I am a sophomore in college and lately I have been seriously thinking of graduate school. I am about 90% sure that I would like to go to graduate school to further my career (master’s program, I’m not looking to get a PhD) and I started collecting some basic information about possible programs and schools while I was still a freshman. Lately, though, since I’m a planner, I have been thinking I should take this research to the next level, and just start requesting information from possible schools so that I can plan accordingly during undergrad based on different requirements and such.
I am somebody who needs to mull things over for a REALLY long while before I come to a decision, maybe I get overly cautious, so I was thinking this really might be wise for me to do, but I also don’t want to be getting way too far ahead of myself; then again, it’s not like I’m making a commitment by requesting information from a school…
Not too early, especially if you are someone who needs to mull things over. Also, if you are planning a research career then summer research internships could help toward eventual admission. It’s definitely not too early to research those if you want one this summer. Many application deadlines for summer research programs are in January or February.
It does not hurt to think some about graduate school. Probably the best thing that you can do is to get the most that you can out of your undergraduate experience. This includes of course getting very strong grades and always keeping ahead of your class work. You should seek out help where you need it. However, if you have extra time you can also seek out extra work from professors in a very small number of classes where you are very good and have a particular interest. A research internship as suggested by @NorthernMom61 is also a good idea.
You might want to think about whether to work for a year or two after getting your bachelor’s degree before starting a master’s program. When I got my master’s there were many students in the program (including me) who had done this, and I think that for most of us it made us better students.
Another issue you want to think about is what kind of Masters degree you are seeking. Some are research oriented but others are more professional and only require coursework. The kind of degree you choose will depend on your career goals. If you want a research career, then usually a PhD is appropriate but there are certainly positions in industry which are research oriented and where a Masters is valuable. Your faculty mentors (find some!) can help you figure this out.
As a first semester soph, have you even declared a major yet? Are you still in comm college? Don’t jump the gun. First things first.
Not sure why you didn’t mention what major, what future grad degree. There’s a difference between, say, an advanced teaching degree/certification and pursuing an MA in core subject. The cores require a research focus, which I don’t think you can have developed, at this point- and achieved some results yet.
Also, why ask them for info? Is it not on their web sites?
@lookingforward I see your point, but believe me, I have thought this through (even if I am only 90% sure of graduate school, there are worse things than preparing early, I’m sure).
I am in community college about to transfer to university.
I am going ahead and studying English Literature for my Bachelor's and my Master's, at least as far as I see now. I've been planning on English for a loooong time, considering it for even longer.
I have started thinking about focuses for my English studies, I've got this insane book on literary theories and criticisms that I've been drawing some inspiration from, and I will get a bit more intense with these studies through my honors program, and then moving into graduate school (assuming that is my path).
A lot of graduate schools have an option to actually request mailed information, which can be helpful to have and it helps me, personally, to be organized in that way. I like having folders. :)
Again, my thinking was that, since I am somebody who has to think through everything for a really long time, it might be wise to start considering my options in more detail so I’m not flustered when I actually have to get down to business next year. I also want to think about what I can do in junior and senior year to amplify my chances of acceptance to certain schools, depending on the ones that appeal to me the most, or again, I fear I will get all flustered. Obviously I’m not making any commitments right now, but I’m just considering what my options will be and what I can do. Believe me, I would NEVER go into graduate school without a clear plan, and I thought that, worst case here, I decide not to go at all, and I wasted some time. I just want to be sure of it. If you advise against this, I’ll definitely reconsider working on this at the moment, but this is just how I was going over it in my head.
To get into a good grad program, you need the support and endorsement of your major profs. You haven’t yet declared the major, encountered the rigor, begun academic research, or met these profs.
Sure, think about it. But you’ll need to build a record and haven’t even enrolled in the 4-year yet. Thinking about something for “a really long time” isn’t what gets you there. It’ll be the achievements along the way. Don’t overthink when there are so many steps between now and deciding where to apply and how. Focus on today’s grades, opportunities, and the work in junior year.
At this point, it’s awfully soon to target grad schools when you have only a one year record.
@lookingforward I realize all of that already, so I don’t think you get what I’m saying…The reason I want to consider it now is so I can get deeper and actually make these achievements happen as I progress from this point. I’m very goal-oriented, I’m thinking in terms of setting a goal that I can work toward or I’m going to be very lost when it comes time to actually get down to business (and that time will be here before I know it). I’m already involved in a lot this year as I work toward this goal, so that’s what I am primarily focused on now, but I am thinking of next year and how I can take it a step higher. I just thought if I had some ideas of what, or where, I was working on getting, then I would know better how to get busy as a junior and in the summer. I just like to start early. Thanks anyway, though. I’m glad to get feedback, it helps me think over why I want to do it.
What university will you attend when you finish community college? Are there profs there who specialize in the areas that interest you? When you get to the university, can you sign up for courses with these professors? As @lookingforward mentioned above, getting the support of your advisor/professors in your field is important and can be extremely helpful in getting into a good graduate program. Plus, if the graduate program wants you and sees you as promising, you’ll have a chance to get your graduate studies funded (tuition and a stipend) through graduate fellowships or teaching assistantships. In addition to a high gpa, you’ll also need a good GRE Score. You can certainly start looking at what’s entailed in the GRE, even if you won’t be taking it for a while. The undergraduate university you attend is also something that graduate departments consider in evaluating your application. Will you be transferring to a university with a good academic reputation. Again–this is something that can tip the scale in your favor.
I get that! But you already have a goal. Your goal is “get into graduate school in English literature.”
You don’t really need to start making a list of graduate schools or requesting information from them, because the preparation that you should begin doing for a potential master’s program for English is going to be pretty much the same at this stage of your college career for any program. You’re going to want to
take rigorous classes in English literature and keep your grades as high as possible;
use those classes to start narrowing down your interests in English literature, so you know what programs to focus on;
make relationships with professors in your major who can mentor you and write you letters of recommendation;
start doing some scholarship in English literature, either through independent studies and/or working directly with the aforementioned professors; and
use the above opportunities to produce a really polished, well-written writing sample (this really comes in junior year, but setting up one in your sophomore year isn’t a bad idea just to get the practice).
You really cannot begin making a list and start requesting information from schools until you have done #2 at least, because otherwise you will just be more or less randomly selecting schools rather than selecting them on the basis of who has the best concentration/focus/resources in the subfield and area you choose. For example, you could decide that you really want to study 18th century woman poets and realize you’ve collected information from schools that don’t have any specialists or resources in that area.
The stuff that is more specialized for each program doesn’t start to be important until very late in your junior year at the earliest, and more realistically in the summer. Honestly, I would say that you will get more flustered, as you will be frustrated by the process of trying to gather information for steps 9-10 of the process when you haven’t really mastered steps 1 and 2. You can’t consider what your options are before you’ve actually set yourself up for options.
And part of what Juillet is saying in #2 and #4 reflects that, for grad school, you are expected to have an idea of that research focus you may pursue. Admit chances can be affected by how your focus matches those of one or more profs, who want to work with you. It’s not the same sort of open exploration that undergrad is.
Department websites are good sources of info - agree that you don’t need to start writing away for info that probably is already available to you.
It is more useful to talk to current grad students if there are any where you are now and to faculty about the grad school experience.