Graduate School Information - Sample Questions to Ask Graduate School Representatives

Admissions
What are the admission requirements for the school? For the department? Deadline dates? Are there any prerequisites or undergraduate courses required for admission to your program?

Is a graduate admission examination (i.e., GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT) required? What is the latest possible date to report scores for admission consideration? What was the average or mean exam score of your entering class in previous admission cycles? Is there a cut-off or minimum score that has been set by the department? How do you consider scores if an exam is taken several times?

What is the application fee? Do you have application Fee Waivers? How many applications were received last year? What was the acceptance rate? What is the number of open spaces per application period?

Program

Is your program accredited? By whom?

What is the academic reputation of your graduate program? School? Faculty? What is the number, diversity, and reputation of the faculty members? What have faculty published recently? What specific research areas are focused on by the faculty in the program/department? How available are the faculty to students?

Does your program offer or require an internship experience? Is there a variety of viewpoints and theoretical approaches, or does the program have a particular emphasis?

How long does it generally take to complete the advanced degree? Does the degree require a comprehensive examination, project, or thesis? A combination?

Is there a demand for people with graduate degrees in this field? What is the placement rate for graduates from this program? In what areas? What are the growth prospects for this field in the future?

What major changes, now or in the future, do you see affecting this field?


Financial Support
What types of financial aid or scholarships, if any, does your program offer? Application deadlines? Do you have any fellowships or teaching/research assistantships available?

Other
Is there a contact person who can address my questions before and/or after arriving on campus?
Is it possible to visit the campus and meet with a graduate program representative (i.e., chair, faculty, advisor) to learn more about the program and school?
Is it possible to speak with current students and recent alumni to learn more from a student perspective?


BE INQUISITIVE!!! DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS. You are investing a considerable amount of time, energy, and money in graduate school. Find out more about it.