sample graduate school essays

Graduate school can be a very trying time for you, particularly on the wallet. After qualifying for a slot at the university degree of your choice – through the aid of sample graduate school essays – you find that you are in for a harder time. While graduate school and sample graduate school essays are sound investments, it can also make you feel some financial pinch. Sample graduate school essays can help you get into graduate school – to financially survive it is another question.

Financial need is partly why students opt to become their professor’s research assistant. While this job may help with your financial situation, sometimes you might be better off with a part-time job outside school. It really depends on your circumstances.

Here are other reasons why people opt for research assistant jobs:

1. Try out the career path: Some research assistant work can give you an idea about what you will deal with in the future, as you pursue your career and academic track. Some people become research assistants for this reason – to try their hands on work that they will eventually do anyway.

2. Hands-on work: Research assistant work can expose you to hands-on situations where you apply what you learned in class to real life. This is a good and beneficial reason for being a research assistant.

3. Regular work: Research assistant jobs offer the convenience of earning on-campus. This small stipend can help with the financials while giving you the extra benefit of learning more outside class.

4. Access to scholarships and grants: As research assistant, you learn more about the field and contribute more. Your professors may see this as an advantage, and offer you access to grants and scholarships that can help you support your own projects.

5. Reduced tuition fees for non-residents: Out of state students sometimes pay a higher tuition fee than those from the home state. Working as a research assistant, you may be granted reduced rates, equivalent to the rates of residents.

Photo Credit : webchicken

After everything you’ve done to get here – from sample graduate school essays to all the documentations, paper works and interviews – is going to graduate school the right decision for your? Passing everything, from the admissions essays culled from sample graduate school essays to the admissions interview, is just a start. Once in graduate school, you need to survive and ideally, survive with honors. With the sample graduate school essays, the interviews and all the effort you’ve put in this, is it really what you want to do?

There are some factors that shouldn’t be considered when thinking about graduate school. Including these factors in your decision process can mislead you. It is always best to want to be in graduate school for what it can best offer you: advanced learning. Consider other alternatives if you are thinking of graduate school for the reasons listed below:

1. Dissatisfaction at work: Understand what about your job you don’t like. Graduate school may just be an escape for you. In the end, you may still acquire a job you dislike, albeit with a graduate degree this time.

2.  Loving the student lifestyle: Who doesn’t love being a student? Of course, this does not mean you can survive the grueling demands of graduate school. And even if you do, you will eventually still have to go out there and work.

3. Unemployment: Getting a graduate degree is not always the answer to finding the job you want. Sometimes, all you have to do is gain some experience. Expand your search for suitable work first. A graduate school degree cannot do much help in a job market that also puts value on actual work experience.

4. Peer or parental pressure: A lot of parents take pride in their children’s academic achievements. And, yours might be wanting you to take further studies. Your friends might be asking the same of you too, so they still have you as constant companion as they strive for further education. Don’t let the decision for graduate school education lie in their hands. In the end, it’s up to you.

Photo Credit : ChicagosCaesar

Once you’ve made it to your favored degree course through your sample graduate school essays, you’re down to crunch time. This is very different from just drafting your admissions essay based on sample graduate school essays. This is major academic work. You need all the help you can get – sample graduate school essays were just a start.

This is primarily why study groups are formed. Study groups are supposed to aid students get through very difficult academic challenges, such as exams and papers. The combined knowledge and sharing can greatly expand the members’ know-how. If the group is well-formed, it can help each member perform better in university.

Here are some tips to creating a co-beneficial study group:

1. Keep it small: A large group can bring in uncontrollable chaos. At the same time, such size is not conducive to productive sharing. Some people may keep to themselves, while others may hug the limelight.

2. Keep the slackers off: Study groups are for sharing and discussing what you’ve learned. There should be no room for those who keep to themselves and not share. The point is that everyone contributes to everyone else’s learning.

3. Assign a leader: Group meetings function best if there is a lead. You can assign an organizer or decide for everyone to take turns leading the team.

4. Meet regularly: Try to get the group to meet regularly and maintain regular attendance. The benefits of the group will not be maximized if some members go missing.

5. Have an agenda: Like all meetings, study groups should follow an agenda every time the members get together to meet. This way, discussion flows smoothly and all necessary points can be discussed.

6. Get a group together: If you haven’t received a study group invitation yet, then take the initiative to form your own. There are also other people waiting to join study groups.

Photo Credit : ericskiff

Your sample graduate school essays can help you with your application essay. The sample graduate school essays may get you the coveted admissions interview. However, once you are in that position, you are left to your wits to impress your interviewer. In this situation – regardless of your test scores, transcript records, or any amount of sample graduate school essays – you are on your own. You need to come prepared and put your best foot forward. Here are some tips.

Before you interview:

1. Read up on how to best conduct yourself in formal interviews for a slot in graduate school. There are several online sources for this. Likewise, know the many expectations for your degree course. You need to make it know that you are capable to handle these expectations.

2. Know who’s who in the department that you are applying to get into. It is impressive to the interviewer if you seem to really know what you are getting into.

3. Reread your graduate admissions essay. What you present to your interviewer should reflect what you wrote in your essay.

4. Practice with friends. Have your friends interview you and practice your communication skills with them. Ask for their feedback and work on any flaws they’ve observed.

During the interview:

1. Look your best. Unless you’re an accomplished artist or the like, no one can get away with looking sloppy. A mess distracts. Neatness and hygiene is impressive.

2. Even when you’re tempted to take a swig at that bottle of tequila in your room for that extra confidence, don’t. This is a formal interview; where in your slot in graduate school is at stake. Don’t risk it by coming to the interview stinking of alcohol. At the same time, do not smoke prior to the interview. While some people use nicotine to calm the nerves, the smell of it stays on you and can turn off your interviewer.

3. Always maintain eye contact. At the same time, display a good degree of confidence. Do not go over-the-top with the confidence though. Also, have some humility. You are applying to graduate school to learn.

After the interview:

1. Immediately send a follow-up thank you note or email. Also promptly ask for a status on your application.

Photo credit : midiman

There’s a sense of accomplishment to it, much like making it into your chosen degree, with application essays guided by sample graduate school essays. When you qualify into your favored university – armed with experience, knowledge, sample graduate school essays, and wits – it feels like you’re on top of the world. How much more if you survive through the university’s academic challenges and make it with honors? Although you probably didn’t list this down in your sample graduate school essays as one of your goals, it seems natural to become a member of honor societies.

Honor societies are not just social circles; they are celebrations of achievement. Being a member comes with a few perks:

1. Sense of achievement: Being a member of an honors society affirms your academic achievement. There is a sense of accomplishment and recognition what your expertise, as well as your hardships just to make it through university.

2. Academic and professional resources: Honor societies are made up of elite members of the academe and count several notable professionals in their league. As such, when you become a member, you immediately gain access to information about your degree and the professional paths you can take.

3. Resume booster: Apart from letting potential employers know more about you, resumes are there to impress. A note on your membership into an honors society is a surefire way to do this.

4. New network: Honor societies include those in the national network, as well as those who have moved on with their professional careers. This opens up a far bigger network of colleagues for you.

5. Publication: Honor societies are often the first resource for exemplary articles regarding the university’s different degrees. School publications turn to them for this resource, giving you the opportunity to get published.

6. Career boost: The contacts and information you gain by being a member of an honors society adds to the training and knowledge you gain from being in the university. It gives you the edge when you go after the career that you want.

Photo Credit : ‘davierae’

It is hard enough to qualify for the select graduate programs of the top universities in the country. You have needed ample preparation and training, sample graduate school essays, and everything else that the school required. You pass your application essay, largely based on tips culled from sample graduate school essays. You make it through and qualify for a coveted spot. But then, there is one thing all this work and sample graduate school essays did not prepare you for: politics in the academia.

Politics is everywhere. It is not just in the corporate setting, nor in political parties and organizations. Politics is also ever present in the academe. The power struggles among colleagues and co-workers remain. Alliances and antagonism foster a conflicted work setting that may not be good for the overall work environment.

Here are some ways to skirt politics in the academic setting:

1. Transparency: Politics beget hidden agendas. Hidden agendas beget fake dishonest co-workers. While these people may do their best to ruin your repute, do not join them in their deceit. Remain true to yourself and everyone else.

2. Discipline: Try your best not to give in to shallow deceitful practices. If you think people are gossiping about you, do not do the same. Discipline your tongue. Talking against people is not the best defense to the political attacks of others. If anything, it may only prove that you are like them. Refrain from talking ill about other people.

3. Flexibility: Be open to others who have differing opinion and personalities. This will not only broaden your point of view; you will also potentially encourage harmony within your work place.

4. Humility: Competition may tempt you to brag about yourself, to impress your colleagues or just to suit the ego. Whatever the case, refrain from self-promotion. Just do a great job, and people will naturally take notice.

Photo Credit : cote

Graduate programs in humanities and literature are most often stringent about qualifications and requirements. For your application essay, it would be best to refer to sample graduate school essays for drafting guidance. Sample graduate school essays can give you an idea what these top humanities and literature universities are looking for in their students. At the same time, sample graduate school essays increase your chances of getting into the school and graduate degree of your choice. The competition for slots in the humanities and literature programs of these schools can be so much – you may need all the help you can get.

Here is the list of the most reputable graduate programs in Humanities and Literature:

1. Harvard University

The university offers a very diverse humanities program. Harvard’s Humanities department deals with literature of several cultures, including East Asian, Tibetan, Himalayan, Near Eastern, and of course European. It also indulges in the Classics. The humanities program deals with both literature and culture so you get education at several tiers. You likewise have degree options in comparative literature and film.

2. University of California – Berkeley

The graduate programs in humanities at the University of California, Berkeley offer a broad range of specializations. They have language programs in Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Slavic. They offer Art degrees, and contrasting degrees in History of Art and Urban Design. You can also focus on the Classics, if that’s your cup of tea.

3. Stanford University

Stanford has one of the highest-ranking academic programs worldwide. This reflects in the university’s extensive graduate programs in Fine Arts, Humanities, Languages and Literature. Stanford University’s Humanities department includes programs in Drama, History, English and Division of Literature, cultures and Languages.

4. Yale University

Yale is graduate degrees in Humanities and Literature offer a variety of programs, including those that focus on African and East Asian Studies. It likewise boasts of a mixed language and literature program, with degree courses in Slavic Languages and Literature, and Italian Languages and Literature.

5. Princeton University

Princeton University has exemplary graduate programs in humanities and literature, with the option to focus on Near Eastern studies.

Photo Credit : David Paul Ohmer

Admission into the top 5 graduate programs in social sciences can be very competitive. You may need sample graduate school essays to guide you in drafting your required graduate essay. Sample graduate school essays take into consideration the different requirements of these programs. At the same time, sample graduate school essays give you an idea what these schools are looking for in their students.

Here is a list of the top 5 Graduate Programs in Social Sciences:

1. University of California, Berkeley

The university has been consistently placing on the top five of programs in the social sciences. This goes the same for their graduate school in Social Sciences, which has continually ranked on top. When in the University of California, Berkeley, you will enjoy a culturally diverse student body.

2. Yale University

Yale University offers several graduate programs in the social sciences. Their graduate department has several ready-information on these programs, and the life a graduate student can expect in the university.

3. Stanford University

Stanford University is acclaimed as one of the best schools for graduate social science studies. They have six social science departments: Anthropology, Political Science, Sociology, Economics and Communication. All these belong to the largest school body n the university, the School of Humanities and Sciences.

4. Harvard University

The social sciences belong to Harvard’s School of Arts and Sciences. The university can give non-degree status to its graduate students of social sciences. If your just need to finish your dissertation, you can qualify as a Visiting Fellow.

5. Princeton University

Princeton University boasts of a close collaborative relationship between the professor and his/ her students. The university likewise has a good environment for furthering your studies. They offer financial support to qualified students. At the same time, there are opportunities for joint and interdepartmental degrees for those who may want to expand their fields of expertise.

Photo Credit : Marshall Astor

The fields of science and engineering are behind some of the best innovations we enjoy and benefit from today. So for those who aim to be acclaimed scientists or expert engineers, graduate programs may offer great opportunities for career advancement and personal growth. Based on the list provided by the United States’ 2008 rankings, here are the top five schools that offer the best engineering and sciences graduate programs.

Stanford University

Stanford University is said to be one of the best if you plan to take up Electrical Engineering and  Mechanical Engineering programs. It is also recognized as one of th best schools for Computer Science degrees. The 2006 to 2007 enrollment also featured  a high number of graduate school enrollees. This only proves how competitive Stanford University is when it comes to its graduate programs.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Also known as MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is among the most reputable academic institutions when it comes to engineering courses. But aside from engineering, MIT also earned recognition for its other course offerings, especially in the field of sciences. Part of its success comes from having specialized science degrees, with renowned scientists and expert engineers as mentors.

University of California – Berkeley

University of California – Berkeley or UC Berkeley strongly supports innovation. But aside from modern technology, UC Berkeley is also known for its highly esteemed faculty. Among its greatest pride are its alumni who became part of the construction of Hoover Dam and the famous Golden Gate Bridge as well as the development of microelectronics.

Georgia Institute of Technology

Up to 3,559 graduate students were enrolled in the engineering program of Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in 2007. Georgia Tech students are not only geared toward academic excellence but also toward social and physical development courtesy of sports clinics and other social organizations.

University of Illinois (Urbana – Champaign)

The University of Illinois earned recognition in 2007 as the fifth best academic institution to offer engineering graduate programs. Based on its numerous graduate programs in the field of engineering and science,  Physics with a focus on Condensed Matter is ranked number one. The civil engineering graduate study is also deemed as one of the top programs of the University of Illinois. All programs made it to the top 20, with Industrial/Manufacturing at number 16.

Photo Credit : Franco Folini

When you say PhD, what come to your mind are tons of paperwork, endless research hours, and rigorous work schedules. While these are true, the rewards you’ll get from having a PhD may outweigh years of graduate studies. Getting a PhD is perhaps one of the most rewarding for a true-blue academic professional. But aside from personal rewards, others pursue having a PhD also for the career boost it may serve.

Grounds for higher income and better career salary

With a PhD, you may rise to higher positions or even be considered automatically for promotion. Expect to have better career opportunities to come your way. Offers may not only come from the company you’re working for but also from other industries. By specializing in a particular field of study, your expert knowledge and skills are considered worthy investments for different workplaces. You may also explore other opportunities through consultancy services or easily shift to another field. With all these, you’ll surely enjoy a bigger paycheck as well as better employee benefits.

The rewards of learning

The learning process is in itself rewarding to those who have completed their PhD. By specializing in their field of interest, such as applied or pure science, arts, and humanities, those who earned their PhD titles are considered true-blue experts. They may conduct their own studies or spearhead a special project that centers on discoveries, proofs, and validation of a study. With higher academic title to back you up, you’ll have less trouble when it comes to funding or sponsorship. You’ll also earn the respect of your colleagues and of other people.

Traits to have

For you to earn your PhD and be a so-called expert in your field, you should possess highly desired traits such as high literacy skills, strong motivation, persistence, industry, and passion for learning.

Photo Credit : sndrspk