There are many solid reasons to consider continuing your education at the graduate level. One is obtaining a needed credential or certification required for a professional role, such as physician, physical therapist, attorney or accountant. Another is obtaining critical skills or knowledge to pursue your chosen career. A third good reason to consider graduate study is to obtain new skills or knowledge that will enable you to advance in your profession. There is only one "bad" reason to consider graduate school: the absence of any alternative. The research on graduate school and subsequent success is remarkably clear on this: if you have a coherent goal, your graduate study is much more likely to result in greater success and higher earnings.
Graduate education represents a significant expenditure of time, energy, and money. Like all major investments, this one should be considered carefully. If, at the completion of your research, you can say with confidence that the outcomes are indeed worth the effort, it will doubtless be a good decision.
| Good Resources: | Grad School Testing Sites: | |
| Qs to ask about grad school (pdf) | Law School Admission Council http://www.lsac.org/ | |
| About the application process (pdf) | GRE www.ets.org/gre | |
| Grad School Tips | GMAT www.mba.com/mba | |
| Scholarship help | MCAT www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm | |
| Tips and sample essays | ||
| Graduate School Essay advice |
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| Personal statements | ||
| US News & World Report | ||
| Find a School: | Test Preparation: | |
| GradSchools.com | Kaplan | |
| GraduateSchools.com | Princeton Review | |
| College Navagator |
GRE Test Prep | |
| Graduate Programs |
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