At California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State), students are applying for graduation, which brings to light the panic of what to do after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree. Many students are planning where to live, which career area to pursue, or if they want to further their education.
   Applying for graduate school is an idea that is often thought about during this stressful time of year.
  These are a few tips on how students of Stan State have applied and successfully attended graduate school after receiving their Bachelor’s Degree.
   Most students decide whether or not graduate school is for them based off of their major, or their career goals. Some majors require extensive training and studying, in order to ensure you are a good candidate for that career.
 Look at entry level jobs and see if they require a Master’s Degree, this will help you find reasoning for applying. Many current jobs are looking for individuals that have more skills and potential than just their area of study.
    Focus on the Capstone classes you will be taking in your last year, as these courses often prepare students for how graduate school classes will be held. A lot of times these courses are extensive, and require competition of larger projects over time.  
“The capstone classes prepared me for that ‘work the whole semester on one or two large projects’ type of course, and was especially helpful when I went to write my graduate thesis,” Stan State Alumni Carolyn Zoerb said.
 Look at all possible programs, schools, and their specific requirements.  Knowing which program and school you would like to apply to ahead of time will allow time to prepare accordingly.
  If you know you would like to attend graduate school within the California State University (CSU) system, CSU Mentor will provide you with everything you need. The online program will allow you to search if there is a required GRE (Graduate Record Examination), where the program is located, and if there is applications for both fall and spring available.
“CSUMentor was my best friend at this time because I knew I wanted to stay in the CSU system,” Zoerb said.
 When you find which programs you are interested in, make sure you are on track with taking the appropriate courses under your concentration that will prepare you accordingly. Stan State offers advisors in the Student Success Center that are trained to help with this as well.
  Find out if your specific program or school which you are applying to requires the GRE which is most common, or the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) for students pursuing an MBA (Master’s in Business Administration). Stan State also offers workshops to help prepare for these, in order to ensure chances for passing and scoring in the required percentile.
  Throughout your college years, make sure you keep professional relationships with professors and other references in order to have candidates that will be willing to write you a letter of recommendation.
   As a current student in the MBA program on campus, Jessica Egli advises that students start planning now if they know graduate school is for them.
“You need to allow enough time to get everything you need in place so that you are able to complete the application process and its requirements in a timely fashion,” Egli said.
    When thinking about graduate school, contemplate all possible outcomes and possibilities for advancement in your career that it will provide you with. “I have always wanted to pursue graduate education throughout my entire life to be able to give myself more career opportunities and room for advancement. You can never be overeducated,” Egli said.
The Stan State university application for Fall 2016 will be open from Oct. 1 to June 30. Individual program applications and deadlines may vary, so check with the appropriate department.