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Things I never thought I'd have to think about again

I’m looking in to the graduate school application process. It has just occurred to me that I haven’t applied for anything for three years, and nothing of this sort for twelve.

Fortunately for me, I live about two blocks from the career center of my former college, and they’re willing to make appointments for alumni. I suppose their image depends on our continuing success, not just whether we have jobs when we graduate. So they can help me with a few points. Such as…

Letters of recommendation. I’m used to providing references, but I’m not sure about letters of recommendation. I’m probing the two professors I’ve had at Westfield State, but what about the third? Do I go back to undergrad? Employers? Former supervisors? Who can speak for my aptitude for graduate study? (And, could they tell me?)

Résumé. That one needs a bit of tuning. I know how to pitch a résumé for a job; I’ve done that. How do I pitch a résumé for a graduate school? Lean hard on my educational background? I’m going to graduate school because I don’t have an educational background in this field. I guess I lean hard on work experience? And, uh, what format is my résumé in? Maybe I should learn some Quark? I wonder if I have time for TeX, for all that. Or if I should suck it up and just work on that Word format one?

Personal statement. This is the one where I’m completely at sea. “Elaborating on your reasons for wanting to pursue graduate study.” I know my reasons for pursuing graduate study; I just need to filter out the ones that sound good. I want to chase the interesting problems. I’m running out of problems I can attack on my own. I’m running out of bootstraps, I suppose. If I want to keep chewing on interesting problems, I need, essentially, to learn what the interesting problems are, instead of just making my own. I need to get on the same page as everyone else. And I guess now I need to articulate this in some kind of statement. How long? How eloquent? What’s my audience here? I can write, I’m relatively confident about that, but I feel like I need some clarification on the assignment.

Well, that’s a nice list of questions for my appointment.

Posted by pjm on September 21, 2004 9:21 PM |

Comments

In my experience, I’d de-emphasize any credentialing reasons why you want to go to grad school, and focus on the ideas you’re interested in exploring. Your audience is adminstrators, professors and students in your future grad school. I’m surprised they don’t give you a page or word limit, but I think two or three pages max should about do it.

I’d figure out a way to use the phrase “chewing on interesting problems” in your statement. If they don’t dig stuff like that, you don’t want to go to school there anyway. :)

Really, of all the people I know, you I am not worried about writing an excellent, socks knocking personal statement.

Posted by: Ms. Feverish | September 22, 2004 12:37 PM

What are you thinking of studying?

For letters of rec, you should get at least one from a supervisor if you have a lot of experience and have been out of school for awhile. All three of mine were people I had at one time worked under.

Posted by: stag | September 23, 2004 12:41 AM

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