Thinking about Graduate School?

What Now?
Some Ideas about Graduate School – or Is Graduate School for You?

Okay. Now you have completed your undergraduate work. Should you go to graduate school?

#1: Decide. Is graduate school the only route for you? Now’s the time to decide where you want your career to go. Do you need additional courses in order to get the job you want? If so, graduate school may be your next step.

#2. Research. There are some websites listed below this article that can help you focus in on which graduate school you want to attend. Do you want to attend in person? Do you want to take courses online? Each option is just fine, and very much a personal choice.

#3. Decide what kind of school to attend – online or in person. A lot depends on your schedule and preferences, as well as your personal learning style. Some people are very self-motivated and find it easy to keep ahead with assignments online. Others find it easier to listen to in-person teachers.

#4. Contact your local College or University financial aid office. You can also find out what subjects are available there and what kind of aid they offer. Are the graduate classes what you have in mind? If not, you may have to consider taking online classes, or moving your residence to be near a graduate school in your chosen field.

#5. Consult financial aid websites. The Old Faithful, of course, is the FAFSA site run by the U.S. Government. You CAN get financial aid here for graduate school, as well as undergraduate money. Check here first. Here is the link:
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

#6. Look at a good scholarship or grant search site.
When I go to search for grants, fellowships, and more, my favorite site is the Dr. Torres site. They concentrate on graduate money. Here is that site:
http://fatomei.com/

SHAMELESS PLUG AREA!
If you have not already gone there, the Scholarships Site at the Nontrads page can help, too. There are many FREE links there to help you find money for graduate school. Here is that link:
http://www.nontradstudents.com/scholarships.html

Also, you can join the Nontrads group on Yahoo. There are several students there who are right now getting ready for grad school. You can ask questions there and get good answers from real students. Here is where you can join:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Non-trads/

Good luck, nontrad grad students!

More links about graduate school to explore:
Considering Graduate School?
Five questions to ask…
http://www.quintcareers.com/considering_graduate_school.html
Find your graduate school at the Peterson’s site
(free)
http://www.petersons.com/GradChannel/code/search.asp?path=gr.fas.grad
Hints on how to apply to graduate school
From the William and Mary website
http://web.wm.edu/career/Undergrad/GradSchoolIndex.cfm
About Graduate School -- From the Princeton Review
http://www.princetonreview.com/opinionAdvice.aspx?type=grad&uidbadge=%07