Leavey Ambassadors Program Blogs

Wrapping up this quarter, I’ve taken some time to reflect on my grad school application process these past couple of months. Since last summer, I’ve been working on my grad school applications, going through standardized testing, getting my letters of recommendation, and sharing my story through my application essays. It honestly felt like I had gone back in time to high school again. 

While the overall process between grad school and undergrad are quite similar, I’ve learned a lot more from the grad school application process. Considering most people start working after graduation and then go back to pursue their master’s or MBA degree after a couple of years, it was more difficult to talk to my peers and ask for feedback on my overall candidacy. Getting asked questions like “Why now?” and “Why not work for a few years first?” helped me reflect and understand why I wanted to further pursue my studies immediately after graduation. Developing a clear career trajectory and how I could achieve my future goals helped me not only with my application essays, but also helped me stay motivated in performing my best. 

This whole process started last summer and is still ongoing. Due to how much time this process has taken from the past couple of months, I’ve definitely seen the need in cherishing my last few months at SCU before graduation. If I could recommend anything to students who are considering going to grad school, it’d be to do your research early, understand why you want to attend a certain school and their specific program, develop a plan on what you’d do in grad school and how you’d make the most out of it, and talk to anyone who could offer advice on how to make your application essays reflect your life story.