gradschoolheaven

Graduate assistantship stipends vary by academic program and institution. In my experience, most stipends fall are between $12,000 and $25,000. It's probably fair to say that financial packages in the mid teens represent the norm outside of professional schools. You should evaluate stipends in the context of the city's living costs with a special emphasis on the real estate market. If you can't make ends meet with your stipends, consider supplementing your income with private tutoring on standardized test taking (you aced the GRE, right?), writing/editing, and specific subjects in which you possess expertise. You can also explore the fragmented world of scholarships and fellowships. With luck and perseverance, you may identify a handful of opportunities suitable for your background and research interests. Finally, if all else fails, you can apply for government and private-lender student loans. To learn more about paying for graduate school, visit GradSchoolHeaven.com.

Graduate schools typically take several weeks or longer to invite candidates to interviews after the application deadline. So, for example, if you submitted an applications at the end of December you would expect to learn about interview decisions in January or February. In some cases, schools may notify candidates later. Most American universities adhere to the Council of Graduate Schools' resolution that stipulates that applicants must have until April 15 to consider offers. Theoretically speaking, then, it's possible for schools to interview candidates up until then, although in practice schools finalize their incoming class much earlier. Good luck with your interviews! To learn more about applying to graduate school, visit GradSchoolHeaven.com.

One more point--If you're targeting a score in the top 1-5%, you may be better off studying alone or paying for one-on-one tutoring. Kaplan's course and the question banks are good preparation, but they are not designed for test takers striving for perfect scores and complete mastery of the materials. Even if you would benefit from Kaplan's course, you may not have the financial resources. In that case, I would recommend picking up some self study guides. Barron's has an excellent GRE book that contains questions that are at the more difficult end of the spectrum, and Kaplan has excellent vocabulary flashcards. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Kaplan's GRE prep course is a good choice for many applicants for two reasons: (1) They are the leader in the test prep industry with a strong track record of getting folks into grad school. (2) They offer a higher score guarantee, so you know that you'll get a return on your investment. Their flagship service -- GRE Advantage On Site -- is not for the faint of heart. It's an 8-week course totaling 20 hours of classroom sessions plus assignments. The price tag is approximately $1,200, but you should contact your local Kaplan center to find out more about pricing. Good luck with your application!

One crucial mistake to avoid in your Personal Statement is writing in an arrogant tone when discussing your qualifications and accomplishments. The statement is your opportunity to shine, but there is a delicate balance to be struck between a bland, factual presentation of the facts and a self-congratulating, conceited exposition of your triumphs and exploits. Arrogant tone: "I earned the Dean's Prize my senior year because I was the #1 student in the Biology program." Neutral, mature tone: "In my senior year, I was awarded the Dean's Prize in recognition of my accomplishments in the Biology program." The personal statement is a unique opportunity to stand out from the crowd, so be sure to craft it carefully and ask for others' feedback.

Asking for 5-10 letters of recommendation for graduate school applications is not uncommon. Graduate admissions are competitive, particularly for doctorate programs, and you are entirely within your rights to apply to a range of schools. If your professor is complaining about completing forms, I can recommend two courses of action: Option #1: Ask another professor for a recommendation letter If the individual you approached is complaining about the amount of letters he or she has to write, you may be better served asking someone else. This kind of resistance could be a sign that the professor does not care enough about your future to put in the time and effort to get you into graduate school. You need strong recommendations so pick your references judiciously. Option #2: Help your professor with his letters as much as possible If you can't think of anyone better, then do your best to help your professor. You can write an outline of the letter of recommendation that he can use as a model, noting relevant facts and accomplishments. You can also print out all of the recommendation forms, pre-complete them as much as possible, and provide stamped and addressed envelopes to all of the schools that you are applying to. This will save your professor a great deal of time and it would be unreasonable for him to gripe about your applications at this point. I hope this is helpful and good luck with your applications!

The answers is...it depends! People will reply earlier or later depending on their individual circumstances. Generally speaking, applicants who have heard back definitely ("accepted" or "rejected") from schools will tend to make decisions well before April 15. Applicants who are still on waiting lists, or have only been accepted or rejected to programs in the last week, may take until the very last minute to make a decision. The week of April 15 is a tumultuous one, with a great deal of activity on waiting lists. Further, some schools make staggered decisions with respect to admissions and funding. In some cases, applicants may be admitted to graduate programs say, in March, but learn about their funding decision until close to April 15. I hope this helps and that this will be a week for celebration.