Application Timeline

Planning for graduate school should start long before your senior year. It’s important that you gain experience through research, organizations, and internships, and build relationships with faculty members who can write letters of recommendation for you. Here are some highlights of actions you’ll need to take:

• Study for and take entrance exams
• Request letters of recommendation
• Draft required essays and statements of purpose
• Research funding options and fill out the FAFSA form
• Schedule visits and interviews

Like undergraduate applications, apply to both your top picks and to less competitive “safety schools” to ensure your options stay open. During spring months, when most schools will send their decisions, be prepared to accept and reject offers.

Application Components

Standardized Tests

How to study: You can buy or borrow study guides or enroll in test prep programs like The Princeton Review and Kaplan, or access their free materials. It’s important to also review the official websites for each test as they include important information about dates, test format, scoring, registration, fees, and other pertinent details: 

• GRE: Graduate Records Examination 
• GMAT: Graduate Management Admission Test  
• LSAT: Law School Admissions Test 
• MCAT: Medical College Admission Test  
• PCAT: Pharmacy College Admission Test 
• DAT: Dental Admission Test 

Where to take: The Testing Services office at Mizzou offers a variety of computer-based tests. To sign up, you must register through the examination website. MU Testing Services is located at Heinkel Building and can be reached at 573-882-4801 or testingservices@missouri.edu. 

Transcripts and Resumes

Applications will require transcripts from each school you have attended. You can request official transcripts from the MU Registrar’s Office. 

Certain applications may ask you to provide a resume or curriculum vitae (CV). Remember to tailor your resume or CV for graduate school, just as you would if you were applying for a job. 

Personal Statements

The personal statement is a critical part of the application process. It’s your opportunity to summarize your academic and research experiences. You must also communicate how your experiences are relevant to preparing you for the graduate degree that you are pursuing and explain why a given program is the right one for you. Here are some tips to help you get started: 

• Carefully research the program you’re applying to.
• Focus on the questions the application is asking. 
• Be yourself and highlight your strengths and what sets you apart.
• Stay focused on the story you’re telling. There are word limits, so choose your words carefully. 
• Tell the story of why you want to be in this program. 
• Have several people read it and offer revisions

Take advantage of these resources to write your personal statement:

Interviews

Some schools require interviews as part of the application process, by phone, individually, or with a committee. You can look over our interview resources for help with questions and use Big Interview to practice and record responses to graduate admissions questions.