[For Those Who Know Where They Want to Go]

congratulations!!! and thank you

[Funding an Online Program]

wow, thanks modern_muslimah! I was afraid of that...it would be so great to get a scholarship or work opportunity ( :

[Choice Between Two Programs]

bump! Phyl has great insight...hopefully more folks answer, too. and congratulations : )

[I Screwed Up]

Thank you falling_leaves and modern_muslimah

[GradCafe Noob / Queens College question]

I don't know anything about Queens, but good question, I hope a Queens student/alumni answers soon! As long as they're ALA accredited, I bet folks will say it's a good choice.

[Funding an Online Program]

I got a couple of answers to this question on another college forum, but I'm still interested in answers from all of you here on grad cafe! I don't know what I'll do if I can't get financial aid for an online program : /

[For Those Who Know Where They Want to Go]

I had really practical considerations when applying to grad school. I wanted a school that was accredited by the ALA and had low tuition. I'm applying to Wayne State because they offer in-state tuition fees to people living in my county in Ohio and also students who do online courses. Their program is also accredited by the ALA. I want to work as a librarian in a public library, preferably in an inner city. So I think getting an MLIS from Wayne State will hopefully allow this to occur without having to pay too much or take on too much debt.

Thanks for your answer : ) Finances are a big concern for me, too. Are you applying for spring 2012?

[I Screwed Up]

Well good! That's why I usually just lay it all out there because I don't have the "I decided what I'll do at 17 and then stick with it for 4 years in college" story. You definitely don't have to have one of those to move up in academia. I know people who did that, didn't change their minds once, but had completely lost interest by the time they graduate and are now in totally different jobs anyway, but they had to go to school again in order to get those jobs.

I'm in a totally different field so I really couldn't say what would prepare you for an MLIS. Is there such a thing as a BA in Library Science? You should poke around this forum and see what others have done before going into grad school. You could also just check out university websites for graduate library science programs and see what the requirements are if you haven't done so already. Even if it seems too far away at this point and you have no idea which school you want to go to, just check a few out to get an idea.

Oh, how I envy those who have just stuck with their initial plans! HAHA I love researching the different schools out there! So far, I see that any undergrad degree is acceptable but some programs require programming and statistics courses prior to acceptance.

[I Screwed Up]

I can't speak to your GPA but I can say there are people of all different majors in my program. There's a heavier concentration of english/history/poli sci folks but there's plenty of people outside of that. Everything can be made relevant to library science, I'd think graphic design would have some computer skills, some artsy stuff, someone's got to design book displays or develop visual materials for different programs. Every major has to have some research skills, experience evaluating sources of information and collaborative work experience. When you write your personal statement, think about what you do and the skills you learned rather than the specific topics.

There aren't very many BA in library science programs and really it's not necessary, I don't know anyone in my program with one and you need the masters degree to get a librarian job.

Thank you for the tips about my major! It's nice to hear from someone attending a program. I keep hearing positive things about Rutgers...

[I Screwed Up]

You have very good advice. I don't know how I'd explain a degree in graphic design helping to prepare me for MLIS...After reading your story, I feel encouraged

[Funding an Online Program]

Sorry if this topic has already been started--I looked everywhere and didn't find it, but feel free to point me in the right direction!

Did anyone receive scholarships/grants/assistantships/etc for an online program? I'm wondering how that works since you're not on campus.

There's only one ALA accredited program in my state and I doubt we'll be moving so I will be applying to SJSU and other out of state online programs.

Thank you : )

[For Those Who Know Where They Want to Go]

Why did you choose/ have your heart set on this particular school?

Also, I know there are rankings I can look at, but I'm more interested in what regular folks think about certain programs : ) So please give your opinion on other schools, too, if you have one. Thanks for replying!

[I Screwed Up]

Went to community college, earned A.A.

Transferred to 4 year uni...things went downhill.

Took time off to work full time, now I'm ready to attend community college again to ease back into being a student and "start fresh".

My gpa right now is 2.9, I have about 2 years experience as a circulation assistant, my bachelors will be in either graphic design, sociology, or criminology.

I just want to know if anyone has had a crazy undergrad career like I have.

Did you still get into a program?

Will I be frowned upon for taking time off/changing majors all over the place/going to multiple schools?

I fully intend to raise my GPA, have good letters of recommendation, write a nice personal statement, and do well on the GRE.

*sigh* Thanks for replying