How To Go To Grad School

Unlike finding a job, doing a Master's is not a mandatory “next step.” Rather, it is a deliberate progression into academic careers (professors, researchers), specialized fields (law, psychology, engineering), or career advancement (business, public policy, education, data science).

With that in mind, here are the things you need to keep in mind if you want to take this path:

• grades matter (a requirement of 3.0+ GPA is commonplace, with 3.5+ GPA for competitive programs);
• get to know professors (you will need to acquire letters of recommendation);
• get involved in research, projects, or leadership (shows initiative)
• explore interests (take diverse classes, attend guest lectures, participate in internships and summer programs).

To apply for a Grad School, you will typically need: transcript, letters of recommendation, personal statement (why you are applying, why you are a great candidate), resume/CV, test scores (IELTS or other), and a writing sample/portfolio. 

Tip: shortlist multiple universities (a good place to start) and filter them out based on faculty, location, curriculum, prospects, etc. Apply to a mix of: reach programs (you’re below requirements), match programs (you match requirements), and safety or back-up programs (you’re above requirements).

 

Scholarships

If you are on a budget and are looking for scholarships, here are key things to keep in mind:

• most universities offer scholarships (Stanford, UBC, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, UofT, ETH Zurich, University of Amsterdam, HEC Paris, &c.)—these are typically listed on the official program or university website;
• most countries have national scholarship programs designed to recruit international talent: examples include DAAD (Germany), SIS (Sweden), Eiffel Excellence (France), Orange Tulip (Netherlands), Swiss Government Excellence (Switzerland), Chevening (UK), Commonwealth (UK) in Europe; Paul & Daisy Soros (U.S.), Fulbright Foreign Student Program (U.S.), CGS-M (Canada), OGS (Canada) in North America; and CSC (China), GKS (Korea), and MEXT (Japan), Taiwan Scholarship Program (Taiwan) in East Asia—many of these also cover stipends, housing, and travel;
• there are scholarships targeting particular groups (e.g., AAUW International for women) and those tied to specific regions or partnerships (e.g., Erasmus Mundus for multi-country study in the EU).

Most of these scholarships are very competitive; therefore, you should aim for strong academic performance and active engagement in your field:

• A GPA of 3.8 or more is recommended for top-tier scholarships and institutions;
• Being on the Dean’s/President’s List (you must have a GPA of >3.67 for Dean’s List [it is awarded on Knowledge Day in your Sophomore and Junior years] and a GPA of >3.8 for President’s List [Knowledge Day Senior year], and have never received any of the following grades: C, D, F, W, X, I) shows consistent academic performance;
• Active participation in academic (conferences, &c.) and extracurricular activities is likewise vital;
• Ideally, you should have an academic journal publication.