Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity

Timeline

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

February-March

April