Junior Year, Fall and Spring
- Research areas of interest, institutions, and programs.
- Talk to advisers about application requirements.
- Register and prepare for appropriate graduate admission tests.
- Investigate national scholarships/funding sources.
- If appropriate, obtain letters of recommendation.
Junior Year, Summer
- Take required graduate admission tests.
- Visit institutions of interest, if possible.
- Write your application essay.
- Check on application deadlines and rolling admissions policies.
Senior Year, Fall
- Obtain letters of recommendation.
- Take graduate admission tests if you haven't already.
- Submit completed applications.
Senior Year, Spring
- Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), if required.
- Check with all institutions before the deadline to make sure your file is complete.
- Visit institutions that accept you.
- Send a deposit to your institution of choice.
- Notify other colleges and universities that accepted you of your decision so that they may admit students on their waiting list.
- Send thank-you notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters, informing them of your success.
Key Points
- Apply between October and December (even if the deadline isn't until January)
- Take your entrance exam in your junior year, if possible. Get the admissions committee to look at your application before the crush of applicants.