Chapter 4

The Application Process (Chapter 4)

Applying to an online master’s degree program is quite similar to applying to a traditional master’s degree program. The application requirements – including transcripts, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores, and personal statements – also are on par with traditional postgraduate programs. Deadlines usually are from December to February, but you will need to check your program and institution for a specific date. Some schools may have waves of admissions, meaning that they accept a certain number of students each round, or they may have rolling admissions, meaning they continue to accept qualified applicants until the program is full.

A comfortable timeframe for the application process is about six months prior to your first deadline. Yes, you can apply in less than six months. No, it is not advisable. The following timeline assumes that your application will be due in December or January; if it’s not, simply insert the month your application is due and work backwards to make an individualized timeline. The parts of the application process mentioned in the timeline will be discussed in depth following the timeline.

Application Timeline:

• August/September

  If you have not already decided on what you want to study and where you want to apply, now is a good time to narrow these choices down. Find out what standardized tests you will need to take for admission into these programs. (Specific standardized tests will be discussed below.) Take the standardized test appropriate for your program or, at the very least, sign up for a test date and begin your test preparation. It takes about three weeks for official test scores to be sent to institutions, so keep that in mind when signing up for test dates.

• September/October

  Begin researching financial aid and scholarship options. The majority of these will have deadlines around the same time as the college/university applications. Write or outline a draft of your personal statement/statement of purpose. Ask faculty or employers for letters of recommendation.

• November

  Arrange to have your official transcripts from your undergraduate school, and any other postsecondary school(s) you attended, to the schools to which you are applying. Some schools still require official copies be sent to them, while others prefer to have you scan and upload your transcripts to the online application. Continue to work on your personal statement/statement of purpose. Seek out friends and teachers who are willing to read over your application and make suggestions.

• December

  Finish your personal statement/statement of purpose. Apply to any financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships for which you’d like to be considered. Confirm with those writing your letters of recommendation they have either submitted the letters or are aware of the due date. Confirm that your transcripts have been sent in and received (or uploaded by you). Begin to submit your applications.

• January

  Submit any applications that are due this month. (You can, of course, submit your applications early!)

• February

  Some master’s degree programs invite candidates to interview; practice for these regardless of whether they are on the phone or in person.

Application Components:

• Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose

  Regardless of what they are called, these statements are your chance to tell the admissions committee who you are, why you want to study in a particular program, how you are prepared to do that, and what your future plans are. If you are switching disciplines or careers, this is where you can discuss why you are making this change. You will likely need to submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) along with your application, so make sure you’re not simply repeating what is listed on your resume.

• Standardized Test Scores

  Depending on what kind of master’s degree program you are applying for, you will probably have to take a standardized test similar to the SAT or ACT you took in high school. Standardized exams allow admissions committees to compare applicants from different backgrounds and undergraduate programs. As fields of study become more specialized in graduate school, so to do the exams to enter these programs. The GRE revised General Test is the standard when it comes to standardized tests for admission into master’s degree programs. It was recently revamped and those changes are addressed below. Some programs may also require GRE subject tests, so check with the schools to which you’re applying. If you’re applying to MBA programs, be aware that some will accept the GRE, while others will ask that you take the GMAT. For certain education and teaching programs, states will have you take general knowledge tests and subject-specific tests; these will vary depending on the state in which you live. They’re also a way for you to balance, or make up for, less-than-stellar transcripts.

• Transcripts

  Transcripts are records of the courses you took and the grades you earned in any undergraduate and graduate programs you have enrolled in. Admissions committees like to see good grades, but more importantly, they like to see a steady improvement from the time you started to the time you finished. Depending on the institution you’re applying to, you may need to have official transcripts sent from your prior colleges/universities’ registrar’s offices directly to the schools you’re applying to. Or, as mentioned above, some schools now request that you upload copies of your transcripts to your online application. Make sure you request your transcripts with plenty of time to re-request them, if need be.

• Letters of Recommendation

  Depending on where you are in your life (recent graduate, returning to school after years of working, etc.), your letters of recommendation may come from professors, employers, supervisors, or a combination of all three. The purpose of letters of recommendation is to give the admissions committees an outside perspective of you as a person and as a possible student. You should ask people who know you well and who can attest to your skills and motivations, as opposed to those with influential names or titles. Be polite when you request letters of recommendation and provide potential recommenders with copies of your transcripts, personal statements/statements of purpose, and information about the program to which you’re applying. Make sure to give them enough time to write the letters. Many graduate school applications allow your recommenders to submit their letters online, but some may still request that they be mailed in. If that is the case, provide your recommenders with envelopes already addressed and with postage.

• Interviews

  Some master’s programs, including those conducted fully or partially online, will interview candidates they are interested in. Like the personal statements/statements of purpose, interviews are a way for you to let the admissions committees get to know you as a person. Remember that at the postgraduate level, you are interviewing the admissions committee (and through them, the program) as much as they are interviewing you. Master’s programs are concerned about finding a good fit for both the school and the student.