Graduate School Resources

Attending graduate school is a big decision.  There are no hard and fast rules.  It is a good idea to talk with faculty, prospective employers and students currently pursuing programs of interest to you in order to hear their perspectives on the advantages of immediate vs. delayed entry into graduate school.

Graduate School Directories
Graduate School Testing:  FAQ's
Test Prep Sites
BSU Office of Testing Services
Financial Aid
Preparing for Graduate School - a step by step guide.

Graduate Program Directories

There are various on-line graduate school search sites that can assist you in identifying graduate programs that best fit your interests.  A sampling is provided below.

  • Accredited Online Colleges:  Let's you search through countless accredited schools, based on a variety of criteria, to find an accredited online program that best meets yours needs.
  • Gradschools.com: With almost 60,000 programs listed in its free directory, gradschools.com is the leading onl-line resource for graduate schools.
  • Peterson's Guide: The Peterson's Graduate Schools page provides articles, program searches and suggestions/tips with regards to graduate school planning.
  • U.S. News College Guide: Includes school rankings, "best education buys" list, career tips and financial aid information.
  • Graduate Guide:  A directory of graduate schools in the United States and Canada that will help you find colleges and universities that offer accredited graduate programs that most interest you.
  • Law School Admission Council:  Extensive information on the process of applying to law schools. Includes online registration for the LSAT, list of events where you may meet representatives from law schools, and links to LSAC-member law schools.
  • The Directory of Graduate Programs Preparing Student Affairs Professionals: Developed by the Professional Preparation Commission of the American College Personnel Association. This directory will aid you in making an informed choice about your graduate study.
  • U.S. News and World Report: U.S. News & World Report analyzed more than 1,200 graduate programs to generate rankings for the best graduate school programs in the United States.
  • Medical School Directory:  The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) provides a Medical School Directory with information on both U.S. and Canadian medical schools.

Test Prep

Think the SAT was your final encounter with that sophisticated form of torture known as standardized testing?  Not so fast!  Now that your career plans include law, medicine, business, education or other pursuits requiring a graduate degree, odds are you will be asked to run the test gauntlet again.  For many grad school applicants, test scores play a pivotal role in determining which institution they attend - and in some cases, whether they can attend at all.

The Tests - The following are the four major graduate school admissions test:

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE):  The GRE is the most widely accepted graduate admission test in the world.  Applicants come from varying educational and cultural backgrounds and the GRE provides a common measure for comparing candidates.   This instrument measures verbal reasons, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing.  The GRE is usually less of a make-it or break-it proposition than its professional test counterparts.  Information is provided by www.gre.org

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT):  More than 4,800 graduate management programs around the world use GMAT scores as a part of their admissions process.   The GMAT consists of three main parts - the Analytical Writing Assessment, the Quantitative section, and the Verbal section.  At most business schools, particularly the top business schools, GMAT scores count heavily in the admissions process.  Information is provided by www.mba.com

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT):  The MCAT is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess the examinee's problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills and knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine.  Scores are reported in Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, Writing Sample and Biological Sciences.  Almost all U.S. medical schools require applicants to submit MCAT exam scores.  A good performance on the MCAT, like a strong grade point average, remains a stringent precondition of medical school admissions.  Information is provided by www.aamc.org/students/applying

Law School Admission Test (LSAT):  The LSAT is a half-day standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world.  The test is an integral part of the law school admission process in the United States, Canada and a growing number of other countries.   It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants.  Information is provided by www.lsac.org

Test Prep Sites

Financial Aid

  • Federal Student Aid:  If you are eligible, Federal Student Aid has a variety of programs to help you pay for your graduate or professional education.
  • FinAid:  The financial aid information page.

Last Modified: November 30, 2012