4 Common Challenges of Applying to Grad School

By Victoria Robertson on June 30, 2017

This article is brought to you by Kaplan, the leader in test prep for over 90 standardized tests, including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.

Applying to grad school is a stressful experience financially, academically, and personally. There are tons of challenges that students face when deciding to continue their education, more even than many are aware of.

In the interest of full disclosure in helping you to get ahead of the stress, here are four challenges that students face when applying to grad school.

1. Financial Aid

For those students that have already attended undergraduate programs on student loans, this is especially an issue. For one, you will likely have to defer on your undergrad loans in order to prevent having to pay them off while you’re still in school. However, you’ll still want to make monthly payments to keep your interest down.

If you will need to attend grad school on student loans again, you will need to not only apply for FAFSA and the loans again but also ensure you’re paying off the interest on those monthly.

In most cases, it has been four years since you applied for financial aid, and going through the process again takes quite a bit of time and can be extremely stressful, especially for those with co-signers that may not be able to sign for more loans.

Definitely make an appointment with a financial counselor from the University prior to enrollment to discuss your options in full.

2. Location

Do you stay at the same university? Do you move states? Where do you want to live when you graduate? Would it make more sense to go to school in an area you want to live in? These are all valid questions that students ask themselves when applying to graduate programs.

What it comes down to is this: it’s up to you. There is no right or wrong answer here, as there’s no way to know how you’re going to feel upon graduation. The best you can do is take a guess and hope for the best. Either way, you’ll be obtaining a graduate degree, so where you live will likely come second to that. And, you can always move back or move somewhere else.

So don’t let location be a hang-up — definitely keep it in consideration, but don’t plan your future around it either if you don’t have to.

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3. Degree

When you’re applying to a graduate program, deciding what degree you would like to obtain can be more difficult than you’d think. For one, perhaps more than undergraduate degrees, you have to strongly consider your career objectives. Do you want to work in HR? If so, would an MBA or a Master’s degree in Social Work be more appropriate? Is one better than the other?

There’s a certain amount of research that has to go into such degrees, and you’ll want to definitely do the digging before applying. When possible, speak with individuals within the industry and get their advice. If not possible, then do some internet research. There are undoubtedly dozens of blogs on the topic that you can read through.

In the end, it’s your decision, but at least make it an informed one.

4. Career Path

Along those same lines, many students aren’t sure yet what their career goals are. They may have a general idea, and some may have fully formed ideas, but many will be moving forward without a detailed plan, which can be an issue, especially given the number of specializations you can go into in the many fields out there.

For this reason, I would recommend speaking with a career counselor. Many students will take aptitude tests and do significant amounts of research regarding salary and job requirements in order to determine whether or not a career path is feasible.

I also recommend not focusing too strongly on the minute details. If you stumble across a subject you’re passionate about, run with it. Everything else will come later. There are plenty of studies that have been conducted on the workplace suggesting that happiness is the key to success, so keep this in mind when choosing your career path.

You need to be happy with what you do — not your friends, not your family, not your professors: no one except for you. So stay true to your goals and what you want out of your education and career and you will be just fine.

Of course, there are plenty of other challenges that you will face when applying to grad school, but these are a few of the most common. So long as you do your research, share your thoughts with professionals, family, and friends and make decisions based on you, navigating these challenges will be a breeze.

Now, begin researching and truly invest in your education, as it’s going to come back to help you in the long run.

Good luck!

Learn more about Kaplan’s test prep options and start building the confidence you need for Test Day.

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