Timeline for Applying to Graduate School
Prepared by Dean Cathleen Fleck, Ph.D.
Pregrad Dean, College of Arts & Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis
Spring – prior to applications
- Talk to faculty at WU and beyond, especially potential recommenders, about your plans; get their advice about possible programs and schools
Summer
General advice on preparation over the summer before applying to grad school.
- Draw up tentative list of programs to which you might apply; note deadlines!
- Schedule standardized tests; prepare; take when ready
- Begin writing Application Essay (often called Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement)
Fall
- Have Application Essay critiqued by faculty advisors and the Writing Center
- Contact faculty/grad students of programs to which you are applying with any questions
- Take standardized tests such as GRE, GMAT, etc. in time for application deadlines
- Apply for scholarships with early deadlines (e.g., Javits, NSF, Mellon)
- Request letters of recommendation (at least one month before deadlines); give your recommenders a copy of your essay and other application materials
- Have transcripts and letters of recommendation forwarded to programs (If possible, arrange with Student Records to send a transcript that includes your senior fall grades)
- Submit completed applications (by mail or online)
- Complete school financial aid forms and apply for relevant scholarships (Note: These deadlines might be a lot earlier than regular admissions deadlines)
Spring – after applications
- Visit top choices, if possible; ask questions of current graduate students in these departments what it’s really like; talk to faculty advisors for advice
- Compare financial aid offers; consider bargaining
- If you’re applying for need-based financial aid, you may need to file a copy of your federal income tax return
