- Guide to Grad School
- Timeline
Graduate School Timeline
Below you will find a calendar of activities and deadlines that will guide you through the process of preparing for graduate school.
Note: The staff of The Burnett Honors College will assist you with any questions that you may have regarding the graduate school preparation and application process. Faculty mentors in your academic major are also a valuable resource.
In order to be of maximum benefit when advising you, you should periodically notify TBHC of any accomplishments, awards, recognitions that you have earned. These materials will be filed in your Honors record to assist us in advising you about your graduate school preparation. So keep us informed as to your accomplishments and campus/community activities. Good luck!
Freshmen
FALL
- Meet with all of your Honors and faculty/departmental advisors.
- Make sure that you are taking the right courses in their correct sequence.
- Take the initiative to learn about campus resources.
SPRING
- Maintain a high GPA.
- Join a campus club or student organization
Sophomores
FALL
- Maintain a high GPA
- Take a leadership role in a campus club or student organization that you have joined, such as the Honors Congress.
- Get involved with a volunteer or community service project.
- If you believe you are eligible, contact TBHC about prestigious scholarships such as Truman, Goldwater, Rhodes, NSF, and Marshall at
- the beginning of this term. TBHC has a web page describing several prestigious scholarship programs.
- Cultivate a relationship with faculty mentors.
SPRING
- Maintain a high GPA.
- Continue in a leadership role in a campus club or student organization.
- Stay involved with a volunteer or community service project.
- With your faculty mentors, seek out opportunities for research or creative projects.
- Have you considered summer study abroad or summer internships?
SUMMER
- You need to apply early (usually in Spring) if you are interested in a summer internship or study abroad
- If you are staying at home for the summer, get involved with community service projects.
Juniors
FALL
- Maintain a high GPA.
- Continue in a leadership role in a campus club or student organization.
- Stay involved with a volunteer or community service project.
- Take on research or creative project. This could include pursuing an Honors in the Major Thesis, joining an REU project, becoming an intern, or developing a portfolio.
SPRING
- Maintain a high GPA.
- Continue in a leadership role in a campus club or student organization.
- Stay involved with a volunteer or community service project.
- Continue with your research or creative project.
- Ask your faculty mentors about attending professional meetings and conferences. If possible, present your research or creative project at these meetings.
Seniors
SUMMER
- Prepare for the standardized test you plan to take (GRE, MCAT, LSAT, etc.). Buy test prep materials and plan on devoting one hour per day for your preparations.
- Sign up for required standardized tests such as the GRE, GMAT, MCAT, or LSAT.
- Write a draft statement of purpose/personal statement. Ask your faculty mentors to look over your statements.
- Start browsing through guides and web sites (for instance, Peterson’s) to graduate programs and college catalogs.
AUGUST – SEPTEMBER
- Take standardized test.
- Meet with your faculty mentors to discuss your personal statement and learn about possible graduate programs.
- Ask your faculty mentors for letters of recommendation.
- Begin to develop your personal timeline for the application process.
OCTOBER
- Determine the schools to which you plan to apply, and request application materials.
- Finish your timeline based on each institution’s deadline and financial aid deadlines.
- Complete your personal statement, adjusting it to meet each application’s specific needs.
- Order transcripts from all post-secondary institutions (If fall term grades are expected, then check with staff in the registrar’s office to see if a transcript including fall term grades can be sent in time to meet the deadlines of programs to which you are applying).
- Complete application forms (first, do a draft on a photocopy of the form).
- Give your recommenders an information packet that they will need to write strong recommendations for you for each of your application schools.
DECEMBER – JANUARY
- Mail applications. Even if deadlines are later, it is good to get the applications in early.
FEBRUARY
- Contact programs about the possibility of visiting. Make trips if possible.
APRIL
- If you are applying for need-based financial aid programs, you may have to file a copy of your federal income tax or FAFSA statement.