Don't miss the 2011 UA Graduate School Day

Wednesday, November 2, 2011
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Student Union Memorial Center 3rd Floor Ballroom

Is Graduate School for you? Not sure or just not sure which one to attend? Come explore graduate school options at The University of Arizona’s 2011 UA Graduate School Day. Lay out your plan to get the most out of this Fall Graduate School Day with these simple steps (adapted from career.berkeley.edu Web site).

How to Get the Most out of UA Graduate School Day

Like all career fairs, taking the time to prepare for the event will go a long way to helping you most effectively "work it." The research you do depends on where you are in the graduate school selection process. Assuming you already know what your interests are, one of the most important aspects of your research will be selecting the programs best suited to your interests and career goals.

Before the Event: Prepare.

Review the catalogs, directories and Web sites of the schools you are interested in to get a sense of their programs. Using this information, decide which schools interest you and who you want to target at the event.

Once you have the basic information on participating schools and departments, rank the schools according to your preference. If you are limited as far as time, visit your highest priority schools first to ensure you have adequate time to spend with them. Allow enough time to talk to your favorite school's representatives as long as necessary. If you have the luxury of devoting as much time as needed to talk to everyone on your list during this event, you might consider saving your most desirable schools for last so you can talk to some of the other (desirable but not MOST desirable) schools first and get a feel for how best to present your skills and interests to graduate school recruiters. Practice makes perfect and by working your way backwards from lesser preferred to most preferred programs, you’ll just be improving and honing your networking skills as you go.

It’s a good idea to bring a list of questions that will help you make your decision. Questions should address costs, financial aid, program requirements, course offerings, facilities, location, student life, faculty and program reputation. Be prepared to answer questions from the institution's representative regarding your goals for graduate school and your interests.

Before you Wrap it Up

Be sure to get the representative’s card so you can follow up with them after the event. Having a personal contact at schools you are interested in will be a huge help to getting the information you need to make a good decision.

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