Graduate School

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Graduate School Guide

Graduate School

The Piper Center supports current students and alumni in pursuing further study at the graduate level. We supplement the work of the St. Olaf faculty, who provide primary guidance on graduate school, by offering individual coaching and a broad array of resources to assist you in submitting a strong application. If you are unfamiliar with the world of graduate study, take a look at the videos we’ve created to introduce you to graduate schools. Explore these pages, and then reach out to the faculty or to the Piper Center’s coaches for further discussion.

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Academic vs. Professional Degrees

Academic degrees (MA, MS, PhD) involve acquiring and communicating new knowledge through original research. These degrees are awarded in virtually all disciplines of the liberal arts (e.g., arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences).

Professional degrees stress the practical application of knowledge and skills and may be acquired in areas such as business (MBA), law (JD), medicine (MD), and education (MEd). Other fields offering professional degrees include the fine arts (MFA), library science (MLS), public policy (MPP), social work (MSW), nursing (DPN), and many more.

Graduate school is a significant investment of time, money, and hard work. Before making a decision to attend, think carefully about three basic questions:

Is a graduate degree necessary to achieve my personal and professional goals?
Am I a competitive candidate — at this time — for graduate school?
Is now or later a better time for me to attend?

Students who do well in graduate school typically attend for reasons like the following:

I want to be a researcher or a college professor
I have a strong desire to be an expert in the field
I place a lot of value on attaining a graduate degree
I will have better job choices or a better income with a graduate degree

Reasons NOT to attend graduate school include the following:

I don’t know what I want to do after college
I’m not ready to enter the world of work
I can put off paying my college loans
I don’t think there’s anything I can do with “my major in [particular subject]”
My parents expect me to go

If you find yourself thinking about graduate school for any of the second group of reasons, consider making an appointment to see a Piper Center coach. We can help you think through options.

The minimum GPA required by most universities is a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Check to see if the schools on your list give a range of the GPAs that admitted students typically have.

Although grades are of great importance, a GPA that does not quite meet the minimum can be offset with strong letters of recommendation, high test scores, and a well-written personal statement or statement of purpose.

If there is a valid reason why your GPA is low (i.e., your first year grades pulled down your overall average; you worked 30 hours per week in addition to taking a heavy course load, etc.), you may wish to bring that fact to the attention of the admissions committee. Before you do so, please (a) speak with a trusted faculty member or career coach about the pros and cons of addressing your GPA in your application and (b) seek advice about how to word your statement.

If you have a master’s degree, your Graduate Grade Point Average (GGPA) will be an important consideration for your acceptance into a doctoral program.

School catalogues will specify whether you need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), which is the standardized test for graduate school, and schools will often indicate the score that applicants need to be competitive.

Even if you know that you want to go to graduate school, you don’t need to attend right after you graduate from college. A significant number of St. Olaf students go on to graduate or professional school, and many take one, two or more “gap years” in between to gain experience or to clarify their personal and professional goals.

Although many schools accept applicants fresh out of college, others prefer applicants with more experience. Do research in your chosen field to determine whether your field, and the schools in which you’re interested, accept new graduates or prefer more seasoned applicants.

If your academic record isn’t as strong as you’d like, you may want to take additional courses to strengthen your record. Gaining work experience will also allow you to obtain more familiarity with, and experience in, a field, which will be reflected in your application. Professional experience will also enable you to establish good relationships with supervisors or colleagues who may be willing to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf.

If you have only recently come to a decision to attend graduate school (you may be a second-semester senior), don’t worry. You haven’t missed the boat! Many people attend graduate school after working or doing something else for many years. These candidates often excel in graduate school because they have a lot of experience and have thought carefully about what field they want to pursue and what a graduate degree can do for them. To prepare for graduate school, you may need to take additional courses, and you may also need specific kinds of work experience. St. Olaf faculty members and Piper Center career coaches can support you if you fund yourself in this situation.

Comparison of Doctoral and Master’s Degrees

Master’s degrees (MA — Master of Arts; MS — Master of Science)

1-3 years in length
Coursework, exams, possibly an internship or another applied experience, and often a thesis or comprehensive exam
A focus on learning a broad range of knowledge related to a specific field or academic area
Generally limited funding

Doctoral degrees (PhD, DEd, etc.)

5-8 years in length, depending on the field
Coursework, exams, and a dissertation (significant independent research project)
Focus on learning a wide range of knowledge related to a specific field or academic area AND on diving deeply into a specific topic of interest to the point that you are uncovering new knowledge in the field
Larger amounts of funding often available because of opportunities to participate in faculty research

Yes, you can combine work and graduate school by enrolling in a flexible program that allows you to study part time while working part time. Other programs include work (teaching or research) as part of a financial aid package. If you attend part time and also take out federal student loans, please look carefully at the funding guidelines. Please review the section below on “Funding your graduate study.”

Many recent graduates, strapped with sizable debt from their college years, do not immediately go to graduate school and look for employment right after graduation, saving money to cover graduate school expenses down the road.

Another way to help fund graduate school is to find employment with an organization that offers tuition assistance as part of its benefits package. These programs allow employees to take courses and earn master’s degrees at nearby universities as part of advancing their careers.

Some organizations provide 100% financial support for tuition and fees for courses. Some also combine the tuition assistance benefit with a “front-pay” option that allows direct billing from the college to the corporation, eliminating the need for out-of-pocket expenses.

Your professors

Your most valuable resource for discussions about graduate school are members of the St. Olaf faculty — typically your faculty advisor or a faculty member in your proposed field of study. They will have attended graduate school, and they will be able to provide information about graduate programs and what to expect from them.
Faculty members also are familiar with your academic work, and they will be writing your letters of recommendation.
Hot tip: talk to faculty members early about graduate school. Don’t wait until you need a letter of recommendation!

Piper Center Career Coaches

The Piper Center has career coaches who can support you as you explore the possibility of graduate school. Coaches can share information with you about the application process, deadlines, standardized tests, and financial aid, and they can discuss how best to ask for letters of recommendation. Coaches can also work with you on your applications and personal statement / statement of purpose.

St. Olaf Alumni and others in your personal network

Faculty members and the Piper Center can help you find alumni who have attended programs in which you might be interested.

How long will my proposed course of study take?
What is my current level of motivation? Do I need a break from studying before I start up again?
How much will graduate school cost? Can I afford to go to graduate school right now?
Do I know for certain what I want to study? Or do I need to continue my exploration?
Will the degree do more for me after I have some work experience?
Do I have other needs or wishes right now that might conflict with graduate study?

If you find yourself in one of the following groups of students, please take a look at the resources in the drop-down menu:

A student from a underrepresented group
An international student who would like to attend graduate school in the U.S.
A student who would like to attend a graduate school outside the U.S.
A student who would like to attend graduate school online

If you’re not in one of these groups, scroll down to “What online resources are available to help me choose graduate school?”

The Council of Graduate Studies 2024 report on Graduate Enrollment and Degrees from 2013 to 2023 states that “27.9% of all first-time U.S. citizens and permanent resident enrollees were racially/ethnically underrepresented minority (URM) students, including those who were American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%), Black/African American (12.3%), Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander (0.2%), and Latinx (14.9%). The majority of first-time U.S. citizens and permanent resident enrollees are White (54.8%) while smaller proportions are either Asian (9.1%), race/ethnicity unknown (4.3%), or two or more races (3.9%). . . . Only one category of underrepresented minority students experienced declines in first-time enrollment between Fall 2022 and Fall 2023; first-time graduate enrollment decreased by 1.6% among American Indian/Alaska Native students. Meanwhile, Black/African American students increased by 6.3% and Latinx students increased by 7.6%.” The Council of Graduate Studies 2024 Report

All groups are underrepresented in graduate school compared to the national demographics for these groups: American Indian/Alaska Native (1.1%), Black/African American (12.1%), and Hispanic/Latino (18.7%).

These groups are particularly underrepresented in STEM fields.

If you are a student from an underrepresented group, you may wish to look at an article in U.S. News and World Report, “Advice for Minority Students Considering Med School,” which describes the challenges these students face — challenges present in all graduate and professional school programs — and steps you can take to help you achieve success.

You will note that finding a mentor is the most important step that you can take to achieve your goals in graduate school. Thus, when considering graduate schools, you will need to find out from the Admissions staff, from faculty, and from current students if the kinds of mentors who will enable you to flourish are present and if the environment is one that supports students from underrepresented groups. Doing your research about the faculty, studying their publications, and finding out about their students are critical steps to help you determine whether you will receive the support you need.

You may want to research whether the institutions that you are considering have an Inclusion and Belonging Officer or a similar role, someone whose role is to increase the presence of students from underrepresented groups in graduate programs and to support them in achieving success.

You can also ask the Admissions staff for data about admissions and completion rates by demographic group, which will enable you to compare rates of success. Undertaking research about the racial climate on campus will also give you a sense of how the institution is responding to recent events in the U.S.

In 2024, the Council of Graduate Studies report on Graduate Enrollment and Degrees from 2013 to 2023 stated that “International graduate students constituted 23.5% of total enrollment in Fall 2023, compared with U.S. citizens and permanent residents, who constituted 76.5%. . . . At Doctoral Universities with Very High Research Activities (R1), the share of international students rose slightly to 31.3%. The percentage of international students was particularly high in Mathematics and Computer Sciences (61.3%), Engineering (50.7%), and Physical and Earth Sciences (37.1%). This trend mirrored the preferred fields of study of international students last year.” The Council of Graduate Studies 2024 Report

The requirements for admission to graduate school are the same as for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with the following exception:

You may need to show proof of your proficiency in English (e.g., TOEFL/IELTA) if you are not a native speaker of English

Once you are admitted to a SEVP-approved university

You will need a student visa – an F-1 non-immigrant visa
Proof of sufficient funds for the duration of your course of study
Confirmation of your intent to depart from the U.S. after you have completed your course of study

Funding Information:

Please see the general advice in Funding your graduate study.

If you are an international student, U.S. federal government loans will likely not be available to you. So where can you find funding?

Four top graduate universities — Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — provide “need-blind funding,” whether you are a domestic or an international student.
The university that has accepted you may have funding.
You can apply for scholarships for international students.
1. International scholarships to study in the US
2. List of Fully Funded Masters Scholarships in USA 2025
You can participate in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) as you may have done as an undergraduate, using this work study to fund your graduate work.
Your home country or a range of international organizations may also offer funding

For more information about applying to graduate schools, please see the following articles:

If you are interested in attending graduate school outside the United States, the process for applying will be similar to that for applying to schools in the United States, with the following exception:

U.S. citizens and permanent residents, as well as international students who are applying to a school in a country that is not their home, will need to do research about the kinds of visas available for international students and will need to be able to demonstrate that they have the financial resources to cover their living expenses as well as tuition. The difficulty of applying for a visa may indicate how welcoming a country is toward international students.

Researching potential locations, understanding the political, social and cultural climate, and confirming the language skills needed to be successful are a critical part of the process. In addition, conducting thorough research about the likely costs of study — uncovering so-called “hidden” costs — will enable you to assess whether a course of study is affordable. This is especially the case for certain public universities in European countries like France, Germany, and Norway that either do not charge for tuition or charge only a minimal amount.

For U.S. citizens and permanent residents, aid from the U.S. government may be available to support education outside of the U.S.

COVID-19 reframed the landscape for online education in the United States and internationally, as many institutions now offer online education as a primary mode of delivery.

If you are deciding whether to attend graduate school online, you will need to keep the following three factors in mind:

Is the program regionally accredited?
Does the program have a traditional campus where students attend in person?
Does the program have a reputable academic brand?

In other words, it is not how you earn an online degree but where you earn the degree. If you attend a regionally accredited program at an institution that has a traditional campus and a reputable academic brand, employers will likely view the degree as being equal to one earned in person. Employers continue to be concerned about for-profit institutions that offer online learning; many have been criticized as “diploma mills” that have questionable recruiting practices, low rates of completion, and degrees of questionable value.

The pros for attending graduate school online are flexibility and applicability: you can attend from any location, you can fit your coursework into a busy schedule, and you can begin to apply what you are learning immediately to your employment (assuming that you are not making a career change). The cons are a lack of in-person communication with faculty and fewer opportunities to network with your classmates. You must also be very disciplined and well-organized.

For a good discussion of online graduate education, take a look at this article.

Peterson’s Grad School Search ToolLearn more

Gradschools.comLearn more

MastersDegree.netLearn more

U.S. News and World Report Grad School Rankings
Learn more

U.S. News and World Report Best Abroad Universities RankingsLearn more

The job of admissions representatives is to find good candidates and to share a wealth of information about the institution and its programs. First do your research online so that you don’t ask questions to which you could have found the answer on your own. Demonstrate to the admissions representative that you’ve done your homework.

Before contacting graduate faculty, speak with your St. Olaf faculty advisors about whether it is a practice in your discipline to reach out to graduate faculty.
If the St. Olaf faculty give you the okay, then you must do your “homework.” Study the graduate faculty’s career history; read their publications; find out about their current research or the projects being conducted in their lab. Be ready to answer questions about your research interests, the way your interests connect with the faculty member’s interests, and the research or other work that you’ve done to prepare for graduate school.
In some instances, faculty with whom you have corresponded or spoken will advocate on your behalf to the program admissions committee.

Graduate school fairs offer an opportunity to gain in-depth information from school representatives that will help you evaluate programs and find the best fit.

To prepare for the fair, review the schools that will be attending and choose those with whom you’d like to speak. Review catalogues, directories and websites to get a sense of the universities and their programs. Rank the schools according to your preference and prepare a list of questions.
Be ready to answer the following questions: “Why do you want to attend graduate school at xyz university?” “What do you want to study?” “When do you plan to attend?”
Ask representatives for their business cards. You will then have a contact with whom you can speak to gather further information or to ask questions.

Some schools host an “Admitted Students Day,” and in some cases schools will provide financial support so that admitted students can attend. In other cases, depending on the location of the school and your ability to pay for transportation, you may want to visit the institution in person, meet with admissions representatives, and tour the campus.

Admission

What are requirements for admission? How important is my GPA? Is the Graduate Record Exam (GRE General, GRE Subject) required? If so, how important are my test scores?
What criteria are used to evaluate applicants? Is work experience important?
What are the gender and ethnic representation of students in the department?

Programs offered

What specializations are offered?
What characteristics distinguish this program from others in the same field? Is the program nationally ranked, or is it relatively new?
Does the program focus on theory and original research? Or does it stress the practical application of knowledge and skills?
Does the program offer real work experience such as practica or internships?
What is the average length of time that students spend in the program?
May I speak with students in the program so that I can learn about their experiences?

Faculty

Who are the faculty and what are their credentials? Do they hold degrees in fields of expertise from leading universities? What awards, grants and special recognition have they earned? What have they published? What research projects have they conducted? Do they hold chairs or professorships? Does the department have nationally or internationally known scholars in the field?
What are the gender and ethnic representation of faculty in the department?
Do senior graduate faculty teach graduate students?
What is the size of the faculty and the faculty/student ratio?

Cost and financial aid

What are the tuition and fees? For U.S. state universities, what is tuition for non-residents?
What financial aid is available — loans, scholarships, internships, or work study?
Are there teaching and research assistantships? How many are awarded annually? What are the criteria for choosing recipients?
What is the process and what are the deadlines for applying for financial aid?

Other factors to consider

Geographic location: where do I want to live for several years?
Career assistance: what career assistance is available? Where are graduates employed? What happened to last year’s graduates?
Housing: is there campus housing for graduate students or assistance in locating off-campus housing?

Applying to graduate school

Applying to graduate school takes time, a significant amount of time. The best advice is to start early and to follow the steps below, which outline the process that students typically follow when applying to graduate school.

You may also want to take a look at the following article, “Kisses of Death in the Graduate School Application Process,” which surveyed admissions committees for graduate degrees in psychology and summarizes the characteristics on applications that decrease an applicant’s chance of being accepted to a program in psychology. The advice applies well beyond degrees in psychology, and we recommend that you take the time to reflect on the perspective offered by the admissions committees surveyed.

Erin Scott for St Olaf — Once you’ve decided to go to graduate school, you will most likely need to complete the following components for your application.

Fill out the application form clearly and accurately. Proofread for typographical and grammatical errors
Be consistent in spelling out your full legal name on all forms
It is difficult to proofread forms online. We highly recommend printing out the application and all other online forms or essays and proofreading them in hard copy. If that isn’t possible, ask someone else to review your online applications for errors.
To apply to schools outside the U.S., please review the checklist here:

Article

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General and Subject tests are required by many master’s and doctoral programs. Please note that some schools accept the Miller Analogies Test instead of the GRE.
Learn more about the GRE at the test’s official website: https://www.ets.org/gre
School catalogues will specify whether you need to take the GRE, and they will often indicate the score needed to be a competitive applicant.
Check the registration deadlines for the GRE. If you do not register in time, you may need to pay extra for the exam, or you may need to take it at a later date.
If you are receiving substantial financial aid, contact the Financial Aid Office to learn if you are eligible for a test fee waiver.
Most tests are computer-based, and so seek out resources that allow you to practice online.
Some students enroll in a test preparation course if they need support preparing, with the most popular companies being Kaplan https://www.kaptest.com/gre and The Princeton Review https://www.princetonreview.com/grad/gre-test-prep. Although these programs are expensive, some students find them to be valuable.
Many students study on their own with preparation guides, which you can access through the Piper Center.
Familiarize yourself with the layout and content of the exam. Take several practice tests or “trial runs” before you actually take the test.

For your application to graduate or professional school, you will want to create a curriculum vitae (a Latin phrase meaning “the course of life”).

A curriculum vitae — also known as a C.V. — differs from a resume in the following way: whereas a resume focuses on your achievements and work history, a C.V. is typically a longer document (2 or more pages) that focuses on your academic accomplishments, research, and your educational and academic background.

What is the difference between a resume and a curriculum vitae

Most applications to graduate school require at least one essay supporting your candidacy.

The most important piece of advice that we can offer is to read the prompt (or set of directions for the essay) very, very carefully. If a prompt has several parts, you may want to create an outline so that you make sure to include all information requested.

You may be asked to write one or more of the following essays:

Statements of purpose

Statements of purpose typically focus on your preparation and previous research, the research you propose to do in graduate school, and the research of the faculty with whom you want to study
To learn more about statements of purpose, please watch the video, “Graduate School – Statements of Purpose”

Personal statements

Personal statements are typically reflective essays that focus on the personal story and experiences that have led you to choose graduate school
- You may come across a prompt that asks for content much closer to that typically found in a statement of purpose
To learn more about personal statements, please watch the video, “Graduate School – Personal Statements”

The following Piper Center coaches can provide you with support:

Leslie Moore: graduate and professional school, law school, graduate essays
Dana Rechtzigel: medical school, other health programs
Paul Edwards: graduate school in STEM subjects

You can make appointments with these coaches on Handshake.

Statements about equity and inclusion

The prompt for this type of essay asks applicants to focus on the experiences of underrepresented groups.
The breadth of possible responses is broad, ranging from an applicant’s experience as a member of an underrepresented group to an applicant’s experience as a member of a majority group interacting with those from underrepresented groups.
To learn more about this type of essay, please click on this link: TBD

Statements about hardships

The prompt for this type of essay asks applicants to share any experiences of hardship (immigration issues, family matters, health-related challenges, academic challenges, etc.) that may have influenced their academic success or path toward graduate school.
To learn more about this type of essay, please click on this link

The following Piper Center coaches can provide you with support:

Leslie Moore: graduate and professional school, law school, graduate essays
Dana Rechtzigel: medical school, other health programs
Paul Edwards: graduate school in STEM subjects

You can make appointments with these coaches on Handshake.

Funding your graduate study

Attending graduate school in the United States can be expensive, and as you think about applying, you will need to consider how you will fund your graduate education.

Applying early (as institutions often dispense financial aid on a first-admitted, first-served basis) and undertaking intensive research on sources of funding are critical steps that you will need to take to give yourself the best possible chance of securing funding.

Learn more about significant changes to federal funding and sources of funding, which include grants & fellowships.