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