MANUAL
Hand
Photo Illustration | Karlie Brown
Higher education: It's never too early to start thinking about graduate school applications. Taking the time to prepare for the application process will make your life easier.
When you're in the process of earning an undergraduate degree, the prospect of more school may seem every bit as attractive as hugging an angry corpupine. However, a graduate degree may help you score a higher-paying job after graduation, and some professions even require more than a four-year degree.
Considering taking your education to the next level? Here's what you need to know.
THE CLOCK IS TICKING
It's never too early to start preparing for going back to school. John Augusto, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Kansas, recommends beginning the process as early as the summer before junior year by researching programs in your field of interest. "You want to learn what the field is doing," he says. "That takes time to process."
Another important step, he says, is getting to know faculty members at the schools you're considering. They can help you figure out the application process and, more importantly, whether a program is the right fit for you.
Ghadir Ishqaidef, a doctoral student from Jordan, allowed herself plenty of time to prepare before applying to graduate schools, and she recommends that others do the same. "Research as many schools as you can,"she says. "Take time to learn about their programs and talk to people."
GPA: IS YOURS GOOD ENOUGH?
Many students spend a lot of time focusing on their GPAs, and rightly so — most graduate schools weigh grades heavily. But will that C+ in Algebra ruin your chances of entering the world of higher education?
Not necessarily, says David Mumby, author of Graduate School: Winning Strategies for Getting in With or Without Excellent Grades. However, students with GPAs lower than 3.0 have a significantly steeper hill to climb than those with a 3.4 or higher. A good relationship with faculty members in your prospective school is essential in such cases.
If your GPA is slightly lower than an institution's published GPA requirements, you may still have a shot. "The publication of GPA requirements can be extremely misleading," Mumby says. "These things are almost never written in stone, and exceptions can be made."
Of course, a high GPA can be helpful when applying for scholarships, and many programs will be more likely to accept a student who receives financial support outside of the institution.
"MY MOM SAYS I'M AWESOME"
Letters of recommendation are required by
many graduate programs, but don't think you can get away with a letter from a relative or close friend. If you're interested in chemistry, for instance, a letter from your church pastor probably won't cut it, says Augusto, KU's Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies. "I need to figure out if you're a good chemist first," he says. "Then I'll figure out if you're a good person."
Augusto says that most good letters of recommendation come from faculty members who know the student well. These professional sources will be able to attest to a student's academic abilities better than personal sources. Ishqaidef, for example, had two of her professors and a research advisor write her letters. They were more than happy to do it, she says.
A COSTLY PROPOSITION
Preparing for graduate school is no picnic for your pocketbook, something Danielle Packer, Topeka senior, discovered the hard way. Packer is interested in social work and law, and she's narrowed down her graduate school choices to KU and Washburn University.
To help shoulder the financial burden of standardized tests (see sidebar), ordering and sending transcripts and application fees,
GRADUATE SCHOOL ADMISSION TESTS:
THE RUNDOWN
Cost: $160
GRE: There's a good chance you'll have to take this test if you're applying to a graduate program outside of law, medicine or business. The test has three sections: analytical writing, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning.
Cost: $250
GMAT: If you're hoping to get into business school, this is the test you'll probably be taking. The test has two analytical writing segments, a quantitative section and a verbal section.
Cost: $136
LSAT: Heading to law school? You'll have to take the LSAT, which is composed of five sections: reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, two logical reason sections and a final section that varies from one test to the next.
MCAT: The MCAT is a standardized test for medical school hopefuls. The test includes sections in verbal reasoning, physical sciences, writing and biological sciences.
Cost: $235
Packer took out a new credit card. Ordering transcripts, she says, has been the most frustrating financial obstacle. "Paying for transcripts is incredibly ridiculous to me, considering how much I've paid in tuition," she says.
A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON
If you're ready to start thinking about graduate school, your resources are virtually endless. Augusto, KU's Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies, recommends speaking with faculty members in your current program and students already in the you're prospective programs.
Author David Mumby's informational website,
www.mygraduateschool.com, contains tons of tips for applying to graduate school.
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Activities. Dancers included Michael Wade Smith, the student body president, Shade Keys Little, Chancellor Grey-Little's husband, and Baby Jay, among many others.
The winner by popular vote was Matt Rodriguez, a senior majoring in dance as well as a member of the KU Dance Company, with Baby Jay performing a free style number. They opened up with "It Takes Two", by Base Rob and transitioned into "Push It," by Salt-
Baby Jay and Matt Rodriguez perform Thursday night at the first annual SUA Dancing With the Stars. The pair took first place with a free style dance
rah Gregory
Jay" because "you just have to love Baby Jay"
Rissien's original partner tore her Achilles' heel recently, so Buschini only had a week to learn the complex and fast-paced dance.
Jim MacAuley, a professional dancer at Paramount, said that it would normally take six months for professionals to master these dances; the performers last night had only one. While a few groups admitted to messing up a few steps, overall every group scored well and
KUJH TV-News
OFFICER | 3A
For more coverage of this story, check out KUJH's newscast at 4 p.m.
University hires new officer for non-academic misconduct
Nick Kehrwald is filling the newly-created position with hopes of being proactive in student conduct education.
POLO | 2A
A pair of University alumni and a Lawrencian draw attention to polo by adding bikes to it and bringing it to the streets.
Classifieds...9A
Crossword...4A
Cryptoquips...4A
Opinion...5A
Sports...10A
Sudoku...4A
Polo gets a bicycle makeover
INDEX
WEATHER
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansasan
Kirtland pleads guilty in athletics scandal
BY ALEX GARRISON agarrison@kansan.com
Ben Kirtland, a former head of fundraising for Athletics, pleaded guilty in a Wichita court earlier this morning, said Jim Cross, a spokesman for the U.S. district attorney.
TICKETS
Kirtland's plea differs from the arrangement of the previous six defendants in that he did not enter a plea agreement with the
The seventh and final defendant in the federal prosecution of several former Kansas Athletics employees has pleaded guilty to involvement in its ticket scandal.
"Although I do not know the exact value of the tickets I sold, I estimate the total value of the tickets I sold to be in excess of $120,000," he wrote in his petition to change his plea to guilty. "I acknowledge that I was conspiring to commit, and committing, a fraud upon the
SEE TICKETS ON PAGE 3A
In his plea submitted to the court, Kirtland admitted to illegally selling tickets to KU sporting events for his own financial gain from 2005 to 2009.
government, but rather entered a direct guilty plea, Cross said.
MEN'S BASKETBALL | 10A
Which guys are the glue that can keep it together?
Coach Bill Self plays with a lineup to see which combination of players is the most efficient offensively and defensively.
SENATE
Plans for service center delayed
Megan Ritter, student body vice president, said they weren't at the stage they had hoped to be at.
The hope, she said, is that all platforms get done in a year but that isn't always the case.
BY ANGELIQUE MCNAUIGHTON amcnaughton@kansan.com
Originally, Student Senate leaders had hoped to have concrete plans in place for the Student Service Center at the conclusion of the semester. Blaming bureaucratic interests, they said that might not happen after all.
"We just kind of entered into it not knowing really how much work it would be, but it's been a really good learning experience," Ritter said.
One of the major platforms for KUnited coalition — the Student Services Center — won't be met this year because of unexpected delays in the process.
The center would encompass a variety of services, such as academic achievement and success, disability services and a writing center, that the leaders of Student Senate believe would
improve student engagement and performance through accessibility. Ideally, the building would include seven to 10 services.
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The location of the center would ultimately dictate what services would be offered, which still remains a primary concern.
From the beginning, the top three choices for the site are the Burge Union, Anschutz Library and the parking lot across from the Kansas Union. Renovations or additions to existing structures would accommodate the new building but temporarily displace or relocate staff and faculty.
In an e-mail, provost Jeffrey Vitter said the University ultimately had the responsibility to decide whether to proceed with a project and to determine its location.
"I expect that this approach will allow us to plan more effectively and avoid dead ends and that process will more successfully mesh with student initiatives if the relevant discussions happen earlier rather than later." Vitter said.
Student Body President Michael Wade Smith said the University
SEE SENATE ON PAGE 3A