APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL:

A GUIDE AND WORKBOOK

Pre-Graduate/Professional Advising

Student Academic Success Center

University of California, Davis

Table of Contents

This Guide ...............................................................................................2

What is an Advanced Degree? ..........................................................2

Identifying Academic and Professional Goals ...............................3

Introduction

Graduate School

References

What is Graduate School? ...................................................................5

Choosing a Degree ...............................................................................7

Researching Schools/Programs .........................................................9

Graduate Admissions Requirements ...............................................13

Application Process and Timeline ...................................................24

Financing Your Degree and Navigating Oers ............................27

Campus and Online Resources ........................................................29

References and Credits ......................................................................30

INTRODUCTION

THIS GUIDE

Congrats on your interest in pursuing a graduate school education! Applying to advanced degree and

credential programs can be daunting, requiring time, resources, and organization. This guide aims to

help demystify the process of exploring, preparing for, and applying to graduate and credential programs

through sharing information, highlighting tips and strategies, and providing reﬂective, investigative, and

organizational activities. By the end of this guide, you should be able to:

• Verbalize your professional and academic goals

• Identify graduate/credential programs of interest

• Summarize application materials and requirements

• Deﬁne your own personal timeline and deadlines

• Name UC Davis resources and support

WHAT IS AN ADVANCED DEGREE?

A graduate degree is an example of an advanced degree that goes beyond the baccalaureate—a master’s

or doctorate. Other advanced degrees can include a Juris Doctor (J.D.) for law or an M.D. for medicine. It is a

requirement to hold a four-year degree from an accredited program to enter an advanced degree program,

including graduate school.

For some professions, an advanced degree is required, such as law, social work, or physical therapy. In

other cases, an advanced degree is pursued as a means to develop further expertise in an area, be more

competitive on the job market, help advance one’s career, or increase earning potential.

What passions drive what you do? What are your strengths? What mission shapes what you pursue? What

can you oer society, the world? These are BIG questions, and they can be hard to verbalize initially as

we explore a path to graduate school. Let’s begin: ﬁll out the following graphic to the best of your ability.

Hopefully by the end of this guide you can better deﬁne your purpose, connecting it to a degree type and to

graduate programs that are a great ﬁt for you.

Applying to Graduate School

Key/Example:

IDENTIFYING ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS

If you can already verbalize the academic and professional goals that have led you to explore, prepare for,

and/or apply to graduate school, great! If you are still trying to identify your goals, here is a list of strategies

and campus resources that can help you:

• Meet with a pre-graduate or pre-law advisor at the Student Academic Success Center

• Attend the oce hours for a TA or professor and ask about their academic and career paths

• Schedule a career counseling appointment with the Internship and Career Center

• Contact a working professional and set up an informational interview

• Attend a Study Skills appointment or the workshop Achieving Your Goals

Identifying Academic and Professional Goals

My Purpose

- PURPOSE

Identify your goals below, reﬂecting on how such goals inform your decision to pursue advanced education.

Do some investigation into the professional doors that advanced degrees can open by analyzing the job

descriptions of three “ideal” positions.

1. Identify. My current professional interests/goals:

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Identify. My current academic interests/goals:

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Reﬂect. Can you identify reasons why you might pursue an advanced degree, relating them to your

professional/academic goals?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Investigate. Use a search engine (Aggie Job Link, Indeed, EdJoin, HigherEdJobs, etc.) to ﬁnd and

analyze three dierent “ideal” job positions. What are the educational requirements? Preferences?

My ideal job #1: ______________________________________________________________

Educational requirements: _____________________________________________________

Preferred educational level: ____________________________________________________

My ideal job #2: _____________________________________________________________

Educational requirements: _____________________________________________________

Preferred educational level: ____________________________________________________

My ideal job #3: _____________________________________________________________

Educational requirements: _____________________________________________________

Preferred educational level: ____________________________________________________

5. Reﬂect. What are some takeaways from your investigation?

________________________________________________________________________________

Applying to Graduate School

GRADUATE SCHOOL

WHAT IS GRADUATE SCHOOL?

A graduate degree is an advanced degree that typically focuses on mastery-level theoretical knowledge of

a certain subject such as mathematics or English, or applied and theoretical mastery-level knowledge of a

particular profession. The former is usually referred to as a researched-based master’s degree (based on

a certain subject; may culminate with an original research project—a master’s thesis), while the latter (the

professional master’s degree) may require a practicum component or clinic hours. Like a baccalaureate

degree, there are dierent types of master’s, such as Master’s of Art (M.A.) or Master’s of Science (M.S.).

Professional master’s degrees can have the profession in the degree title, such as M.Ed. - Master’s of

Education or M.Ac. - Master’s of Accounting.

Beyond the mastery level is the doctorate degree, which can also have a research or professional focus. A

Ph.D. focuses on building expertise-level knowledge of a certain subject and culminates in original research

in the form of a dissertation, whereas a professional doctorate (e.g., Doctorate of Psychology, Psy.D.) has a

more applied focus within the profession.

Interested in discovery, innovation, and producing new knowledge? Research-based graduate degrees,

in particular doctoral programs, oer training in producing original research and open doors to teaching

and research in academia or to research and development in industry. As mentioned earlier, a professional

master’s or doctorate may be requisite to practice a certain profession, or may improve your prospects of

career advancement and earning potential.

What is Graduate School?

1,664

756

819

1,156

1,380

1,745

504

692

1.6

4.4

3.6

2.7

2.4

1.6

7.4

5.2

Doctoral degree

Professional degree

Master’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Associate’s degree

Some college, no degree

High school diploma

Less than a high school

diploma

Total: 4%

All workers: $885

Note: Data are for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage and salary workers.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey.

Unemployment Rate (%) Median usual weekly earnings ($)

Unemployment rates and earnings by educational attainment, 2016

Making Yourself Competitive

To be a competitive applicant you must go beyond your

grades. Many applicants will have strong GPAs, but what

have they accomplished outside of the classroom? There

are many ways to help yourself stand out as an applicant:

• Participate in undergraduate research—Undergraduate

Research Center, urc.ucdavis.edu

• Join a undergraduate research cohort program—urc.

ucdavis.edu/programs

• Apply for competitive fellowships and grants:

▶ urc.ucdavis.edu/awards

▶ ﬁnancialaid.ucdavis.edu/scholarships/prestigious

• Participate in a summer research institute

• Secure an internship that gets you hands-on knowledge

about your future profession—Internship and Career

Center (icc.ucdavis.edu), Aggie Job Link

• Engage in leadership development at the Center for

Leadership Learning (cll.ucdavis.edu)

• Support a cause you believe in as an advocate,

volunteer, or activist—UCD Center for Regional Change

Identify. What are some experiences you have already

gained that will help set you apart?

___________________________________________

Identify and Investigate. What are some experiences

you want to pursue in the future? Visit the provided links

above to explore.

___________________________________________

Reﬂect. What actions will you need to take to make it

happen?

___________________________________________

Myth #1: “I’m a ﬁrst year or sophomore; I have

plenty of time before I need to prepare for

graduate school.”

It’s never too early to start thinking about

graduate school! If you are in your ﬁrst or

second year, you can begin exploring by

attending a pre-graduate advising appointment,

or by asking a TA or professor more about what

graduate school looks like in your ﬁeld. Start

identifying opportunities.

Myth #2: “I can’t do graduate-level work until I

start graduate school.”

You can pursue graduate-level experiences

through auditing or taking graduate seminars

(with the permission of the professor… it’s a

no if you don’t ask!) and through engaging in

undergraduate research. Research experience

leads to conference presentations and possible

publishing, which sets you apart.

Myth #3: “I have to stay in the same discipline

for graduate school.”

It is very possible to change ﬁelds, studying

something dierent at the graduate level than

you did in undergrad. In fact, it could be a

strength, as you would bring a interdisciplinary

perspective to your work, which helps spur

innovation. The challenge is in communicating

your move as intentional and highlighting your

transferable strengths and knowledge. It is

recommended to take some upper division

courses in the new ﬁeld, if possible, to show

your academic aptitude.

Myth #4: “I have to have research experience

in order to get into graduate school.”

It isn’t a requirement, but it certainly makes

you more competitive. Better yet, it helps you

to be certain about your needs—Do you like

research? Do you ﬁnd it fulﬁlling? You want

to “try before you buy” if you’re considering

entering a research-based graduate program,

especially a Ph.D.

Myth #5: “If I have a low GPA I won’t get into

graduate programs.”

Graduate programs should consider the whole

student when reviewing applications. Try your

best to meet GPA minimums, and round out your

background to include research and internships.

Having a perfect GPA wouldn’t help you stand

out anyway; focus on being a well-rounded

student. You can address inconsistencies in

your record in your essays, and a strong GRE

score can sometimes help balance a lower GPA.

Myths of Graduate School

Applying to Graduate School

CHOOSING A DEGREE

Before we start considering institutions, programs, or

departments, it’s important to ﬁrst identify the degree

you want to pursue. In this section we will compare and

contrast the master’s and doctorate degree for those

exploring both.

For research-based programs, the master’s may be an

intermediate step toward the Ph.D., but in many cases,

particularly in STEM, students enter the Ph.D. program

directly after completing a bachelor’s degree. It is possible

to earn the master’s at one institution and the Ph.D. at

another, although completing both degrees at the same

program means less time to degree. In California, CSUs

oer terminal master’s programs, but you will ﬁnd Ph.D.s

at research institutions like UCD.

For many professions requiring a graduate degree,

a professional master’s may be sucient: Master’s of

Engineering, Master’s in Social Work, etc. However, for

other professions the terminal (or highest degree) may

be a doctorate for other professions, e.g., Doctorate

of Psychology, Psy.D. Other ﬁelds where the master’s

degree is the highest professional degree awarded can

include the Master’s of Fine Arts, Master’s of Business

Administration, and Master’s of Architecture.

Myth #6: “I need to have a master’s degree in

order to apply to a Ph.D. program.”

This depends on the structure of the

department. Departments at research-level

institutions may not oer a terminal master’s

degree, meaning the only option is to apply as

a doctoral student. This is even more true for

STEM ﬁelds. Master’s programs are typically

found at state universities, although they are

becoming more and more common at UC-level

universities. Your timeline to Ph.D. will be shorter

if you go straight into a doctoral program, as few

units from a master’s program will carry over to

a Ph.D. program. However, you might pursue

a master’s in order to make improvements on

your GPA, grow your network, and gain access

to competitive doctoral programs.

Myth #7: “I will have to pay for graduate school

by myself or through loans.”

This is most often true for professional graduate

degrees and master’s degrees, but future

graduate students can apply to fellowships

(i.e. scholarships) to help ﬁnance the degree.

Loans available to graduate students are not

subsidized, and you will ﬁle your taxes as an

independent. However, most Ph.D. programs

and some research-based master’s programs

oer substantial funding packages that provide

you with a tuition remission and living stipend,

meaning you’re getting paid to go to school!

Learn more in Financing Your Degree and

Navigating Oers, page 27.

Myth #8: “Taking a gap year or break before

graduate school will set me back.”

Taking a gap year can be an advantageous

decision, depending on your personal, ﬁnancial,

or professional development needs. The only

way it could set you back is if you don’t pursue

constructive experiences relevant to your future

degree program. In your gap year you can learn

more about yourself and grow your professional

skills, which might make a graduate program

more meaningful for you. However, those

looking to go into professional degree and

teaching credential programs are advised to not

take a gap year, since an entry level position

in your ﬁeld may not be available without the

proper credentials. For these programs it’s

important that you pursue internships and

classroom hours to “try before you buy.”

Myths of Graduate School

Choosing a Degree

Consider pursuing a master’s degree if…

• You want advanced coursework that deepens

your knowledge of a certain subject

• You want specialized training for a certain

profession

• Promotion and upward mobility in your

profession/career require it

• You want to teach at the community college level

(although a Ph.D. might be preferred)

Consider pursuing a doctorate degree if…

• You want to reach an expert level of knowledge

for a certain subject

• You want a career in research (industry,

government, non-proﬁt, academia)

• You want to teach at the college or university

level as a professor

Degree Professional Master’s Research Master’s Professional Doctorate Research Doctorate

Time to Degree 1-2 years 2 years 4-10 years 4-7+ years

Content Provides a speciﬁc

set of skills and

theory (usually

through advanced

coursework) to

practice certain

professions. This is

typically a ﬁnal or

“terminal” degree

and often involves an

internship, practicum

or ﬁeldwork.

Provides experience

in research and

scholarship,

with a degree of

specialization. This

may be a terminal

degree, or an option

for those with limited

research experience

who want to be

competitive for a Ph.D.

program.

Practitioner-based

program involving

advanced coursework

for a profession that

requires a doctorate

(common in the health

professions). Will

require practicum or

ﬁeldwork, including

clinical hours.

The Ph.D. (Doctor

of Philosophy) is a

research-based model

of education, with the

intention of training

students to engage

in original research in

their ﬁeld that adds to

the discipline’s body

of knowledge.

Assessment Comprehensive exam

or thesis or capstone

project; may require

additional licensing

Comprehensive exam

or thesis project

Dissertation; may

involve 1-2 year

internship to earn a

license

Qualifying exams,

Dissertation

Funding Typically funded by

the individual

Typically funded by

the individual; may be

funded

Typically funded by the

individual

Typically funded

Examples Master’s of

Accounting; Master’s

in Counseling

Master’s of Molecular

and Cellular Biology,

Master’s in Hispanic

Literature

Doctorate of Education,

Ed.D.; Doctorate of

Psychology, Psy.D.

Ph.D. in Engineering,

Ph.D. in Immunology

Assessment projects dier in terms of scope and length. A capstone project is common for M.B.A. programs

and is a ﬁnal group project submitted at the end of the program. A master’s thesis may or may not be

original research (i.e. it could synthesize existing research in a novel way), but a dissertation must represent

original, unique research. The depth of the project will dier as well, as the average master’s thesis is 30-

40 pages, whereas a dissertation could be 100-300 pages long (diering according to discipline). For this

reason, determining your interest in research is an important ﬁrst step in choosing a degree type that is a

good ﬁt for you. As seen in the table above, funding diers by degree. More information on funding can be

found on page 27.

Lastly, one professional graduate program that oers a credential rather than a degree is a teaching

credential program, either for a multi-subject (elementary/middle school) or single-subject (high school)

credential. It is still considered a graduate program because a four-year degree is a requirement for

enrollment. Some programs are dual in nature and oer a Master’s in Education (M.Ed.) alongside the

credential. Credential programs typically last 1-2 years and include a combination of coursework and

student/classroom teaching (practicum). A credential is a requirement to teach in K-12 public schools,

although a master’s degree in a content area would qualify someone to teach at a private high school or

charter school.

Master’s versus Ph.D.

Applying to Graduate School

Google is a great place to start, but also consider these search engines:

• Petersons.com

• Phds.org

Start with a search engine to quickly get the names of programs, but then go directly to program websites.

You will ﬁnd more extensive, up-to-date, and accurate information on the institution’s page.

Also, harness your network. Ask professors and graduate students in your major department what they

know about certain programs, and ask them for recommendations based on your goals and interests. This

is also a great conversation starter that allows you to share your goals and interests surrounding graduate

school, if you feel intimidated to approach potential letter writers. Ask them to share their paths to their

degrees. Where did your professor complete their master’s and doctorate? You may ﬁnd out TAs you have

at UC Davis did their master’s elsewhere, and may have information about another possible institution.

In your research, consider the following broad questions:

What is the culture of the program? What do they value?

What makes them unique among similar programs?

What reputation does the program have among academics?

How does this program ﬁt or not ﬁt my goals and interests?

Researching Schools/Programs

Web Research

RESEARCHING SCHOOLS/PROGRAMS

Once you identify academic and professional goals and determine the ﬁeld and degree that interests you, it

is time to begin investigating what programs are out there. To have the best experience in graduate school,

you will need to do your homework and identify programs that best match your goals and interests. You

want to make sure you’re a great ﬁt for the program, but also that the program is a good ﬁt for you.

Careful research of programs is essential, because even though two programs may have the same name

or oer the same degree, programs can be quite dierent. Web research is the best place to start, but can

be more time consuming than you think. For this reason it is never too early to begin identifying programs.

Another way of identifying programs is looking at research coming out of your ﬁeld. What articles inspire

you? What researchers are publishing in your area(s) of interest? Find out at which institution they are based.

Compare and Contrast. What do you like and dislike about the dierent degree types for your ﬁeld?

Master’s Doctorate

✓

To answer these broad questions, consider the following facets of the program:

• Program accreditation; state, private, or for-proﬁt

• Degree(s) or specialization(s) oered

• Competitiveness of program

• Average time to degree/graduation rates

• Job placement of graduates

• Location, climate, and size of program

• Research facilities, labs

• Demographic makeup of campus population

• Costs: tuition, materials, relocation, housing

• Availability of ﬁnancial aid and fellowships

• Funding, and what type (teaching assistant/student researcher)

• Faculty to student ratio

• Curriculum and courses

• Interdisciplinary freedom

• Faculty research interests and research activity level

• Sub-disciplines covered, theoretical or applied

• Available student services, graduate student union

If you are considering a research-based program, sharing research interests with the faculty is essential,

especially for Ph.D. programs. There need to be multiple people who can mentor you in a thesis or

dissertation project—multiple, because professors can go on sabbatical, retire, or leave the institution; you

want options. Particularly for Ph.D. programs, in which the timeline to the degree largely rests on one’s

individual progress, a shorter time to degree is also a good sign. You could read into this statistic and

assume students are well supported and mentored, and competitive for funding and fellowships. A longer

time to degree could perhaps mean the opposite (and would mean more of a time and ﬁnancial commitment

on your part). However, time to degree will naturally dier for STEM versus non-STEM, with STEM degrees

(and sometimes experimental social sciences) skewing shorter.

For professional degrees, look at the credentials of the faculty. Are they experienced and/or practicing

professionals? Are they full time, tenured faculty, or are they part-time adjuncts or lecturers? Pay special

attention to statistics regarding job placement, since your degree may map very directly to a profession

and may not oer the same ﬂexibility as a more general degree once you are on the job market. Also read

very closely about opportunities for internships and the nature of required practicums. Where will you be

applying your skills, and what partnerships does the program have with other organizations, industries,

the government, etc.? How will you be supported in your practicums? This is also relevant as you consider

credential programs and student teaching requirements. Do they integrate theoretical courses and

applied student teaching side by side (preferred), or do you enter the classroom after the ﬁrst year? Who

will supervise you and provide you with feedback? Can they guarantee that your supervisor will hold a

credential in your area (preferred)?

Once you have determined that a program is a good ﬁt for your goals and interests, you can begin

researching and collecting information on application deadlines and required materials, covered in the next

section. How many programs you choose to apply to is a personal choice, but 6-8 may be recommended

so that you have options. Make sure to also identify programs with diering acceptance rates, i.e. reach

schools and safety schools to keep options open.

Investigate. Begin identifying programs with the following form (one form per program). You can download

additional copies on our website, http://success.ucdavis.edu/services/pre-grad-prof/resources.html. You will

learn more about application requirements and materials in the next section.

Applying to Graduate School

Rank: #______

Graduate Program Ph.D. Master’s Cred Deadline: ____________ Application fee: $ _______

School: _____________________________________________________________________________

Program: ____________________________________________________________________________

Specialization: ________________________________________________________________________

Location: ___________________________ rural urban suburban

Size: ______________________________ Costs: _____________________________________

Minimum GPA: _______________________ Acceptance rate: _____________________________

What about this program interests you?

Faculty with whom you would like to work:

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

Research interests/background: _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

Research interests/background: _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

Research interests/background: _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Download additional copies of this planning form at pregradprof.ucdavis.edu > Resources

Financial aid/Funding?

Researching Schools/Programs

Required? Description (word count, #, etc.) Submitted?

❏ Statement of purpose

❏ Personal history statement

❏ Diversity statement

❏ Writing sample

❏ Letters of recommendation

❏ Transcripts

❏ GRE

❏ TOEFL

❏ ____________________

____________________________________________

____________

Other notes:

Applying to Graduate School

After you have ﬁnished researching programs, you should challenge yourself to rank them according to

ﬁt. You will want to ﬁrst tackle the application materials for programs that interest you the most, as you will

have the greatest stamina for those ﬁrst applications (especially the statement of purpose, which you will be

customizing for each program). You want to give that energy to materials for programs that excite you the

most.

Use the matrix below to prioritize your programs, building a ranking. You can also download this form from

http://success.ucdavis.edu/services/pre-grad-prof/resources.html. You might consider ﬁlling this out a few

times, once with reach schools, once with safety schools, and once with programs in the middle, so you can

identify programs with the best ﬁt from each category. This will ensure you are prioritizing programs that

would serve you across a spectrum of competitiveness, maximizing your options while still considering ﬁt.

For now, choose three programs that you are having a hard time comparing to one another.

Reﬂect. Compare and contrast 3 graduate programs below. If you return to the prior form on page 11, notice

there is a place to capture ranking in the upper righthand corner.

Program

—

GRADUATE ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

The speciﬁc requirements for applying to graduate school dier from ﬁeld to ﬁeld and often even

from program to program within a particular ﬁeld. Furthermore, even when applications have similar

requirements, programs may weigh them dierently. For these reasons it is always important to spend

time reading the program’s application website and researching the practices of the ﬁeld in which you are

interested. Make sure to talk to graduate students in similar programs here at UC Davis. These students

not only recently went through the same process you are going through now, but did it in the same area in

which you are hoping to study.

Graduate Admissions Requirements

Now that you have researched programs and identiﬁed ones that meet your needs, you will have to

methodically gather information on their application requirements and materials. As a starting point, most

programs do require the same core components:

• Online application

• Transcripts

• GRE

• Letters of recommendation

• Essays

• CV or resume

• Other materials

Online Application

Applications are submitted online, and there is a fee associated with each application. Within each application

you will upload documents, submit short essays, and request letters of recommendation. Many programs

have their own application site, but sometimes a system, such as CSU, will have one portal for all applications

(although separate fees are still required). If application fees pose a ﬁnancial challenge, consider reaching out

to Financial Aid and Scholarships to request a “Graduate School Application Fee Waiver Support Letter.” You

can submit such a support letter to the institutions to which you applying, who may then be able to waive your

application fee: http://ﬁnancialaid.ucdavis.edu/undergraduate/forms/gre.html.

Transcripts

One of the documents you will upload in your online application is your transcript. You may self-report

your GPA, in a ﬁeld in the application, sometimes distinguishing between overall GPA and major GPA, but a

transcript is needed to verify GPA, units, and courses taken. No matter what, you will be required to send a

transcript.

During the submission process, you will probably be asked for an “unocial” transcript. This simply means a

copy of the transcript that you can see on SISWEB. Since you will most likely be working on these applications

during the fall, this will not include the grades from the classes you are currently taking at that time, nor the

ones that you will take in the following winter or spring quarters. Once you are accepted into a program, you

are then commonly asked to send an “ocial” transcript. This means you must request a transcript from the

registrar (registrar.ucdavis.edu/records/transcripts/order.cfm) and have it delivered to your graduate institution.

This transcript will include your fall grades.

Regarding your GPA, most programs have a minimum, typically 2.5 for CSUs and 3.0 for UCs. If you don’t

meet the minimum, contact the program to inquire about next steps. You shouldn’t let a lower GPA stop you

from applying, but you want to ensure that the time and resources you invest in applying will result in your

application being considered. Programs understand that there are other parts of a person’s application that

balance or explain lower GPA—higher GRE scores, or an explanation provided in an essay about extenuating

circumstances. Consider emphasizing important distinctions in your transcript—for example, if your overall

GPA is low, but the GPA of all your upper-division courses is very high, note this in your application or resume.

Identify. What resources on campus can you utilize to help boost your GPA? For instance, the Student

Academic Success Center oers Study Skills and Writing Assistance.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Applying to Graduate School

On exam day, you may ask that the scores from that exam be sent to a set of four schools of your choosing

for no additional charge. After that there is a small fee to have your scores sent to each school. Make sure

to register for the exam ahead of your deadlines, as it could take up to 15 days for the scores to be reported.

Scores are valid for ﬁve years.

When should you start studying for the GRE? Many people begin preparing during the summer before they

apply. Study books and courses usually advocate for doing as many practice problems and tests as possible.

There are lots of resources available for studying, as well as preparation courses that can be taken, ranging

from free to very expensive. Pre-Graduate/Professional Advising oers a no-cost GRE Bootcamp each year

in September, although spots ﬁll quite quickly. Visit our site, pregradprof.ucdavis.edu, to sign up or add your

contact info to our interest form.

Did you know that the Financial Aid and Scholarships Oce oers GRE fee reductions for qualifying students,

covering half the cost? Participation is limited to one time only, and these funds are ﬁrst come, ﬁrst served: “A

limited number of Fee Reduction Certiﬁcates will be issued per testing year. Once the annual limit has been

reached, all registrants will be required to pay the total fee test.”

Visit their site for more info [ﬁnancialaid.ucdavis.edu/undergraduate/forms/gre.html]

Did you know?

• Register for the exam, to give urgency and accountability to your timeline

• Review the basic structure of the exam and the question types that are included

• Take a timed, full length practice exam to determine where to prioritize your study time for the dierent

sections

• Study vocabulary using Quizlet (stacks for GRE vocabulary are already available through the user-

created library); start this early and don’t plan to cram

• Watch Khan Academy videos as a resource for the quantitative reasoning section

• Study with a partner so you can exchange essays and give each other feedback according to the essay

rubrics; you can also submit practice essays to ETS and prep companies to get feedback, but for a fee

• Review banks of essay prompts on the ETS website; compare and contrast the two essay types and

practice taking apart the prompts and organizing outlines

• Remember to time yourself when doing practice problems and writing essays, so as to match the pace of

the actual exam

Study Tips

Test Scores

The most common standardized test necessary for admission to graduate school is the GRE (from the

company ETS, ets.org/gre). This is much like the SAT or ACT you may have taken to get into college. There

are three parts to the GRE: a quantitative section (math), a verbal section (language), and a writing section

(two essays). Many people are nervous about the math section, but the material is at the level of what you

potentially saw in high school—trigonometry, geometry, fractions, etc. It is important to prepare yourself on

two fronts: 1) your test wisdom, or familiarity with the test format, its question types, and its traps, and 2) your

understanding of the content, e.g., academic vocabulary, writing conventions, and mathematical concepts.

You will also need to build up your stamina and time management, as the exam lasts about four hours. You

should plan on doing multiple full length exams on a computer, as the exam is computer-based.

The GRE is administered year-round at testing centers, and you must register ahead of time. Fall is the busy

season for the GRE and it is possible for testing centers to ﬁll up, so register early. It is advised to study well

and test once, as the test is expensive ($205 as of July 1, 2017).

Graduate Admissions Requirements

When will I register? ____________________ When will I study? ________________________

How will I study?

❏ Prep course, online

❏ Prep course, in person

❏ Print materials, prep book

My GRE test date: ________________ Time: _________ Location: ______________________

Day-of check list (set these aside the day before!):

❏ Identiﬁcation - at least two forms of acceptable ID

❏ Authorization voucher (if applicable)

❏ Conﬁrmation e-mail

❏ Water and healthy snack for 10 minute break

❏ Comfortable clothes with layers

❏ Online study materials

❏ ETS materials/PowerPrep II

❏ Private tutoring

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation oer an important evaluation of your experiences and qualiﬁcations. The

purpose of these letters is to give graduate programs a fuller picture of who you are and what you’ve done,

from the perspective of those who have a personal and professional relationship with you.

• Knows you well

• Can write you a strong letter

• Has the title of professor (or supervisor)

• Knows your work and can describe it positively

• Has evaluated you in upper-division courses

• Can favorably compare you to your peers

• Can comment on your research or professional potential

• Is familiar with your academic and career goals

Who Should I Ask? Someone Who...

• Get a good night’s sleep and no caeine and limited sugar the morning-of

• Arrive early to the testing center to help yourself stay calm

• Answer items you know ﬁrst to build conﬁdence, mark ones that stump you for review

• When marking for review, make an educated guess at the answer (do not leave blank; this would result

in an automatic zero if you run out of time to return to the item)

• There is no penalty for wrong answers, so leave nothing blank

• Manage your time and set yourself goals, i.e. at 8 minutes I will have ﬁnished my prewrite, or by 15

minutes I will have done a full pass of the all items in the section

• Don’t second guess answers you mark with conﬁdence; do not mark these items for review, as you are

more likely to change a correct answer to an incorrect one

Test-Taking Tips

Applying to Graduate School

In general, the strongest letter for a research-based graduate program will be from a full professor who has

taught you and supervised your research, whereas for a professional degree, your ideal writer would be

from a supervisor from an internship that is as relevant as possible to your future profession. Are you having

trouble identifying letter writers? As a rule of thumb, go for letter writers who can write you a personal and

positive recommendation, rather than someone you don’t know well. This means asking a professor from

your community college, or a mentor from your community, might ultimately be more strategic than asking a

UC Davis professor.

It is typical for programs to require three letters of recommendation. In your online application you will

provide the contact info for your letter writers, including their e-mails. You will request letters from them in

the app itself, which will send automated messages to them asking them to upload their letters. This ensures

that the letters are conﬁdential. If you are applying for numerous programs, this could mean that they

receive a high number of these types of e-mails. One way to mitigate this and have more control over your

letters is to use a dossier service like Interfolio, where letter writers will upload one generic letter, which you

then can have forwarded to programs yourself (for a fee). The dossier service acts as a middleperson so you

don’t ever handle the letters, for conﬁdentiality purposes. A dossier service is also very beneﬁcial for anyone

considering taking a gap year so that you can collect your letters before you leave campus.

Lastly, although it can be daunting to ask for these letters, remember that professors are only where

they are because others wrote them letters of recommendation. They were once in the very same spot

as you! Furthermore, it is an expected demand of their vocation that they mentor and provide letters of

recommendation for the students they teach.

Just knowing you will eventually need to get letters of recommendation can help guide the way you build

relationships and seize opportunities. Try the following to build relationships with your professors:

• Go to oce hours

• Take multiple courses with the same professor

• Take smaller classes or seminars, or request to join a grad seminar

• Come to class prepared and ready to participate; make insightful contributions to discussions

• Join a club with faculty mentors

• Join a professor’s research project, or request to do independent research with them as your mentor

• Attend department events and colloquia

• Volunteer for opportunities in your department

Get to Know Your Professors

Other tips:

• Open up the topic early rather than later. Even if it’s far away, you can plant the seed. Try and give at

least 4 weeks in advance of deadlines.

• Provide letter writers with a packet of supporting documents: your resume/CV, term paper,

transcripts with courses you took with them highlighted, a draft of your statement, etc.

• Communicate your timeline. Present them with a table outlining the schools to which you’re applying,

and when their deadlines fall.

• Check in with them and give them friendly reminders as deadlines approach.

• Thank them for their support with a handwritten card, and keep them updated.

How should I ask for a letter? Write an e-mail asking the professor if you can come by with questions about

graduate school. Ask them in person about the letter, making sure to phrase your question in the following

way: Would you feel comfortable writing me a strong letter of recommendation for graduate school?

Gauge their reaction. Did they seem hesitant? Phrasing it this way gives them an out: Well, I could write you

a letter, but I have only known you for a quarter so I’m not sure how strong it would be. Consider asking

another person depending on their answer—you don’t want luke-warm or impersonal letters, as they can be

damaging.

Graduate Admissions Requirements

Resume or CV

You may be required to submit some form of a CV or resume, or this document may be optional (submit

anyway—it’s another opportunity to share more about yourself). A resume and CV, although sharing some

features, are not the same document.

Resume CV

• An abbreviated list of experiences and skills (1 page)

• Usually only relevant to the position to which you are

applying

• May include information that is not relevant to

graduate school

• A comprehensive list of all your experiences and

skills (2-3 pages)

• Include categories not included on a resume, like

campus/department service, research experience/

interests, publications, and conference presentations

• Only includes experiences relevant to academia

Identify. Who are three individuals who you might approach for a letter of recommendation?

Reﬂect. For what reasons might they be an advantageous person to ask? What can they share about you?

Letter writer #1: ____________________________________________________________________

Relationship: _________________________________ Years known: _________________________

Reason: _________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Letter writer #2: ___________________________________________________________________

Relationship: ________________________________ Years known: __________________________

Reason: _________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Letter writer #3: ___________________________________________________________________

Relationship: ________________________________ Years known: __________________________

Reason: _________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Just in case!

Letter writer #4: ___________________________________________________________________

Relationship: ________________________________ Years known: __________________________

Reason: _________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Letter writer #5: ____________________________________________________________________

Relationship: _______________________________ Years known: ___________________________

Reason: __________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Applying to Graduate School

The Internship and Career Center (ICC) oers examples of resumes and can help with writing and editing

your own: https://icc.ucdavis.edu/materials/resume/resumecv.htm. Also reach out to professors in your

discipline and ask if they might share theirs with you. CVs can dier discipline to discipline, so seeing your

professor’s can give you an idea about the conventions for your ﬁeld.

One of the best ways to gain relevant experience that will allow you to transition your resume to a CV is to

engage in undergraduate research with a professor. Reach out to professors and ask who may be looking

for a research assistant, and visit the Undergraduate Research Center for an advising appointment and

workshop schedule. Do not write o a possible research opportunity if it does not align with your major or

current interests. There are many transferable skills and methods used in related ﬁelds, and it’s better to

have some research experience than none at all. In fact, the majority of the categories unique to the CV will

stem from this experience.

Through engaging in research you will be able to add a section titled Research Experience, and if you

present at the Undergraduate Research Conference or with your professor at a national or international

conference, you can add a section for these as well, titled Conference Presentations. Should you be added

to publications coming out of the research experience, you will then include a Publications section. If you

are doing independent research with a professor, perhaps for an honor’s or senior thesis, you will add a

section on Research Interests, or Honors/Senior Thesis that gives a brief summary of your project and

your faculty mentor. Lastly, if you apply for and are awarded grants for travel or research, you will want to

highlight those under Awards and Distinctions.

Adding the aforementioned sections to your resume and removing experiences that aren’t relevant to

academia and your ﬁeld will transition you to a CV. However, make sure you do not leave out relevant

professional experience and volunteer work, and continue to highlight leadership activities on a CV as you

would on a resume. All in all, you want to strive for a CV rather than a resume because it demonstrates

maturity and showcases graduate-level accomplishments. If you position yourself as a graduate student in

this document, you are communicating a more deﬁned trajectory to your future department, strengthening

the competitiveness of your application.

1. Don’t have a resume, or have a very outdated one? Attend a workshop at the ICC to craft or strengthen

this document so you have a good starting point.

2. Analyze what you have included in your current resume. Take out what would not be relevant to

graduate school, or experiences prior to college. If this is dicult, consider making a pre-graduate

appointment with us at the SASC.

3. Identify college experiences and accomplishments that would apply to any of the “CV categories”

discussed above. Use the space below to brainstorm.

4. Add your graduate-level experiences/accomplishments across these new categories to the document.

5. Recorder categories so Education is at the start, as you can see in the ICC’s materials (https://icc.ucdavis.

edu/materials/resume/resumecv.htm) or perhaps in the CV of a professor.

6. Reach out to the ICC for an appointment for CV review. Since you are an undergraduate, they may sign

you up with someone only familiar with resumes, so be speciﬁc that you have a CV you are preparing for

grad school apps.

Transition Your Resume to a CV

Graduate Admissions Requirements

Essays

Every application will include some sort of essay, or even multiple essays. Usually referred to as the

“statement of purpose” (or sometimes “personal statement”), this core essay is typically 2 pages double-

spaced and is often considered the most important part of the application. Consult program requirements

to determine appropriate length, however, as this can vary widely, ranging from a series of short essays

for a Master’s in Business Administration program (M.B.A.) to three or more pages for a teaching credential

program.

Your essay can explain circumstances that are unclear or confusing in other parts of the application; it

can describe experiences or skills that are not demonstrated elsewhere in your materials; it can address

inconsistencies in your record; and it can illustrate your personal voice, philosophy, or outlook. Because

the statement does so much, and is fully crafted by you, students often ﬁnd it overwhelming. That is why

it’s important to focus on the ultimate function of the essay. It is further evidence of your ability to succeed

in the graduate program to which you are applying. You want to show them that you have the maturity,

experiences, skills, outlook, and passion to ﬁnish the program.

Your statement will typically include the following:

• Why you chose your ﬁeld of interest

• Why you are prepared for graduate school

• Why you feel graduate school is necessary for you

• Why you chose this graduate school in particular

• What you hope to achieve in your program and with your degree

The structure of how you answer such questions is up to you, but most people organize it in a chronological

sequence rather than a topical one; your reader should be able to chart your growth over time. Think of your

essay as an argument piece: you are a great ﬁt for the program, and the program is a good ﬁt for you.

Identify. Draw lines o of the dierent notes to capture what you have done in these areas. Still trying

to identify graduate-level experiences/accomplishments? Consider drawing what you have already

accomplished in black, and what you intend to pursue in another color. Post this somewhere in your space

as a motivator to reach these goals.

Campus service

(committees, department

events, academic orgs)

Thesis

Research experience/

interests

Teaching/tutoring

experience

Conferences

Publications

Grants/Awards

Applying to Graduate School

Also helpful in deﬁning what one should include in the statement of purpose or personal statement is

deﬁning what it is not. You want to use this space to do what no other component of your application can

do.

What the statement is not:

• A piece of creative writing

• A place to “take risks” to stand out

• Your resume in prose

• Your transcript in prose

• A list of accomplishments or awards

• A place to compare yourself to your peers

• An essay about others and how they have inspired you

What do I talk about?

Your statement of purpose is the academic or professional you and a place to craft your identity. You

cannot include every accomplishment, so what is most relevant? First, make sure to limit what you share to

university experiences, preferably ones you’ve had at UC Davis. Do not go back to high school unless you

have an experience that is uniquely compelling. What will be most relevant to include will depend on the

nature of the program to which you are applying. Leadership experiences will be relevant no matter what

program, and research experiences, even for professional degrees, help to make you a more competitive

applicant.

You cannot simply tell why you’re interested and what you’ve done and will do; you must relate it back to

your argument that you are the ideal candidate for their program, and you must illustrate your statement

with an example. If you don’t make these necessary connections, you may leave the reader saying so

what? It may be clear to you why you are telling them what you’re telling, but less so to an outsider who

doesn’t know you or your work like you do. If you feel like making explicit and direct reference back to

your argument is elementary or unnatural, at least begin there and then work on making these connections

more sophisticated as you draft and redraft with the input of others.

Telling Showing

I have extensive research

experience at the Center for

Mind and Brain in the Corina

Lab where I have carried great

responsibility in successfully

supporting a research project,

including outreach to research

participants. The success of the

project was supported by my

ability to recruit participants.

As a research assistant at the Center for Mind and Brain in Dr. Corina’s lab

for 1.5 years, I have successfully engaged research participants in the deaf

community by leveraging my ﬂuency in American Sign Language and oering

recruitment presentations. Through such eorts I was able to personally sign up

70% of our study participants. From this experience I learned that despite how

carefully you design your experiment, if you don’t have enough participants,

you can’t accomplish much. One must gain the trust of potential participants by

knowing the community and investing in it. I will bring practical knowledge about

participant recruitment to your program, and plan to continue volunteering with

the deaf community to build local relationships.

Example: Telling vs. Showing Your Experience

Graduate Admissions Requirements

Research-based program? Scholarly experiences like research, honors/major thesis, conferences,

summer institutes, and participation in academic organizations.

Professional degree? Work-based experiences like internships, paid experience, applied courses,

practicums and trainings, and participation in career-focused organizations.

Identify. Think about your accomplishments and brainstorm in the space below. Take out your transcript,

resume, or planner/calendar to make sure you are not leaving anything out.

Reﬂect. About which three experiences/accomplishments are you most proud? Why?

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

How might these three experiences/accomplishments be relevant to a graduate program?

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Applying to Graduate School

Volunteering

Research

experience

Relevant work

experience

Clubs and

organizations,

leadership

Interest in my

ﬁeld

Career goals

Statement of

Purpose

Advanced courses

and projects

Example outline My outline

I. Interest in my ﬁeld/grad school

II. Experience 1

A. What skills/experience/perspective I gained

B. How I will apply what I gained to grad school

III. Experience 2

A. What skills/experience/perspective I gained

B. How I will apply what I gained to grad school

IV. Experience 3

A. What skills/experience/perspective I gained

B. How I will apply what I gained to grad school

V. Fit for program

A. Faculty

B. Courses/curriculum/specializations

C. Practicum/internships, etc.

VI. Long term goals

A. What I want to accomplish in grad school

B. What I will contribute to my program

C. What I plan to do with my degree

D. Whom I plan to serve

Personal History and Diversity Statement

In addition to your statement of purpose, you may be asked to submit a personal history statement and/or

diversity statement. In the UC system, this second essay is referred to as the Personal History and Diversity

statement, combined. This essay goes beyond the academic to present an image of you as a person.

This essay is more open-ended than a statement of purpose, with a greater range of possible content.

The length is similar to the statement of purpose, usually no more than 2 pages, double-spaced. Possible

questions/topics:

Plan. Use the space below to begin outlining your document. A brief suggested outline is provided.

Graduate Admissions Requirements

• How has your personal background led you to pursue a graduate degree?

• What experiences, opportunities, or challenges have you had that are relevant to your academic

path? (social, educational, familial, economic, cultural, etc.)

• Consider any experience in which you overcame a barrier.

• Show how you persevered academically despite facing challenges.

• Explain any inconsistencies in your record.

• How have you contributed to social, intellectual, or cultural diversity in your ﬁeld?

• Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to diversity.

• What experience and understanding do you bring having served underrepresented or

marginalized people?

• How will you serve underrepresented populations of society with your degree? In your research?

Tips and Strategies for the Statement of Purpose and Personal History

(and Diversity) Statement

• Remember your audience (experts in your ﬁeld) and establish your voice

• Answer the prompt(s) thoroughly, but aim for concision

• Make sure you do not repeat points across the two essays

• Lead with illustrations and examples (evidence) instead of statements

• Treat the essay(s) as a writing sample: polish your writing and strengthen your arguments

• Be conﬁdent and straightforward, but avoid being arrogant or excessively formal

• Do not make excuses, do not blame others, and avoid negativity

• Turn weaknesses into strengths

Other Materials

We have just summarized the most common application materials, but other additional materials may be

required. This might depend on the program or ﬁeld. Potential other materials are the following:

• An academic writing sample (great option: honor’s or senior thesis!)

• Creative or design portfolio

• Audio recording (e.g. international languages, music performance)

APPLICATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE

By now you have identiﬁed programs and have determined what materials are required to apply, but how

should you go about organizing yourself and your materials? First, consider the following questions:

• When do you want to start graduate school? Right after you graduate? Do you have the time to apply

fall quarter of your senior year when you are still in school, and have you gained enough experience

to be informed and competitive?

• Would a gap year be ideal for your needs? Do you want to focus on preparing application materials

after you have already ﬁnished school, giving you some more time during your senior year to pursue

additional opportunities and courses?

• Are you still forming your professional goals and interests? Would gap years be more appropriate so

that you can grow, mature, work, and explore?

Determining your start time is the ﬁrst step to designing your timeline. In addition to the above questions,

read through the following to help you decide your start time.

No gap year A gap year Gap years

• Are considering a research

graduate degree and you have

already built up momentum in

your research

• Have a current network you can

leverage

• Have very clear academic and

professional goals and don’t

need more time to explore

• Are still exploring your goals and

interests

• Have opportunities and

coursework set up for your senior

year that you want to fully include

in your application

• Need some more time to repair

your GPA

• Are still exploring your goals and

interests

• Have a competitive job oer or

opportunity

• Want to work to gain professional

experience and network to

deepen your experience in your

grad program

_______________ might be right for you if you...

No gap year

A gap year

Gap years

Applying to Graduate School

Note that many programs may allow you to defer entrance for a year, meaning you could apply assuming

no gap, and then decide to still take a gap year, deferring but still maintaining your oer. Additionally, if you

apply your senior year and don’t get in to your preferred program, you can take a gap year and re-apply.

Programs encourage students to re-apply, as whether or not you are accepted may have had to do with

factors beyond your application. One example may be that you applied for a Ph.D. program to work with

a speciﬁc professor who currently has numerous advisees or is going on sabbatical, or maybe there were

numerous other applicants also interested in your specialization, so the competition in that area for that

cohort was abnormally elevated, but may not be the following year. In this vein, do make sure to reach out to

professors, especially for programs where you will choose an advisor, to verify that they are taking on new

students or have room in their lab.

Below is a long-term timeline for those planning on entering graduate school immediately after graduating

from UC Davis. The sample timeline is a suggested sequence to follow, but everyone’s path will be unique

to them. Some programs may include an in-person interview as part of the application process, although this

is much more common for pre-health programs. By the end of sophomore year, you should be able to line

up an internship or research position for the fall of your junior year. For junior transfers, plan to do this as

soon as you feel acclimated to campus.

Fall Winter Spring Summer

Junior • Gain experience (research, internships, etc.)

• Develop relationships with letter writers and discuss grad school plans

• Research and identify programs

• Prepare for and take

the GRE

• Develop a draft of

your statement of

purpose

• Finalize your list of

programs

• Request transcript

through registrars

Sample Timeline

Application Process and Timeline

• Have the time and resources to

apply while still in school

• Are planning on entering a

teaching credential program

• Are interested in a career where

a grad degree is required for an

entry level position

• Want to work to gain professional

experience and network before

grad school, or to pursue an

opportunity abroad

• Want more time to identify and

apply to fellowships

• Want time to work before

entering grad school to set

money aside

• May be entering an industry

where your employer might fund

an advanced degree

• Want to strategically pursue an

advanced degree when it would

most beneﬁt you in your career

trajectory (e.g. M.B.A.)

• Want time to work before

entering grad school to set

money aside

Senior • Begin online

application

• Get feedback on

your statement

• Request letters of

recommendation

• Apply to programs

and submit all

materials on time

• Identify and apply to

fellowships ($)

• Try to build a rapport

with professors and

students at graduate

institutions

• Hear back from

programs

• Schedule campus

visits

• Accept an oer

• Find housing

• Relocate

• Possible training,

course prerequisites

Grad

School

• Begin program

Identify. Fill in this blank timeline according to your own goals, opportunities, and schedule.

Your Timeline

Fall Winter Spring Summer

Junior

Senior

Grad

School

If you are considering a gap year, you will adjust the timeline accordingly (see below). Notice the gap is

between your graduation date and start time for grad school, and not just between your graduation date

and your application deadlines, which is only really the summer. If you feel too strained to apply to graduate

programs while still in school (fall quarter of your senior year), a gap year can be a nice option.

Gap Year Timeline

Fall Winter Spring Summer

Senior Graduate Prepare

Gap Apply Work Work Relocate

Grad Begin program

Applying to Graduate School

Campus Visits

As shown in the timeline above, programs should reach out in spring after you have applied to communicate

whether or not you have been accepted into the program. If they have extended an oer to you, programs

will then arrange campus visits. This is a chance to tour the campus, meet faculty and graduate students,

and learn more about the culture of the program and where it is located. Do you like the town or city? Do

you feel welcome in the community? These considerations are important, too, as you decide if a program is

a good ﬁt, and it is hard to know this unless you physically visit. In anticipation of your visit, begin e-mailing

the faculty and graduate students to arrange some meetings and ask about current research projects. The

department should help facilitate this as well. Ask the department about ﬁnancial support to fund your visit,

assuming they do not already communicate that they are covering the costs.

FINANCING YOUR DEGREE AND NAVIGATING OFFERS

On your planning form on pages 11-13, you should have collected general information regarding costs and

ﬁnancial support for each program. After reading this section you may want to add additional details to this

form as you address other considerations. Not all the answers surrounding funding may be available on

program websites, so do not hesitate to make phone calls to graduate coordinators.

Non-Funded Programs

For programs funded by the individual, compare and contrast tuition and living costs and make note of

any ﬁnancial support the program is providing you, including scholarships and grants. What would your

budget look like if you accepted one oer over another? What loans are available to you? If you qualify,

unsubsidized loans (unsubsidized: interest accrues immediately), available through FAFSA, will cover the

entire cost of an advanced degree, but how can you oset your loan amounts? Make sure to dialogue with

programs to make sure you investigate any and all ﬁnancial support they can oer or identify for you. For

instance, maybe they cannot guarantee funding through an ongoing teaching assistantship (TA), but will

have a number of TA positions to ﬁll through a competitive application process. Perhaps they can share that

their unfunded students (perhaps master’s students) have been successful in the past securing a 50% TA

position in a neighboring department (50% might be required for a tuition fee remission). Additionally, there

may be hourly positions on campus to which you can apply, to oset loans you may need to take out. Note

that if you have federal or state loans from your undergrad you may be able to defer payments if you enter

graduate school (interest would still accrue, however).

Funded Programs

It is suggested that you do not accept oers until you have visited campuses (see Campus Visits), no matter

how prestigious the institution or how excited you might be, as you may be able to negotiate your funding

oer if you withhold your immediate acceptance. Remember the program is now courting you, and they

understand they may be one of various oers you are considering. They may oer you additional ﬁnancial

support if you visit in person, so don’t accept right away to let this remain a possibility. As you make your

visits, however, make sure to keep track of the oer deadlines that the programs have communicated.

Financing Your Degree and Navigating Oers

What about task management? Remember that you can use the planning form included in the Choosing a

Program section, page 12, to check o materials as you ﬁnish them. This form is also found online at http://

success.ucdavis.edu/services/pre-grad-prof/resources.html. An additional tool found at our website is an

Excel sheet you can use to collect and compare deadlines and requirements for all the programs to which

you are applying.

Fellowships and Grants

No matter if you are funded or not, you should plan to apply for graduate scholarships for incoming

students, referred to as “prospective student fellowships.” Fellowships can be internal, oered through your

institution or department, or external, awarded by non-proﬁts, professional organizations, governmental

agencies or departments, companies, etc. Applying to internal fellowships (e.g. UC Davis’ Provost’s

Fellowship for ﬁrst year graduate students) may be integrated into the initial online application.

You may ﬁnd out that you won a fellowship after you have ﬁnished applying, as many deadlines for

fellowships fall after the deadlines for applying. If so, make sure to reach out to programs to share the news

and details of the award and to have your application updated. However, deadlines for fellowships occur

year-round, so research what is out there early and plan ahead so you do not miss any opportunities. You

will submit similar materials when applying for a fellowship that you would when applying for graduate

school. Also identify grants that you might qualify for. These monies you do not have to pay back, and

many are external, so you can bring them to whatever program you enter. Grants tend to ﬁnance research

endeavors, but may be general monies that you can also apply to rent or other living expenses.

The links below outline resources in identifying fellowships and grants applicable to graduate school. The

UCLA GRAPES link (not just for UCLA—the database is just managed by this institution) is a great tool for

identifying external fellowships.

• You cast a wider net as you apply for ﬁnancial support, beyond any funding your institution or

department can oer.

• These monies are ﬂexible and follow you, unlike internal fellowships. You can bring them to whatever

program you enter.

• Bringing in your own funding shows accomplishment, but also for funded programs, you are a “free”

student (perhaps for your whole ﬁrst year).

• The award amount can cover both tuition and living expenses, and potentially travel costs should

you attend a research conference.

• Fellowships beget fellowships. You can be more competitive for other fellowships by highlighting this

award on your CV (pre-dissertation, dissertation, post doc).

Beneﬁts of External Fellowships:

• UC Davis Financial Aid, Prestigious Scholarships http://ﬁnancialaid.ucdavis.edu/scholarships/

prestigious/index.html

• UC Davis – Internal Fellowships (each institution should provide comparable information) https://

grad.ucdavis.edu/ﬁnancial-support/internal-fellowships

• University of California, Grad Admissions: Paying for UC http://graduate.universityofcalifornia.edu/

admissions/paying-for-uc/index.html

• UCLA GRAPES Database – External Fellowships https://grad.ucla.edu/funding/

• Community of Scholars – Research Funding http://www.cos.com/#/

An example of a funding package/contract for a Ph.D. program may be guaranteed funding for 5 years,

with possibility of extension to a 6th year. Guaranteed funding means you are entering a contract where the

program promises to provide you with a position as a teaching assistant (TA) or graduate student researcher

(GSR) each quarter for a set time frame. By serving as a TA or GSR you should receive a full tuition remission

and a living stipend. However, packages may not include summer support, so clarify this when examining

your oers. It may be up to you to secure summer fellowships or employment.

Applying to Graduate School

Investigate. Visit the UCLA GRAPES site (link on page 28) and try to identify at least 3 dierent fellowships

to which you would like to apply. Make sure you select “Prospective Graduate Student” under “Academic

Level.” Collect this information in the table below.

Fellowship Description/Eligibility Amount Required materials Deadline

CAMPUS AND ONLINE RESOURCES

Campus

Center for Leadership Learning https://cll.ucdavis.edu/

Graduate Preparation Programs https://grad.ucdavis.edu/admissions/why-uc-davis/graduate-school-

preparation-programs

Graduate Studies https://grad.ucdavis.edu/

GRE Fee Reduction http://ﬁnancialaid.ucdavis.edu/undergraduate/forms/gre.html

Health Professions Advising http://hpa.ucdavis.edu/

Internship and Career Center (career counseling, resume/CV) https://icc.ucdavis.edu/services/advising.htm,

https://icc.ucdavis.edu/materials/resume/index.htm

Oce of the Registrar (ocial transcripts) https://registrar.ucdavis.edu/records/transcripts/order.cfm

Pre-Graduate/Professional Advising http://success.ucdavis.edu/services/pre-grad-prof/index.html

SASC Study Skills http://success.ucdavis.edu/services/study-skills.html

SASC Writing Assistance http://success.ucdavis.edu/services/writing.html

Undergraduate Research Center http://urc.ucdavis.edu/

Online

Educational Testing Service (GRE) https://www.ets.org/

Interfolio (dossier service, letters of rec) https://www.interfolio.com/dossier/

Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers https://irt.andover.edu/

Peterson’s Graduate and Professional Schools www.petersons.com

PhDs.org www.phds.org/rankings

UC Graduate Admissions http://graduate.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/

Campus and Online Resources

AUTHORSHIP

Editor and Author

Annalisa Teixeira, Ph.D.

Additional Authors

Adina Boyce

Raynell Hamilton

Griselda Jarquín

Amanda Parker

Template and Graphics

Jessica Vuong

Editing

Jessica Vuong

Tori White

This work by Pre-Graduate/Professional Advising, Student Academic Success Center at UC Davis is

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

SOURCES

http://graduate.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/

http://www.ucop.edu/graduate-studies/_ﬁles/whats-next.pdf

IMAGES AND GRAPHICS

Cover Images

Gregory Urquiaga (https://photos.ucdavis.edu/bp/#/folder/1626160/6377878)

Gregory Urquiaga (https://photos.ucdavis.edu/bp/#/folder/1626161/38685370)

Gregory Urquiaga (https://photos.ucdavis.edu/bp/#/folder/1626161/48025470)

Gregory Urquiaga (https://photos.ucdavis.edu/bp/#/folder/1626161/6814458)

Karin Higgins/UC Davis (https://photos.ucdavis.edu/bp/#/folder/1626161/39284633)

Gregory Urquiaga (https://photos.ucdavis.edu/bp/#/folder/1626161/48852002)

Image page 1

Gregory Urquiaga (https://photos.ucdavis.edu/bp/#/folder/1626165/7771731)

Graphic page 2, 3

https://hustleandgrind.co/

Graphic page 5

https://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm

REFERENCES AND CREDITS

Applying to Graduate School

Pre-Graduate/Professional Advising

Student Academic Success Center, Advising and Retention Services

117 South Hall | 530-752-4475 | pregradprof.ucdavis.edu

@pregradprofucdavis

Edition 1, September 2017