The Gradschoolmatch Blog

Have a look at graduate program level grad school loan debt

I've created a few charts for you to explore the College Scorecard data on graduate program debt.

Here's what admissions committees are really looking for

Your GPA, your MCAT or your GRE will be what they are. Sure, higher is always better. But they aren't close to being as important as you think. They are not the deciding factors.

What applicants should know since many biomedical programs have dropped the GRE requirement

The University of North Carolina's Joshua Hall (@jdhallphd) has been curating a running tally of the biological and biomedical graduate programs that have dropped the requirement of GRE scores from

The changing demand for graduate education

A couple of recent stories to comment on. They each highlight the changing demand for graduate education. The University of Akron just announced plans to drop 80 academic programs. Half

Growing transparency about careers after graduate school: History Ph.D. outcomes

I'm seeing more signs. I don't know if it's because I'm more alert to look for signs, or if there really are more signs. But I'm definitely seeing more signs

Want to get into graduate school? Focus more on your application, less on your numbers

Admissions committees identify stand outs by carefully reading narratives and letters of recommendation, while looking for relevant experiences. They look for how well you make the case that you belong in their program.

costs and benefits

Financial support for graduate students

Not too long ago I was quoted in a US News article on financial aid for graduate students. What I basically tried to explain to their education reporter, Farren Powell,

New upgrade designed to help students make the right grad school choices

I'm very pleased to announce that Gradschoolmatch has launched a major application upgrade. Although almost everything in the prior version is touched, the major thrust of the new upgrade is

website

Gradschoolmatch will go offline shortly for a major version upgrade

Choosing a graduate program is a life-changing event. Both the students and the programs win when the best possible decisions are made. Gradschoolmatch exists to make that happen. That’s all we do. That’s all we’ll ever set out to do.

costs and benefits

Congress plans to raise taxes on graduate students

There are basically two kinds of graduate students. One type pays tuition. The second is someone for whom tuition is waived, in full or part. The new tax law proposed by congressional Republicans plans to raise taxes on graduate students. Both types of graduate

Stay safe

One of my many obsessions are tropical storms. They’ve always fascinated me as such dramatic examples of nature’s power. The closest I’ve come to their power was

recruitment

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

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

recruitment

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.

grad school advice

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)

gradschoolmatch

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

recruitment

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

how to

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

Analysis

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’tknow 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

Analysis

How many people go to graduate school and a few other questions

Here are a few snapshots of graduate school enrollment data I’ve been playing. All of this comes from 12 month (unique head count) enrollment data (IPEDs) and US Census population estimates by age. First, when it comes to grad school, the real college

Analysis

What the heck is going on at Harvard?

Two recent announcements from Harvard University have generated a lot of press. Both provide important insights into the overall state of graduate education everywhere. Announcement 1: Harvard’s Graduate College of Arts and Sciences is reducing the number of slots for new graduate students

Analysis

Research spending by universities is picking up the slack...for now

Most graduate schools are places where a lot of research happens, and with it research spending. It’s pretty interesting to poke around in the HERD data from time to time to take the temperature of the overall ecosystem. HERD is the National Science

preparation

How to Stand Out as a Memorable Candidate for Grad School

Contrary to popular belief, high test scores and a perfect GPA do not make for a memorable candidate. At least, not on their own. Sure, having test scores in the

gradschoolmatch

From Insights to Action: How To Develop A Recruiting Action Plan

Wondering why you need an action plan? Having data is great, but using it is far more valuable. Collecting data is only half the battle; it’s what you do

How to Attract the Right Kind of Applicants to Your Program

Attracting the right applicants isn’t an exact science, but there definitely is an art to it. The short of it: Approach prospective students on a personal, one-to-one level, and be yourself. [![The magic happens when a one-way conversation becomes a dialogue between applicants

Advertising is bad manners

Graduate programs shouldn’t advertise. The alternative? Ask someone if they’d like some guidance, then just be yourself. As Doc Searls says— All that should stand between any two entities on the Net are manners, permission and convenience. Any company and any customer

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