How early is too early to apply for graduate school?

Hi Racheal,

Congrats on the near graduation! You posted on March 18th.

What have you done since then?

Best answers:

• Applications to graduate schools usually open in the fall for the following academic year. So applying in fall 2018 for a fall 2019 start date usually . However, depending on the program and school, you may have the options of starting at a different time in the year. So the application deadline will change accordingly. Visiting the school(s) website and clicking on the apply tab, will let you know when they are accepting applications and when they are due. When I was applying to one of Stanford University's graduate programs , I noticed that their application was not available until months later in the year, so I started drafting a personal statement in advance.
• Take the test with enough time to retake it a second time before the application deadline. In so doing, if something unexpected happens, such as missing the test or doing poorly the first time, you can still retake it in time to get in the better score with your school application. Also, make sure to check the time requirements before retaking. For example, the GRE (graduate record exam) requires you wait 21 days before retesting. Other graduate exams may differ. Here is the GRE website that covers this an many other related topics: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register/ .

Some questions for you:

• What type of science program are you interested in?
• Do you have certain schools in mind?
• What's your long-term goal for completing a graduate degree?

Sincerely,

Joe

Hello Rachel,

I am glad that you are being pro-active and planning for grad school. It all depends on where you are interested in applying. Please check the deadlines you are interested in.

In addition some schools do not require a graduate exam such as GRE or GMAT. But if the program you are interested in has this requirement, I recommend preparing for this exam ASAP.

Lastly, many programs (but not all) begin in the fall. So, make sure to check the semester in which you can begin the program you are interested in.

All the best

Aboud

I would start looking at options for graduate school as soon as possible because the application process might take long and you’re looking at more then one school.