The Ins and Outs of Graduate School Admissions at a Glance

Morton Z. Hoffman

What follows is a quick overview of tips and guidelines for applying to graduate programs in tbe chemical sciences.

Generalizations about Graduate Work

• Graduate work is for those who enjoy going to school, like an unstructured, open-ended research environment, and who wish to follow career paths that require an advanced degree.
• There is always a demand for good graduate students. Students with chemistry grades in the "B" range should not have difficulty being accepted to some of the schools of their choice.
• Graduate students in chemistry are almost always supported by teaching or research fellowships and receive (directly or indirectly) stipends for tuition throughout their Ph.D. program.
• For the Ph.D., you will take courses and written and oral exams, do lots of research, write a thesis, and defend your work at a final oral presentation.
• You should figure on 1-2 years for the M A. or M.S. degree, and a total of about 5 years for the Ph.D. [if you by-pass the Masters degree.]

Finding Out About Graduate Schools

• Speak to your professors, current and recent graduate students,and visitors to your institution particularly in your areas of interest. Get up-to-date information; reputations take a long time to get established or lost.
• Attend graduate school fairs at ACS national and regional meetings.
• Request and read the brochures from different schools; visit, if possible. Many schools have preadmission travel funds (don'tbe afraid to ask).
• Check the chemical literature for references to the research work of professors with whom you might want to study. Be sure to look up the most recent work.
• Consult graduate school directories, for example:
  • ACS Directory of Graduate Research
  • ACS Chemical Sciences Graduate School Finder
  • Peterson's Guide to Graduate Programs

Planning for Graduate Scbool

• Many graduate programs are available for chemistry students: chemistry polymer science, chemical physics, biotechnology, library science, chemical education, biochemistry , materials science, environmental chemistry, food science, geochemistry, computational chemistry, clinical chemistry, chemical engineering, pharmaceutical chemistry.
• Observe the application deadlines (typically January or February, but often later), but the earlier you apply, the better.
• Acceptances are usually rolling, sometimes right up to the start of classes.
• Applications consist of forms, requests for financial aid (teaching and research fellowships), essays, letters of recommendations (generally three), GRE scores, transcripts, and fees.

Tbe Application Process

• Essay
  • Why you are interested in going to graduate school (evidence of motivation)
  • Area of interest within chemistry (name a professor if appropriate)
  • Discussion of career goals (direction in life)
  • Previous research experience (very important)
• GRE -Nearly always required (verbal and quantitative skills, subject test)
• Application fees (typically $25-$50)

Graduate Record Examination*

• General test ($64): verbal and quantitative skills
• Subject test ($64): chemistry
  Subject tests are also given in biology, geology, physics,computer science, engineering, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, mathematics.
• For applications, see the graduate school or undergraduate advising office at you institution [216 Page Building on Duke campus] or contact: Graduate Record Examination, Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000. Phone: (609) 771-7670 Princeton, NJ or (510) 873-8100, Oakland, CA
  

Applying and Choosing

• Apply to as many schools as you can afford (fees, postage, time), but be realistic about your expectations; about six schools would be okay.
• Remember: The more schools you apply to, the more acceptances you will likely get, and the harder will be your choice.
• Your final choice will likely be based on some combination of the following factors:
  • size of department (small, medium, large, humongous)
  • intellectual climate (laid-back, active, intensely competitive)
  • range of research activities (a few specialized areas, broad coverage, everything)
  • reputations (young & aggressive, established & secure, old & hoary)
  • university setting (urban, college town)
  • stipends and prerequisites (discuss this with your agent!)
  • personal reasons (family, romance, wanderlust, cost)
  • geography (the United States is a very large country)