College Students! discussion

Are any of you in grad school right now or have plans to go soon?

I'm thinking about going back soon. After being in California, I realized I want to go to school out there. I've been looking at USC and UCLA. Now I gotta get working on studying for the GMAT.

What kind of grad program are you looking at, Jamie? I hope you had a great time in CA!

I'll be starting grad school in September at The Ohio State University. My program is a master's of city and regional planning. I'm excited!

I just decided I want to try and go to grad school after I graduate, but I still have three semesters.

That's funny Jamie, because I live in California, but I just got back from a trip to Washington state, and I realized I want to go to grad school out THERE lol! My goal is to get into the Civil Engineering grad program at University of Washington in Seattle. We'll see!

Other than that I'll be applying to a lot of UC's too. I'm just worried because I'm going to have to get my grades up to get into any of these schools...

Haha, I'm right there with you Jamie and Ashley. I just got back from visiting my cousin in the Virginia/D.C. area and have decided I want to go to grad school there. My degree would be in psychology, but since I'm a double major now, it wouldn't be for a few years.

I haven't decided what I'm going to go back for yet. Probably my MBA but who knows.

I'm not looking forward to the GMAT..at all. I did well on the SAT's but I don't want to do another test like that.

Anybody have any tips for the GMATs and studying for them?

I have decided not to study for it. I am going to just hope I do okay. :)

Haha I like that plan! :)

I'm guessing Grad School would be equivalent to Master Degrees or? The system in here is so different haha. I'm going to do Development and International Cooperation :)

Yep, same thing! That sounds really interesting. What do you hope to do with your degree?

Well, my opinion is that there's no such thing as dreaming too high - so I'll say I'd love to work at WB or IMF (the same way I'll still be applying for the diplomatic career). More realistically, I'm hoping to work with any NGO on development and such, either in areas such as sub-saharian Africa, or cases like Haiti. It's a field that has interested me since I read The End of Poverty, and when I realized I was good at Economics, I decided to pursue it :)

That's awesome! And I agree..there is no such thing as dreaming too high! :)

Has anyone thought of getting or planning on getting a doctorate?

Only in like 15 years! They're very expensive, and I'd rather take mine somewhere else rather than Portugal.

Anybody planning to be in NYC for grad school? I'm moving in August for my program, and I'm kiiiinda nervous ;)

Tami: I hope to get a doctorate someday... but I'm working on my master's first, starting this fall.

NYC is a possibility for me as well. I'm only like an hour or so from there anyways!

I'm starting grad school for Library Science next month. I feel a little lame going to the same (in state) school for my bachelors and masters, but I love University of Arizona and I get in state tuition and it's the only one with the MLS program.
I'm excited :)

That's awesome! Don't feel lame. If I had loved my school that much I'd probably do my Masters there too!

Very true, I guess I got lucky in that way!

Jamie wrote: "Are any of you in grad school right now or have plans to go soon?"

I'm in grad school at the moment completing my MA in Russian studies (the full title of my program is actually a lot longer than that, lol); I'll be entering my second year this fall completing my remaining coursework and working on my research project. xD

Tami wrote: "Has anyone thought of getting or planning on getting a doctorate?"

When I first started my Master's I was deadset on continuing on to my doctorate immediately after. At this point I'm still keen on pursuing a doctorate, though maybe not right away xD

I am graduating this June from Psychology and I am considering Grad School. Psychology was a really fun, mind opening degree, but I don't really have any job prospects so grad school might open that up for me.

I am looking at either applying for a Master's in Clinical Child Psych, or into Speech Pathology. My university choices are in Canada, which makes me feel far from all you College Goodread USA members :(

Michelle, I would love to stay at my current school for my Masters, but they don't offer Masters degrees. :(

I'm in the library science program at Simmons College right now, I like it. Though my summer class is way better than other ones I've taken (I love children's lit!).

I just got a BA in Film this past May and I was initially dead set against ever returning to school again. Now I'm considering getting a Master's if I can find a program I could actually get into (with a film degree and a GPA that barely managed to get above a 3.0 I have basically no hope), but that would not be for at least another year or two.

First I want to serve in AmeriCorps NCCC for 10 months starting in February, but that has a chance of not happening simply because I'm not always terribly lucky, and once you get on the waitlist for it, it's all a matter of being lucky enough to have your name pulled off of the waitlist when they start filling spots.

I am just finishing up the process of applying to grad schools and am working on my letter of intent/personal statement. Does anyone have any advice or tips for writing one?
It has been so long since I've written anything and I am so bad at bragging about myself.

My letter of intent basically said that I wanted to get a public history degree because I feel like history is something everyone loves, the trick is just finding out how best to present it. Then I talked about what I wanted to do with my degree. It was really short--two paragraphs.

Ugh writing the personal statement is the worst part in my opinion. I never know what to write for those things. I think mine was short as well and I probably talked about similar things as Lori mentioned. Pretty much why I wanted to get into that field of study, my goals with the degree, past experiences that I thought made me a good fit for the program and why I thought the SPECIFIC program at that school interested me. Im sure you hear the same advice from people so it may not be a lot of help but GOOD LUCK!!

mine is really long, well it hit the character limit so maybe it is just long enough? I talk about my first undergrad degree, my work experience, my personal attributes, why I want to be in the program and specifically what appeals to me about their school. I feel like since I have so much content there is very little sparkle to the writing...if that makes sense. I've gone over it so many times cutting and adding things that I am tempted to just send it off and be done with it but I think I will do final edit tomorrow and then send off applications and cross my fingers.

Good luck to everyone... I hope you all get in where you want!

My applications have been submitted...thanks for the luck Tahleen

I have to go to grad school... I need to start applying next year... Eek. I'm either going to go for Irish Studies or History... I don't really know where I want to go yet... GAH. It's just so, so much. I hope you all have good luck with your applications!

<3

Jamie wrote: "Yep, same thing! That sounds really interesting. What do you hope to do with your degree?"

They're not necessarily the same thing. Grad school also refers to doing your Doctorate. Lots of people do PhD right after undergrad, rather than doing their Masters.

Anyway, I basically have to go to grad school, I've chosen to do my Masters first before my Doctorate (which I also intend on getting). I just don't feel like I have enough experience to pursue the Doctorate right now. Anyway, I'm going to get it in Applied Math, just like my undergrad. You never really learn enough in your undergrad to get any kind of real job in that degree.

I just applied for a TA position, which is one of the things determining if I go to grad school right away or not. I basically refuse to pay for my Masters or my PhD, so I'm looking for other methods.

I'm hoping to go to University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign for Library Science starting next Jan.!

Yay, good luck Jenna! It's pretty great, I like library school a lot.

Jenna, I have a couple friends doing that! I thought of doing that as well, but I feel 2 years here will be enough, and I'll move on. U of I is FANTASTIC for library science though. Plus, it's just a great school in general. PLUS THE LIBRARY IS HUGE! Like, I actually get lost there.

Good luck! =D

<3

I'm going right now for English. It's fun but a lot of work. Still, I'd rather be in school than anywhere else right now. :) Good luck to everyone applying! Let's start pushing good books on people :))))

I'm hoping to go back to school! I'll do a second masters in International Relations somewhere in the U.K. I'm looking at Leeds, Oxford, Oxford Brookes, Edinburgh, London, and possibly Birmingham. Any other suggestions? :D

I'm hoping to go to John Hopkins for med school two years from now. Or stay at Columbia, haven't really decided yet.

Jamie wrote: "Are any of you in grad school right now or have plans to go soon?

I'm thinking about going back soon. After being in California, I realized I want to go to school out there. I've been looking at..."

Hey Jaimie, I'm in a PhD program for International Relations. I've passed the comprehensive exams and have started on my research. Once you get into this phase it's like you're not even in school. I would say unless you're really dedicated, stay away from the PhD programs. They're only for the hardest of the hard core nerds.

MA programs are great. Network like crazy.

Sad, I got turned down from both the programs I applied to. There are a couple of classes I can take for the same program but as an undergrad instead of grad so I'll do that next year and hopefully get a job or volunteer that will give me experience and look better on paper. Also plan to apply to a ton of schools next year, I just felt rushed this year and wanted to choose carefully.
Hope everyone has better luck than I did.

Annashu wrote: "Sad, I got turned down from both the programs I applied to. There are a couple of classes I can take for the same program but as an undergrad instead of grad so I'll do that next year and hopefully..."

Sorry to hear that - there seems to be lots of politics and $$$ and luck involved in getting into a program nowadays. Good luck in the future!!!!

Annashu wrote: "Sad, I got turned down from both the programs I applied to. There are a couple of classes I can take for the same program but as an undergrad instead of grad so I'll do that next year and hopefully..."

Annashu, great success is paved with many failures unfortunately. I applied for quite a few fellowships this year to help finish my degree and was rejected for all of them. Now I'm in the process of improving my applications--its never easy, but it is ultimately rewarding I think. And you learn a lot from your non-successes.

I just found my dream grad program. Now to get in...

Good luck! I just had a meeting with one of my professors to talk about grad school and I think I will be much better prepared next application season

I'm so lost about what to do with my life, does anyone else feel like that? I keep looking around and around and waiting for something to jump out at me in all my search, but nothing ever does. I am applying for a Fulbright actually for after I graduate, but I doubt I'll get it. If I don't, I'm thinking I'll take a year off to work and maybe go back for my MBA. Has anyone else taken a year off and then gone back to school??

I took a semester off and realized that I needed more classes before grad school. Science is mean that way. It wasn't that hard to jump back into it.

Thanks!! Good luck with round 2, sounds like you have a plan.

Sarah, I felt like that for several years after I got my first degree. I took about 4 years off and just this years got started on a second degree and for the first time it feels like I'm on the right path. Getting back to school wasn't that difficult and if I hadn't taken that time I would have most likely regretted whatever I did. I would suggest keeping in contact with a professor or two in case you need letters of recc in the future.

Wow, that's impressive, Anna. What did you do for the four years?

Kirsten, thanks. You said you found your dream grad program. Is it a science program??

worked mostly in a deli, but I also talked to people in various jobs and just took time to figure out what I wanted out of a job and where I could get it. It was I suppose a very introspective time.

That's awesome. I know what you mean, and I'm glad you found what you wanted to do. :)

Yep, water resources science to be exact. It's offered at the U of M and look AWESOME.