Timeline for applying to graduate/professional school

The timetable that appears below represents the ideal for most applicants.

Six months prior to applying

• Research areas of interest, institutions, and programs.
• Talk to advisers about application requirements.
• Register and prepare for appropriate graduate admission tests.
• Investigate national scholarships.
• Obtain letters of recommendation, if appropriate

Three months prior to applying

• Take required graduate admission tests.
• Write for application materials or request them online.
• Write your application essay.
• Check on application deadlines and rolling admissions policies.
• Register for the national application or data assembly service most programs use, if needed, for medical, dental, osteopathy, podiatry, or law school.

Fall, a year before matriculating

• Obtain letters of recommendation
• Take graduate admission tests if you haven’t already.
• Send in completed applications

Winter, before matriculating in the fall

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Financial Aid PROFILE, if required.

Spring, before matriculating in the fall

• Check with all institutions before their deadlines to make sure your file is complete.
• Visit institutions that accept you.
• Send a deposit to your institution of choice.
• Notify other colleges and universities that accepted you of your decision so that they can admit students on their waiting list.
• Send thank you notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters, informing them of your success.

You may not be able to adhere to this timetable if your application deadlines are very early, as with medical schools. If you decide to attend graduate school at the last minute. Keep in mind the various applicat8ion requirements and be sure to meet all deadlines. If deadlines are impossible to meet, call the institution to see if a late application will be considered.