Get Clear. Get Into Grad School. Get On With Your Life.
by Dr. Khia on September 19, 2011
A few weeks ago, I discussed how an accountability partner can dramatically improve your chances of getting your applications in order and being successfully admitted to your graduate program of choice. If you’re a college student, it is high-time to start mining your social connections for candidates – classes, clubs or organizations, even online forums.
But first things first…. How do you identify good candidates for accountability partners? Here are a few tips: [click to continue…]
Get Clear. Get Into Grad School. Get On With Your Life.
by Dr. Khia on September 1, 2011
Your best ally in applying to graduate school is someone who is right there in the trenches with you. That’s right – someone you can meet in the library to research which programs are best to apply to, download application packets, proofread your essay draft, and call, text, or IM every now and then to commiserate over how frustrating the entire grad school application process can be.
This person – your ally, your ace, your partner in crime – is what’s called an accountability partner. A strict definition of the term is a working relationship with someone who can help keep you on task. If you are BFF with a dirty word called procrastination, let’s just say that you need to find an accountability partner, like, yesterday.
Many hopes of getting into grad school have been dashed by waiting until the last minute to get your applications in order. [click to continue…]
Get Clear. Get Into Grad School. Get On With Your Life.
by Dr. Khia on July 30, 2011
Maybe the rash of grad school related articles is a not-so-subtle reminder that back to school season is upon us. At any rate, I’ve run across quite a few “check this out”-worthy articles.
Masters is the New Bachelors
This Education Life piece hit the New York Times last week on how employers are dealing with the glut of job applicants for fewer positions in today’s American economy. Their solution? Let’s weed ’em out by education level. Increasingly job postings are starting to read: “Bachelors required. Masters preferred.” Some employers are even taking resumes that list bachelors degrees only and placing them to the side in favor of advanced degreed applicants. Some are calling this trend “credential inflationism,” some call it “professionalizing the industry,” and still others are crying foul that bachelors degrees have been devalued. Are these trends a good or bad thing for the new American economy? [click to continue…]
Get Clear. Get Into Grad School. Get On With Your Life.
by Dr. Khia on July 23, 2011
I have developed a very recent semi-obsession with TED talks. TED is a nonprofit organization dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” There are tons of speakers – industry leaders, innovators, artists, educators, and investors – who are sharing their thoughts on everything from leadership to artistry to innovation. Some of these talks are downright cool – so says the geek living inside of me.
I watched this TED talk “On Being Wrong” just a few moments ago. Kathryn Schulz, the speaker, apparently wrote a cool book that I need to advance to my ever-expanding “To Read List” called Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error. She challenges the idea that to succeed in life, we must never make mistakes.
These thoughts are a little off-center from the TED talk I posted above, but looking back at my life, I can definitely say for sure is that this common belief is super duper amazingly false. Yet it’s a belief that I’m sure we can all relate to. If I had never tried and made mistakes, I would absolutely not be where I am today. I was WRONG – not once, but twice – in applying to graduate school. [click to continue…]
Get Clear. Get Into Grad School. Get On With Your Life.
by Dr. Khia on July 12, 2011
Dude… who are you?!
It’s not enough that you got an A out of the class. Are you memorable? Can the professor truly say something about your character and potential based off of a one-to-one interaction? If not, then think again about whether this person should write a letter of recommendation for you.
What you’re most likely to get is bland, boring, and not much to say besides, well, this student did well in my class. Is this recommendation doing any actual recommending for you? Probably not.
Are graduate admissions committees likely to be underwhelmed and unimpressed? You betcha! [click to continue…]
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