Real Life Guide to Graduate & Professional School: How to Choose, Apply for, and Finance Your Advanced Degree!

Book by Foster, Kerry, Rold, Cindy

If you're graduating from college and considering pursuing an advanced degree, chances are you already know the value of a little research. Cynthia Rold's Guide to Graduate and Professional School breaks the process into concrete steps that reduce the feelings of graduate-school trepidation and help you plot a sensible, comfortable, fiscally sound plan.

Section 1 is entitled, logically enough, "Where to Start." It provides an overview of various types of graduate and professional schools (delineating law school, business school, medical school, and the differences between masters and doctoral programs), then goes on to cover some basic issues of self-assessment and goals, which traits you'll need for success, and the whole slew of standardized tests you'll need to negotiate in order to apply. The book further addresses the details of application and admission, how to deal with stress and social issues once you're in, how to get the best out of financial aid (detailing the variety of scholarship, grant, and fellowship opportunities that exist, plus work programs, loans, and repayment concerns), and how to choose a school that's best for you. And finally, Rold's guide considers the job situation after graduate school and what your various options are, depending on what sort of degree you earn.

With a great compilation of resource pages on tests, financial aid assistance, and professional associations, and a CD-ROM that allows you to access the information with even greater ease, this is a fine and reassuring reference to start with when you're considering an advanced degree. --Stephanie Gold