Choosing Your Destination

When planning the graduate school journey, it's tempting to think that any program will do - that getting accepted is the only thing that counts. Don't make that mistake. The proper fit between a grad program and your learning style can make all the difference in the world. Here are some online tools that can help you choose wisely.
• Peterson's Guide to graduate programs - This resource may be the heart of your search. Over 36,000 programs at more than 1,700 institutions. You can search by institution name, location, academic area, degree type or key word. You may wish to start with Academic Area. Each area includes dozens of fields. For example, the Social Sciences Area includes 75 fields such as African Studies, Sociology, and Women's Studies.

• U.S. News and World Report Grad School Rankings - Every year, U.S. News and World Report surveys and ranks hundreds of schools in disciplines ranging from art through chemistry to veterinary medicine. They don't cover every discipline and the ranking methodology is not universally respected, but the U.S News survey is generally a good place to compare factors such as academic reputation and student selectivity.

• Yahoo's most wired campuses - There are lists for the 100 greatest books, the 100 most important movies - so you shouldn't be surprised to find a list for the 100 most wired campuses. If having an email connection, web access, and internet-augmented instruction is important to you, check out Yahoo's picks. Keep in mind, this list has been accused of some methodological flaws. Also, count on multiple advertisements when you access this page. Despite all of this, the Yahoo 100 is a good place to hunt for the most cyber-savvy campuses.

Financing Your Trip

The secret for paying for graduate school is similar to the art of buying a car. The list price is merely a starting point. You can whittle the cost down with patience and time. The best approach is to assess your personal skills and experiences and package yourself as a candidate for your program's Teaching Associate program. The entire cost of tuition may be waived and you can even get a stipend for monthly expenses. However, to make up the difference between what your program can offer and your expenses, you should consult these internet sites.
• Department of Education Financial Aid - The Department of Education provides $42 billion a year to help students pay for their education. At this site, you can download documents, calculate loan costs, and get information about your loan status. As with every government site, you'll have to wade through plenty of text to get to the good stuff, but the Department of Education website remains a solid resource for financial aid information.

• Calculators - considering the rate of tuition inflation (estimated at 7 percent) how much will it cost to attend grad school if you wait a year? What kind of ratio of debt-to-income is best to maintain while finishing your advanced degree? Check out these calculators to estimate some of the costs ahead. Remember, though, that cost has nothing to do with your actual expense - if you pursue your financial aid options wisely.

• Fastweb Scholarship Search - These folks conduct a survey of your background and interests to determine which scholarship programs (out of over 400,000) are best from you. Once you provide an email address, they'll regularly send you updates on new opportunities. The program is free, but signing up takes about ten minutes.

When you're knee-deep in the details of grad school preparation, it's a good idea to step back and get the big picture. Here are a couple of sites that might provide some useful perspective.
• Rice University's Graduate School Guide - Rice University provides a chatty, realistic look at graduate school preparation. Topics covered include: "Get Organized - Simplify Your Application Process" and "The Application Essay - Do's and Don'ts." This advice can never replace the good counsel available from faculty and peers, but this website can remind you of the essentials for making the right choice.

• College of William and Mary's Applying to Graduate and Professional Schools - This site is succinct, direct, and effective in organizing the application process. If you can't tell an LSAT from a GRE, here's a good place to start. How should you seek letters of recommendation? Should you prepare for an interview in order to join a grad program? Useful answers abound at this site. If you like the College of William and Mary's approach toward grad school, check out their entire Movin' On page.

Selecting the right graduate school, organizing your financial aid package, and embarking on your career as a lifelong student - these steps seem to offer daunting challenges. But, like any major life decision, this process is made easier by preparation. Use the internet tools discussed in this workshop and discover others that you can share with your colleagues - and you'll find that you can survive and thrive in the grad school environment.