Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Prospective Students

I've received a few emails from prospective Graduate Students and they told me they have visited my blog. How cool is that! I was really excited to hear that people read this thing! LOL Although, I feel as though a lot of my posts have been for current Graduate Students but those emails made me think I should do a few posts for prospective students.

I wonder what prospective students would like to know? I have been thinking and asking around and came up with a few things. There are different kinds of prospective Graduate Students. Students who are coming straight from undergrad and those who have been in the field for sometime. It might be a little confusing as to where to begin.

1.  I would suggest that if you are coming right out of your undergraduate career it would be most beneficial to begin speaking with the Graduate Coordinator in the department of your interest. Graduate Coordinators have a wealth of knowledge and have more insight on the policy and procedures of that specific major.

2. If you are returning to graduate school after taking some time off for various reasons I think it would be best to begin your application process and questions with the Office of Graduate Studies. The office has a great staff with general knowledge of each program and application process information. If you need more specific information in the future, the office could definitely connect you with the correct department.

3. As a Graduate Student, sometimes you want to hear from fellow Graduate Students. If that is the case I would definitely advise you to reach out to me or our recruiter, Jenna. We can both be reached in the Office of Graduate Studies and/or online through WCU's graduate social media networks. We are also available to give tours so you can get a better feel of the campus community. I think that no matter what stage of like you are in, a current Graduate Student would be a great contact to have at any institution.

4. Lastly, there is an Open House on Saturday October 19th from 10am-12pm in Sykes Student Union. There will be a representative from each department as well as the Office of Graduate Studies present. If you have ANY questions about the process or a specific program, that would be the best place to begin. All attendees will also receive an application fee waiver!

What other information would prospective students be interested in learning about?