Ø
Information on
placement success for that school Ø
Information on
financial aid. |