Menu
Search the Union College website

Graduate School Checklist

  • Build your Resume / CV
    • Use the Resume Guide and have your resume reviewed by a Career Center staff member.
  • Determine if Graduate School is the Right Choice for You
    • Attend speaker events and seminar talks while engaging with faculty and alumni in your interest areas to discuss your graduate school interests and figure out if graduate school is right for you.
  • Gain Experience in Your Interest Areas
    • Engage in internships, perform research, or volunteer in areas that are consistent with your interests.
  • Learn Graduate School Requirements
    • Research undergraduate course prerequisites you will be expected to have prior to your graduate program study, so you can plan your academic schedule at Union accordingly.
  • Research Graduate Schools
    • Utilize the Graduate School Resources webpage to begin identifying schools and programs that fit with your intended career path. The Graduate School Matrix Form can help organize your search.
  • Identify and Take Practice Admissions Tests
    • Determine if you’ll need test prep in order to be competitive with your programs of interest.
  • Ask for Letters of Recommendation
    • Identify and ask faculty members for recommendations for graduate school. Get their input on the programs you’re looking into.
  • Write a Personal Statement for Each Graduate Program You Plan to Apply to
    • Have them reviewed by faculty, the Career Center and the Office of Writing Programs. Your essays will take several drafts, so plan to work on them from Spring of Junior Year into Fall of Senior Year.
  • Network with Graduate Programs of Interest
    • Attend Campus tours and reach out to faculty members at your program of interest. It is important to network at the graduate school in order to learn about the program and demonstrate your genuine interest in the program. Leverage faculty, UCAN and LinkedIn to identify contacts.
  • Apply to Graduate School
    1. Get your official test scores submitted to each school.
    2. Send in your official transcript through Union’s Registrar’s office.
    3. Complete all applications.
    4. Upload your final resume and personal statement as a PDF.
    5. Have your references submit reference letters.
  • Follow up
    • Follow up with your contacts at the programs you applied to and let them know you have applied. If you are rejected from the program, you can make your case for re-consideration. Ask the Career Center for help with this.
  • Make a decision to attend the program that is the best fit for you!