Getting Ready for Applications

[Imbasel]

Hi everyone. I am currently a junior in college. It is my second year here and I had very little in the way of AP credit transfer over. However, I worked hard and will continue to do so. As a result I am preparing for grad school. Specifically I am looking into getting a Masters in Higher Education Administration, preferably with a focus in Student Affairs Residential Life. I wanted to post some of my information to see how I stand into getting into grad school as long as my grades stay up.

 

GPA: 3.68

Major GPA (Speech Communication): 3.90 

Minor GPA (Criminal Justice Studies): 4.0

GRE: I have not taken it yet, but will come late summer early fall.

 

Work Experience at College

This will reflect my work experience as the jobs I have are guaranteed for me until I graduate.

 

Office: Computer and Technology Services

Network Technician; 3 years

 Duties involved maintenance, as well as creation of new network and phone lines. This job enables me a lot of my own freedom. I commonly use a campus database that is updated and have been given permission to do so on my own accord. When on jobs I make most of the executive decisions for how it is done, unless my supervisor says otherwise.

 

 

Office: Residential Life

Academic Mentor; 1 year

This is a live in position where I am paired off with an RA. My duties involved providing academic support to the students, helping them create and organize their schedules as well as building community. I also organized several building programs, submitted weekly reports, and went to staff meetings This position is unique as it is only for an all freshmen building. In more detail academic support was offered by having study sessions, as well as arranging for students to have meetings with professors if needed. I also held floor meetings along with my RA to discuss any issues as they arose.

 

Office: Residential Life

Resident Assistant; 1 year 

This is a live in position on campus. Duties include, but by no means limited to holding floor meetings, disciplining the floor and building, going on call for no less than 80 hours per semester. This position also involved the submission of incident reports in the form of documentations, going to staff meetings, submitting weekly reports and organizing several building wide programs.

 

Significant Extracurricular Achievements:

 

Vice President for Colleges Against Cancer: I am currently the VP for Colleges Against Cancer on my campus. I work with the President, the club and the American Cancer Society to organize a Relay for Life. Last year over 700 people attended and over 30,000 dollars were donated. This year the number of attendance is expected to be even higher as are the donations. Part of my duties also include chairing a committee (Survivorship and Advocacy), having meetings with various officials throughout campus, and running meetings when the President is not able. Currently the club has around 30 active members.

 

Committee Member for Food and Hospitality: I am currently  a committee member for the Food and Hospitality Committee, which helps organize the Relay for Life above and beyond what I do as VP for Colleges against cancer. The role includes talking to various groups, organizations, and individuals to donate gifts or food for Relay for Life, to be given out during the Relay for Life.

 

Sociology Club Member: I have been a Sociology Club member for a year and a half now. Recently, however I gave a speech in front of more than 150 people concerning rights that we as Americans have. I was asked to speak as the speech occurred after a musical composition made in response to the Kent State shootings. The theme of the speech was how we have certain rights and that we have a duty to make a change in the world, not matter how disheartened we may become. The audience reacted very well to it with a request for it to be put online by an audience member.

 

So what do you guys think about my undergraduate career as it stands? I should have about a 3.75 overall average by the time I graduate and between a 3.8-3.95 in Speech Communication and a 3.7-4.0 in my minor when I graduate.

 

How strong is my application and what do you all recommend?

 

 

[ctcpx084]

Overall, I think you have a lot of positives, from what you've posted here. Keep in mind your statement of purpose and GRE will be factors in the process as well (the SOP more than the GRE). Evaluating your application is difficult to do without, 1) being a university admissions person, which I am not, and 2) knowing what kind of graduate program you're looking at going into.

 

It really does depend on each department, and each university. I was admitted into a doctoral program five or six years ago without meeting the minimum requirements, and I certainly didn't have the high GPA and array of work and other experiences that you've listed. However, my admission was at a "flagship" university with a very, very average reputation. If you had applied in the same department there, I'm sure you would have been admitted. On the other hand, my girlfriend had a much better GPA and similar work and educational experiences, yet was denied admission in a different department at the same university; she was even an international student with excellent English abilities, which usually seems to be a plus for such candidates. I think what she was told is that her research and professional interests were simply not a good match with the faculty members who were there, even though her application on the whole was very good.

 

Obviously, top tier and Ivy league schools might be a totally different experience. I only recently applied to these kinds of schools when I reapplied to graduate school, and I'm still waiting for an admissions decision. I can't speak with any authority about these types of schools, outside of the application process.

 

The influence of GRE scores also depends on the university and the program to which you apply, but at the very least I think we can agree that it would be better not to have a "weak" area on your application. If you're aiming for a summer GRE, you still have several months to review study materials. If I have one regret, it's that I didn't put more time to the GRE. While I did spend a considerable amount of time with it, I only had so many hours in the day due to my job and the other things I have going on. 

 

The more important thing is the statement, or whatever written piece goes along with your application to summarize your plans, your experience, etc. Once you identify the schools you want to attend, you'll have a better idea of what to write. Writing an effective SOP is pretty challenging, and very important. If you do it right, it will take all the good stuff you mentioned in your post and make you into an attractive candidate. 

 

I think what you have so far is a good start, though.