Presentation for undergrads considering graduate study. Debunks myths on what graduate school is and isn't about.

1. More Education, More Problems? Debunking the Myths of Graduate & Professional School GO-MAP/ECC Graduate and Undergraduate Diversity Mixer February 10, 2011 Kane Hall, Walker Ames Room Presentation compiled and adapted by: Sabrina Bonaparte

2. Someone in your family told you to go Your best friend is going Nothing else to do at the moment Doctors get better seats in restaurants You aren’t ready to start working for a living It’s a good place to meet girls/guys Why should you go to Graduate School (Poor Reasons)

3. Why should you go? (Good reasons) You have found a subject or discipline that you can’t put out of your mind. If you could, you would work at this 24 hours/day. You can’t get enough of it. You have done an undergraduate research project and it was a real turn on. You have always wanted to teach at a college/university/community college.

4. More Reasons to Go When you encounter a problem, you think about it until you solve it, even if it takes days. You want to cure cancer or build the first controlled fusion reactor You would prefer to have others working for you, rather than you working for others

5. Should I go straight to grad school or work first? Short Answer: IT DEPENDS! (and it’s different for everyone!)

6. Common Graduate Programs That Require Work Experience (at UW) Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Full time MBA has “preferred” business experience, all others required Computer Science Professional Masters Program (MS) 2-20 years required Master of Communication (MC) For mid-career professionals Executive Masters in Public Administration (MPA) For senior managers in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors

7. Most PhD programs do not require work experience (except maybe business) What will set you apart is RESEARCH experience With a program (McNair, undergraduate research, summer research programs, etc) With a professor (paid, unpaid) With a graduate student What about PhD programs?

8. The Graduate School Application

9. Parts of the Graduate School Application Grades GRE/MCAT/LSAT (Standardized tests) Writing Sample Letters of Recommendation Statement of Purpose/Letter of Intent Optional Personal Statement Portfolio (for some fields)

10. Myth 1: I am the only person who is unfamiliar with the application process Reality: MOST people are not familiar with the process. Only those who have friends/family who have been through the process recently or are involved in academia are familiar with it. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help! You’re not the only one!

11. Reality: Graduate school admissions is a holistic process, meaning you will get in based on your complete application. If your GRE scores are a little low, compensate by showing strong writing skills and good letters of recommendation, etc. Myth 2: If one part of my application is weak, I will not get in

12. Myth 3: If I have a perfect GRE and GPA I will be guaranteed admission to any graduate program Reality: You will only get into programs where the faculty think you will “fit”, meaning you have similar interests with faculty in the department. Moral of the story: tailor your personal statement to each school you apply to!

13. Graduate School Myths

14. Myth 1: Grad school is good for anyone Reality: Grad school is good for those looking to expand their knowledge

15. Reality: This CAN be true in some STEM fields but is not necessarily true for others. You will not become rich as a professor! Also, keep in mind you may have to take out loans, so the extra money made might not be as much as you think! Myth 2: A graduate degree will get me more money

16. Reality: Work experience fixes your resume just as well! Myth 3: Grad school will improve my resume

17. Myth 4: A Master’s degree is the ticket to the top Reality: It can definitely help put you over the top, but is not a sufficient stand-alone for success

18. Myth 5: It’s all about the degree Reality: Even if a degree is a mandatory requirement for a job, you get what you put into your degree. If you don’t work hard and get good letters of recommendation, you just having the degree won’t be enough to get you a job

19. More Common Myths about Graduate School Only people with 4.0 averages get in Only people with 1600 GRE scores get in Graduate classes are just like under-graduate classes only more intense If you have a bad grade in any class you will not be accepted

20. You need to be very good at what you do You need a “fire in the belly” or passion for your chosen field Graduate classes are unlike undergraduate classes; a different skill set is required and must be developed for success Drive and motivation counts as much or more than native intelligence (having both is nice, of course) The Reality of Graduate School

21. Master’s degree, 1-2 years of FT study Plan A (Thesis master’s) Plan B (Coursework master’s) Professional master’s (MBA, MPH, etc. Some programs require a thesis or capstone project) Professional doctoral degree (MD, JD, PharmD, etc.), time is variable Research doctoral degree (PhD), typically 4-7 years of study Some doctoral programs require a master’s along the way, others don’t Quick Overview: Levels of Graduate Study

22. ECC (http://depts.washington.edu/ecc/) EIP (http://depts.washington.edu/eip/research.htm) GO-MAP (http://grad.washington.edu) McNair (http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair/conference.htm) LSAMP (http://depts.washington.edu/omad/lsamp-home/) Undergraduate Research Program (http://www.washington.edu/research/urp/) Where can I get help on campus?

23. Citations Much of this PowerPoint was adapted from Applying to Graduate School: Myths and Realities (ppt) by Dr. Jim Henkel and Dr. Harold Bibb http://www.instituteonteachingandmentoring.org/Institute/Handouts06/McNairSession-GraduateSchoolApplicationProcess.ppt Grad School 101: The Truth About the Top Six Grad School Myths by Tiffany Monhollon http://littleredsuit.com/2007/07/31/grad-school-101-the-truth-about-the-top-six-grad-school-myths/