Helping Students Prepare Graduate School Applications for 2016

While the academic year may have just begun, now is the time for undergraduate seniors planning on continuing their education to start the application process for graduate school. Between studying for the LSAT, MCAT, GRE and the multitude of other entrance exams, writing personal statements and gathering letters of recommendation, the application process can be fairly intense. Add that to the coursework and extracurriculars students already have on their plate and it’s easy to see how overwhelming applying for graduate school can be.

Luckily, there are plenty of resources at your academic library that students can access to make the process of studying for entrance exams and applying for grad school easier. Want to know how your library can help? Keep reading for more information.

Host information sessions

Deciding to pursue a graduate degree is a big decision. Before starting applications, students need to figure out what kind of degree they want, how to finance it and what program is the best fit for them. To help students better understand the process of getting into graduate school, host information sessions on different graduate programs throughout the year. While not every student may want to pursue a graduate degree at their alma mater, inviting graduate school professors and directors of your university’s graduate programs to speak on admissions and other specifics can help some students realize that getting an MBA is (or isn’t) the most logical next step for them.

Provide study spaces and resources

Before students start fine tuning their resumes and asking for letters of recommendation, they first need to take a graduate admissions test. Whether they’re taking the GMAT, GRE, LSAT or MCAT, one thing remains the same - they’ll all have some intense studying to do. Help students get down to business in a calm, quiet environment by offering weekly study groups for specific graduate school exams. Here, students can share the most helpful resources, learn study techniques from others and take practice exams together. Provide them with study guides and any old copies of tests that have been published. These exams are not only important, they’re difficult: and students will need all the help they can get to get through the Integrated Reasoning section of the GMAT.

Offer writing support

Many graduate school applications require a written component, so you’ve got an opportunity to help them polish and perfect any personal statements, diversity statements or writing samples they need to submit. Offer feedback on practice essays and other writing samples during designated office hours in order to help students make the best possible impressions on the admissions staff. Helping students fine-tune these pieces of writing can give them a better sense of what they need to work on in order to make themselves stand out from the rest of the applicant pool.

What does your library do to help graduate students complete their applications?

Are you looking to keep your library on the cutting edge by providing students with the best resources? Check out our checklist of the 9 innovations shaping academic libraries today and see if your library is making the cut!