Posts in Grad School
Q&A: Should my college admissions essay relate to my intended major?

Depends. If your application is for graduate school where you generally already have a field of study chosen, or for direct admission into an undergrad college like X University’s College of Education, you should definitely tie your main application essay into your future major or focus area.

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Graduate Admissions 101: Answering “Why This College” Essay Prompts

Depending on your program, you may have to submit portfolio pieces and other writing supplements. Below, we’ve included tips for MS, MBA, PhD, and JD applicants to help you determine what to include when you’re writing about why you chose to apply to a specific college.

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Cracking the Code: How to Prep for Your Grad School Admissions Interview

Like a job interview, the graduate school admissions interview is an opportunity for you to share your skills, accomplishments, and passions. It’s a great way for admissions officers to put a face to your name, and determine your fit for the college and your chosen program.

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Preparing for the MCAT? 8 Free Resources to Get You Started

If you’re applying to medical school, the MCAT is an essential piece of your application. It tests your knowledge of General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, General Biology, Biochemistry, Physics, Psychology, and Sociology, along with your critical analysis and reasoning skills. Below, we’ve put together a list of 8 free resources to help you start studying.

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Graduate Admissions 101: 6 Types of Financial Aid for Grad Students

Are you considering going to graduate school? Whether you’re in the process of submitting applications or thinking about applying next fall, we’ve put together different types of financial aid that will help you fund your graduate studies.

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Grad Admissions 101: 4 Key Components for Your Statement of Purpose

Are you starting to consolidate your grad school applications? While grad school isn’t for everyone, there are many reasons to consider continuing your education after your undergraduate program.

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The 15 Most Expensive Colleges in the U.S. - 2019 Edition

The cost of higher education continues to rise. If you’re curious, here are some of the top 15 expensive schools in the nation. We’ve updated fees to reflect this year’s costs based on each college’s list of tuition, fees, room, and board. However, be sure to double check as you’re narrowing down your colleges.

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College Applications 101: How to bring your direct admissions essays to the next level

If you’re a senior, you’ve probably started putting together your college admissions essay. You follow the standard essay format, with an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. You have your anecdote, stories to share, and some examples of what makes you “you.” Then, you start to wonder, Is there something missing?

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Brainstorming and Starting Your College Essay

We’ve put together a guide to simplify the college essay writing process. Writing your college essay is a gradual process that takes a lot of reflection and time. These steps aren’t intended to be completed in one day or even one week. By following these steps, the writing process will be less stressful. If you’ve been procrastinating, our step-by-step guide will help you get started.

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I Did the Transition from Military to College. Here are the Strategies I Used to Write My Personal Statements

While I work as a college admissions coach now, I used to be in the Army -- for six whole years! So when I write, at work especially, I tend to default to the concise, bottom line up front (BLUF), way of writing we use in the military for evaluation reports, operations orders, and basically everything else.

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The 8 Best Websites for College Scholarships in 2019 (and 3 Honorable Mentions)

There are a ton of scholarship websites out there and it’s hard to know which ones are legit and which are well-cloaked scams. So, I felt the need to put together a list of websites I’ve personally used and vetted (mostly as a recent grad student). Below is a list of my favorites for 2019.

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Applying to Law School? Here are 9 Free Resources to Help You Defeat the LSAT

Applying to Law School? When the application anxiety starts to hit, it’s time to take control and start preparing.

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Studying for the GRE? Here are 8 Free Resources to Get You Started

You might have thought the days of standardized testing would be long gone after high school. Low and behold, the truth is, colleges still use standardized tests, mainly the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations), to measure whether you’re prepared for a school beyond undergrad (i.e. graduate programs) because unlike grading standards which can vary from college to college, national tests are more predictable of academic preparedness.

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International Graduate School Applications Drop for 2nd Year in a Row

A recent report based on a survey, conducted by the Council of Graduate Schools, found that the number of international graduate application received by institutions participating in the survey declined by 4% between Fall 2017 and Fall 2018. During the same time period, first-time graduate enrollment decreased by 1%.  

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Should I Go to Grad School? Here’s a List of Reasons the Answer Might Be Yes

Going to graduate school is an important decision that takes a lot of consideration and thought. It’s essential that you have a compelling reason before you ultimately make the decision to go back to school to get an advanced degree.

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How to Apply for College Scholarships and Earn Free Money

Scholarships are a great source of free funding for college to help pay for tuition, room and board, and other enrollment fees. There are thousands of scholarships, from all kinds of organizations, and you can find details for each online relatively easily and you should start applying for them as soon as you’re done with college applications.

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Decline in MBA Applications Continues for 2018

A new study by Kaplan Test Prep which surveyed admissions officers at more than 150 business schools across the United States noted that applications at the nation’s top business significantly declined in 2018.

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10 Tips to Help You Nail Your College Admissions Interview

For many folks, the college admissions interview is the first big interview you go through on your way to adulthood and the idea of selling yourself to the interviewer can be nervewracking. Still, for some top colleges, the admissions interview is an important part of the application process and you can’t avoid it if you’re hoping to land a spot in the incoming class.

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Done With Your College Applications? Here are 6 Things to Do After You Hit Submit

Well, you’ve submitted your college applications and now you’re sitting around wondering what to do while waiting for decisions to come out. Truth to be told, there’s a lot you can do after submitting your applications ranging from starting a financial aid application to sending thank you notes to your letters of recommendation writers.

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4 Steps to Writing a Top Tier Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose, or what I like to call the cover letter essay because of its similar structure, is generally used for graduate school applications and focuses much more on describing the skills, experiences and education that has prepared you for the program you’re applying to than a personal statement would. Its main purpose concentrates less on telling your story and more on communicating the qualities that make you a perfect candidate. Ideally, the statement of purpose should convey your genuine interest in and enthusiasm for the program of study you’re pursuing, and what you have done in the past to nurture that passion.

Here are 4 steps for writing a statement of purpose:  

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