Choosing the Right Graduate School

So you've received several graduate school admission offers. Congratulations, you're past the hardest part of graduate admissions--getting into a graduate school. The next step is to decide which one you want to go to. There are several things to consider when choosing a graduate school such as caliber of academic program, cost of attending, and campus surroundings.

How good is the graduate school?

Make sure you heavily weigh the quality of your possible graduate schools. The caliber of each graduate school you're considering should be the most important decision factor. Graduate school quality is an indicator of how much you'll learn, the quality of instruction you'll receive, and ultimately, how much you'll have to work to find a job after you graduate.

For general graduate school rankings, check out the well known U.S. News and World Report annual rankings.

What is the cost of attending the graduate school?

The second most important decision factor is the cost of attending the graduate school. Cost of attending includes (but not limited to) the price of tuition, class materials, and housing. After you've calculated how much it would cost to attend the graduate school, find out what financial aid is available. Some graduate schools offer full support while others offer very little.

Ask yourself, "Are the hours I'm going to have to work to pay the bills worth the quality of education I'm going to receive?" Don't waste your time and money on a graduate school that won't help you much in the long run.

What is the area like around the graduate school?

Campus surroundings should be low in importance compared to academic quality and cost of attending, but if you're torn between a couple of graduate schools use campus surroundings as the deal breaker. You should feel comfortable at school.

If you always have to worry about poor quality surroundings, your studies will suffer.

Bottom Line

Most likely you're attending graduate school to improve your future. When deciding which graduate school to go to, think long-term, and pick the school that will improve your future the most.

If none of the schools you're considering will improve your life, then maybe you should consider a different path.