Step One: Make a Chart, Make a Chart, Make a CHART!!!

Hey readers!

So I'm not sure how long it has been since my first post. Maybe it's only been a few days, I can't remember. Anyway, I have been fiddling around with this blog and have been trying to find a functional layout that makes the blog both inviting and useful for readers. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave comments. I'm sure there's a widget I can add to the blog for comments and suggestions as a free flowing thing. That being said, on to my recent activities.

In our last entry, I discussed how I was feeling about the whole grad school thing and the different factors that came into my mind. I mentioned how I had to question not only myself, but the schools I was looking at and pretty much general statistics. Today, it finally hit me on how to make this a lot simpler to consider. Many of us college students are famous for our ability to run on 4-hours of sleep and attend to five complex tasks at once. Of course, this may also suggest that some college students may not be particularly awesome multitaskers (don't worry, we are), but that these college students may simply be very scatterbrained! It's very easy to get sidetracked when you are a busy college student. For myself, it was just dealing with multiple extracurriculars, maintaining a decent gpa, and trying to receive the social aspect of the college experience; but these things could become overwhelming and made making more focused decisions difficult.

While looking at all of these graduate schools, I had to narrow down so many things, and I didn't know where I was going with it all. I knew what the big picture was that I wanted, but I can't just apply to every school in the country that offers an accredited MSW degree! Too expensive and too risky. So, to overcome this, I did the only thing I knew to do: I made a chart.



I'm sure you've experienced the drama of having to pick just one thing out of many, and it always comes down to comparing these things to one another. It reminded me of picking my classes for the upcoming semester. I figured, since I make a chart to decide what classes to take, why not do that for everything else in my life. So, lesson learned: if you know you have a lot of schools to look at and you don't want to spend so much time poring over a multitude of web pages and pamphlets, summarize important information in a nice little chart.

"But whatever should I put in this chart? There are so many important things to look at when you apply to grad school!"

I hear you ponder. This is what I came up with: Schools of this magnitude will offer SO much, but frankly, we only need to question a "few" things. Grad schools generally want you to pick something from your major to focus on, if you will be studying something within the field of your major, anyway.

Major Things to Note When Perusing Grad School Webpages/Pamphlets

• Name of school & School Website: If you don't know what the school is anyway, how will you apply?
• Location, location, location: Whether you are picking schools by name first, or by program strength, you will also look for a place you want to spend the next 2 - 7yrs of your life! Oh the joys of becoming a full-fledged adult :)
• Application Process & Requirements: Much like getting into your UG of choice, you have to know what the application process is, and what you need to get in to the school. This part of your chart may be bullet-pointed because there are a lot of things in the application. Of course, expect to give two - three letters of rec, a basic application/fee, and a shiny gpa, usually starting around 3.2. Also, keep a note of what needs to be turned in when and also when the school accepts applications. Not all grad schools have spring enrollment!
• Programs of Interest (sometimes called "Field of Practice"): When looking at the grad school's site, don't forget to read into the curriculum. From what I've seen, grad schools have an initial program of instruction before having students hone in on their "field of practice". It's just like undergrad, I suppose; first you complete your pre-reqs, and then focus on your major reqs.
• Program Requirements & Supplementals: One might also want to take a small note of what their program of interest will ask of them. Perhaps you want to note the credit hours you will have to take, the length of time needed/given to acquire the degree, and also any supplemental courses to take, such as field work. Try to get a feel of what you're getting into before you commit to it.
• Cost: Of course, we have to look at cost, and not just that! Note financial aid opportunities, scholarships, applications for said scholarships, timelines,and similar information.
• Housing: Unless you will be going to school close enough to home that you can commute and your parents won't mind you still being home at 24-yrs old, then you may want to look into the school's housing offers. Grad schools also offer apartment housing for graduate students, so you can still live on campus. If this is on your chart, you may put cost of living under this column, or under the overall Cost column. But it's good to have an idea of how much going to school will cost you so you can plan ahead!

These are the things I think are most important to consider when looking at grad school. Of course, cost is important, but just like with undergrad, don't let that be the defining number! If you really want to go to a school and cost is a huge barrier, perhaps you should start looking at ways to pay for school before you apply. That way, should you get in, you haven't much to worry about because you have it all taken care of!