The Graduate School and the Office of Research and Grants Administration are teaming up with the coordinator of Nationally Competitive Awards to present you with a workshop on applying for grants, scholarships and fellowships.

Topics covered include:

• Identifying opportunities for research grants, scholarships and fellowships.
• How to make an average proposal a really competitive proposal.
• What and who are the local offices, and who can really help.
• How does a research grant really work at a university.
• How to choose your battles, and win them.
• What scholarships and fellowships are available to College of Charleston graduate students.
• Grant terminology, grantsmanship strategies, and how grant budgets work.

Be sure to register for this opportunity today. (The registration button is at the top of the page.)

P.S. Don’t forget to register and attend Saturday’s Responsible Conduct of Research. This workshop is highly recommended for all graduate students, regardless of discipline.

Related Links:
3rd annual GSA kickoff
Protecting your bike
I love the smell of school supplies

Submitted your application already? Don’t worry – you probably just left the coffee pot on.

Each graduate program has different requirements for the application packet.  Most require at least official transcripts from each academic institution you attended, a personal statement or admissions essay, letters or recommendation, and entrance exam scores.

Grade point averages are strong indicators of your ability to manage graduate-level work.  Ideally, you should have a B average or higher, but mediocre grades do not mean that you won’t be accepted into a program though. Application packets are reviewed as a whole.  If your GPA does not meet the program’s requirements, you should focus on doing well on your entrance exam.

The personal statement/admissions essay

Personal statements serve as your introduction to the admissions committee.  In one page, you will succinctly state why you are interested in the program, why you believe the school will serve your needs, and why you are an ideal candidate for admission into the program.

This is the most appropriate way to explain any low grades you may have.  If you do so, do so briefly.  Do not dwell on the reasons behind your grades, or make any excuses.  The purpose of the statement/essay is to answer questions asked by the admissions committee.  Be sure to answer each question; each question is asked for a reason.

Create a thesis for your essay if the school has not assigned you one.  This will help keep you on track, and will help you design a logical flow  Do not include information that does not support your thesis.  Once you’ve written your essay, review it at least three times.  Better yet, have someone you trust to review it for additional suggestions.  Give yourself at least one day between each revision.

As for the format, there should be an introduction which leads with a statement that grabs the reader’s attention. The next three paragraphs should: 1) summarize your educational background;, 2) describe personal experiences that have prepared you for the graduate program; and 3) an explanation of why you should be accepted.  In your conclusion, restate the key points contained in numbers 1-3 and end with an equally powerful statement that links to the lead statement of your introduction.

Donald Asher, in his book Graduate Admissions Essay, What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why, cautions applicants to avoid making the following errors noted by admissions committees:

• They just seem to be saying what they think we want to hear.
• Our application is a little different.  We want original work. I hate it when I can tell that they’re recycling material they wrote for other schools.
• The essay sounds like they want to be the next Mother Teresa, but nothing in the application backs up the claims of altruism.
• An essay on deep personal problems or excuses for past performance.  It should be upbeat, convincing, and persuasive.
• We ask for dates on activities.  It’s a red flag if all activities are brand new.
• There is always at least one essay from someone who tells us how proud he would be to be admitted to _______ School, but it isn’t that school.
• Some students think they can use the essay to manufacture a person who doesn’t exist.  It doesn’t work.

Find the previous two installments of Applying to Grad School:
Part One: Application Timeline
Part Two: Researching Grad Schools and Programs

Now here’s the tricky part.  What do you need to do, and when?  The below timeline is a good guideline for applying to any graduate program.  You can expedite the process depending on when the application deadline is, and if you’ve already taken the GRE or GMAT.

Good luck!

Twelve months prior to the application deadline:

• Determine which standardized tests are required
• Research graduate programs and request catalogs
• Calculate how much grad school will cost.  How much will you spend on application fees, admission exams, transcripts, tuition, room and board.
• Set aside money for application fees, admission exams, transcripts, etc.

Ten months prior

• Take a practice test so you know what areas you will need to focus on while studying
• Request additional information from departments
• If you are an undergraduate, reinforce relationships with your professors
• Get more involved in your field
• Read each application carefully.  Make a master calendar and task list.

Nine months prior

• Sign up for a GRE/GMAT course
• Register for the GRE/GMAT
• Draft a general statement of purpose outlining the reasons why you wish to attend graduate school.  You will use some version of this in most applications

Seven months prior

• Narrow your choices
• Begin talking with your advisor and other professors about your graduate school goals
• Solicit letters of recommendation
• Begin investigating sources of funding
• Get and file applications for financial aid
• Complete your FAFSA
• Begin writing your statement of purpose

Six months prior

• Take the GRE/GMAT.  The earlier you take it, the more time you’ll have to improve your score.
• Identify and contact potential graduate supervisors at a variety of schools

Five months prior

• Follow up with sources
• Request transcripts
• Verify transcripts are complete and correct
• Refine your personal statement

Three months prior

• Visit graduate schools
• Prepare for your interview
• Submit your applications

Now accepting applications for non-degree status for Summer 2009 classes

We are incredibly excited to announce the addition of our 18th master’s degree program!  The School of Education, Health and Human Performance now offers a Master of Education in Teaching, Learning and Advocacy.

This program is for certified teachers and allows them to focus either on the students they teach, or on themselves as teachers and members of the teaching profession.  After taking a series of five core courses, teachers specialize either in teaching children and youth in the contemporary context, or in becoming a change agent.

The first  specialization covers topics like linguistic and cultural diversity in education, and identifying and sustaining effective learning communities.  It really focuses on developing an understanding of diverse children and how the school and society itself shapes their engagement in learning and life.

The second specialization, Teachers as Change Agents, includes courses such as Teachers as Advocates for Children and Youth, and Reflective Practice and Professional Development.

Interested applicants can begin taking courses as early as August.  To do so, submit your non-degree application with your teaching certificate.  Applications for degree-seeking students will be up and running on our website later this summer for acceptance for Spring 2010 classes.

For more information, contact Diane Cudahy at 843.953.6354 or visit their website.

I’m sure you’re eagerly working on planning and sticking to those resolutions, and we want to help.  If you’re thinking about going back to school and want to know more about our programs or what materials you need to submit with your application, feel free to ask.  You can call us (843.953.5614), email us, or even stop by.  We are located in room 310 of Randolph Hall (#40 on any campus map) and are open from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  If you can’t get downtown during those hours, we are open until 7:00 p.m. on the third Monday and Thursday of each month.  And if that still doesn’t work for your schedule, just let us know and we’ll schedule an appointment with you for after hours.

If you’re a new student, be sure to register for orientation if you haven’t already!  Orientation is this Thursday, and check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Robert Scott Small Auditorium.  The presentation will begin promptly at 6:00.  And be sure to stick around after Orientation for the Graduate Student Association’s meet & greet at Yo Burrito.

Happy New Year!