Applying in the earliest round available for your target graduate school program can offer significant advantages. To meet early deadlines, applicants need to have a great gameplan. The good news is that it’s never too early to start preparing for the application process, whether you are aiming to make a career pivot via MBA, working to position yourself as a technologist through business analytics or data science, or seeking to develop mastery in a PhD program. There are many valuable actions you can take if you want to stay ahead of the curve for this fall’s – or next year’s – application cycle. This post will detail several steps applicants can take before applications open to feel confident, prepared, and ready to submit for Round 1 and Early Action Decision rounds.
Program Research + Early Networking
At the outset of your search, it may not be clear which kind of program will put you on the most direct path to achieving your goals, and even when you know which type of program you will target, it can be difficult to identify programs that will best fit your unique needs and profile. Familiarizing oneself with many options can be time-consuming, so starting early is the best strategy. Program research takes many forms, including scouring program websites, reading messageboards and blogs, joining information sessions, and connecting with student ambassadors and alumni. University websites can, at times, seem opaque and offer limited information, but that is where you should start your research to identify the basics, such as whether the program has any specializations, prerequisites, or test score minimums, and to understand the university’s values. Joining information sessions is a fantastic way to learn about the nuances of a program and ask questions directly to the admissions staff, professors, and/or current students. To stay abreast of information session schedules, you’ll want to join the university’s email list. Lastly, speaking to student ambassadors and alumni can give you a real impression of what studying in the program will be like, campus and student life, career services, and the alumni community.
Understand Prerequisites and Prepare
Many specialized and technical graduate programs will have prerequisite requirements. On a basic level, this can include specific courses, like Macroeconomics, minimum IELTS or TOEFL scores, and from a more technical perspective, they may require a certain level of university math or a demonstrated ability to use computer programming or data tools, such as Python or SQL. Making note of such prerequisites early on allows time to try to improve test scores, enroll in courses, or work on projects that highlight specialized skills.
Conquer Admissions Tests
Subpar standardized test scores are the #1 thing causing people to feel unprepared and hesitant to apply in the earliest round possible. Of all the tips in this article, this is perhaps the most time-sensitive: start your test prep and test taking ASAP. Most people will need to take the GMAT or GRE at least twice to earn their target score, so starting to study far in advance of the application window will offer more time to take the test multiple times, if needed.
Contact Your Recommenders
Applying for graduate school will likely require you to seek recommendation letters from 1-3 people. Engaging your potential recommenders early on has several advantages. First, your recommenders may be busy, so you want to respect their time. Let them know about your plans as soon as you can and ask if they are willing to support you with a recommendation. Once they agree, providing your recommender with a brag sheet can save them time. Another advantage of connecting with your recommenders early is that these people may have taken a similar career path and can offer advice. Lastly, getting started early with your recommenders allows you extra time to find a replacement in case one or more of your ideal recommenders are unable to provide a letter.
Update Your Resume
One of the key documents you must provide as part of your application is your resume, so make it a focal point of your preparation. Updating your resume can include changing to a professional format, updating your work history, deleting irrelevant information or sections, and tailoring the content to align with your target program. When preparing your resume, you’ll want to consider each section carefully to determine what to keep, edit, or discard, and then ask a couple of trusted friends, colleagues, or even your recommenders to review it and give you feedback. When applying for business school, it’s probably also a good idea to keep your LinkedIn profile updated.
Make a Career Move
While potentially the most challenging option listed here, making a career move that pushes toward your intended career direction is undeniable proof of your intentions and motivation. For some applicants, this could mean a drastic move, such as seeking a new job or internship in their target industry. For others, this may involve seeking a promotion, greater responsibility, a lateral move, or involvement in a key project. Making this kind of move is evidence of your career vision and offers a strong story for your motivation essays. If application season doesn’t start for a few months, now could be the time to try to add an impactful career move to your resume.
[Conclusion]
It’s never too early to start preparing your profile and documents for the graduate school application process. Assessing areas of improvement and identifying tasks you haven’t started to prepare for well in advance will alleviate the stress of multitasking under looming deadlines. Get started today by putting one or two of the tips above in motion.