The Graduate School Workshop 1.0: All You Need to Know About Graduate School in the United States

The inaugural Graduate School Workshop organized by The Ultimate Economics Journal, titled “All You Need to Know About Graduate School in the United States,” took place on December 26, 2022. This workshop featured esteemed speakers who shared proven strategies for securing admission to a graduate program of your choice, maximizing the academic and professional opportunities available, and achieving exceptional success during your time in graduate school.

The following highlights provide a glimpse into the valuable insights shared during the workshop. If you’re unfamiliar with how graduate school works, don’t worry! We want to emphasize that graduate school programs, particularly in the United States, provide an excellent platform for success. Given the high volume of applications received by graduate schools for the same program you’re interested in, how can you stand out from the competition? As taught by the speakers, we have outlined a few key points below that we believe will be helpful in one way or another.

Transitioning into a New Field

If you are thinking of transitioning to a new field, graduate school is one of the best ways to make that move. Realistically speaking, some transitions are easier than others.

Easy Transitions

• Project management
• Human Resources
• Finance
• Nursing
• Computer science

Difficult Transitions

• Physical sciences
• Engineering
• Medicine
• Architecture

The first step to having a seamless transition in graduate school is INTEREST. You must be sure that this new field is one you are interested in. Next, you should REVISE your resume accordingly. You can do this on your own or get the help of a professional. Then, finally think of TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS you can leverage that will be very helpful for your transition. For instance, data analytics is a skill that an engineer could leverage to transition into finance.  One way to go about this is to look for current gaps you have and take up opportunities to build those skills, such as enrolling for online courses through platforms such as Coursera or Linkedin learning, volunteering, and internship programs.

Worthy of note is to reach out to people who are currently in the field you want to transition into and build NETWORKS.

When you decide on the graduate school you want, conduct a thorough RESEARCH on their requirements. Check the tests they want applicants to take, the minimum work or volunteering experience required.

Finally, start the entire process early- RESUME BUILDING, RESEARCH, SKILLS ACQUISITION, and NETWORKING.

Leveraging Linkedin To Apply To Graduate School Application

Linkedin is only not just for job applications! Take advantage of LinkedIn by creating and optimizing your profile to facilitate your graduate school application process.

Why?

• It’s a faster way for your profile to be read.
• You can connect with current students to find out relevant information about your program of choice.
• You can strategically build your network on Linkedin to enhance opportunities.

Here are a Few Tips To Maximize Linkedin:

1. You can use double quotations to refine your search to find other graduate students in the same program and school you are interested in. For instance, if you are interested in the program “Biomedical Engineering” at “Washington University,” you can search using the following format: “Washington University” “Biomedical Engineering.”
2. Craft a simple and straightforward message clearly stating your request. See a guide below:

3. Visit the school’s website to connect with student representative or an admission committee member.

Choosing a Research Advisor

A research advisor is a person who has expertise in the field of study related to the research project, and who provides guidance and supervision to a student or researcher during a research process. He or she plays an important role in your academic or research progress as well as serves as a mentor.

Here are important factors to consider when choosing a mentor:

• Funding: Funding is a crucial factor, as you want to ensure sufficient resources for your research. It is important to verify that your research advisor has adequate funding for the project. This mostly applies to STEM fields where the graduate assistantship is through the research advisor. One effective way to confirm this is by reaching out to students within the research group and inquiring about the funding history.
• Field of interest: This entails getting information about your research interest. Find advisors related to the research area you are interested. Also, decide whether to be an experimentalist (working in the labs) or engage in modeling and simulation.

Little tip: In getting a research advisor, do not stick to one research area. Have research interest A, B and  if possible, C!

• Future Prospects: Think of life after grad school. Think of skills you would like to have during graduate school. This will determine the type of research advisor you will want to work with.
• Professional relationships: Consider the kind of relationship you would like to have with your advisor in the long run.
• Expectations: What are the expectations of the research advisor such as graduation timeline, and number of papers to publish, among others?

Cold Emailing

Cold emailing simply refers to the process of sending an unsolicited email to a person, in this case a professor, often with the goal of asking for a research opportunity in their group. The goal is to put forward your skills and values to the research advisor, while learning more about his or her research area.

Important Tips to be Aware of When Cold Emailing:

• Cold emailing may or may not be compulsory, depending on the program, department, professor, and degree. However, it does not hurt to send a cold email regardless.
• Be respectful and polite in your emails.
• Ensure emails are proofread before sending.
• It’s okay not to get responses to some emails. Do not take it personally.

Components of a Cold Email

• Introduce yourself: Give a brief summary entailing your name, the year you graduated, and your educational background, among others.
• Let your email demonstrate a genuine interest in the potential advisor’s research area and indicate that you have thoroughly read through their work. For instance, you can mention, “While going through the list of faculty in Biology, your research description in XX caught my attention and resonated with my research interests.”
• Then, let them know what kind of position you want from them. This could be a research assistant position in the Fall or Spring semester or state you are looking to get into the course program as a Master’s or Ph.D. student.
• You can also inquire about their availability. For instance, you can mention that you are free on Tuesday to discuss the research further or that you are available at any time that is convenient for them.
• Then, let them know why they should pick you. Talk about your skills, certifications, experiences, number of papers published, and other things that will generally make you stand out. In other words, market yourself!
• Ensure a copy of your resume or curriculum vitae, and transcript is attached to the email. This helps the professor decide whether you fit the research group well.
• Review for errors- grammatical, punctuation, poor sentence construction
• If you haven’t received a response within a week, consider sending a follow-up email.

Writing a Statement Of Purpose

This takes a big part of your application process. A Statement Of Purpose is a story that tells the admission committee everything about yourself, your work, and your interests (research and personal). In some schools in the USA, a personal statement might be different from a Statement Of Purpose.

Key Notes in Writing a Statement of Purpose

• There is no perfect statement of purpose
• A good statement of purpose should be about two pages.
• Ensure that it is tailored to the school you are applying to.
• Proofread before submitting.

Components of a Statement of Purpose

• Introduction: Give a background of yourself and how it relates to your motivation in applying to that particular graduate program.
• The Body: State your relevant experiences and accomplishments related to the field, your professional goals, and the professors you will be interested in working with.
• Conclusion: Highlight why you are interested in that particular school and what you intend to bring to the table.

The Importance of Relationships and Community in Graduate School: Positioning Yourself For Excellence In Graduate School

Leveraging Office Hours

In the US, many lecturers offer dedicated time after classes to discuss specific topics. As an international student, it is essential to proactively reach out and participate in these sessions if you require assistance. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of office hours and make the most of the opportunity to enhance your understanding.

Show up and Show up well

Teamwork is a major part of your grad school. Therefore, do not be the consistent latecomer or the person who never contributes to team assignments. Such behavior can impact your reputation and may affect your chances of being recommended for future tasks or assignments. Instead, strive to add value in every team setting you find yourself in.

Be Involved

It’s not just about the grades. It’s beyond the grades! Volunteer, be a part of extra-curricular activities, head or serve in a club or organization. Make social connections and be part of a network.

Build your Personal Brand

If you are not in the room, what impressions do people have of you or what do people say about you? That is your Personal brand! In graduate school, you can build or rebuild your brand. What do you want people to say about you?

Developing Relationships

Community is vital. When you get to a new place, ensure you look for people with similar interests such as background, hobbies, or courses of study. Do not be alone. Build community by developing relationships with people. Be the best version of yourself in your relationships with people, and it will be easy for people to develop good relationships with you.

Graduate school gives you a second chance. It’s the best place to not only make lifetime connections but also a place to build and rebuild your brand. Make it count!

How to Write an Award-Winning Resume

In different parts of the world such as Africa, Europe, and Asia, Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Resume can be used interchangeably. However, a CV is a separate document from a Resume in the United States.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• A detailed and comprehensive document.
• Length is unlimited.
• In the US, CVs are mainly used to apply for academic roles, programs, grants, fellowships, and research or teaching positions.

Resume

• A document that summarizes the career achievements.
• Length is limited. The maximum length is two pages.
• In the US, resumes are used when applying for jobs in the public or private sectors.

Content of a Graduate School Resume

Required: Contact information, Education, and Work Experience

Optional: Relevant courses, Honors and awards, Skills, Leadership and volunteer activities, Academic or Research projects, Publications, and presentations.

Red Flags (Do not Include): Demographic information (such as age, country of origin, marital status, gender, and religion), Reference.

Sections of A Resume

1. Contact Information: This is usually at the top of the resume. It includes the following: first and last name, address (mailing or residential), email address and accessible phone number, and URL for Linkedin page and/or research website (if you have one).
2. Education: This should be highlighted in reverse chronological order, that is, the highest degree comes first. It includes the following: name of institution, city and state, degree, name of program and/or department and year of completion or expected completion, GPA, thesis or dissertation title. Please note that fellowships, academic awards, or relevant courses can also be included.
3. Relevant Courses: This can be included under a subsection in the resume, “Education”. You should list upper-level courses (between four and eight) that match the program requirements. For example Relevant Courses: Cultural and Global Diversity in Advertising, Advanced Persuasion and communication, and Marketing research and Consumer Behavior.
4. Honors and Awards: This includes the following: Name of award/fellowship, date received, a brief explanation of the award if it is not evident from the title of the award.
5. Skills: This should highlight competencies that are relevant to the role. These skills should be grouped into sub-categories.

• Computer: SAS, STATA, Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint

• Laboratory: Spectrophotometry, Microscopy (compound and dissecting), and PCR

• Certification and training: Business Fundamentals Summer Program (20XX)

• Language: Proficient in Spanish, Igbo, and French

Please do not lie about a skill you are not proficient in.

6. Publications: This is a great selling point. It is okay if you do not have any. There are different formats you can use. Be consistent with whatever format you choose to go with. Here are a few examples of formats that can be used.

• Option 1: Three articles in three peer-reviewed journals in topics including X, Y, and Z.

• Option 2: Three articles in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Economic Literature on topics including X, Y, and Z.

• Option 3: Use the citation format most common to your field of study

7. Presentations:

• Option 1: Presented at two national conferences and one international symposium on topics including X, Y, and Z.

• Option 2: Presented at four conferences, including the National Social Science Conference (20XX), on topics including X, Y, and Z.

• Option 3: Use the citation format most common to your field of study.

8. Work Experience: This could be teaching, research, work experience, or even internships that are relevant to the application. It highlights current or past work experience. Ensure the following:

• Use bullet point statements to articulate accomplishments, skills, and knowledge.
• Ask these questions: What did I do? How did I do it? Why did I do it?
• The bullet point statements should begin with an action verb.

ACTION VERBS

• Analytical skills: analyzed, assessed, compared, diagnosed, or estimated.
• Management skills: administered, delegated, managed, or mentioned.
• Teaching skills: educated, graded, coached, taught, lectured, or tutored.
• Writing skills: authored, briefed, communicated, drafted, or edited.
• Interpersonal skills: collaborated, represented, coordinated, or participated.
• Leadership skills: executed, chaired, led, launched, convened, or officiated.
• Technical skills: assembled, built, programmed, or reproduced.

Format, Content, and Grammar

FORMAT

• Be consistent with the format of dates, locations, organization titles, and position titles.
• Use the same format throughout the document
• Choose a standard font (for example, Times New Roman).

CONTENT

• Be truthful and accurate.

GRAMMAR

• Grammar and spelling errors are unacceptable (tools like Grammarly can be used to check this).
• Do not use personal pronouns.

WATCH THE GRADUATE SCHOOL WORKSHOP 1.0