sibia admissions blog

Is Grad School Right for You? (Part 3)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:53:00 GMT

So you’ve determined that attending graduate school is a necessary step toward achieving your career goals, and that you are better positioned for graduate school than employment. Great! Before you start those applications, however, pause to consider the following.

Am I prepared to commit to additional years of higher level education?

Depending on the program, graduate school can range from anywhere between 2 years and even 10 years! PhD students in particular may face unexpected hurdles regarding their research goals, thus offsetting their expected graduation date. For individuals applying to graduate programs directly after college, this amounts to at least six straight years of higher level education, which can be intellectually, physically, and even emotionally draining.

Furthermore, you aren’t attending graduate school in a vacuum. Instead, you should evaluate whether committing to a graduate program is appropriate within the context of your personal and professional life. If you have a spouse or are planning a future with another individual, does graduate school fit with your personal plans, in terms of timing and location?

Perhaps you are responsible for other individuals, who depend upon you financially. In that case, you should keep in mind that graduate school is often a financially hefty investment. Make sure you have the luxury of time and money to earn your graduate degree.

On the other hand, you might be one of those fortunate applicants who are entirely free of financial and circumstantial constraints. If you are applying during your senior year of college, make sure that you are prepared to go the distance and continue directly to additional years of intensive learning. Some students may justifiably feel burned out after their college experience; several months later; that’s not the optimal condition in which to begin your graduate studies.

Ultimately, just take a close look at yourself, your responsibilities, personal circumstances, and financial status; if all these factors point to your attending graduate school, go for it! Sibia Admissions is on hand to help you to succeed with your applications.

Is Grad School Right for You? (Part 2)

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:15:00 GMT

Continuing upon last week’s theme, this blog post explores another crucial question that potential grad school applicants should consider.

What are my ultimate career goals, and will earning a graduate degree be relevant to attaining such goals?

Particularly in this difficult economy, in which many well-educated college graduates find it difficult to procure employment, enrolling in a graduate program can be a very appealing option. In fact, some applicants might be taking the plunge simply in order to avoid the current discouraging job market. However, graduate school is a hefty investment in terms of time and money, leaving some students potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt after graduation.

Thus, you should carefully evaluate your professional goals. This may be an extremely difficult decision to make and requires much time spent contemplating your future, being as honest with yourself as possible. You must determine the career you intend to pursue, and then consider the possible avenues you could take in order to attain this career.

Is it absolutely necessary for you to earn a graduate degree in order to achieve your career goals? For example, someone who wishes to be a doctor must attend medical school, just as an individual who seeks to become a practicing attorney must attend law school. However, suppose you are interested in pursuing a career in the non-profit sector as a director; is an MBA truly the most appropriate degree to earn? Depending on your specific circumstances, it may very well be. For others, enrolling in an MBA program may not be the best option, especially if a career in the non-profit sector may make it more difficult for you to pay back the loans incurred by a prestigious MBA program.

In short, you should only commit to a graduate program if you are certain that this is the necessary (and feasible) next step in your life and that it will bring you closer to attaining your career goals.

Is Grad School Right for You? (Part 1)

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:14:00 GMT

Every applicant should consider several crucial questions before embarking upon the time-consuming admissions process to law school, medical school, dental school, business school, and other graduate programs. To help you determine whether you should take the plunge, the Sibia Admissions team will be presenting and discussing some questions in the following blog posts. These questions should help you to evaluate whether you are truly invested in attending a graduate school program, whether this is the right time in your life to do so, and whether you have selected the most appropriate program, given your professional goals.

Should I seek employment instead?

First, for most students, graduate school can be a financially draining investment. Given your specific personal commitments (i.e., if you are in the position to support a family in addition to yourself) and financial status, you may consider gaining some work experience before applying to graduate school.

Some fortunate graduate students receive enough financial aid, scholarship funds, and teaching stipends to cover their living expenses as well. Other applicants, however, would be well advised to take into account living expenses in addition to tuition, as well as the duration of their programs, before determining whether they are in the position to take on full-time graduate study.

Second, some types of graduate programs may value relevant professional work experience (such as MBA programs). Furthermore, you could utilize such positions to your advantage, as work experience in the related field can help you to determine whether you are genuinely interested in that academic area.

For example, some law school applicants take a few years between college and law school to work in law firms and thus gain more insight into the daily life of a practicing attorney. Many MBA applicants have worked for several years in the finance and business sectors and can draw upon the knowledge and skills they have gained to enhance their applications.

Finally, college seniors in particular should make sure that they are not burned out from their undergraduate experiences and are prepared to begin several more years of intensive academic study. If you feel even slightly uncertain about pursuing a graduate program, do not be afraid to take time off from school to explore all of your interests. This may be daunting to do during senior year, when you may feel that your classmates are certain about their professional goals and are charging full steam ahead. Nonetheless, it will be most beneficial to you in the long run to take the time to determine what’s best for you.

If you have decided to apply to graduate school programs, gain an edge over other applicants by enlisting the consulting and editing services of Sibia Admissions! You can explore our Web site, or contact us via email or phone to learn more about how we can help you.

Submitting Hard Copy Applications

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:12:00 GMT

Most universities and programs now offer applicants the option, usually preferred, of submitting their materials online. Even letters of recommendation can be transmitted by your recommenders directly via the Internet, leaving only official transcripts and test scores to be submitted by mail.

However, some applicants may prefer to submit hard copy applications, or they may be required to do so because online applications are unavailable. In such cases, Sibia Admissions offers the following useful tips. Though the content of your application is certainly of utmost importance, certain aspects of formatting and appearance should not be ignored.

Write legibly – or even better – use a typewriter or word processor.

If the application is available as a .pdf file with fill-in blanks, you should indicate your responses directly on your computer and print out the completed application. Otherwise, you might consider using a typewriter to fill in your responses. If you must handwrite your answers, be sure that you do so legibly. Admissions officers must go through countless applications every day; save them the trouble of having to squint to decipher your handwriting. Otherwise, your application may receive a more cursory reading from tired eyes.

Label all attachments and supplementary materials clearly.

For certain questions, you may find that the space allotted to you on the paper application is insufficient. You can certainly write on the space provided, “Please see the attached page for more complete information,” or something similar. However, you should state clearly where the admissions officer can find this page. Furthermore, the separate page should have an easily visible title. If the admissions officer stumbles upon this page first, he or she will then know not to toss it out. Try not to include too many of these attachments, as these extra pages may be lost or make your application seem overly fussy and unreadable.

Maintain readability and clear formatting.

On pages that you elect to attach as extra components, or on such required attachments as resumes, be sure to format your documents appropriately. These pages should not be crammed with text in absurdly small font with narrow margins. Be concise and deliver only necessary information, as excess of information does not translate into a stronger application. Ensure there is sufficient “white space” on these pages, and the admissions officer reviewing your candidacy will be more appreciative!

For assistance with your applications, regardless of whether you are a high school student applying to college, or a graduate applying to professional school or graduate programs, contact Sibia Admissions today to get started!

The Admissions Application Resume

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:10:00 GMT

Many people mistakenly believe that the resume is merely a “fill-in-the-blanks” document, but it is in fact much more complicated. Your resume must be specifically tailored to highlight your unique strengths and experiences. As the document must also be concise, you should ensure that the points about each position you have held or each achievement you describe are relevant and compelling.

Don’t be repetitive. Even if you have held two similar positions at different companies, describe your tasks and responsibilities at each company in a unique manner. You should demonstrate how your move to the more recent company demonstrated professional growth.

Emphasize your contributions and achievements. Admissions officers are not simply looking for a laundry list of your duties. Instead, describe how your expertise and diligence directly contributed to the improvement of the company or organization.

Ensure cohesion. Your resume should make logical sense to all readers. In other words, the order in which you present your academic background, professional experiences, and extracurricular involvements should flow naturally and appear well integrated.

Unsure of how your resume appears to admissions officers? Get in touch with a Sibia Admissions consultant today, and we will help you to develop a resume that best emphasizes your unique strengths and qualifications!

Graduate School Application Essays

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:16:00 GMT

Applications to graduate school are quite different from those to college, as applicants are expected to have clearly delineated research interests and career goals. Furthermore, simply because they are much smaller in size, graduate programs are generally quite selective.

While college application essays are often termed personal statements, graduate schools often call such essays the “statement of intent” or “statement of purpose.” This is significant, as you must be sure to demonstrate that you are prepared for and committed to undertaking a graduate course of study.

Connect your academic background and qualifications to your reasons for applying. You should be able to relate your undergraduate experiences to your desire to pursue a graduate degree. What academic factors led you to this decision? How have your previous academic experiences prepared you for graduate study?

Describe your specific research interests. Most graduate programs expect that you already have some idea of the research area you intend to pursue. To be sure, this focus may change once you actually enter the program. Beforehand, however, they want to be sure that you are knowledgeable and focused, and that you have a solid and sustainable research plan.

Outline your professional goals. Are you interested in teaching, conducting research, etc.? You should be able to describe your longer term career goals and explain why earning a graduate degree is relevant to such goals. Enrolling in a graduate course of study is a serious undertaking, and admissions officers and program directors want to be sure that you are genuinely committed to completing the degree.

If you are unsure of the quality and strength of your statement of purpose, contact Sibia Admissions to receive customized assistance!

Happy New Year!

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:43:00 GMT

As we kick off 2010, the college admissions season gradually comes to a close. Most application deadlines have passed or will be passing very shortly.

For most seniors, this just means you will have to sit tight until you learn the outcomes of your applications in the spring. In the meantime, try not to be overcome by senioritis and maintain your quality of performance in school.

For younger high school students and rising seniors, however, the new year does not signify a break. Instead, current juniors should be looking ahead to the multitude of steps they will have to accomplish within 2010.

Very briefly, these steps include the following, all the while maintaining a great high school record and keeping up with extracurricular activities:

+ take the SAT or ACT

+ tackle Advanced Placement examinations in May

+ target colleges for applications and request information

+ develop application strategy

+ identify recommendation letter writers

Junior year is crucial to your success as a college applicant, as most students finalize their standardized test scores during this year. Furthermore, junior year grades are the most recent indicators of your high school record, to be evaluated by critical admissions officers.

At Sibia Admissions, our consultants strive to assist you throughout every step of the college admissions process. We have designed very specific individual packages – take a look at their descriptions to determine which would suit you best. If you have trouble deciding, call us to talk directly to a Sibia consultant for more information!

Deferred for Early Action or Early Decision?

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 06:42:00 GMT

Not to worry!

In December, many students who apply under the early action or early decision scheme learn the results of their college applications. If you have been accepted to your first-choice university, congratulations! Assuming this is your top-choice college and the financial aid package offered is acceptable, you can rest easy for the remainder of your senior year.

However, if you have been deferred to regular admission, do not panic. You should be proud that you have made it this far in the application process, as you had to have all of your materials well organized and prepared in advance to apply early.

Although the deferral may be discouraging, try not to let this affect your academic performance. More importantly, don’t let it get you down during your winter break!

This is easier said than done, we know. Just remember that you still have many options available. You can also enhance your submitted application so that when it is reviewed once again and compared to regular admissions candidates, you maintain an edge over them.

In the meantime, continue working hard at school, so that any additional awards or honors you receive may be added to your application file. Obtain the contact information of an admissions officer at the deferring university. If you have new notable accomplishments during the winter and spring quarters, contact the admissions officer to update your application accordingly.

Furthermore, return to your list of target colleges. If you have not already planned to submit your applications to these colleges, you should prepare to do so now. Although your heart may be set on the deferring university, it would be best to apply to additional colleges under regular decision. These deadlines are now fast approaching, so make sure you have all the necessary application materials compiled, your personal statement(s) written, and your scores officially reported to the appropriate institutions.

Then, come May, you will be able to weigh all of your options and financial aid offers against one another. We wish you the best of luck with your applications, and of course, we encourage you to enlist the expertise of a Sibia Admissions consultant to help you out!

Welcome to Sibia Admissions!

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:29:00 GMT

Welcome to Sibia Admissions’ blog, and we are pleased to offer you invaluable information this application season, as you target your colleges, submit your applications, and select among your offers of admission.

As it is now mid-December, you should be working on your applications, as deadlines are fast approaching in early 2010. The most significant component of your application is arguably the personal statement. You should be sure to devote a lot of your time perfecting your college admissions essay; this includes brainstorming multiple ideas, revising several drafts, and thoroughly editing and proofreading your final copy.

For more guidelines from Sibia Admissions about your personal statement, check out our free 30-page guide, which gives you all the information you need to navigate the college admissions process with success.

Some of you who have applied via early admission or early decision may be learning about the results of your application soon, if not already. If you have been accepted to your first-choice university, congratulations! However, if you find yourself on the deferral list, Sibia can help you to enhance your candidacy.

Of course, continue maintaining your high level of academic performance in school – now is certainly not the time to develop senioritis. Secondly, contact the admissions office in question to learn more about your status; are you deferred, to be reviewed with the second round of regular decision applicants? Or are you on a separate waitlist? If you are on a waitlist, is it ranked, and what are the chances of admission off the waitlist, based upon past years’ statistics?

That’s just the beginning of what you can do to make yourself politely known to admissions officers. Ensure that you are positively memorable, so that you are seriously under consideration as a potential member of the college’s incoming freshman class. Need more information? Again, refer to Sibia Admissions’ guide, which you can obtain here!

The entire college admissions procedure can be quite time-consuming and confusing. To ensure that you maximize your chances of admission to the top universities of your choice, enlist the assistance of a Sibia Admissions consultant. We offer a variety of services, ranging from personal statement editing and proofreading, to comprehensive packages that can help you to map out your high school career.

Explore our Web site for more information about our various services and package options. Of course, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!