Applying to Graduate or Professional School
—from the Career Development Office

The graduate application process, including evaluating and selecting appropriate programs, writing personal essays, taking standardized exams, asking professors for recommendation letters, requesting official transcripts, filling out and tracking applications, and applying for financial aid/funding requires a significant investment of energy and time. Please ask for advice. Speak with your professors about programs you may be interested in and request letters of recommendation early, even if you do not intend to apply to graduate or professional school right away. The Career Development Office will keep these letters on file for you in our Credential File Service, should you need them in the future. Consult the CDO website at http://inside.bard.edu/career/schools, for information about the Credential File Service, the GRE, LSAT, and MCAT exams and more.

The staff and faculty are here to support you, so make use of their time, knowledge and guidance. The college has many people you may want to consult with:

• Jonathan Becker, Associate Dean of the College, Associate Professor of Political Studies and Dean of International Studies (jbecker@bard.edu; x7378; Annandale House 110).
• Roger Berkowitz, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Studies and Human Rights and Pre-law Advisor (berkowit@bard.edu; x7413; Seymour 102).
• Nicole Burman, Graduate School Advisor and Associate Director of Career Development (burman@bard.edu; x7189; Campus Center 201).
• John Ferguson, Professor of Biology and Health Professions Advisor, (ferguson@bard.edu; x2333; Reem Kayden Center 215).
• David Shein, Bard Fellowships and Awards Committee Chair, Assistant Dean of the College and Associate Dean of Student Affairs (shein@bard.edu; Ludlow 105; x7045).

Consider the possibilities

These questions may prompt your thinking about graduate and professional school:

• Are you able to articulate your reasons for applying to graduate or professional school?
• Are your scholarly interests already well defined, or are they still fairly broad?
• What kind of research have you conducted so far into graduate programs in your field?
• Have you consulted with Bard faculty in your area of interest?
• Have you defined a set of criteria to evaluate individual programs?
• Have you visited program websites or used Petersonís Graduate & Professional Programs guide or another resource to learn about graduate programs in your field?
• Are you familiar with faculty teaching in any of these programs and do their research interests intersect with your own?
• What do you want to convey about your academic background, interests, and goals in your personal statement?

If you are in the initial phase of thinking about graduate and professional school, and are not yet ready or able to answer the questions above, you may need more information about graduate school expectations generally, about differences between masters and doctoral programs, and about the kinds of professional opportunities which are available with a particular advanced degree or certification. Discuss these concerns, how to research various options, and how to clarify your next steps with Nicole Burman in the Career Development Office or with your professors, who will be happy to point you toward the next step.

Questions? Need more information?
Contact: Nicole Burman, Graduate School Advisor and Associate Director, Career Development Office, burman@bard.edu, x7189, Campus Center 201.