While I am not a higher education admission professional, I have had my share of applications submitted and worked as an intern reviewing college applications.
Mentioned in my previous blog post about taking a gap year, I was denied admission to a master’s program and accepted to others. I’m aware of the stress that comes with applying for a higher education degree. The order of the steps isn’t static and there is some flexibility depending on the program you plan on attending.
Step 1: Research
The first thing you want to do is find schools you’re interested in. Factors to take into consideration:
- Size
- Location (take a virtual tour & in-person tour if available)
- Private or Public
- Cost of Attendance
- Department
- Major options
- Student demographics
Tip for undergrads: Use the college board survey Tip for Masters: read about the professors in your department to find any that align with your value and research interests
It is encouraged to attend information sessions to learn more about the university. Keep in mind these sessions will always highlight the best of their programs, you should also do some research on what student experiences have been as well to make the most balanced decision. Use networks like Reddit and Twitter to learn more from students but also understand that each student’s experience will have some differences.
Sometimes by attending a virtual tour or information session you are granted application fee waivers. If you aren’t given one, it never hurts to contact to the admission counselors at that school to help you identify resources for paying the fee.
Step 1.5: Organize
The best advice I can give during this process of managing multiple applications and all this information is to stay organized. This excel sheet I created helped me remain informed.
College Application Organization Sheet
Step 2: Take any necessary tests
It’s best practice to take any admission tests early (ACT, SAT, GRE, etc.). This gives you a chance to retake if you don’t do well the first time and learn as much as you can about the test. There are also fee waivers available for these tests, by doing a quick search online you can find waiver programs or even reach out to any counselors or advisors you may have.
Step 3: Recommendations
When asking for letters of recommendation it’s common courtesy to ask at the sweet spot: 3-4 weeks. It’s important to ask early enough that your recommender has time to complete it but not so early they forget. Remember they are busy professionals! This is where the organization sheet can be beneficial because you can easily separate your requests from submissions.
When asking for letters, make sure to include as much information as they may need. I personally send the point of contact, school information, and my resume.
| School | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill |
| Department | Hussman School of Media and Journalism |
| Degree | Master of Art in Media and Communication, Strategic Communications |
| Point of Contact | Name |
| Deadline | December 14 |
| Submission | Submission link emailed from hussman@unc.edu |
Step 4: Personal statement
The personal statement was the hardest part for me and others I talked to. It is an extremely important part of your application as this is your opportunity to explain why you belong in the program.
Show your passion for your career, and goals, and why you’d be a good fit for the program. Don’t let all that research you did go to waste; I knew my master’s may require a thesis, so I intentionally looked up professors at each school that shared my interest. Not only did show I was interested and did my research, but it also showed the school how I can benefit them.
It’s important to not lose yourself in showcasing your talent. They have your resume which details all your work experiences and skills, you want to show them who you are as a person. Specifically for a master’s program the cohorts are generally not very large so they are selecting personalities they feel can most align, so be authentic.
I watched a ton of YouTube videos about writing the statement and this one, is one of my personal favorites that helped me a lot.
Step 4.5: Update and fix resumé
While working on your personal statement or even before you will want to make sure your resumé is updated. Updating your resumé will ensure relevancy to the program as well as consistency with what you plan to talk about in your personal statement. Make sure everything aligns and there are no discrepancies.
Step 5: Complete applications
Once things have been completed it’s time to submit the applications. Keep your excel sheet updated with results, interview requests, and other information provided so that you always have a central location for all data.