First year
- Do well in courses
- Establish relationships with faculty (your future recommenders)
- Join and attend meetings of science organizations as well as others; volunteer for anything (almost anything)
- See if you can do research (even on a volunteer basis) with Augsburg faculty
- Talk to faculty about their grad school experiences
- Work on critical thinking and writing skills
- Start compiling work and evidence for future résumés and portfolios
Sophomore year
- Do very well in courses
- Continue to develop relationships with faculty
- Assume leadership roles in campus or civic organizations
- Continue volunteer activities
- Apply for summer research or internship experiences
- Read journals in your field
- Work on critical thinking and writing skills
- Meet with career counselors and faculty if having a difficult time choosing major
- Study abroad if schedule permits
Junior year
- Do very, very well in courses
- Take GRE Prep in Spring
- Work as a research assistant or an intern part-time during the school year
- Apply for summer research experiences (off-campus ones if you’ve already done on-campus)
- Talk to people in your field to get a sense of what careers are like
- Continue to read journals
- Study abroad if schedule permits
Senior year
June-July-August
- Begin and complete Summer Research Experience
- Ask for a letter of recommendation from summer faculty member (they don’t write it now, but get the commitment)
- Register for general GRE (take no later than August)
- Study for general and subject GREs
- Begin grad school search if you haven’t already
- Begin correspondence with graduate faculty
- Write draft of resume and personal statement
- Brace yourself for a hectic fall
September
- Do better than very, very well in your courses (although some schools might not see your fall grades before making a decision).
- Register for the GRE General Test (ideally already taken)
- Register for a GRE Subject Test, if required. The November test date will ensure that your scores are back in time for most December deadlines.
- Talk with faculty about your summer research experience, your grad school plans, letters of recommendation, as well as what schools they recommend
- Consider applying for national scholarships/fellowships and check due dates
- Generate a list of schools to which you think you will apply
- Study for the GRE General if you haven’t taken it yet
- Study for GRE Subject Test
October
- Narrow and, ideally, finalize your list of schools
- Prioritize applications by application deadlines. Make a list of the dates you plan on mailing applications. This should be earlier than the application deadline required by the school.
- Work on national scholarships/fellowships if you are applying
- Begin e-mailing professors at the schools you will be applying to. Typically these would be faculty whose research interests match yours.
- Attend URGO application workshops
- Study for GRE if you haven’t taken it yet (take practice tests often!)
- Make sure that you have commitments from all of your letter writers
- Send for any applications not on-line (these are rare)
November
- Finalize your list of schools
- Submit national fellowship applications
- Give instructions for letters of rec to your writers, plus mailing envelopes, draft of statement/resume, etc. Make sure they have all forms they need.
- Take GRE Subject test (middle of the month)
- Mail transcripts to schools with December deadlines
- Have GRE scores sent (if you haven’t already) to schools with December deadlines
- Continue corresponding with graduate school faculty
- Check in with letter writers to make sure they will meet December deadlines
- Attend URGO application workshop
- Begin filling out applications (sooner would be good)
- Work towards final draft of personal statement.
- Show personal statement to Dixie and two professors
- Request transcripts and GRE scores for January deadlines
- Work on applications
- Check with letter writers towards the end of the month to make sure they will meet January deadlines
December
- You get the idea
- More of the same
- Just more intense
- Way more intense unless you have planned ahead
- Don’t leave for home until you have requested all needed transcripts, as the college closes between Christmas and New Year’s
- Don’t leave for home until you’ve reminded faculty about letters due over break
- Don’t leave for home until Dixie and/or faculty have checked your applications/personal statements, because Dixie closes between Christmas and New Year’s as well
- Good luck on those finals
January
- Some of you will still be doing more of the same
February-March
- Await news of applications
April
- April 15 is the last day to accept or reject offers