So, you want to attend graduate school.

Presently, the sociology/anthropology department does not offer graduate degrees. However, every faculty member in the department has attended and successfully completed graduate school. We've been there, we know what it's like, and some days we wish we were still there. Ah, the life of a graduate student... Making the decision to attend graduate school is a serious one and requires a lot of thought. In the sections below, we offer advice on how to choose a program, information you need to provide so that we can write a letter of recommendation, and strategies for writing your personal statement.

Choosing a Graduate Program

You are thinking about graduate school even though you swore during Research Methods (or Theory) that you would never take another class for the rest of your life. We remember hearing those words cross your lips. You suddenly realize that you want to learn more about a topic. Perhaps you cannot advance at work or change jobs until you have a graduate degree. Learning, you just love to learn, that's your reason. Or, you have decided to become a professional student (we call them professors). The only way to teach or do research at a college or university is to possess a graduate degree. Whatever your rationale, there are several things to keep in mind. Graduate school is expensive. Graduate courses are harder than your undergraduate courses even though the course load appears lighter. Graduate school isn't for people who become discouraged easily. However, it is also an exciting time to share ideas, study a topic in-depth, and meet people who share your interests. Connect to the following link for advice on choosing a graduate program. This page provides general information about choosing a graduate program.

Personal Statement

You've requested and received the application. Now, you are facing that very large blank page asking why you want to attend University XYZ's graduate program in ABCD. The personal statement is VERY important. Do not jot this on the back of a napkin or write this 2 hours before mailing the application. This should not be the last part of the application to be completed although the other parts can be done much quicker. In fact, you would be smart to work on this first. The questions you are really trying to answer are, why graduate school, why this program, and why here? The answers are not, "Well, duh, I want to make more money and you are close to my house." If you can't think of a convincing answer, then you shouldn't fill out the rest of the application. How do you start? The next link guides you through writing your personal statement . Don't be shy about sharing your statement with us, especially if you want a letter of recommendation. We've seen your other written work. There is no need to be modest about this piece of writing.

Letters of Recommendation

Every program we know requires that you provide letters of reference from people, usually faculty members, who can speak to your skills, interests, and abilities. For us to write a strong, positive letter, you should really spend some time talking with us, be diligent in your studies, and "stand out" in a positive way. The document attached to this link describes the kinds of information we need from you in order to write letters of recommendation . Don't hesitate to contact us even if you graduated a few years ago. Because our classes are small, we usually remember our graduates. However, we typically need an update on your activities since graduation. What are you doing now? Why do you want to attend graduate school?, etc. You get the idea. Check our office hours and give us a call or make an appointment to discuss your plans.

Financial Resources for Graduate School

Graduate Schools Attended by Our Alumni

• American University
• Centre for Social Studies (Poland)
• King's College (Pennsylvania)
• Marywood University
• Queen's University (Canada)
• St. Joseph's University
• Shippensburg University of PA
• State University of New York at Buffalo
• Temple University
• University of Delaware
• University of Illinois
• University of Massachusetts at Amherst
• University of New Hampshire
• York University (Canada)

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