Applying to Grad School? 10 Tips to Boost Your Chances

Are you trying to apply to graduate school to pursue a master’s or doctorate program?Students pursuing these academic distinctions are confused about how to boost their chances of acceptance. But they’re often misguided about the procedure or suffer from misconceptions about the enrollment process.

That’s why we’re penning down this article covering some tactics for improving your chances of getting accepted by faculty members. So, stop struggling with your application, give our recommendations a thorough read, and apply to your preferred university.

Make sure that you’ve applied to different places. It’s smarter not to put your eggs in the same basket. So, diversify your options when applying.

How to get your application approved quickly

In 2017 – according to surveys – some 2.25 million students applied to graduate schools. Some schools show leniency when processing students’ applications and approve most of them. In contrast, several other colleges are tough when processing these applications since they reject over 90% of applications. So, the chances of a student’s application getting rejected or accepted vary from school to school. Different grad schools have varying acceptance criteria, and focusing on their requirements will significantly enhance your chances of getting admission.

This article will focus on the essentials of applying to grad school and how you can boost your chances of acceptance:

  1. Proofread your documents

First, make sure there aren’t any typos in the documents you’re required to submit. The panel won’t appreciate grammatical mistakes,so you should have your documents reviewed properly by native English speakers.

If you’re a non-English speaker or applying from a foreign country, ensure to translate all non-English documents. Remember that document translation to English is important for the approval of an application. Finding professional translators will accelerate the process of applying to graduate school.

  1. Focus on pre-requisites

Remember to focus heavily on your pre-requisites. For instance, some graduate schools require you to take exams such as GRE, GMAT, or others. Fulfilling these pre-requisites can improve the chances of acceptance for any student. All other tactics come later. We have compiled a list of some pre-requisites here. Read the following bullet points and prepare yourself accordingly:

  • Review the resources
  • Review the curriculum
  • Prepare for networking
  • Realize your professional goals
  • Research your future professors
  1. Choose your preferred faculty

You want the right person to receive your application, so ensure you have written down your preferred application properly. Don’t create a mismatch between the area you have chosen and the faculty of your interest. Make sure that you’re selecting a faculty with an active research program.

  1. Contact faculty members

Which faculty members do you wish to work with during your academic years? Email that faculty member, inform them about your application, and question them about the research opportunities available at the school. Discuss the research the faculty member has done (since we expect you have gone through the faculty member’s homepage).

However, professors usually receive several emails, so it’s common for them to discard such requests. That’s why sending a follow-up email after a few months is crucial.

  1. Prepare for the test

If your preferred graduate college demands GRE/GMAT exams, then prepare for these exams thoroughly. Fortunately, various schools allow students to retake these tests a few weeks after their previous attempt. You’re allowed to take the GRE – for instance – once every 21 days (five times a year).

As for GMAT, you may retake the test once every 16 days. However, a student can appear in the exam eight times in total (the lifetime limit has been effective since 2017). So, prepare for these tests by procuring online resources and studying under online mentors.

  1. Use quotes prudently

Three things we must mention here:

  • Use quotes prudently, and don’t mention Ben Franklin as a former President (he never was). Moreover, don’t misquote someone or misattribute a quote to the wrong person.
  • Don’t talk about how you have wanted to become a scientist since childhood. Be realistic in the letter and avoid using wordings most students use today.
  • Make your application look presentable by using the right format and font size.
  1. Choose proper references

Who should write a letter of recommendation for you? Don’t choose high-profile recommenders for writing the letter if they aren’t familiar with you personally. Contact a person more familiar with you to write that letter because a recommender’s acquaintance with the applicant makes the document more appealing and influential.

Ensure that the recommender discusses your unique skills and the importance of the program to which you’re applying. Many students choose people with limited knowledge of the program,and eventually, they fail to produce a powerful letter of recommendation. That’s why you should choose proper preferences.

  1. Search for work experience

Does a job enhance your chances of getting enrolled? Some faculty members are interested in meeting applicants prepared to balance education with employment. Moreover, working in an industry closely linked with your preferred program drastically improves your chances.

So, find jobs relevant to your future career while applying to graduate school. The panel may find your work history attractive enough to give you their approval.

  1. Clean your socials

Don’t forget that the panel will look into your social media profiles to ensure you’re the right person to become the school alums. Clean your Twitter and Facebook profiles by deleting all controversial posts and shares. It’s perfectly fine to keep pictures of yourself, friends, and your travels and trips. But anything that raises an eyebrow should be removed.

  1. Practice for the interview

Interviews aren’t that difficult if you have practiced for them beforehand. Know that the interview indicates your application being preferred by the panel. At this stage, you have been promoted to one of the likeliest candidates to receive the panel’s approval. So, understand the kind of questions they are going to ask in the interview. Here are some examples of the questions you might face:

  • Tell us a few things about yourself.
  • Tell us about your professional goals.
  • Why have you chosen our school for studying?
  • What challengesdo you think you will encounter in this program?
  • What are some of your strengths as well as weaknesses?

Conclusion

Let’s recap what we have discussed above. Every school’s acceptance criteria vary, so you should focus on the pre-requisites. Contact faculty members to give your application more credibility and choose your references properly. Include relevant work experience in your resume and select your preferred faculty. Likewise, use quotes properly as well, and proofread your documents before applying. Get professional translators to work on your documents if you’re applying from a non-English-speaking country. And clean your Twitter and Facebook profiles to avoid causing any problems. That’s how you can improve your chances of getting accepted by prestigious schools.

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