Graduate/Professional School

Researching Programs

Entrance Exams

  • GRE: general graduate programs
  • GMAT: MBA programs
  • MCAT: medical school
  • LSAT: law school
  • DAT: dental school

There are several resources to assist in preparing for these exams including classes, print and online resources. Princeton Review and Kaplan are two reputable companies that offer these resources.

Application Requirements

Finance Graduate School

Financial aid for post-baccalaureate education generally is awarded in two forms: gift-aid and self-help aid. Gift-aid includes grants, fellowships and scholarships (institutional or external) that do not have to be repaid or earned. Self-help aid includes loans that must be repaid or work-study funds that must be earned through working on campus. Assistantships where a program will waive your tuition and pay you a stipend while you attend school in exchange for you conducting research or teaching for the program are particularly common in the sciences. For example, you may work in a professor’s microbiology lab, conduct investigations and publish your findings during a research assistantship, or you may teach Writing 101 classes to first year students as part of a master’s of English teaching assistantship for a stipend.

Make sure you research all possibilities before attending a graduate program and annually while enrolled in one. Tips on funding graduate education are available through Oregon State's graduate school.

Graduate Application Timeline

Be aware of application deadlines. Most programs collect applications between December and March, however, not all. Many schools also use rolling admission in which they review applications up until the deadline. In this case, the sooner you submit your application the better. The following is a general timeline to follow but check each schools specific deadline first to make sure that you are handing everything in on time:

Spring of Junior Year/Summer Before Senior Year

  • Schedule date to take the required admissions exam and request that your scores be electronically sent to each school where you are applying. If taking the MCAT of LSAT, take the test in spring of your junior year.
  • Request application information from the schools you are interested in

 

Fall of Senior Year

  • Retake admissions exam if necessary
  • Update and finalize your resume/CV
  • Write and review several drafts of your personal statement or essay
  • Meet with the Career Development Center to review your resume/CV and personal statement/essay
  • Ask a faculty member to review your personal statement/essay
  • Schedule a time to talk with faculty and ask if they are willing to write a letter of recommendation for you
  • Request copies of your transcript be sent to each school you are applying to from the Registration Office
  • Submit completed applications and application fees for each school before the published deadline

Winter of Senior Year

  • Check-in with schools to make sure that they have received everything in your application
  • Request scholarship/fellowship/assistantship information from each school you applied to
  • File your Federal Income Tax Return in order to apply for FAFSA
  • Complete FAFSA application forms online
  • Prepare for admission/assistantship interviews by scheduling and appointment with the Career Development Center
  • Attend preview days/information sessions/interviews for each institution

 

Spring of Senior Year

  • Follow-up with schools that you have not heard from and make your final decision
  • Submit commitment forms and/or fees to the institution you have chosen and register for classes
  • Send thank-you notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters, informing them of your success