How many graduate school applications can you expect in the coming year?

As Yogi Berra (probably should have) said, the only sure way to know what will happen in the future is to get the past behind you. Instead of waiting for your 20-20 hindsight to kick in, though, we wanted to share our (sobering) predictions for the upcoming graduate school application seasons to help you better prepare.

We’ve spotted five troubling trends aligning on the horizon that are likely to slacken demand for graduate school–significantly–beginning this year. The conspirators are:

1) Unfavorable demographics

The average number of baccalaureates awarded in the US during each of the past few years has been very stable, at about 1.8 million. Traditionally, about half of every graduating class ends up in an advanced degree program at some point over the following few years.

While that may sound like a good thing, a flat rate of college graduate production is actually problematic for US graduate schools, which over the past several decades have relied on steady annual growth in the numbers of fresh baccalaureates, which in turn drive growing graduate admissions. That growth trend looks to have finally plateaued.

If your job is to predict demand for graduate degrees at your university or college over the next 5-10 years, the best leading indicators to look at are high school and undergraduate enrollment numbers. Spoiler alert: the numbers are sobering.

2) Reduced influx of foreign students

Historically, foreign students have nicely filled some of the excess capacity in graduate schools left empty by US students. Indeed, in recent years foreign students have been responsible for the lion’s share of the positive growth rate in graduate enrollment. Today, there are troubling signs that foreign applications to US graduate schools —largely in STEM fields— may decline sharply.

Although the Trump administration’s hostile posture against foreigners (e.g. the infamous travel ban) deserves attribution, that’s probably not the full story. The improving economies of China and India, in particular, are providing better employment opportunities at home for the high quality students who would have otherwise emigrated to the US for graduate school.

3) Student loan burden

It’s not news that recent college grads bear a heavy education debt (over two-thirds of US baccalaureates leave school with student loan debt averaging nearly $30,000), but that may have reached a tipping point.

Here’s why: The standard financial advice they’re given is to graduate with a total student loan debt less than their expected annual starting salary. An advanced degree may double (or triple or worse) that debt burden, which is increasingly incompatible with that advice. While people with advanced degrees generally out-earn those with undergraduate degrees in the same field, for many–especially women who are impacted by the “gender tax”, and who comprise close to 60% of all graduate students–the earnings differential is not enough to justify the exorbitant debt of an advanced degree.

4) Chaotic federal policy

US higher education policy is in pure chaos. The uncertainty is undoubtedly affecting those who are considering graduate school today because a lot of this federal policy directly impacts student’s pocketbooks.

The Trump administration has proposed extreme cuts for the federal agencies that fund scientific research and humanities programs on US campuses, not only threatening coveted research training programs, but also putting at risk a HIGHLY significant source of revenue at universities where most graduate training occurs. They’re rolling back Obama-era protections against exploitative practices, such as those in the for-profit university sector. They’ve attacked university affirmative action practices that threaten to reverse hard-won improvements in attracting under-represented groups to advanced degree programs. They’ve even threatened the Public Student Loan Forgiveness program, affecting the over half-million current enrollees and anybody who is considering using this program in mapping out their career.

If all of this isn’t bad enough, current federal student loan policies look to be reconfigured in some way. By design, graduate students are likely to be the big losers in any loan policy restructuring.

Few could be blamed for deciding to wait for some of the dust to settle before applying.

5) Improving job market

Graduate programs have always had an ambivalent relationship with the jobs that recent college graduates hire onto. On one hand, many programs insist that their applicants have relevant work experience. On the other, graduate programs compete against employers for those very same people.

As the US unemployment rate returns to pre-Great Recession levels, the only allies graduate programs likely have in an improving economy are stagnant wages. Any wage improvement will further strain the ability of graduate programs to lure prospective students out of employment.

Summary

As Yogi Berra (probably should have) said, it seems hard to keep up with the status quo when it keeps changing. Graduate enrollment is entering a non-growth phase. Applicants, who have always been in the drivers seat simply because they choose where to apply and enroll, will have more control over their fates than ever before.

Passive recruitment practices (e.g., waiting and hoping for enough good applicants to roll in) are less and less likely to provide most graduate programs the students they want and need. This is a good time to adopt proactive recruitment practices. We recommend outreach–that you invest a little in letting people who are thinking about grad school know that your program exists. Engagement with the prospects before they even apply is not only good mentoring, it is also a proven way to successfully drive applications and enrollment.

Tweet of the year

Rising school senior asks: “Are all these things colleges keep sending me written by, like, the same two people?”

— Eric Hoover (@erichoov) August 7, 2017

Same applies to graduate programs. If you’re marketing, you’re not mattering.

Market less. Mentor more.

Applying this Fall? Know the 8 Things You Must Do This Summer

With the start of the summer officially behind us, it’s time to get serious about what you’ll be doing to prepare for application season (a.k.a. fall). If you’re applying later this year, set yourself up for success by doing these 8 things this summer. The next chapter of your life starts now!

1. First things first: create your application timeline

Even if you’re not 100% sure of all the schools you will be applying to, it can’t hurt to get an idea as to when you should be working on certain things. Grab a piece of paper and write down all of the important deadlines for the schools you might be applying to and start backing out your own deadlines from there.

Application due early September? Make yourself a few self-imposed deadlines in July, August and September for the first few drafts of your essays and build in some time to have AT LEAST one other person read them before you submit. Break down each big scary deadline into smaller subtasks (so that you’ll actually get them done) and set smaller deadlines for yourself before the big due date. The same goes for financial aid, standardized tests (see #2) and other related deadlines.

Things to include in your timeline (for EACH school):

Essays
Transcripts
Recommendation letters
Financial Aid forms
Test Prep

Pro tip: Put all of your dates in a calendar and block off chunks of time leading up to each deadline. Even if you end up having to move those blocks around within a week or month, you’ll at least remember to set aside time for that task. It probably goes without saying, but also included in this category is actually doing the work and meeting said deadlines.

2. Find yourself an accountabilibuddy!

One of the main predictors of success is accountability. Not in the way your parents kept you “accountable” growing up by nagging you and punishing you – think more along the lines of someone you trust and respect to check in on you and measure your progress. Applying to grad school (and so many other things) are much easier with an accountabilibuddy! If you know someone else applying to grad school, perfect! Ask them to be yours because misery loves company they’ll know exactly what you’re going through ;). If not, ask a friend, family member or coworker who you can check in with regularly. Here are a few more tips on how to find a good accountabilibuddy.

3. Get to know the programs you’re considering

See if any admissions events are happening in your area over the summer, and plan to attend them (obviously). Connect with faculty, current students or alumni from the program by reaching out to them on Gradschoolmatch. You’ll learn more from these folks than anything you’ll ever find on a website (plus, you can ask VERY specific questions and get VERY specific answers from them!). Visit schools as well as the towns and cities where you might be living (you’ll be too pressed for time when it’s time to make a decision). TAKE NOTES! The more information you have on a program, the culture, the town, etc. when you’re applying, the better you’ll be able to write highly-tailored application essays.

4. Prepare for standardized tests

If you’re still looking to improve your score or haven’t taken these at all, it’s a good idea to use your time wisely over the next few months. Spread your studying out over a few months instead of cramming. If you decide to Prepare for standardized tests before you start applying take a course, find out if you can sit in on one free class to see if the curriculum works well with your learning style. If you go it alone, make sure you get organized and stay accountable to your plan (see #2). Whether you choose self-study or a course, set dates for yourself to take practice exams and get comfortable with the format. By the time you go in for the real thing, you’ll be ready to pass with flying colors.

5. Make your recommendation letter action plan

The kind folks you’re asking to write your recommendation plans are probably pretty busy and important people, and your recommendation letter is just one of the many things they have to do. Plan for this process to take a few weeks, otherwise you’ll probably end up frustrated and maybe with a few bald spots. Be respectful of their time (remember, they’re doing you a favor) and make it SUPER easy for them to get you what you need by the time you need it. Following these steps should do the trick:

Step 1: Do a little research

Talk to friends, family, coworkers, etc to uncover your strengths and unique assets. (Hopefully some of these characteristics are the same ones that the programs are looking for, but it’s good to have some that differentiate you too).

Step 2: Prepare your packet

Using what you learned from your conversations (and what you know about yourself), prepare a recommendation packet. It should outline your strengths and provide examples of instances in which you displayed that trait prominently. Ideally, it’s one your recommender could know on their own (not totally out of the blue), but may not recall off the top of their head (remember, these are busy folks). Lastly, attach your resume/CV to this document so you can provide your recommenders all of the information they’ll need.

Step 3: Meet with your recommenders

Set up a meeting to talk with them, either in person or over the phone. Explain your goals and how grad school fits into that. Helping them understand why you’re going will help them understand what to highlight in their letter. Share with them your deadline and your packet to help them prepare a strong letter of support.

Step 4: Follow up!

Follow up with them after after a few weeks. Take the pressure off them to remember your deadlines and make yourself available to answer any questions they have.

6. Organize your finances for your applications and life as a grad student

Spoiler alert: applying to grad school can be kind of expensive and the costs add up quickly. Also, grad school isn’t exactly high-living time. The goal here is

Get all of your finances organized before you starting applying to grad school using Mint.com

to start grad school with no debt and as much savings as possible. Make a plan to pay down debt and develop a budget you can stick to this summer. Mint.com is a personal favorite to track your spending habits and set financial goals for savings and debt payment. Other people swear by You Need A Budget, so go with whichever looks best for you and your needs – just make sure you actually pick one. Pay off whatever debt you already have even faster by using an easy round-up debt payment system like Qoins. Save all you can before

Applying is expensive! Use a financial service like ynab.com to get your finances in order before starting your applications to grad school

school since you’ll be foregoing at least 2 years of income and there’s only so much pizza you’ll want to eat while you’re getting your degree. Grad school is stressful enough on its own, so eliminating additional stress from finances is really helpful.

7. Get to know the process of requesting transcripts and submitting letters of recommendation

Little known fact: getting copies of your transcripts sent to grad programs is more annoying than you think. You don’t want to wait until the night before your application is due to do this only to find out that it will take 5 business days to deliver these. It’s an easy thing to do when you’re not hyper-stressed about applying. Find out how it works and how long it will take to get your transcripts delivered. Likewise, the process for submitting your recommendation letters could differ from school to school. The more you know, the better off you’ll be when it comes time to hit the final “Submit” button.

8. Get outside and enjoy the last few months before you start applying!

Continue volunteering, your hobbies and everything that makes you an interesting human being. Don’t stop living and doing some of the Applying to grad school is much easier with a clear head and a full heart things you enjoy, or you’ll burn out before you reach the finish line! Grad school applications are just the beginning; it’s going to be an intense few years, so make sure you keep your spirits up and your mind clear.

P.S. When you’re about ready to sit down and do the darn thing, read our post on how to avoid the 10 most common application mistakes. Then, go forth and prosper!

Enrolling This Fall? Here’s What You Should Be Doing This Summer

Summer’s just around the corner and we want you to make the most of yours!

Whether you’re graduating from college or working in the real world (where summer breaks aren’t a thing anymore), you’re surely aware that summer is right around the corner. Summer means longer days, shorter nights, and that fall (aka Back-to-School season) is also on the horizon. There’s no shortage of ways and places to spend it, but here are a few things you SHOULD be doing this summer.

And so the [grad school] adventure begins

Here are 7 things you should do this summer to make starting grad school in a few months fun, exciting, and easy.

Or at least easier – grad school isn’t supposed to be easy.

1. Stop for a moment to celebrate your accomplishments.
Take time to acknowledge your achievements and thank the people who helped you get where you are, including those who helped you get into grad school. If you just finished undergrad, use some of your newly-found free time to reconnect with friends and family (before free time is a distant memory). Make time to give thanks to your recommenders and advisors over coffee or write thank you notes (by hand). You’re about to set off in the noble pursuit of knowledge and it’s important to reflect on how you got to this point.

Celebrate your achievements

2. Take a break and be selfish.
Exercise, catch up on your favorite show (or ours), or spend time learning or perfecting your hobbies. You’re going to need good outlets for the stress that comes from being back in school and this is where healthy habits and hobbies will come in really handy. Now’s a great time to get your mind and body right for what will surely be a big transition.

3. Spend time outside.
Whether that’s at home or on vacation somewhere, enjoy the great outdoors. Depending on your degree of choice, you may be looking forward to a lot of time in the lab or in the library and you’re definitely going to need some memories of the time in your life when being outside didn’t make you feel guilty. (Plus, you’re going to need some #TBT material for those days when your current situation isn’t so great). Jokes aside, it’s incredibly important and beneficial to unplug and spend time outside. #ThisIsYourBrainOnNature

Get outside and explore!

4. Meet your classmates.
If you’re going into a bigger program, there’s a chance you’re not the only one from your city. Organize a happy hour at one of your favorite restaurants and get to know some of the people with whom you’ll be spending the next few years. You’ll be so happy you did once you need a study buddy or someone to vent to about #GradSchoolProblems.

5. Explore your new city.
If you’re moving for grad school, you may want to get there early. At the very least, visit once before school’s in session. You won’t have much time to figure everything out before you need to know it (e.g. where to study when you need a break from your cohort, where to go for late night eats after an all-nighter in the library, where to get your car fixed, or even where you’ll buy your groceries). More than that though, you should get to know what makes your town special! You won’t get to uncover these unique gems when you’re facing deadlines and cramming for tests and you’ll be able to better enjoy the city for what it is before the stress and assignments begin. Make technology work for you and start exploring!

Get to know your new city.

6. Read for fun.
And enjoy that freedom while you can because soon you will be inundated with articles and books that you won’t exactly get to choose. If you’ve forgotten what “reading for fun” is, here’s a list to get you started (which happens to include my favorite, A Man’s Search for Meaning). DO NOT try to get a jump start on your grad school reading! You’ll only burn yourself out before the hard work even begins and you’re going to need all that enthusiasm and stamina to get you through the hard days.

7. Get all the real life, adult stuff out of the way.
Ya, this one’s not so fun, but I wish someone had told me this before grad school. It’s a pain in the butt to find all new doctors, optometrists, dentists, mechanics, etc, in a new place and you won’t want to wait until it’s “do or die”. Make sure your finances are in order and that you’ll be able to bank from wherever you’re headed. If you’re taking a car, make sure your insurance covers you in your new city/state or start the process of getting new insurance. Do all of these things before you take off. I promise it will make your life in a new place THAT much easier.

Adulting is hard, we know.

Bonus: if you already know where you’re going to live, schedule your utilities/cable start date and set up mail forwarding so you have one less thing to worry about. #ResponsibleAdulting

Drop us a line (or two or three) and let us know what your plans are for the summer and where you’re heading to school. We’ll air high-five you from Atlanta and we may even have a celebratory drink on your behalf. 😉

People research their grad school options for a long time

How long do people research their grad school options? If you ever wondered, now we have an answer for you, from some data we’ve managed to wrestle out of our system. The average person spends about 18 months researching where to go to graduate school for their masters degree or doctorate. Half take longer than that.

The average and median time spent researching grad school options is 18 months

Let’s give that some perspective. “Time to decision” is the bane of every academic’s existence. That’s the period between when you submit an article to a journal to when the journal accepts (or rejects) it for publication. Good journals tend to be pretty quick…they’ll take about a month for time to decision. It’s not unheard of for other journals to take as long as 3 months.

The average future grad students tends to take about 6 times longer to make up his/her mind about their grad school options then the ~~worst~~ least author-centered academic journal.

Whereas slow academic journals have process problems, the extended timeline for future grad students is almost certainly driven by uncertainty. They won’t make that decision until they’ve convinced themselves its in their best interests. As they should. They’ll know the right program when they find it.

The take home message: Graduate student recruitment is a long game that rewards the patient mentor, while punishing the quick turn marketer

The Gradschoolmatch hypothesis is not really complicated. When program experts reach out to prospects to explore whether there is a fit, they convey expert advice. Those prospects learn more quickly. That one-to-one interaction provides the help they need to shorten their timeline to a decision.

That’s just not something marketing can do.

Be human. Be yourself. Market less. Mentor more.

Print your next poster on wrinkle-free fabric

Do you plan to attend a big meeting this summer to present a poster of your research? Do you dread having to lug the bulky cardboard tube around the airport (geek alert)?

Then just print your post on wrinkle-free fabric.

This is, literally, the best idea we’ve heard all week.

We hear the colors hold well. But the best thing is you can just fold it up and shove it in your backpack or luggage. It might even serve as a nice blanket should you need to spend a night on the concourse if United Airlines re-accommodates you from your flight.

Making the Most of Your Graduate School Journey: How to Choose The Right Program After You’ve Been Accepted

**No one wants to make the wrong choice, right?**

**Maybe not, but most people don’t know when they’re making the wrong choice.**

Many grad school applicants don’t take this decision seriously enough, or realize how much will be affected by choosing the right (or wrong) program; the difference between good, better, and best is much more than just a few different experiences and a different friend group.

All programs can lead you to a degree, but not all programs will provide you a pleasant graduate experience, lead you to your dream career or take you down the right life path.

Whether you consider this decision big or small, the truth is choosing the right graduate program will have a HUGE impact on your life.

Allow me to illustrate this point further. The difference between a pretty good choice and a GREAT choice could mean:

Entering a cohort of people you can tolerate in small doses vs. becoming part of a group of people you enjoy personally and grow with professionally
Struggling through a program that just meets your criteria vs. feeling supported and thriving in a program that feels tailored to your goals and aspirations
Spending frustrating years working on furthering someone else’s research vs. building a foundation of research skills you’ll need for a successful career after graduate school.

Choosing a program may feel like a multiple choice question where any of the answers could be right, but this is sadly not the case. Though two schools may not look very different on paper (or on websites that all start to look eerily similar), they definitely are in practice.

You might wonder why you should listen to me (and it’s good to be skeptical about these things).

I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2016 with an MBA and a Masters in Science after applying to ten graduate programs. Yes. TEN. So, you can probably imagine how hard it was for me to make my final choice.

I read every blog post available and talked to anyone that would listen. I found a lot of things I read to be unhelpful, and I think they were all missing the things I’ve outlined below. And to be perfectly transparent, I LOVED my time in grad school and I wouldn’t trade my three years in Ann Arbor for anything.

But, first things first – a HUGE congratulations is in order!

You’ll have to excuse me, I forgot my manners for a second. Getting accepted to a program you’ve worked SO hard to apply to feels amazing, so make sure to savor that for a minute. Go ahead and do that, even if you’ve already celebrated it. (Don’t worry, I’ll be ready with some advice for you when you’re done).

We raise our glass to you, newly-accepted applicant!

…

Now that you (and Leo) have adequately celebrated this momentous occasion, it’s time to get down to making your big decision. The sad truth is that 25% of current graduate students are unhappy with their choice. You worked tirelessly to apply and get in and made a big choice to improve your future, but did you ever consider that this could actually make you UNhappy? No one really tells you that it might not work out the way you had hoped, so I want to help you think this through properly.

Spoiler alert: this will not be a traditional “how to decide on a grad program” blog post.

I won’t outline how to think about cost, location, etc in a very logistical way in this post (there are enough of those out there). We’re here to help you think through some things that the sad 25% probably overlooked in making their choice.

No pressure, though. We’ve got your back. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you make your big decision.

1. Location and cost matter, but only to a certain extent.

We’ll start off with the more obvious factors here. The location of a program definitely matters since it will affect the next 2-7 years of your life (depending on your degree of choice).

If you’re a California native moving to notoriously wintery Michigan (Go Blue!) in pursuit of your graduate education, you may have to learn a few new life skills (like I did). Of course my choice to live in Michigan for three years shaped my graduate experience, from learning to drive in the snow to picking up new (indoor) hobbies to buying a much more winter-friendly wardrobe. I made sure before going there, though, that it would not necessarily affect my post-grad school aspirations in terms of geographic location.

Before enrolling (and moving my life across the country to “The Mitten”), I spoke with current students, graduates, and the career services office to make sure that the alumni network and recruiting opportunities spanned the entire country (and globe). So yes, where you go matters in terms of how you will experience graduate school, but it does not necessarily mean you’ll need to spend the rest of your career (and life) in that location.

On the other hand, if you’re hoping to move into a very niche industry or hoping to start a career in a new location, attending a program in that place or near the epicenter of that industry can be a great choice. If you’re looking for a city experience, it may not make much sense to consider programs in more rural areas or college towns, and vice versa. If you HATE snow and it would ruin every day for you, consider a program in the southern half of the country.

Likewise, although the cost of your program will impact your extracurricular activities (and your relative level of stress throughout your studies), resist the urge to make your decision solely based on finances.

Going to graduate school is an investment in yourself, and one you should ONLY make if you feel that it will benefit your future net worth (otherwise you’re giving up a few years of potential income AND paying tuition for no future benefit). Thinking of this as an investment in yourself that will pay off in the future, it’s OKAY to pick a program that isn’t offering you the best financial package if you think it’s the one that will lead you to the best career opportunities. That might be an unpopular, but you’re (likely) only going to grad school once and it’s important to make the most of your experience.

Long story short: location and cost will affect your experience, but these factors should be considered as a means to break ties between programs, NOT as a first filter.

2. Don’t treat the decision like you’re picking your undergrad program.

Grad school is not College 2.0. Your school selection should be hyper-focused on your particular program. Unlike college, this isn’t a time to explore your options so make sure the programs you are considering excel in your area of focus and will lead you to your dream career.

Realistically, you won’t have much time to enjoy many of the things that make your school a great undergrad institution (think sports, on-campus events, etc) since you’ll be in a grad school bubble with your own jam-packed agenda. Think about what makes it a great grad program specifically, like resources and funding available to graduate students, annual events or conferences in your field, a supportive learning environment, accessible professors, strong connections with potential employers or great on-campus recruiting opportunities etc. If you can make it to a big sporting event while you’re there, great, but don’t let the university as a whole sway your decision about your specific program.

3. Know the difference between what you want and what you think you should want.

Repeat after me: rankings aren’t everything.

Not only are they not everything, they all use VERY different, often subjective methodologies to compare schools that may be very different than your own. Additionally, these rankings often represent programs on the broadest levels and don’t take into account how a specific program performs in your particular area of interest (because, remember, you’re hyper-focused this time around). For example, the best program in the country for Physics may not be the best program in the country for Astrophysics.

You know yourself better than anyone — listen to what your heart is telling you. In making my final choice of graduate schools, a lot of people tried to tell me to choose the Ivy League program to which I was accepted. By certain standards, that’s what I SHOULD have wanted. But, I got to the bottom of many pages of “Pros and Cons” lists only to realize that, at the end of the day, this decision was MY experience and I had to listen to my gut and acknowledge what I REALLY wanted.

4. Ask yourself how a program treated you and made you feel while they were trying to woo you because that was “their best foot forward”.

Without getting too fluffy and unacademic, think back on how different programs made you feel. Remember that graduate programs do not exist without graduate students in them (read: they should be making you feel wanted once they’ve accepted you). Whether you’ve visited in person or just spoken with professors or students via email, different programs will likely give you different vibes. Though not quite as tangible, this X factor IS worth paying attention to; programs likely put their best foot forward to attract you to their program. So, if their best wasn’t that great, it may only get worse in terms of the attention and resources they provide you if you enroll.

5. Lastly, don’t be afraid to NOT choose.

No one likes choosing between bad and not-much-better, so don’t. Seriously. Imagine you’re on the finale of the The Bachelor (or Bachelorette) left with two options you don’t love – would you still choose one of them just because you had invested so much effort and time in getting to that point?

NO! No, no, no. You would not sign up for a lifetime of unhappiness because of sunk costs. And Brad Womack broke all the cardinal rules of The Bachelor just to prove it to us in Season 11. If at the end of the whole process you don’t love your options, you don’t have to go to grad school this year!

You can reapply next year or the following and end up much better off. (And yes, Brad also proved this by coming back in Season 15 to give it another shot).

All (Bachelor) jokes aside, you REALLY do not have to pick between two bad options. This is a huge life investment of both time and money, and if at the end of the process you don’t feel any of your options are the right one, just say “No” and consider reapplying in the future.