A Graduate Resource Center PresentationBy Talal Saint-Lôt
*Game-Changing Strategiesfor Planning and Applying to Graduate School
for the MCNAIR/ROP Program
* Which Graduate Degree is for ME?• Primary Sources
1. Grad school fairs & Career Services2. Faculty and advisors3. Current students4. Academic Journals
• Secondary Sources1. Graduate program directories
• www.gradschools.com• www.petersons.com
2. US News & World Report • grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-
schools3. Department websites4. Journal articles/current research
O*NET OnLine
* 4 Rules of Thumb 4 success
1. Get your degree for FREE2. Find resources that will PAY YOU to go
to do research or get your degree
3. Scholarships, grants, work-study and jobs.
4. Loans should be a LAST RESORT
1.Fellowships: A merit-based scholarship, or form of academic financial aid. Fellowship Databases
2.Assistantships: Financial assistance provided through part-time academic employment.
3.Employer Tuition Reimbursement: Various employer-sponsored programs to help employees and their dependents pay for college and/or graduate programs.
* Funding Graduate School
*Fellowships• GEM Fellowships: minorities in engineering and
science; $16,000
• Pathways to Science
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: fellowships focused on public health policy
• NSF – Graduate Research Fellowship Program
• Fellowship Databases – Harvard, Cornell, UC, UCLA, & others
• Teaching Assistant (TA/TA Spec): directly involved with producing student credit hours
• Teaching Associate (TAssoc): advanced teaching assistant
• Research Assistant (RA): one who helps with research that is relevant to the assistant’s thesis, dissertation or other requirement for a graduate degree
• Graduate Assistant (GA/GA Spec): someone who’s duties are related to instruction, but who is not directly involved in producing student credit hours
• Project Assistant (PA): one does work required by a research grant, contract or special project that is not related to degree requirements
*Types of Assistantships
*Benefits continued…
Resident Tuition and Tuition Waiver Awards, if applicableoTuition waiver up to 12 hours per semester or 3 hours during
the summer
oOut-of-state students are eligible for the resident tuition rate if the FTE is 25% or higher and the assistantship is held for at least one-half of the semester
Health Insurance – full payment through Student Health Center
* Minimum Salary Guidelines @ UNM
Pre-Master Post-Master
.75 FTE (TA) $10,084.06 $11,093.25
.75 FTE (GA) $9,350.67 $10,286.25
.50 FTE (TA) $6,722.70 $7,395.50
.50 FTE (GA) $6,233.78 $6,857.50
.25 FTE (TA) $3,361.35 $3,697.75
.25 FTE (GA) $3,116.89 $3,428.75
*Maximum amounts are set at the department level
*Where to Look?
1.Graduate School: A merit-based scholarship, or form of academic financial aid. UNM Graduate Studies
2.Financial Aid: Financial assistance provided through part-time academic employment. UNM Finaid
3.Department: Various employer-sponsored programs to help employees and their dependents pay for college and/or graduate programs. UNM Anthropology
* Strategy #1
Start Early*Sophomore Year• Identify basic required
coursework
• Establish relationships with faculty
• Put together a CV
• Get involved at departmental level*Junior Year• Research programs & industry
• Work with a faculty member
• Get involved professionally
• Gain research experience
*Summer (Between Junior & Senior year)
• Schedule, prepare, & take entrance exam
• Contact prospective programs
• Prepare letter of intent and CV
• Gain research experience
*Senior YearSeptember
• In-depth program investigation
• Finalize letters of intent & CV
• Contact references for letters of recOctober/November
• Collect letters of recommendation
• Request college transcripts
• Finalize application packetsDecember
• Send thank you notes
• Send all applications ahead of deadlines
* Strategy #2
Minimize Application Costs*Discounted or Waived Exam
Fees
• MCAT - $270
• GMAT - $250
• LSAT - $235
• GRE - $185
*Application Fee Waivers
• Just ASK!
• McNair List – www.coenet.us
X FAP (Fee Assistance Program) = $100
X LSAC Fee Waiver = $0
X Fee Reduction Certificate = $92.50
* Strategy #3
Relationship vs Merit*Admissions committee dynamic
*Faculty Connection
*Visit, Visit, and… VISIT!
Existing CampusResources
Career Services• Letters of intent, CVs, Interview Prep
• Researching academic programs and financial aid
• Mock Interviews
• Career Development Facilitation – Self Assessments
Mentorship• Project for NM Grads of Color Mentorship Program
• AISS Sidekick Mentorship Program, RGSA, BGPSA
Other Graduate Prep Programs• MARC – Minority Access to Research Careers
• IMSD - Initiatives to Maximize Student Development
• PREP – Post baccalaureate Research and Education Program
Planning for Graduate School Guidance
•Workshops on a variety of graduate school related topics
• One-on-One consultations on appointment or walk-in basis
• Class presentations on applying to graduate school
• Online Planning for Graduate School Guide
Graduate Resource Center
CONTACT
277-1407
unmgrc.unm.edu
Mesa Vista Hall, Suite 1057
Top Related