Questions to Ask Before Going to Graduate School

By Lorena Roberts on July 19, 2017

Finishing your undergraduate degree is an amazing accomplishment; congratulations. If you’ve decided to look into graduate school, I commend you. It’s quite the task trying to find a school that fits in a location you’re willing to move to. It’s hard. And if you’ve taken this upon yourself, good for you.

If you’re nervous about making a decision, here are some questions you can ask to make sure you’re making the right choice. The questions are separated into three different sections, and each section is just as important as another. When you’re shopping for a graduate school, you want it to be a perfect fit. 

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Questions to ask current students

**These are best to ask when you’re mingling with the students and not in an official environment. You want their personal opinions, not their opinions when they’re under pressure.**

•How hard was it to find housing?

•Do you find it hard to live off the stipend you receive (if there is a stipend included in your program)?

•Have you found that the program has fully supported you and your interests? Have professors been flexible about working with you and your specific interests?

•What was it about this program that made you choose it over others?

•What other programs did you look at/consider before deciding on this one?

Questions to ask professors in the program

** These are questions to ask when you’re sitting down one on one with a professor. Again, probably not best to ask in a professional/public setting.**

Interests: 

It’s important to make sure your interests align with those of at least one professor in the program. It’ll be easier to enjoy the program, relate to your mentor, and be motivated to keep learning and researching if you’re truly interested in the area in which your mentor is as well. It’s easy to approach them about their interests, and always read a few of their articles to get to know what their interests seem to be.

Finances: 

This is the toughest one for me to discuss with professors. I never want to come off as greedy or ungrateful, but it’s an important part of making the graduate school decision. Make sure you ask about stipends, support, and length of funding.

For some people, they get stuck in a graduate program that has limited funding and when it takes them longer to complete the program than they originally thought, they run out of money. That’s called being up a creek without a paddle, ladies and gentlemen.

Demands: 

How demanding is the program?

How flexible is the timeline?

Is this a rigorous program?

What are the expectations of this program?

What are this program’s strengths and weaknesses?

What options do I have outside of my school work to make me more successful in this program?

Personal: 

What advice would you give to a student who wants to be successful?

Where did you earn your degree?

Why would you recommend this program to anyone?

Questions to ask yourself:

**Because if you’re doubting your ability to handle graduate school at all, don’t do it.**

Are you ready to go to graduate school? Or are you choosing this path because you don’t have any job offers and you don’t know what else to do?

What outcome do I hope to achieve by completing this program?

What area of the country do I want to live in and will I be happy with the geographical location of this program?

How much is this going to cost? Is it a good investment or am I going to spend more money on the program than the benefits I will receive because of it?

Why do I even want to go to graduate school?

Is now the time to attend graduate school?

What/who are the other major factors of life that this decision could impact? (Spouse, significant other, children)

Am I looking for a full-time or part-time program?

Before you decide on a program, ask yourself, current students, and professors these questions. Graduate school is not a place where you want to encounter surprises. It’s important that you have all the information up front. Going to graduate school is a more personal experience than undergrad and you should be fully satisfied with your experience.

If you’re thinking twice about going to graduate school, do not go. This is not a place where you want to have to find constant motivation to get your homework done like you had to do in undergrad. This is a time where your love of learning should thrive. It’s your time to shine. Get all the facts up front and best of luck to you.

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