<p>I’ve heard that grad schools look favorably on experience and research and such. I plan on going to grad school, but I think I might want to do teach for america for a few years. Is this considered experience, since it probably will not be in the specific area I’d be going to grad school for?</p>
<p>I’ve heard that Teach for America looks marvelous on resumes, and graduate school applications. It shows community involvement, dedication and leadership. However, I suppose it depends on the area of interest though. </p>
<p>I know for things like biochemistry, I went to a lecture hosted by my biochemistry professor who told me that when people apply to his program, one thing which works against them is being “well rounded”. They are looking for applicants with clear interests in specific research, extra curriculars which relate to the field. He used an example of a successful athlete who wanted to apply to the biochemistry department. Apparently he had won dozens of awards and medals all relating to being an exceptional track runner. At first they were going to accept him but then they changed their minds saying they were concerned he had probably spent all his time at the track.</p>
<p>I would talk to a professor in the department you are interested in applying to. He or she would probably have a much clearer answer of what looks good and doesn’t look good in an application. If you really want to do Teach for America- now’s the time to do it! So I guess you’re going to have to decide where your heart lies.</p>
<p>Graduate schools look for demonstrated aptitude for their field of study as well as committment through research and scholarly activities. These activites do not necessarily have to be in your chosen field, but they should have some relevance to what you want to study in graduate school. Graduate schools are not very interested in EC’s, public service or even work experience unless it is directly related to your field.
Being well rounded is a plus if your transcript demonstrates a rigorous academic background with perhaps some very special skills (language, statistics, compter savvy, etc.) This may be less true in some of the natural sciences. I would encourage you to do what feels right to you and not worry whether it positions you well for graduate school.</p>