Depending on your career goals, you may find that a postgraduate degree (master’s degree or doctorate) will help you achieve the success that you seek. The Berklee Career Center is here to help as you consider whether an advanced degree and graduate school make sense for you.
Should you choose to pursue this plan of action, we invite you to meet with us for advice on how to give yourself the best chance of gaining acceptance to your target graduate program(s).
Before applying for graduate school, you should ask yourself some important questions:
- Why are you considering this? Whether it advances your career or not, a reputable graduate program is likely to increase your base of knowledge, and thus you may consider it a worthwhile endeavor even if it doesn’t yield career-related results. However, if your primary reason for considering a graduate program is tied to career-related results, it’s important to ask yourself this next question.
- Will this help your career? In many fields, a graduate degree is extremely helpful to your long-term career growth potential. However, in some fields, a graduate degree is not considered particularly important, in which case your time might be better spent building up your experience. Of course, a graduate program is also an excellent opportunity to meet and network with others in your field, so don’t overlook the potential of a program to foster connections that may help launch your career. The key is to know your field, and if you’re not very familiar with it yet, reach out to a Career Center advisor and/or professionals currently working in the field. Don’t be shy about asking whether they think a graduate degree would be worth the time and money you would invest in it.
- Can you afford it? Depending on your existing financial resources and your mix of scholarship or financial aid opportunities, graduate school may or may not fit within your budget. Consider the careers of other graduates from the program. What types of positions are they in, and what kind of income can you expect? Before taking on too much debt, crunch the numbers to figure out whether your investment is likely to be worthwhile or overly burdensome based on your likely earnings forecast in the years ahead.
If you’ve decided that graduate school makes sense for you, it’s important to make sure you land in the right program—which is probably the one that will prepare you for the career you’d like to have after you graduate. As you compare graduate programs, here are some questions to consider:
- Will the program prepare you for your future career? Find out where those who have a career similar to the one you aspire to have attended graduate school and, if possible, ask them for their input. Contact a representative from the program, too, but keep in mind that they're trained to paint their program in the most positive light possible. That doesn’t mean that you should ignore them, but they may be less likely than an objective third party to tell you that their graduate program is not a great fit for you.
- How much does it cost? If you will need to take on loans, are you doing so with a reasonable expectation that the investment will pay off, or are you likely to wind up with a burdensome level of debt?
- How important is geographic location? The best program for you may or may not be located in a place that you want to live after you graduate. If you plan to move shortly after graduating, keep in mind that you may have to relinquish some of the network potential you’ve built up during the course of your graduate studies. For this reason, a very good program that’s in a location where you want to stay may be worth considering as strongly as the very best program out there if it's located in a place where you don't intend to stay.
- What kind of campus culture are you looking for? If you want to meet people who you can collaborate with, look for a program with an actively engaged community.
- Does enrollment size and faculty:student ratio matter? If you thrive in very personal instructional environments, you may want to find a program with relatively small class sizes. If you're looking to cast a wide networking net, larger programs may yield more opportunities for you.
- Does the program offer the facilities you’ll need? It’s hard to prepare for tomorrow’s career using yesterday’s technology. Make sure that the program you apply for is staying current with the industry you’re looking to enter.
- How much do you know about it? Find out what students and alumni say about the program. Attend an open house if possible to learn more.
- Can you get in? You’ll never know unless you try, but there may be some programs that you can rule out right away without wasting any more time on them. For instance, if a program lists a strict grade point average (GPA) minimum for considering applicants that is above your own GPA, it's not worth wasting your time on an application that won’t be considered.
Many graduate programs include standardized test scores as a prerequisite to your application. Know which test(s) will be required before you apply. Some of the most common test requirements for those seeking graduate degrees are:
- the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
- the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT); and
- the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
There are many resources available to help you prepare for these tests and others. Some of the most commonly used test preparation companies include Kaplan, Princeton Review, and Manhattan Prep. Berklee’s Stan Getz Library also includes test preparation resources, and the Career Center can offer additional help with test preparation.
As you prepare your applications, consider the following:
- Carefully weigh your options. In addition to exploring the websites of graduate programs of interest, you may want to research reviews from independent ranking organizations such as U.S. News & World Report or Peterson’s, among others.
- Make wise use of your time. Narrow your list down to approximately four to seven graduate programs that you will apply to; this list should include a combination of “safety” schools (those that you are nearly certain you would be accepted to) and “reach” schools (those that it may be unlikely, but not impossible, that you would be accepted to). If you apply everywhere, chances are you will not be able to give each application the time and attention that it deserves.
- Make each application unique. Don’t simply cut and paste the same application essay into all of your applications. You’ll want to highlight different aspects depending on the program and to demonstrate your knowledge about each specific program. Make sure your application matches the instructions you were given by the institution; an application that answers the question “Why do you want to study here?” when the question actually asked was “What will you do with an education from our institution?” is sure to be quickly tossed aside.
- Know what matters. Conduct research to find out what different programs are looking for in their incoming students. If work experience and extracurricular activities are most prized, emphasize those aspects. If academic record is most valued, focus on your GPA (assuming it was above average) and any awards you received at your undergraduate institution. If creativity and innovation are most sought after, point to examples of your work that reflect these qualities.
- Be honest. While it’s great to tailor your response to the stated aims of a graduate program, you should never do so at the expense of the truth. You don’t want to launch your professional career with a tainted reputation. You'll never know exactly what admissions officers at an institution are looking for, but you will always know what they are not looking for: deceitful applications.
- Get help, and don’t settle for “okay.” If you’re applying without having a person who you trust look at your application, you’re not doing it right. There are no brilliant first drafts. Create an application, share it with others (ideally, others who have a keen eye for good writing) for feedback, and then revise based upon their comments and recommendations.
The following websites are among those that include information on finding scholarships and financial aid:
- College Scholarships: a directory of graduate scholarships and grants
- College Grants Database: graduate school grants
- Credible: student loans from multiple private lenders
- IEFA: international scholarships and financial aid
- FinAid: financial aid, scholarships, and student loans
- Student Loans: government student loans
There is no one standard graduate school application process; however, you can create a timeline and plan for yourself by working backwards. First, figure out the following:
- When you want to attend
- Application deadlines for your desired schools
- Dates that required tests are offered that meet deadlines for test result submission
- How long you need to study for required tests
- Time needed to put application materials together
- Time needed for researching programs and institutions
Here's an example of what an ideal graduate school application process timeline might look like:
Junior Year (Spring): Prepare to Apply
- Request catalogs, and research programs and institutions.
- Talk with professors at the schools, students, and alumni from the programs, and professionals in your field of interest.
- Talk with your career advisor and faculty mentors about programs.
- Begin to solicit letters of recommendation.
- Update resumé.
- Begin to study for graduate admissions exams (GRE, GMAT, LSAT, etc.).
Between Junior and Senior Year (Summer): Prepare to Apply
- Accelerate the process of choosing approximately four to seven schools.
- Note deadlines and rolling admissions policies for each program.
- Obtain applications and financial aid materials, and note the materials required for each one.
- Gather application finances (for application fees, cost of entrance exams, transcript fees, etc.).
- Correspond with potential graduate school advisor; continue developing the relationship.
- Visit possible advisors and their current graduate students.
- Draft a general statement of purpose, and have it reviewed by a faculty member or a career advisor.
- Request copies of your official transcript from Berklee and from any other colleges where you studied for a semester (including study abroad experiences).
- Register for the required graduate admissions exam, and enroll in a test preparation course if needed.
Senior Year (Fall): Apply
- Begin filling out applications at least two months prior to the institution’s deadline.
- Finalize your personal statement and resumé.
- Follow up with professors who are writing you recommendation letters but haven’t submitted them yet.
- Complete your financial aid applications.
- Take graduate admissions exams as needed.
- Send completed applications, with all required documents, at least one month prior to the deadline, and keep copies for your records.
- Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) in January.
Senior Year (Spring): After You Apply
- Prior to the deadline, verify with each institution that all materials have been received and that your application is complete.
- Schedule interviews as needed.
- Visit institutions where you've been accepted.
- Send confirmation and a deposit to your chosen institution.
- Notify other programs of your declination to their offer.
- Send thank you notes to faculty who wrote you a letter of recommendation, and notify them of your decision.