Is Grad School Right For You?

What are your motivations for attending graduate school?  Do not go to graduate school out of fear of having no other options.  Choose graduate school because you are working toward a goal.

What are your long-term and short-range professional goals? Is graduate school necessary for you to achieve these goals? Do you want to immerse yourself in the study of a particular academic discipline purely for the love of it?

CONSIDERATIONS

Would related work experience help you clarify ambiguous career goals?
Do you have the interest and ability to succeed in a graduate program?
Are you willing to meet the extensive research, course work and major paper demands of an academic program?
What are the direct and indirect costs?
Is there a possibility that a future employer might assist with graduate school costs?
Should you go straight to graduate school after undergraduate?  Talk to faculty, prospective employers and students currently pursuing program of interest to you in order to hear their perspectives on the advantages of immediate vs. delayed entry.