With Wall Street crumbling, graduate and professional school has been the accidental beneficiary of a shaky economy.  People are heading back to school in droves.  Piled Higher and Deeper totally nailed it in this column as the unemployment rate goes up, guess who’s coming to graduate school?!

So for some of you, this might bring a whole heap of questions.  How am I supposed to get in to graduate school?  How can I separate myself from the other people who are applying?  How do I figure out where I want to go and what I want to do? All very legitimate questions and I’m here to drop some knowledge on the issue from the graduate student perspective.

***disclaimer – this is generic advice.  take it or leave it but as my lawyer says, “I am not accountable for what happens to you!”***

So recently, a friend asked me about test scores.  “Leah” he said, “How important are test scores, like the GRE?  And what do I do if I bomb?”

Well first and foremost, different strokes for different folks.  The LSAT is weighted differently from the GMAT which is weighted differently from the MCAT… which is… you get the point.  When asking about test scores – go directly to the source.  Ask a graduate student who has already taken the exam in question and is already in school (or went through recently).  And if your desired schools have an open-door policy, ask an admissions representative or the diversity director about the weight of the scores.  If the school says it’s acceptable, ask the departmental administrator, or a faculty mentor.

I’ve heard different things – at XYZ elite east coast university, the “generic social science” department doesn’t take anyone who gets lower than a 1200 total and a 4.5 analytical on their GREs.  At XYZ mid-range west coast university, the “generic humanities” department doesn’t even LOOK at GRE scores… and so on, and so on.  Get the facts straight from the horse’s mouth – the answers may surprise you and will help chart your course for the future.

But on to the real matter at hand – what do you do if you bomb?  Well it depends.  When did you bomb?  October?  Well start prepping for the December test!  Ask the schools what is the latest test date score they’ll accept – some say January, some say December, some say October to qualify for special scholarships.  Keep that in mind.
Think back to the test?  Where did you stumble?  Verbal?  Break out those flash-cards… another trick – use your mac dictionary widget to look up the definition for everything and synonyms (or antonyms) for mysterious words.  Is the problem math?  Figure out which math problems are your stumbling blocks and focus on those.  If you can break the stumbling blocks, you’ll do much better on the test… remember, with the GRE, the harder the questions, the better you’re doing (gotta love the new computerized tests!).

Back to the admissions/diversity counselor advice – if it’s acceptable, have a frank conversation with them.  Don’t whine about your scores… but ask about the benchmark.  Ask if it’s okay to add an addendum statement explaining low test scores and how they don’t reflect your ability to do advanced qualitative and quantitative work.  Does your work history/school history stand in stark contrast to your test scores?  Well then mention that!  Say the test is the anomaly… especially if you’ve only taken it once.  Remember, the GREs are just one measure of your ability to do Masters and PhD level work.  In your package and in your interviews, highlight your other accomplishments and downplay your score(s).

Another alternative is to get a letter from your former academic chair (college or post-grad work) that speaks to your ability to do advanced level work.  “Dear ______, my name is _____ and I’m the academic counselor at XYZ university.  Laurence is great and his previous work (details) shows his ability to make a real contribution to your university.”  See how that works?  It’s like another letter of recommendation… except its should speak positively about your test-taking abilities… or offer a professional interpretation of why you might have done poorly.  Recognize that some schools will HATE this.  Others might love it… and others yet will be indifferent.  But it doesn’t hurt to ask – who knows, it might even be a recommended course of action… universities certainly expect it on the undergraduate level (to explain any weird kinks in your transcript), so maybe it will work on a graduate level.

So those are the basics, hope they help.  And at the end of the day remember – a test is just a test… is just a test… is just a test.

-LW

A few months ago, a friend and I (both 5th years in our programs) were sitting in on a “Welcome to Grad School” program for students of color. During the program, a first-year in the audience asked a question:

First-Year: “So what do you do for fun here? I mean it seems like there’s nothing to do.”
Panelist 1: “Well there isn’t really that much to do…”
Panelist 2: “No, no that’s not right, I say I spend about 90% of my time studying, and 10% socializing.”
Leah & Friend: *Look at each other and burst out laughing*

My friend and I were shocked at the responses since the two of us spend a good chunk of our time having fun in graduate school. So for the two of us “old-heads,” the thought of devoting all of our time to a stress-inducing, alienating, and oftentimes isolating experience seemed insane. And while graduate school sometimes commands your full attention, there are still ways to maintain a balance of social and academic in order to maintain a healthy mental state.

Graduate School is a beast. And I mean that in the kindest way possible. It’s hard – doesn’t matter if you’re in a PhD program, Law School, Med School, Business School – it’s hard in ways most people can’t even imagine. We place plenty of emphasis on the scholarly part – make sure you study, go to office hours, become your professor’s best friend – but rarely do we talk about the social aspect of graduate and professional school. How it can be an isolating and alienating experience, even for those of us in the middle of the busiest of urban environments.

When I started graduate school, I lumped myself into the category of “graduate students living the good life.” I was halfway between NYC and Philly, I had friends in both cities, and I was moving from an undergraduate college that barely had one major street to a graduate institution that had its own transit system – all major upgrades. And while I was intellectually ready, nothing could have prepared me for the way that professional school eats, chews, and spits up all of your time. I found myself missing my undergraduate social experience – not just the parties, but also the social networking and the extracurricular club activities. I missed the camaraderie formed with people outside of my major; and I missed having fun discussions about simple things – like whether America’s Next Top Model was better than Project Runway. Part of my feelings of isolation also stemmed from being the only person of color in my cohort. During college, it was easy to run to my sorority or to join in meetings at the Afro-American Society. At first glance, graduate school didn’t present that opportunity and I felt increasingly like there was no one I could talk to, no one who I could relate to, and no one who could understand my voice in classroom discussions.

As you might imagine, academics + alienation + isolation = disaster equation. My first two years of graduate school were rocky. I felt unbalanced and scattered. When I tried to find social alternatives to ease the frustration of daily school activities, I took it too far. Instead of hitting the books, I was hitting the clubs. And I’ll admit – it was fun and it was exciting! But it wasn’t helping my ultimate goal of having a PhD in hand by June 2009. I quickly realized that for 95% of us, succeeding in professional school is about finding your perfect work-life balance. What works for you may not work for everyone. But social life and graduate school don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

How do you find a work-life balance? Start off slow! I got involved with on-campus extra-curricular activities like the black graduate caucus, undergraduate mentoring, and diversity recruitment and retention. I found social activities that meant a lot to me that didn’t detract from my studies or have me dancing with d-list celebrities on a nightly basis. I also eased myself back into the social scene, only committing to those events that didn’t interfere with my ultimate goal. So I felt completely comfortable hanging out in Philly until 2am, since I knew I could be back on the grind at 10am the next morning. Giving myself structure in all aspects of my life allowed me to do the things that I wanted and to do the things that I needed to do.

I also strongly recommend that you reach out to your true friends. Talk to them when you need them and stay in touch. Make time for them, whether it be taking a well-deserved vacation to the Dominican Republic, planning a joint birthday bash together, or just dining out together every once in a while. And present flexible options – can’t make it out to downtown Atlanta? Invite them over to your place in the suburbs to watch a movie and eat a home-cooked meal (or takeout, I know times are hard!).

I also realized that I have power and I have choice. So why not create your own social options? Want your off-campus friends there? Invite them too! So for example, for the past two years the graduate school has given me the funds to run a completely free winter gala – dinner, drinks, dancing, prizes, and good company! Create your own opportunities and your own solutions that allow you to socialize and to maintain your study habits. Other friends have done larger events, throwing citywide parties, hosting movie and game nights, or even creating professional school networking events. Again – test your boundaries and know yourself. If you can do all of this, great – you’re superwoman. If you can’t, no worries – you’re normal! But find ways to get involved so that you can have a hand in your own social destiny.

And of course there come certain points where we all have to buckle down and “do work son!” The bar, the dissertation, boards, final exams, job interviews … recognize that these things are monumental commitments and deserve your focus and your energy. But again – figure out a good work-life balance in order to de-stress. I cannot write my dissertation 24/7. But I can write from 10am to 10pm Monday through Thursday, taking off the weekend to go visit a friend in Chicago, or to go to DC to spend time with a loved one.

So remember, make time for you. Summer is rapidly approaching so make sure you take time out to enjoy it! If that means flying to Las Vegas to party for 3 days straight or hitting the beach in Cape Cod, then so be it! But make sure you take your books on the plane and you have enough structure in your life that you can jump right back into the war zone when you return.

And just to finish up my story, my work-life plan is a little crazy right now and is heavily tilted toward the academic side (I think I’m on the 90% work/10% play plan right now, yikes!) but it’s because I have deadlines, goals, and structure. Come June 2009 though, be prepared… because I surely will be partying like the Graduate Student Rock Star that I am!

-Leah-