Your guide to application tips
Are you stuck asking yourself, what university is the best fit for me? Do I have an array of graduate programs to choose from? Do I meet the requirements for admission? What is needed to complete my application? Continue reading for a guide.
Choosing a university for graduate school is going to be the toughest decision. To make it easier, consider three things on your checklist: location, student to faculty ratio and programs offered in your chosen career field.
Do you want to go to a small city or tightknit community?
Tarleton State University or Sam Houston State University are in small homelike communities.
Are you seeking to relocate to a metropolitan area?
Rice University, Texas Tech University or Texas Christian University are just a few on the list.
Student to faculty ratio is another item on your checklist that should be researched. Larger universities have higher student to faculty ratios. For example, Texas A&M University’s student to faculty ratio is 21:1 and The University of Texas’s student to faculty ratio is 18:1. On the contrary, Rice University’s student to faculty is 6:1 and the University of Dallas’s student to faculty ratio is 10:1.
Your final item on your top three reasons for choosing a university is graduate programs offered. UT offers over 100 graduate degree options and A&M offers more than 260 graduate and professional programs.
Admission requirements for many Texas universities is a grade point average of at least a 3.0 in your last 60 undergraduate hours completed and a detailed resume. Make sure you form connections with your professors, to complete your two to three letters of recommendation.
Certain programs require an academic writing sample from an undergraduate course or honor’s research project and a written statement of purpose (usually 750 words).
Fall applications close usually between Dec. 1 and March 30. Spring admission is usually not accepted for most graduate programs. If you are seeking financial or teaching assistantships (priority application deadlines) usually close 30 to 60 days before the final deadline. Graduate programs are offered online and in person and have thesis and non-thesis options, so give it a try and pick which best suits you.
