Applying to Graduate School

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Wellesley Career Education

"Do I want to apply now?" There is no simple way to answer this question because the reasoning is different for each person. This resource will help you to consider if this is the best time for you to apply for graduate school.

Performing Arts

Hebert
Hebert Labbate

Like most art disciplines, careers in theatre span widely from performance and creative roles to technical positions to administrative functions and even educational and therapeutic professions.

Museums and Galleries

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Hebert Labbate

Museums are educational organizations that collect, preserve, and present important artifacts and/or works of art for the public to view and study. Museums may be organized by their collections (art, history, natural history) or by their intended audiences (children's museums). Possible occupational titles include: museum director, curator, collections manager, archivist, museum technician, conservator, researcher, exhibit designer, educator, editor, photographer, and librarian.

Fine Art

Hebert
Hebert Labbate

Practicing artists support themselves by teaching, selling artwork, being awarded grants and commissions, and a wide variety of other related (and non-related) professional endeavors. Growing and maintaining an active studio practice requires both training and resources— in the form of materials, equipment, space, and exhibition or performance opportunities. Many artists refine their work and begin to connect with the world of galleries, grants, and exhibitions in a graduate program (usually an MFA program). However, this is not the only path to a career as an artist.

Fashion and Lifestyle

Hebert
Hebert Labbate

Fashion is a fast-paced and exciting industry for those who love clothes, designs, and trends. This international industry includes careers ranging from modeling to fabric/clothing design, from marketing to retail, from business to manufacturing, from buying to merchandising. Possible occupational titles include: fashion designer, model, photographer, fashion editor, fashion writer, fashion stylist, fashion buyer, retail merchandisers.

Design and Illustration

Hebert
Hebert Labbate

Design and illustration careers begin with a portfolio of client-based or self-inspired work that displays your talent, style, and creative thinking. While there are full-time positions in the field of design, there are fewer full-time opportunities for illustrators. For this reason, many illustrators work as designers and illustration is a part of their job.

Arts Administration

Hebert
Hebert Labbate

A career in arts administration combines interest in the arts with business expertise and fundraising skills. Arts administrators work for symphony orchestras, art galleries, museums, ballet companies, musical groups, theatres and other organizations.

Arts Education

Hebert
Hebert Labbate

As a field, art education spans traditional K-12 art classrooms to university/college teaching and even to more community-oriented spaces, like museums, arts centers, and educational non-profits. This field even crosses over into healthcare in the form of vocational rehabilitation and art therapy programs.

Fulbright Program (rising seniors & graduates)

Kate Dailinger
Kate Dailinger

Supports a year (or occasionally more) of study or research abroad in any discipline, or year-long English teaching assistantships (ETAs) abroad in programs designed by the host countries. Eligible are graduating seniors and graduates who are US citizens. Campus application deadline for Wellesley students and graduates typically in August, after an optional draft deadline in July.

“In the past year I’ve spent a lot of time thinking, talking, and journaling about my career, values, and interests. The courage to see if different doors would open for me, to reach out to people and ask for their time and wisdom, was sometimes hard to come by, but my curiosity pushed me to do things that were slightly uncomfortable, and the results were worth it.”

Financing Your Graduate School Education

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Wellesley Career Education

Everyone will specific questions regarding their financial situation and how it impacts the entire application and funding process. This resource provides information to help you project costs and possible methods of funding including loans, school-based aid, PhD specifics, outside funding, fellowships, and scholarships.

Application Timelines for Graduate School

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Wellesley Career Education

This resource provides a date-free timeline, to give you an idea of the order of events in an application process. Specific dates and timeframes/timelines can vary greatly by academic program and area of interest.

Writing a Personal Statement

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Wellesley Career Education

A personal statement is a narrative essay that connects your background, experiences, and goals to the mission, requirements, and desired outcomes of the specific opportunity you are seeking. It is a critical component in the selection process, whether the essay is for a competitive internship, a graduate fellowship, or admittance to a graduate school program. It gives the selection committee the best opportunity to get to know you, how you think and make decisions, ways in which past experiences have been significant or formative, and how you envision your future.

The Role of the Essay in a Graduate School Application

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Wellesley Career Education

The application essay is a critical component in the selection process, whether the essay is for a competitive internship, a graduate fellowship, or admittance to a graduate school program.

The essay or personal statement gives a selection committee its best opportunity to get to know you, how you think and make decisions, ways in which past experiences have been significant or formative, and how you envision your future.

Requesting Faculty References

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Wellesley Career Education

This resource provides best practices for letters of reference — both for those requesting them and those writing them. Review the resources below to make sure your letters will be effective and on time, and that the process will run smoothly for all involved.

Standardized Tests for Graduate School Resource

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Wellesley Career Education

Many, if not most, graduate school programs will require standardized test scores as part of the application for admission. Which test you will need to take will vary based on the institution and degree program. This resource will help you to research the programs to which you intend on applying to determine which test(s) will be required.

Preparing to Apply for Graduate School

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Wellesley Career Education

Preparation for grad school can begin any time during or after your time at Wellesley. What is it about graduate school that attracts you? What do you hope to gain by going to graduate school? This resource covers people to meet, how to identify programs, and researching schools.

Graduate Degrees and Program Examples

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Wellesley Career Education

This resource covers key questions to explore when considering a degree and program type, and provide information about:

  • Certificate & Post-Baccalaureate Programs
  • Master’s Programs (MA, MS, MBA, MFA, MEd, etc.)
  • Doctoral Degrees
  • Dual Degree Programs

Introduction to Graduate School

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Wellesley Career Education

Graduate school is an opportunity to examine a field of your choice with more specificity and direction. It gives you the tools you need to succeed in the industry of your choice. Preparation for grad school can begin as early as your first year of college as you begin conversations with your College Career Mentor about how your values, interests, and strengths align with potential fields of study.

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