GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL

Graduate school, in most cases, is very specialized training in an academic discipline that suits one primarily for two things: teaching and/or research.  There are, of course, men and women with advanced degrees doing thing other than teaching or conducting research, but this is the exception, not the rule.  Professional education (law, medicine, etc.) involves being training for a particular occupation, i.e. law-school students are preparing to be lawyers; med-school students are preparing to be doctors, etc. 

Faculty advisors will be invaluable to students wishing to continue their educations after leaving GCC.  Graduate school in the arts or sciences (MA/PhD) or professional school (JD/MD/MBA/M.Ed., etc.) involves a great deal of planning and preparation.  Don't wait!  If you think graduate school might be in your future, schedule an appointment to discuss this with your advisor and, perhaps, other faculty in the your department.    

Go here for Pre-Law advising (view on-campus only)      Go here for Pre-Health Professions advising   (view on-campus only)   

Planning Calendar -  Go here to get a general idea of how to prepare for graduate school.  NOTE: Students should contact their faculty advisor for more particular advise relevant to their program of study.  There may be important differences!

Admissions Tests - Be sure to know when the test for your type of program is offered and that you'll have taken it in sufficient time to have it returned prior to your application deadline for the colleges/universities to which you are making application.  Leave ample time for any practice exams, prep courses, etc. that you wish to take prior to sitting for the exam.

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) - Required of most graduate programs.  There is a General test and individual Subject tests. 

• Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) - Required by all law schools.

• Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) - Required by all medical schools.

• Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) - Required by all business school.

Applications: Personal Statements - Most applications require you to write a "personal statement" as a part of your application.  Below are some links to "helps" in writing a personal statement.

• University of California, Berkeley

• Purdue University

• Dartmouth University

Faculty Recommendations - Every graduate program will require letters of recommendation/reference from your professors.  Plan ahead.

• General: How to request letters of recommendation/reference

• The Best Approach to Obtaining Letters of Recommendation - by Dr. Celine Leon

• Things to consider when asking for a letter of reference - by Dr. David Ayers