Am looking to research for good graduate schools, need help

[Hydralisk86]

So I am about to graduate with my Bachelor's after Fall 2011, and I am somewhat nervous about what shools to choose. I have not done my GRE's, or gotten my letters of recommendation and personal statement. My major is in sociology, but I'm not sure if that's what I want to get into.

If Im looking to go to graduate school, what should I look for? What is a good way to research on graduate schools? I have never done this before, and I hope to get some help on this.

[fuzzylogician]

Graduate school is something you do because you're passionate about it, or if it's a professional program - in order to advance a career goal. You won't survive a program without that passion and you shouldn't enter a grad program in the social sciences or the humanities without it anyway. In general, you start researching grad programs by identifying researchers whose work excites you and reading up on the schools they teach at. You.can also find general rankings in your field and read about different programs, but it's not advisable to rely on rankings for anything other than identifying programs out there. You can also consult with your professors about suitable programs. But first you should take some time to think about why you want to apply to grad school to begin with.

[Hydralisk86]

fuzzylogician, i decided I would take an evaluation to see what I might be interested in. I think it takes into account your personality, desires, etc. Is there something else i can do to find out my interests?

[CitizenHobbes]

In looking for programs for my field, my first stop was checking the US News and World Report's list of graduate school rankings. It's not THE ONLY stop I made, and I don't recommend you just leave it at that, but it helps when getting a feel and an idea as to what schools are considered "the best" in your field. From that list, pick some schools where you could see yourself for 5-6 years, look up some professors at those schools who seem interesting to you. You can also take this initial list of schools to a professor/advisor and ask if the know of any good programs to look into (but might for some reason or other not be on the US News list).

[wtncffts]

fuzzylogician, i decided I would take an evaluation to see what I might be interested in. I think it takes into account your personality, desires, etc. Is there something else i can do to find out my interests?

Really? I don't know if I'm just especially annoyed by some of the recent "help me" threads, which I guess are par for the course around this time of year, but seriously, if you have to "take an evaluation" to find out what your interests are, that's a bad indicator right there that perhaps grad school isn't the thing for you, at least not now. What are your reasons for wanting to go to grad school? What questions piqued your interest during undergrad that you're just dying to examine further? If you don't have any idea about your research interests or even field, much less convey a seriousness and passion for research, you won't be a good candidate for grad programs. I'm sorry if I misread you; of course, I don't know you personally at all, but this is what I get from your posts.

[sarakeet]

Personally, I would recommend working in a field you think you might be interested in... or even a field that is convenient... to find out your interests. That's how I figured it out both what I do and don't want to go into, anyway, at two different internships/jobs. I know getting a job is not the easiest thing for everyone right now, but there's nothing like reality to give you a push in the right direction! Try getting a job or (if you can afford it) an internship!

[Hydralisk86]

Sorry, i just want to know how to research on which schools in the southern california area are good.

[fuzzylogician]

Sorry, i just want to know how to research on which schools in the southern california area are good.

There is no such thing as "good". There is "good for you" - as in, matching your research interests and whatever other (personal) considerations you have for picking schools (=SO's ability to find a job, weather, proximity to family, etc). I'm sorry but someone who needs to take an evaluation test to find out what their research interests are has no business applying to grad school at all. You need to take a step back and ask yourself why you are thinking of applying to grad school to begin with. Seems to me that you are doing it for all the wrong reasons.

[elsie]

There are lots of great schools in So Cal but you really need a clear idea of what you want to study and why. Aptitude tests are great but I wouldn't use them to decide what to go to grad school for. They might give you an idea of what general field you'd like and then after getting some experience in that field for a bit you might be ready for grad school. Best of luck

[Sigaba]

Sorry, i just want to know how to research on which schools in the southern california area are good.

Hydralisk86--

• As soon as possible, identify the subject you want to study and then your sub fields of interest. (You do not need to write in stone that you want to study the history of strategic thought in the United States Air Force during the 1950s, but you should know that you want to study post-World War II American history.)
  
• Identify the major professional organization for that field of study.
  
• Consult that organization's most recent printed directory of faculty departments in the United States. It is very likely that your current school's relevant departments have these directories.
  
• Make a list of the departments in Southern California that have programs and academics that emphasize your fields of interest.
  
• Make a list of each and every faculty member that works in your fields of interest.
  
  • If the directory includes the names of ABD graduate students and the working titles of their dissertations, include these names and those titles on your list.
    
  • Request all the information and materials you need to apply to these institution's graduate programs.
    
    • Do not forget to request specifically any and all information on financial aid, grants, and fellowships for graduate students.
      
    • Concurrently, perform some quick, but detailed research on the faculty members and the ABDs.
      
      • Take the time to study the interests and career arcs of the faculty members.
        
      • Study the work the faculty members have done as well as any publications the ABDs may have.
        
      • If possible, meet in person these academics and the ABDs.
        
        • During these personal meetings, listen at least twice as much as you talk.
          
          
        • Meanwhile, go to the professors and the ABDs in the corresponding departments at your school.
          
          • Discuss with them your interest in going to a graduate program.
            
          • Ask for their suggestions/guidance/recommendations.
            
            • Use the above as you see fit.
              

            [*]Throughout, ask yourself questions like "Is this someone I'd want to work with?" and "Is this a subject I want to spend the next X+ years studying?" and, equally important, "What is the job market for a person with a Ph.D. in subject A?"

            [*]As you answer these questions, you'll be able to narrow down your choices to a manageable handful.

            [*]By then, you'll have the application materials you need, and then you can start the process of applying.

            [*]Keep in mind that you're at a bit of a competitive disadvantage.

            [*]You will be going up against applicants who have known since junior high school--if not earlier--that they wanted to go to graduate school in field Z.

            [*]These applicants will have designed their academic careers--if not also their personal lives--to get themselves into graduate school.

            [*]I am not mentioning this point to dissuade you, but rather to suggest that you have realistic expectations, and that you manage those expectations.

            HTH.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Sigaba