Applying for Graduate Assistantships

[higheredhopeful]

Hello,

 

For anybody who has gone through the process or knows otherwise, can you tell me how the interviewing/application process works for graduate assistantships?

 

If a school has a long list of potential assistantships/internships, are you supposed to only indicate interest in the ones you'd truly want to do or are you supposed to rank all of them (or as many as your school allows) and hope you get one?

 

Of course you'd want to secure a GA, but would you be willing to do one that you're not really interested in?

 

Thanks! Best of luck to all the Fall 2015 applicants!

 

[rising_star]

I would list as many areas as you're actually interested in and willing to work in. That will increase your likelihood of getting a GA position. But, talk to the grad admin person in your department to find out what the proper procedure is for each department.

[JBums1028]

So most of the schools I have come across have limited the number you can select in some way, so I haven't really had the problem of trying to figure out what is a good number to apply for. My advice would be to limit the number you pick to positions that you are actually interested in having. This would include your top choices and ones that aren't top choices, but you wouldn't mind working in that position. I wouldn't apply to positions that you don't want just for the sake of applying for it.

[Set0514]

Some larger colleges have interview days, such as MSU where the accepted go and interview for jobs. I know at CSUF and other small schools, they usually can get you a GA if you want one but it is hourly as opposed to stiped+tuition credit. Now what I have noticed is that the larger schools offer GA's and require you to do a practicum ( kind of like a non paid internship.) For the GA portion, I would do something that you want to do as a career. If you have a student worker position in a dept and you like it- I would stay with it. The practicum(s) is to diversify your portfolio, and I would do it in a different department of student affairs. 

Thanks for the sharing!!! I was accepted to a doctorate program in 2015 fall. Would you suggest to apply to the GA now (if this is related to your experience)? I was wondering about the timelines for applying GA, TA or other assisstanships?

[higheredhopeful]

Man, it's a bummer not getting selected for interviews for GAs, especially if it's one that you were very interested in.

 

Anybody have tips for what the interview could be like? Is it basically like a job interview or will they ask about your research interests?