In the US, the best graduate schools are very competitive and tend to admit only the cream of the crop. Usually, these institutions only get the cream of the crop, so they have a very small graduate student population. Still, many students want to apply to these institutions because they believe they will get the best kind of instruction there is for their chosen field.
Health
In 2008, the University of Washington was commended for its excellent nursing program. At rank three, The University of Pennsylvania, another competitive graduate institution, has an acceptance rate of 21%. And in the case of Washington University, acceptance rate is at 67%.
Education
Graduate degrees are very specialized. One of the most specialized graduate programs is in the area of education. Advanced education degrees focus on different aspects of education such as educational theories, educational administration, and educational psychology. As of 2008, the Teacher’s College of Columbia University has the most competitive teacher’s program. Its acceptance rate is only about 48%.
Social science
The Social sciences are broad by convention therefore varying universities excel for a particular graduate program. However, some top-ranking universities are noted for their very selective admission standards. For example, Stanford tops the Psychology program and holds an acceptance record of 11%. Harvard, which also has one of the country’s most competitive political science program, presents a lower acceptance rate at 9%.
Engineering and the natural sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers some of the country’s best graduate programs, so MIT receives hundreds of applications every year. To maintain a low student-teacher ratio, MIT overall acceptance rate is only 14%, which ranks it as the most difficult university to enter with respect to the fields of engineering and the natural sciences. To ensure that it only gets students who are capable of coping with the rigorous academic demands of its programs, MIT looks for applicants with SAT math scores above 700.
Humanities
According to experts in the field, Harvard University has one of the best graduate programs in English. Yale offers the best History program according to a huge number of respondents. Princeton, the University of California – Berkeley, and Stanford also have competitive graduate programs in the Humanities.
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A college internship is more than a school requirement; it is also one of the most effective tools in supporting your graduate school application. Completing an internship in college says a lot of good things about you. Here are the benefits of completing a college internship:
For an impressive graduate school essay
When applying for graduate school, your objective is to convince the evaluators that you are genuinely interested in pursuing the particular field you applied for. One good way of supporting your claim is to include a college internship entry in your graduate school essay. Having a college internship experience will give the evaluators the impression that you are determined to do everything just to succeed in whatever you aspire to be. It just proves that you have what it takes to turn your dreams into reality.
For an admirable personal reputation
Juggling time between school work and college internship is not an easy task. When done properly, however, it will provide you sweet rewards. First of all, mentioning your college internship in your application form or graduate admission essay will give the evaluators an impression that you are the type of person who knows how to set priorities. It shows a great deal of determination and a great level of responsibility to endure the stress and pressure that comes from both school work and college internship. You’ll definitely get thumbs up for that.
For an impressive curriculum vitae
A college internship will make your resume even more valuable. Successfully managing your time between school work and college internship is one good sign that you have what it takes to survive in the real world. You are both responsible and dependable – these traits are what most human resource officers are looking for in an employee.
For a relevant working experience
Aside from being a great resume entry, college internship is also a good preparation for life after graduation. Jobs and careers are inevitable and getting a college internship is one good way of getting used to applying what you learned in school. A college internship will teach you how it’s like to work in the real world – something that you will never learn inside a classroom.
Although a college internship may appear like another activity to squeeze into your already tight schedule, you will surely enjoy its benefits afterwards. Pursuing a college internship will not only improve your professionalism, but will also increase your chances of getting accepted in the graduate school of your choice.
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Admission evaluators are not only interested in knowing how satisfactory your grades. Some of them are would rather learn what kind of person you are. You may have straight As in your school subjects, but may also have straight Fs in your social life. Interpersonal skills, aside from academic aptitude, is very important. Good letters of recommendation will show that you are a good student, but great letters of recommendation will also show that you are a good team member or colleague. Letters of recommendation, in their own way, support and validate whatever information you mentioned in your admission essay.
How to choose your references
The selection of references for letters of recommendation should not only be based on the professor’s teaching reputation. You also have to choose references based on familiarity. Which of your professors know you well? Who noticed your potential? Another tip in choosing references? Choose a professor or instructor who actually gave you a good grade.
How to narrow your selection
Choose a reference who has seen you at your best. Your reference can the professor who noticed your determination or a colleague who experienced your reliability first-hand. You have to make sure that your reference knows you well enough to adequately answer whatever questions admissions evaluators may pose to them. It is also wise to choose an articulate reference to avoid any confusion on the message of the letter.
How to finalize your list
It is important to choose a reference who really knows you well. Your reference must know you well enough to write a positive yet honest recommendation letter for you. It is also important that you actually have a good professional relationship with your reference so you can anticipate what your reference will write in the recommendation letter. Trust plays a big role in recommendation letters. You have to remember that by asking people to write letters of recommendation for you, you are also entrusting your chance of getting admitted to them.
Letters of recommendation are only one element of the application process. You still have to do good on your admission. For an well-crafted personal statement, use sample graduate school essay as a guide. Learn how the dos and donts when reading a sample graduate school essay. Get tips from a sample graduate school essay. Instead of writing a mere summary of your resume, include personal traits and experiences that make you a good candidate for grad school.
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