GRADUATE

SCHOOL
APPLICATION
TIPS & TRICKS ‘-

Jennifer Gammell
Director for Graduate Enrollment Management

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THE ADMISSIONS
PROCESS ‘-

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The Admissions Process
1. Relax!!!
• Staying positive and remaining calm allows you to be reflective and thoughtful

2. Allow enough time. ‘-

• Understand deadlines and build a timeline of what you need to complete and when

3. Follow directions.
• Inability to follow directions raises questions about how the candidate might adhere to policies and
procedures once admitted and enrolled
• Submit what is requested by the time it is requested – no more, no less

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The Admissions Process
4. Be professional.
• Professionalism is a sign of maturity
• Don’t be aggressive, demanding or too casual

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5. Be yourself!
• Be clear about your motivations
• Know how you compare as an applicant (by understanding the program)
• Present yourself in a genuine and honest way

6. Don’t forget to make contingency plans.

• Reflect on how you’ll respond if you are denied and have a plan to move forward with a positive
attitude 4
Learn about the program/school to determine fit and specifics
to personalize your application materials.

There are so many ways to engage:

• Website:
• Watch videos/webinars
• Read any blogs and alumni success stories ‘-

• Instagram/Twitter/YouTube/Facebook/LinkedIn:
• Follow and like the school/program on social media

• Experience it personally/virtually:
• Attend an open house, experience day, recruitment event
• Some programs list current student ambassadors on websites, email them with
specific questions.
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Exam Requirements
1. Set a score goal
• Take a baseline practice exam to help guide your preparation

• Research competitive scores for programs you are applying

2. Prepare

• Make a plan and dedicate time to studying ‘-

• Understand and mimic the test environment

3. Review your results of practice exams

• What questions did you miss? What questions did you ace?

4. Take advantage of available resources

• Online
• Test prep classes

• Tutors
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Resume/CV
1. Highlight relevant experiences and skills
• List achievements and awards

• Include volunteer and leadership experiences

2. Show yourself as a dynamic person

• Use impactful action verbs ‘-

• Get rid of nonsensical jargon

3. Be comprehensive

• Provide specific details regarding what you did, NOT was the role was

• Quantify your achievements when possible

4. Utilize Career Services Office and reputable online resources

• Staff members can critique resume

• Writing guides

• Variety of templates available 7

Resume/CV
5. Be sure it is grammatically perfect
• Proofread, spellcheck and consider asking a mentor to proofread it as well

• Use appropriate verb tense

6. Ensure your contact information is accurate and professional

• List a professional email address (joelikescandy@gmail.com is not professional) ‘-

• Ensure your voicemail recording lists your name and that your voicemail box is set up

7. Don’t make it too visually busy

• Consider using a professional template from a reputable source

• Use an attractive and readable font either 10 pt. or 12 pt.

• Be strategic with use of bold, caps and italics

• Balance your text and white space

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Essay/Statement of Purpose
1. Follow the directions
• If there is a suggested word count, don’t be way over or way under

• If there is a direct question, answer it without veering off on a tangent

2. Be sincere

• Don’t write about lofty ideals or something you assume the admissions officer wants to hear ‘-
• Be honest and be yourself

3. Demonstrate your motivation and capacity to succeed

• Provide concrete examples of why you would be a good fit for the program

• Describe your professional interests – be specific, but keep your options open

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Essay/Statement of Purpose
4. Keep it clean and concise
• Your essay should have impeccable spelling, grammar and punctuation

• Use spellcheck and ask someone to proofread it

• Eliminate unnecessary words such as “I believe”, “the fact is”, etc.

5. Tell your story, in your words

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• Ditch the thesaurus

• Read your essay aloud to make sure it sounds natural

• Ask someone who knows you well to read it to make sure it sounds like you

6. Know your audience

• You should never write a one-size-fits all essay if you’re applying to multiple schools/programs

• Reference specific reasons why you are applying to each program/school

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Letters of Recommendation
1. Select recommenders who will write a positive recommendation
• Ask recommenders whom you know well.

• Meet with recommenders to ask their permission

• Share your resume so that have additional background

2. Request recommendation letters that showcase your diversity ‘-

• Previous or current supervisors

• Faculty, club advisors, volunteer coordinators

3. Check LOR requirements for each and every school

• Give your recommenders clear instructions

• Give recommenders plenty of notice and time to write the letter (ideally six weeks in advance)

4. Do not have immediate family write you a letter of recommendation!

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ADMISSION
REQUIREMENTS ‘-

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SEAS Graduate Programs Admission Requirements
All the programs for both MS and GRE require the following documents
• $85 Application Fee
• Scanned Transcripts (Unofficial)
• English Proficiency Test
• TOEFL (minimum overall score of 79)
• IELTS (minimum overall score of 6.5) ‘-
• PTE (minimum overall score of 55)
• Duolingo (minimum overall score of 120)
• GRE Test (required for certain programs)
• Statement of Purpose
• Resume / CV
• Letters of Recommendation

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SEAS Graduate Programs Admission Requirements
GRE is REQUIRED for the following programs for Fall 2023:
• MS Computer Science and Engineering
• MS Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• PhD Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering
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• PhD Computer Science and Engineering
• PhD Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

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