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I know that a lot of people on this forum have used funding from one program to get another program to increase its funding offer. Does anyone have any experience using non-funding aspects (particularly the convenience of going to a program in a city in which you already live as opposed to moving to go to another) of one program to get another to increase its financial aid offer? My list is down to a few schools, and one of them, where I currently live, is not offering money, while a couple in other areas are offering small amounts. I like all the programs but would like to see if I can get the small-amount schools to increase their offers by discussing the temptation of staying where I currently am instead of moving and that sort of thing. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Hi guys, I recently changed job titles, but I've already turned in my grad school apps. Do you think it's worth saying something to the schools I applied to, or is it probably too late to get them to care?

Hi guys, I'd prefer that my current workplace not know that I've applied to grad school until I'm ready to leave. However, I'd imagine that most schools would run an employment verification...does this mean that, if or when I accept a place at a school in April or so, my place of work will get a call from the school shortly after? Has anyone dealt with this before? I'd really rather not have this conversation with my bosses until a few months down the line... Does anyone have any experience with this?

I just spoke to one of my recommenders, who informed me that the reason that he put for my leaving the job at which I worked with him differs from the one that I put on the applications that I have turned in so far. It seems to have just been an honest mistake, and the two versions are reconcilable (just sort of told from different angles of the company, and neither is bad; I left the job on good terms), but I'm worried that it might present problems to an ad com who notices she says one thing and I say another. Is it worth it to write to the ad coms to modify my own explanations for leaving this job even though their deadlines have already passed, or should I just let this be. I'm worried that the inconsistency, if noticed, could lead to them thinking that I'm not telling the truth.

I'm applying for dual degree programs where each degree is taken at a different college. Do my goals have to match for both SOPs, or is it OK if they are slightly different? I'm talking about a tiny semantic change or two that I realized I wanted to make after I submitted one, but I haven't yet submitted the other. Would there be any chance that the schools will compare the two statements to make sure that I was consistent with what I said I wanted to do, or should I not worry about this?

I got my current position through a staffing agency, but I'm applying to schools right now. If I spent a few weeks working for them through the agency but will soon be made a full-time, regular employee, should I put the staffing agency and the company on my resume (since originally I am employed and paid by the agency, though I do my work at the company), or should I just put the company? I was thinking that I could put the company on my resume and leave a note in my optional essay that I got the job and was technically employed by the staffing agency before being made a full-time employee. Does anyone have any thoughts on or experience with this?

I audited a couple of courses in undergrad. They weren't related to my major, but of course I did get the credits for graduation. The reason is sort of embarrassing: I needed to take a couple of classes from these areas to graduate, but was a bit intimidated by the subject matter and didn't want low grades to drag down my GPA. Is it worth explaining this in an app's optional essay, or should I just let my transcript speak for itself and not mention it?

I'm applying to a couple of schools that ask for me to give reasons why I left jobs. At one of my jobs, I was given the option of resigning or being fired. I chose to resign. The job wasn't a good fit anyway, but would it be a stretch of the truth to list "not a good professional fit" as the reason I chose to resign? I mean, I resigned because I had to do that or be fired, but it really wasn't a good fit and I wanted to resign anyway. What's the best thing to put for this?

Hi all, Sorry if this is a question that comes up a lot. I was unable to find a satisfactory answer on here. I'm applying to MBA programs, and most of them want a resume (or CV for non-American applicants). I have a nice-looking two-page resume, but a lot of the second page is volunteer work, awards, scholarships, etc. It seems that a lot of the applications ask for those things in the app itself, so should I try to pare my resume down to one page and eliminate them? Or should I just keep it as two pages and just have a lot of the other stuff listed during the application, as well.

Interesting, thanks for the perspective. I should probably clarify that I'm a contract worker right now but will probably be taken on as a regular employee right around the time my first applications will be going in in a couple more weeks. Does that make any difference with any of my considerations?

I just started a new position, but I'm also applying for grad schools out of the city I live in. Am I paranoid to think that my current boss could contact any program I get accepted to (when/if I tell him I have to leave) and tell them that I wasn't up-front about applying to programs, which might result in concern about my character, etc. from programs and thus a possible revocation of an offer of admission? Is that crazy? I just don't want to have to deal with anything in a few months if/when I get into any of my chosen programs, have put down a deposit, and have to tell my boss. Has anyone dealt with this before?

I've spoken to quite a few people affiliated with each of the schools I"m applying to, including alums and current students. Should I make reference to my conversations with these students in my essays if I gained any important insight from them? It seems a bit brown-nose-y, but I'd like for schools to see that I have done my research.

I'm preparing grad school apps for a few different programs, and I'm wondering if I should include part-time work that I did this past summer on it. I left my other job, got a gig for the summer (fixed, seven-week job), part-time, in my field. I recently started a new job. Is this summer job something that I should put down on my resume/CV? Also, the schools ask for my four most recent professional experiences, full- or part-time. I'm worried that, if I include this part-time work, it will obscure a relatively prestigious fellowship that I did a while back, as that is over four jobs ago. Of course, that fellowship is on my resume, but I'm worried that this initial list is meant to filter out students, and could cause my app to be cast aside before they see anything else. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Hi all, I'm applying for International Affairs programs, and although all of the sites of the schools I'm applying to say they will take either a CV or a resume, I'm concerned about submitting the right one. Does anyone have any experience with this, particularly for IA/IR programs? Is there a certain CV or resume format I should consider? Any other advice?

Thanks for the advice. I should mention that I'm not applying to research-based academic programs, but to MBA programs and the like. Does that make a difference at all?

I'm applying to a couple different types of programs this fall and winter, and of course all of them require a resume. When applying for jobs I put a summary at the top, but do you guys have any insight as to whether that is also advisable with a grad school resume? It seems redundant, as I spell out my objective in the personal statement, but I'm not sure.

I recently resigned from a position on less than great terms with my boss but I want to account for that year of my life with a recommendation on my upcoming apps. Would it be OK to get a letter from a colleague with whom I worked very closely during my time at this job? Technically we held the same position, but she was the project lead on our team and can attest to my accomplishments during that time. I have backup recs I could get, but they're from a job for which I already have a recommendation from a different supervisor. Thoughts? Additionally, another question: I've worked a few different jobs since college, but would it be OK to have two recommenders coming from the same position? Does anyone have any experience with that?

Hi guys, I'm applying to schools outside of the field in which I've spent my whole career so far, and I want to get a letter from the only long-term boss I'be had. She was my boss for three years, during which time she saw me grow tremendously. However, I left the job three years ago and have since had a couple of other positions, though none for nearly as long. Since my essays tend to focus on what I did in that job, as it has been the most formative professional experience I've had so far, should I try to secure her LOR, or is it OK to discuss to my experience in that job while my recs come from supervisors and colleagues at other jobs?

I'm applying to a variety of International Relations, MBA, and MPA programs. I've got a few years of work experience and I currently volunteer for a couple of different organizations in my city. Most schools ask you to put volunteer work on your resume, so I'll put my more recent stuff on there, but how far back should I go? I had a lot of managerial and curatorial experience during undergrad at my campus radio station, but I'm now 6 years out of undergrad and am unsure if I should mention those positions on my resume. What do you guys think?

I'm applying for a couple of different types of degrees in the fall, and I want to demonstrate to b-schools that I've got the qunt skills to succeed. With that in mind, I'm going to subscribe to mbamath.com and submit my transcripts to my chosen institutions. However, I'd like to know if anyone knows whether other degree programs might be interested in seeing my work from that site. I'm looking into MPA programs as well as some IR programs, and since I don't have an econ background, I think it might be helpful. Does anyone have any experience submitting results from mbamath.com to non-MBA programs? What did the admissions officers say? Is it worth the time to do so?

I'm interested in applying to degrees in international relations, like programs at SAIS, Georgetown, and a couple of others. I've got an undergrad majors in English and a foreign language which included a year abroad. I have a Master of Science in Teaching, which I obtained while teaching high school. Additionally, I was a Fulbrighter and have worked for a couple of other educational organizations. I feel that I have a good amount of international experience and can get good recs from people with whom I worked during my time abroad. My GRE scores are good, well in the middle 50% (if not slightly above) for the schools I'm looking at. My question is this: are there any blind spots on my background? I want to cover all of my bases, and while I don't have intl relations experience per se, I've got enough experience abroad (plus what I think is good work experience) to speak intelligently on global affairs, etc. Does anyone have any suggestions for coursework that I could complete in the meantime to make my application stand out a bit more?

Hi all, I'm new here but have been lurking for a while, getting advice and tips. I've suddenly found myself in a strange predicament. I have worked in a single sector since graduating college in 2008, but have wanted out for a couple of years now. I was planning to do one more year at my current job and leave for grad school (for which I'd be applying this summer). However, I was recently asked to resign, leaving me with a year or so before I plan to go back to school. I live in an expensive city but have enough savings to get by. I have a couple of options that I'm weighing and would like some input from you guys: 1. Look for a "real" job, apply to school by fall, hopefully know by winter, and then leave the job in May 2015 if the right academic opportunity has presented itself. This, of course, gives me access to a steady income and insurance, but I'd feel terrible about starting at a new company and leaving after a few months, particularly because these aren't large corporations but rather small non-profits that can't really afford too much turnover. Plus, the jobs I have interviews for aren't really dream jobs or in my chosen new sector, but rather continuations of what I've already been doing. 2. Find short-term work to pay the bills for the time being, something I won't feel bad about quitting in a few months, apply to school, then hopefully know by winter what I'm doing. If everything works out, spend the spring traveling before starting school. If I get rejected from every program, go into "oh crap" mode and figure something out. Again, I have enough savings to last a while and if I can cover my costs for the time being I'm happy. I understand that my admission to my chosen schools is not guaranteed, but I think I have a good chance at getting in given my academic and professional background. What do you guys think?