Graduate School Advice 101

Confused by the process of applying and attending grad school? Here are a few tips to help get you started.

Hey, graduate students and prospective grad students, need a little advice about your endeavors? Here are a few articles to help you figure it all out.

First off, how in the world do you write an effective graduate school essay? If you're applying to school in a competitive field, you may be competing against hundreds or maybe even thousands of applicants, so your essay better stand out and catch the committee member's attention quickly. You really have to think of the essay as part of your effort to market yourself, which may sound a little creepy, but that's reality. To help you out, here's a four-part series by Timothy Dzutilla about writing graduate school essays that work

1. Researching Grad Application Essays
2. Brainstorming Topics for the Application Essay
3. Writing the Graduate Application Essay
4. Editing Graduate School Essays

Once you're in graduate school, one of the things you're going to have to think about soon is your dissertation or thesis topic. You don't need to know what you're writing about from day one--especially if you're a master's student who's just getting their feet wet as a grad student--but the sooner you have a general idea, the better. You'll want to tailor the projects in some of your classes around your topic and start doing some reading. Need some help? Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a dissertation or thesis topic.

Another important choice you're going to have to make: choosing an advisor. This faculty member is going to have quite a bit of influence on your future career, and you're going to be spending an awful lot of time with this person, so choose well. Here's what to think about when choosing a graduate advisor.

Best of luck to you in your studies!