Lately, I’ve been chatting with a lot of students about graduate school. Some are in the application process; others just thinking about the possibility. We discuss options, timelines, reference letters and personal statements. And somewhere along the way, I make a totally shameless and yet completely sincere plug for our Graduate School Information Fair.
Shameless, because, as you might recall, I coordinate The Career Center events and am slightly biased. Sincere, because, I truly do believe that the Graduate School Information Fair is a great opportunity whether you’re just starting to consider the possibility of graduate school or deep into the application process.
If you’re a sophomore or junior (or even a 1st year student) just beginning to think about graduate school, the Fair is the perfect place to explore the options without leaving Ann Arbor. We typically have 110+ schools representing programs from across the country and the reps are here to answer your questions:
- what makes a candidate stand out?
- are there particular courses you encourage students to take?
- what about extra-curriculars; volunteer and/or summer jobs?
Your discussion can help shape your plans as you consider your story: your passions, interests and if/how you want to prepare for graduate school and beyond.
If you’re a senior (or recent grad) in the application process, the Fair is a chance to collect the admissions perspective:
- what makes a strong personal statement?
- how many (and what type) of references do you look for?
- where do extra-curriculars, volunteer experiences, jobs/internships fit into the evaluation process?
Some advice and helpful tips never hurt before you hit that submit button.
The Career Center’s Graduate School Information Fair is next Tuesday, October 12 from 4pm-7pm at the Union. A complete list of participating schools is available on the Graduate School Information Fair portion of our website. Here are a few highlights by discipline area:
Humanities
Notre Dame University
Boston College
Georgetown University
Biological Sciences
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute
Case Western Reserve University Biomedical Sciences Training Program
University of Pittsburgh Biomedical Programs
Government/Public Policy
University of Maryland School of Public Policy
Ohio State University Glenn School School of Public Affairs
University of California, Berkeley
Health Professions
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Wayne State University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Dartmouth College Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
Posted by Sally Schueneman 
