Graduate School

Depending on your goals, graduate school may be a means to further pursue your academic or research interests, prepare to enter a field of work, or advance your career.

These resources will help you reflect on factors to consider around attending graduate school and learn about researching programs, assembling a compelling application, and creating a timeline for applying to and making the most of your time in graduate school.

Resources

Gap Year Programs

A “gap year” is a common way that recent graduates gain practical experience, explore a new industry or personal interest, travel, and prepare for graduate school exams before going to graduate school.

Graduate School: Factors to Consider

Deciding to go to graduate school is a big decision that often comes with lots of questions. We’ve put together a list of factors for you to consider.

How to Write a Personal Statement for a PhD Program Application

Personal statements are often part of the PhD program application. A personal statement explains why you have chosen this particular PhD, how this choice aligns with your skills, experience, and academic goals, and what you plan to do during your study.

Finding Your Best-Fit Graduate Program

So, you’ve determined that attending graduate school is the right next step for you. You’ve got a clear idea of what degree to pursue, and you know how it will help you take the next steps in your career journey. Now, it’s time to find the schools and departments that match your academic background, interests, and goals.

Creating an Undergraduate CV

Your curriculum vitae (CV) is a representation of your scholarly identity and trajectory in your field. A CV is used to apply to research roles or other academic positions. It shows your academic credentials and achievements, experience conducting research in your field,...

Inside the Graduate School Application

Your graduate school application will showcase your motivation and preparation for graduate study in the field and program you’re targeting. Learn what’s in the application and how each element fits into that story.

Thinking about Graduate School? This Timeline Will Help you Plan

Use this timeline to kickstart your grad-school planning! It will help you think through what to do each year to prepare for your graduate education.

In the Know

June 02, 2021

Your Graduate Admissions Questions Answered by Columbia Faculty and Admissions Experts

Read on for insights from Demystifying Graduate School, a panel and Q&A with faculty and admissions experts from a variety of programs, about the current landscape of graduate admissions, what happens after you click submit, and tips for putting together a stand-out application.

February 15, 2021

Your Graduate School Personal Statements: How to Get Started

If you’re planning to apply for graduate school, chances are you’ll be asked to write one or several essays as part of your application. In our recent workshop, we broke down the basics on what these essays are and how to get started on yours. We answered questions such as: What is the...

Professor lecturing to a room of students

January 20, 2021

How CCE Can Support You Around Graduate School Planning

Graduate school often comes up indirectly in our one-on-one career counseling appointments with students. Yet we often find that when we offer further support on graduate school planning, students are often surprised that we advise on this topic. So we thought that it would be helpful to share a...

Students listening to professor in classroom.

November 25, 2020

ICYMI: Exploring Graduate School with CCE

Graduate School Attendance by the Numbers In the 2012 edition of their Baccalaureate and Beyond Survey, the National Center for Education Statistics found that 39% of bachelor’s degree holders in the US enrolled in a graduate program within 4 years of graduation (ctd. in Baum and Steele 4 ). When...

March 02, 2020

How to Build Your Research Profile as an Undergraduate

This post will help you take the next steps in figuring out how to build your undergraduate research profile toward post-grad opportunities.

October 02, 2018

Asking for a Friend: I’m thinking about graduate school and not sure who would be best to ask for a reference or how I should go about it.

I’m thinking about graduate school and not sure who would be best to ask for a reference or how I should go about it. Help!

January 23, 2018

School of General Studies Dean Sits Down with CCE To Explain How To Figure Out If Grad School Is Right For You

This fall, CCE career counselor Sarah Goldberg and GS Dean Tiffany Decker teamed up to dig into the questions we often hear from students about applying to graduate school. How do I figure out where to apply? How do I put in a compelling application? And how do I secure an effective letter of recommendation from my professors?

Resources

In the Know

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