Timeline for Applying to Graduate Schools

A question we are often asked by students curious about graduate school is when should they start looking into programs, studying for the GRE, etc. We've developed a tentative timeline to hopefully answer these questions!

​We present this with one caveat. This timeline is an “ideal” and would start after your junior year assuming you want to start grad school the fall after you graduate with your Bachelor’s. However, this could be condensed if you got a late start, or it could be started later if you want to take a year off.   

Early Summer (May/June):

• You need to make some tough decisions about the graduate schools you want to apply to.
  • Pick a broad area of interest (e.g., social psychology, family counseling)
  • Decide if you want to try doing a PhD right away or start/end with a master’s degree.
  • Will you be attending school part time or full time?
  • Decide if you willing, and able to move…and how far.
• Start studying for the GREs (not every school requires them, but many do).

Mid Summer (June/July):

• Start looking for programs that fit your criteria based on the decisions you made earlier in the summer.

• Try to have a final list of about 10 schools by the end of the summer. (This number could be less based on financial constraints.)

• Specifically look into the research being done at those locations. You need to identify potential mentors. Prestige of the school shouldn’t matter.
• Or, look at the internship sites, job placements, and flexibility of the program

• Start drafting your personal statement and CV.
  • Get feedback from a trusted faculty mentor.

• Keep studying for the GRE!

Late Summer (August):

• Finalize your list of schools and organize yourself.
  • Identify deadlines and requirements for each application.
• Identify faculty or other mentors who can write you a strong, positive letter of recommendation.
  • Typically you’ll need 3 of these.
• Keep drafting your personal statement and CV.
• Take the GRE! (You’ll need to schedule this in advance.) Taking it a little early gives you the chance to get in a re-take in September if you don’t do as well as you hoped the first time.

Early Fall Semester (September):

• Re-take the GRE if you want to improve your scores.
• Ask faculty for letters of recommendation.  
• Finalize application documents.
  • Once these are finalized, you can start submitting applications!

Other factors to keep in mind:

• Typically, PhD program application deadlines begin in November and run through January. Campus visits or interviews then take place in February and March. The first round of candidates offered a placement have until mid-April to accept their positions. If you are wait-listed anywhere, you would hear back again after that first round.
• Master’s programs typically have later application dates ranging from January through April. Some Master’s programs have rolling admissions (admission to programs year round, usually with a quick decision) and may have start dates spring semester or summer semester in addition to fall. 

Hopefully this series was informative and insightful for prospective graduate students. There are many things to consider when applying to graduate school, but only you can make the choice that's right for you!