So you’ve decided to apply to graduate school. Congratulations! Now comes the next step: deciding where to apply. As someone who just completed the Ph.D. application cycle, I was surprised to find that this was one of the hardest parts of the process. Researching programs was challenging, and I didn’t know where I would be admitted, so it felt like each school on my list needed to be somewhere I could actually see myself attending. Here are five factors I considered that helped me build a strong application list.
- Program Fit: Going into the application cycle, I knew I wanted to study African American religious history, but because my work is really interdisciplinary, I didn’t know which department would be the best fit for me. I started with the broadest range of departments possible, considering programs in Black Studies, Religious Studies, History, and even American Studies. I then read more literature from scholars in each of these fields, trying to get a sense of where research like mine was taking place. Ultimately, I chose to apply to programs in Religious Studies, because that was the best disciplinary fit for my research.
- Faculty Fit: Once I decided which kind of program I would be applying to, I began looking for faculty whose interests overlap with mine. This was the most important factor in building my application list, and was really helpful information to have as I wrote my statements of purpose. I read faculty bios and publications to get a sense of the work they were doing, looking for scholars whose work I wanted to emulate. I also looked into the current graduate students at the programs I was considering, exploring the kinds of projects that faculty members were advising. Something else that really helped me was getting in contact with faculty and graduate students at each program, because I got to learn more about students’ day-to-day experiences working with faculty in the program.
- Location: While academic fit was the most important factor I weighed in building my application list, I also considered where I would want to live for the next several years of my life. I knew that I didn’t want to be too far away from my family on the east coast, so I decided to rule all programs on the west coast out. I also knew that I would really prefer to live somewhere walkable, so I ruled out any campuses that would be challenging to navigate without a car. Life in graduate school is not just academic, so it’s important to find a community that you would actually enjoy living in.
- Cost of Living: While I was applying to funded Ph.D. programs and knew that I would have no direct tuition costs, I considered the stipend and benefits that each program offered. Financial stress can make completing a graduate degree much harder, so it was important to me that each program I applied to would cover my basic cost of living. I also applied for external fellowships to help supplement each school’s stipend. If you’re considering master’s degrees or programs that aren’t traditionally funded, it’s important to consider each program’s cost and financial aid.
- Program Requirements and Completion Rates: Each program has different requirements for its students, but most require some mix of coursework, teaching, and a dissertation. As I researched each department, I considered these requirements, and how long it took most students to complete them. Funding was also a factor here. Most programs only came with five to six years of guaranteed funding, so if the average student in a program took seven years to complete the requirements, and if funding sources for additional years were limited, I had to consider whether the program requirements set me up to finish my degree on time.
The decision to apply to graduate school is exciting, but can also be daunting, especially if you’re navigating the application process for the first time. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from faculty and mentors who have navigated the process before. It is through these relationships that I learned to navigate the application process, starting with building my application list.
— Alison Fortenberry, Social Sciences Correspondent
