Common Assumptions
Deciding When to Enter
Deciding Where to Attend
Researching Graduate Programs
Pre-Professional Advisors

Because graduate study is focused on a specific field and requires substantial time and monetary commitment, we encourage you to make your graduate or professional school decision carefully. If you are uncertain about your chosen field of study, it might be useful to assess the following questions before making a graduate school decision:

1) What are your career goals?
Where do you want to be in five years? Ten? Is a particular graduate degree necessary to get there?

2) Is graduate study a common requirement in your chosen field?
Talk to people in the fields you are interested in. How did they get there? Is graduate school the only or best route to the career you want?

3) Have you considered other options?
Compare your options. These include going directly to graduate school, working for a year or more, traveling or exploring for a year or more, or working in lieu of graduate school.

4) Have you gained any hands-on experience in your chosen field?
Internships, summer jobs or mentorships within your field will test your interest and strengthen your application. Some graduate schools prefer applicants who have a year or more of applied experience.

Common Assumptions
Before applying to graduate school, consider these common assumptions:

Assumption: I have career goals that make graduate school necessary.
This is often, but not always, true. Thoroughly research your career choice to determine whether, and at what point, graduate education is necessary.

Assumption: A graduate degree will improve my chances of getting a job.
In many cases, training or education beyond the bachelor’s level is necessary for a job. However, in many professions, employers accept - or even prefer - candidates straight out of college.

Assumption: The job market will improve while I’m in graduate school.
This is a risky assumption. The job market in your field may be even more glutted for those with graduate degrees than for those without them.

Assumption: I don’t know what else to do and hope graduate school will help me decide.
Entering graduate school without a clear idea of your career goals can lead to false starts and frustration. While changing graduate programs midstream is neither impossible nor unheard of, it is not as simple as changing an undergraduate major. There are better ways to determine what career path you want to explore. Talk to one of our counselors for options.

Assumption: I don’t have a job and graduate school is my only other option. Besides, a graduate degree - especially a law degree - is a useful thing to have, no matter what.
There are many options when you find yourself temporarily jobless. Use the time to conduct a job search, do volunteer work, get an internship, travel, participate in a Outward Bound course, or chase one of your dreams. And while it’s true that a graduate degree is a useful thing, a degree in Political Science isn’t very useful if you later decide to teach Art. Besides, you may find yourself without the motivation it takes to succeed if you aren’t sure why you’re pursuing your graduate degree.

Deciding When to Enter
While roughly 85% of Davidson graduates ultimately attend graduate school, only about one in four go on to pursue further study within a year of graduation, and only about one in five liberal arts graduates nationally do the same. Weigh the pros and cons of proceeding directly to graduate school. Talk with alumni, faculty, advisors, and professionals about their perspectives, and about work and internship options prior to attending grad school.

Of course, there are no absolute guidelines about when to go to graduate school. Applying while still in college has its merits. There are many sources of information available on campus that you may use in the process. It is easier to obtain letters of recommendation from faculty since they are likely to be familiar with your recent work. Having adjusted to the intense academic environment at Davidson over the past four years, you have acquired some effective study skills that will be very useful to you in graduate school.

On the other hand, many schools look favorably upon applicants who have had some life/work experiences that enhance participation in the classroom.  Gaining work experience related to your interests before entering graduate school can also help clarify your career goals. Furthermore, the knowledge and skills acquired through practical work experience should increase your understanding and appreciation of the theoretical concepts in your area of study. In some cases, work experience might enhance the competitiveness of your application by compensating for weak grades or low test scores. Last but not least, you may simply benefit from a well-deserved break.

If you decide to delay graduate school, you may still want to take the GRE, GMAT, LSAT or other appropriate admission test during your senior year. Scores are considered valid for five years on most of the standardized tests. You may also consider applying for a deferred admission if offered by a graduate program of interest to you.

Deciding Where to Attend
The single most important question to answer is “Where can I find faculty who are on the leading edge of research in my field?” Find out where people are researching and publishing material that excites you! This question can be applied to any graduate field that you are interested in pursuing. For example, if you want to study the literature and language of West Africa, which programs are currently studying it, and which one is the best?

Of course, it is important to take into account your personal background and other factors, but the single most critical issue is finding a program that will provide the highest caliber research and mentoring opportunities. Regardless of geographic preference or size of institution, it is far more important to identify schools with the leading researchers and publishers in your chosen field. The following are other factors to consider:

Program Characteristics
total size
faculty-student ratio
quality of the program and reputation within the field among current students, employers, and Davidson faculty
academic requirements of the program
credit hours, internship requirements, etc.
philosophy and orientation of the program
blend of research and practical experience
faculty: specialties, practical experience, quality, reputation, interaction with students
career services offered: quality and availability of internships, employers who recruit from the program, geographic distribution of employers

Admissions & Financial Aid
selectivity and admission requirements
commitment to women and minority applicants
availability of financial aid or assistantships
availability of health insurance for graduate students

Facilities
size of university library facilities
library collection in your field
computer, laboratory, and other facilities

Personal Preference
geographic location
quality of life in community
distance from loved ones
housing conditions and cost of living
time required to complete degree
social and academic atmosphere (collaborative vs. competitive)

NOTE: Admission Requirements
Professors can help you determine what type of program is best for your interests. Talk to faculty for names of the strong programs. Ideally, select schools in three categories: “reach” schools where it will be difficult to gain admission, schools where you have a fifty-fifty chance, and a few strong programs where you are relatively sure to get in.

Gauging your likelihood of acceptance to a school will save you time and money. There is little reason to apply to schools to which you have no chance of being accepted or that you would not want to attend if you were accepted. It is important to research programs carefully and narrow your list of selections to a few well-chosen schools.

Check program catalogs to determine minimum requirements, but keep in mind that the minimum qualifications are usually not sufficient to gain admission. Contact the school directly for statistics concerning grade point averages and test scores of accepted students. Some programs will weigh test scores less heavily in admissions decisions; others will weigh them more. You may want to identify the range of scores for accepted applicants in order to determine the likelihood of admission.

While graduate school admissions offices are a great source of program information, students often neglect to contact them, feeling that it is inappropriate. Admissions officers can provide a wealth of information on career placement, entrance and program requirements, alumni, faculty or current students who would be willing to discuss their experiences, as well as other specific information. In addition, the admissions office can share with you their range of acceptable application criteria. Don’t be afraid to call, but try not to ask questions for which information is readily available elsewhere. And of course, be professional and polite when you call for information. Graduate admissions offices are generally small and they remember the students who call!

By asking the following questions of graduate Admissions Offices, you can better assess the program's suitability for you:

What are the students in the program like? What are their academic and work experience backgrounds?
What were the GPA’s and entrance exam scores of last year’s entering class?
What is the academic reputation of the program?
How flexible is the program? Will I have the option of designing my own program or concentration?
What is the academic and work background of the faculty? How available are they?
Is the relative emphasis of the program theoretical or practical?
Are internships an option? How are students selected for them? How many are there? Where are they? Are they supervised?
Are fellowships and assistantships available? How many? What types? How are students selected?
In what types of professionally related activities are students involved?
What do current students like or dislike about the program?
What do recent graduates think of the program?
What facilities are available for graduate students?
How should I focus my application?
What percentage of graduates gain employment in their field immediately upon graduation? Within one year?
What organizations hire graduates? Where are the employers located?

Researching Graduate Programs
Here are some information sources on the Davidson campus and beyond:

Professional Journals
Remember, the most important criteria in selecting a graduate program is the research interests of the graduate faculty. To find out who is conducting the leading research in your field, consult professional journals to identify the individuals and institutions involved. Check the Internet for professional listservs and discussion groups. Find out what issues and ideas are emerging and who is studying them. In addition to providing internet access, the E.H. Little Library has hundreds of professional journals for a variety of fields. Ask your professors and advisors to recommend publications and journals.

Faculty
Faculty can help in many other ways, too. Don’t be afraid to just call, introduce yourself, and politely ask for an appointment even if you never had Professor “Q” for class. Ask your current professors or advisors for advice about the best programs to research in your areas of interest. While these individuals probably know a great deal about the field, they also may have colleagues at institutions you are considering and may be able to give you inside information about specific programs or put you in touch with someone who can. Also check the Davidson catalog to see if any faculty members have attended the programs you’re considering. As alumni, they will have valuable perspectives.

Alumni
Contact alumni who have attended the school(s) you are considering. Talk to them about their experiences and ask for suggestions and advice. Also, try to find Davidson alumni who are current students within your target graduate programs. This can provide a different but equally important perspective. Check with the graduate school admissions office for the names of program alumni, particularly in the Charlotte area or near your hometown. They can tell you how well the program prepared them.

Professionals in the Field
Go straight to the source. Certainly, they can be Davidson graduates working in your field of interest, but don’t limit yourself. People love to talk about what they do and are usually quick to offer advice, information and opinions.  Ask which schools are the most respected in the field, and which degree or combination of degrees is the most ideal for the type of work you’d like to do. Ask them about their graduate school experience and suggestions for further research.

As you speak with people, ask them for recommendations of other sources of information, including relevant publications and professional journals, or other people you might contact. Consider the information you receive carefully in light of each person’s particular experience and perspective. Ultimately, you will have to determine which schools are most appropriate for you, based on all the information you have gathered and your own values, interests, and career goals.

Career Services
Helpful resources are available through Career Services to help you begin your graduate school search:

Individual appointments with counselors
Assistance with application materials and resumes
Workshops on the graduate school application process
Graduate and professional school speakers and events
Information about graduate school test dates and test preparation
Individual campus visits and information sessions by grad school representatives
Directories of graduate programs in the U.S. and abroad
Database of graduate fellowships and information on other financial aid options
Directories of professional associations, including academic associations.

Pre-Professional Advisors:

Pre-Law Advisors:  Dr. Mary Thornberry, Political Science Department (704) 894-2282; Dr. Dan Aldridge, History Department (704) 894-2776; Dr. John Wertheimer, History Department (704) 894-2039; Dr. Monica White, Career Services (704) 894-2132

Pre-Medicine:  Dr. Jeremiah L. Putnam, Premedical Director (704) 894-2484 jeputnam@davidson.edu

Pre-Ministerial:  Rob Spach, College Chaplain (704) 894-2423; Libby Westley, Career Services (704) 894-2132

Pre-Dental Advisor: Dr. Jeremiah L. Putnam, Premedical Director (704) 894-2484 jeputnam@davidson.edu

Pre-Management Advisor: Professor Ben Baker, Economics Department (704) 894-2397 bebaker@davidson.edu

Pre-Veterinary Advisor: Dr. Pamela Hay, Biology Department (704) 894-2848 pahay@davidson.edu