Junior Year Timeline
Spring

• Conduct preliminary research of programs.
• Develop and prioritize a list of programs to apply to.
• Collect information about required admissions test(s).
• Determine if you can prepare for the admission test(s) on your own or if a test preparation course is needed.

Summer

• Take admissions test(s) if ready. Otherwise, begin preparation process.
• Request letters of recommendation (faculty have more time during the summer term to accommodate such requests).
• Open a credential file in Career Services
• Begin writing application essays.

Senior Year Timeline
Fall

• Have application essays critiqued, preferably by a faculty advisor.
• Take admission test(s).
• Submit completed applications.
• Complete financial aid forms and apply for relevant scholarships. (Note: Financial aid deadlines are usually earlier than regular admissions deadlines. Generally, if you want to be considered for aid, your entire application package needs to be submitted by the financial aid deadline.)
• Have transcripts and letters of recommendation forwarded to programs.
• Check with programs at least two weeks prior to deadlines to be sure your application file is complete. This will give you time to rectify any problems.

Spring

• Visit top choices if possible.
• Cross your fingers and hope for the best!
• Keep track of acceptances, rejections, and wait lists. If you are on a wait list, the following questions will yield useful information.
• How long is the wait list?
• Are the wait list students ranked?
• If so, what is your rank?
• Can wait list applicants supplement their files with updated transcripts or additional recommendations?

Contact programs who turn down your application to find out how you could increase your chances if you were to apply again. Ask for specifics. Do you need.more work or volunteer experience? .stronger letters of recommendation? .a higher GPA? .a more focused personal statement? .better admissions test scores? The feedback you receive will help you to determine if it is in your best interest to apply again. If your GPA is the issue, you can take a couple courses as a non-degree graduate student to establish a graduate level GPA.

Credential Files
A credential file is an official repository of recommendation letters. When a faculty member or other professional writes a letter on your behalf, you can have him/her:

1. Send the letter directly to the program to which you are applying
2. Provide you with the letter, which you will then need to copy and send to the admissions committees, or
3. Submit the letter to Career Services credentials service, which will mail copies of the letter for you.

(You can select a confidential or non-confidential file.) The first and third methods are preferable because admissions committees usually give more weight to recommendations you do not have access to, as they assume these letters will be a more honest description of you skills, aptitudes, personality, etc.

You may choose to file two sets of letters with Career Services-one set for graduate/professional schools and another set for prospective employers. Write a note stating which references are to be used for which objectives and submit it to Career Services to be included in you file. Letters of Recommendation filed with us are kept in our office for one year after graduation and sent to graduate schools and employers upon request. (The first 5 sets are free. Additional sets are $3.00.) Thereafter, they are sent to your alumni file, and may be "reactivated" by calling Career Services.

Guidelines For Obtaining Recommendations for Applying to Grad School

• Get 3 letters-usually 2 from professors and 1 from either a former employer or someone who has supervised you in some capacity (e.g., coach, community service site supervisor, student organization advisor).
• When possible, choose someone who is familiar with you on a number of levels (e.g., in the classroom and as a student employee; on a committee and the track team). Many faculty will not provide recommendations for students they have taught in only one class.
• When asking for a recommendation, start off by asking if the person feels he/she knows you well enough to write a meaningful letter and watch for any reluctance. You do not want to run the risk of getting a vague or unfavorable recommendation!
• Supply the writer with credentials that will help him/her support the letter with facts. (Attach your resumé, transcript, special reports, or a list of accomplishments.)
• Make sure the writer knows your career or graduate/professional school objective(s). It's helpful to share a list of the programs to which you are applying along with application deadlines for each program.
• If you want the writer to submit a letter to your Career Services credentials file, remember to give him/her a copy of the necessary form. Graduate/professional schools often send their own recommendation forms with applications. Since their purpose is the make sure that relevant areas are covered, you should have your reference writers use those forms rather than the generic form available from Career Services.