Timeline for Applying to Graduate School



Timeline for Applying to Graduate School

Junior Year

Fall: Plan courses, look for research experiences, and explore career possibilities and graduate programs. Apply

to take the GRE General Test

Spring: Plan courses, look for research experiences, and explore career possibilities and graduate programs.

Apply to take the GRE General Test

Summer: Prepare for the GREs!!! Take the GRE General test (if needed). This gives you times to retake in

October if needed

Senior Year

August/September: Arrange research experiences. Prepare for GREs.

September/October: Take General GRE test (if needed). Register for November Psychology GRE (if needed).

Identify most appealing schools and find a professor or two from each whose

interests match yours. Familiarize yourself with their work

October/November: Finalize graduate school choices and request applications. Pick some ‘safe’ schools, some

‘probably schools’ and at least 1 ‘that would be great, IF I get in’ school. Ask for letters of

recommendation (include your personal statements, resume, unofficial transcripts, stamped

addressed envelopes, information about deadlines). Request official transcripts. Take

Psychology GRE (if needed). Tie up any other loose ends -- Do you know where your

recommendations are? Have you made sure all your test scores all been sent to schools?

Noted financial aid and scholarship deadlines?

December/January: Complete and submit doctoral applications (deadlines vary). Verify that your

recommendations have been sent.

January - March: Apply to masters programs (deadlines vary)

March/April: Learn about admissions decisions

May-August: Graduate from PSU and begin grad school

Timeline for Applying to Law School

(from )

The application process for admission to law school typically begins during the spring semester of your junior year (approximately eighteen months before you expect to enter law school). This time line is approximate.

March/June (or even before)

Prepare for the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) 

April/May

Apply for LSAT (registration deadlines are one month prior to test date) and LSDAS (application for LSDAS may be done at a later date)

Contact faculty/references for letters of recommendation after registering for LSDAS 

June

Take LSAT 

July (or earlier if you opt for e-mail notification when you register)

LSAT results are available. Narrow your choice of schools based on your LSAT score, GPA, and personal preference

Review school applications to determine requirements for the personal statement and start to write a personal statement for each school

August/September

Subscribe to LSDAS (Law School Data Assembly Service) if you did not subscribe when registering for the LSAT

Complete transcript request form and send with transcript to LSDAS (this may be done any time after grades are reported for spring semester and you have opened an LSDAS account)

Request law school catalogs, applications, and financial aid information or review online at each school's Web site

Check LSDAS report for accuracy at

Contact faculty/references for letters of recommendation if you did not do this in the spring semester after registering for LSDAS

Finalize personal statements

September/October/November

Complete and send law school applications online

Submit dean's certification form to college of enrollment or to academic department for those in the College of the Liberal Arts

December

Check to be sure application file is complete. Follow-up with faculty references on letters of recommendation

January

Finalize your financial aid application. FAFSA forms are available after January 1

December/May

Visit law schools

April/June

Pay your seat deposit

Timeline for Applying to Med School

(from )

March

File application to take the Spring Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Application forms will be available in 213 Whitmore Lab by mid February and should be sent directly to the American College Testing Program

January-April

Contact the Office of Health Sciences Preprofessional Evaluation Committee of the Eberly College of Science (213 Whitmore Lab) for a packet of information and instructions concerning a compiled Preprofessional committee letter of evaluation. Note in the instructions that you will have to request several faculty letters of support using forms from the packet.

April

The MCAT is generally scheduled for mid April. It can be taken, by prior arrangement as indicated above, at the University Park Campus. The Association of American Medical Colleges states that, "there are several distinct advantages (and apparently no disadvantages) to taking the test in the April, rather than waiting until August." Applicants should be aware that if they wait until August of the year they are applying to take the MCAT exam, review of their application at Medical Schools is delayed, and as a result, interviews and acceptances can be more difficult to obtain.

April-May

Before leaving campus, arrange with Record's Office in Shields Building to have your official transcript (including the Spring Semester's work) sent to (a) the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) and (b) each medical college to which you are applying that does not participate in the AMCAS service. Osteopathic Medical Schools use a separate application form called the AACOMAS (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service).

June & On

Schedule your interview with the Health Sciences Preprofessional Evaluation Committee. Note: This can only be done after you have submitted your biographical sketch to the committee. Our committee interview candidates June-December and will make special arrangements to interview earlier, should a candidate be leaving the area and have a complete application at our Premed Office.

Write for application forms from those medical colleges to which you wish to apply that do not participate in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS); e.g. Texas State Systems or off shore (Foreign operated) medical schools.

Send complete application to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) for Allopathic Programs, or the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) for Osteopathic Programs.

July and August

Send application to AMCAS, AACOMAS, and the medical colleges.

The application deadline for the Fall Medical Admissions Test (MCAT) is early to mid July. The test date is generally mid August. It is desirable to repeat this test if you have any reason to suspect that you were not at your best when you took it in the spring and feel that you can improve.

August & On

Invitations for medical school interviews occur.

September & On

Be prompt in your communication with medical colleges concerning interviews and acceptances. Most students apply to about twelve colleges. Do not apply to a medical school that you do not want to attend. Generally, you should not hold two or more acceptances for long periods of time. If you are accepted by one college and then another which you prefer more, immediately withdraw from the former as you accept the latter.

When accepted by a medical college, withdraw your applications for all colleges which are lower on your priority list. As you hear from medical colleges, please notify this office (213 Whitmore Lab) by phone, mail, or visit with the following information. Which colleges have invited you for an interview? Which college have accepted you? Which college have you decided to attend?

Timeline for Applying to Dental School

(from )

Spring

Complete preparatory courses for the DAT.

April

Take the DAT (scores to be sent to individual schools of choice)

June

Complete the AADSAS application.

Send letters of recommendation to schools.

June-Aug

Complete secondary application as requested by schools.

Sept-Nov

Interview with the interested schools.

Dec

Notification of acceptance.

Complete acceptance letter to school of choice.

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