The Selection Process

Career Development Center

You should be very selective in choosing a graduate/professional school. Many applicants who do not research schools thoroughly enough are sometimes disappointed with the school they attend.  

Graduate Programs - Publicized rankings, such as US News and World Report's rankings, are not important in selecting a good graduate program.  Research the programs within the specialty area in which you are interested.  Ask faculty in your discipline or the departmental advisor for suggestions.  Also, your academic research should provide some help.  Look for names in the articles and where the authors teach, choose a program that has faculty with whom you want to study.  This is a search for a mentor.

Professional School - Talk with the adviser for the profession to determine the best ways to select a program that would be right for you.  It may depend on the location in which you hope to practice or the amount of money you expect to spend.  There are publicized rankings and accepted "tiers" of selectiveness that may help you make your decision.  The adviser, faculty, and professionals in the career field can help you understand how programs are viewed in the field.