A Graduate Resource Center PresentationBy Talal Saint-Lôt

*Game-Changing Strategiesfor Planning and Applying to Graduate School

for the MCNAIR/ROP Program

* Which Graduate Degree is for ME?• Primary Sources

1. Grad school fairs & Career Services2. Faculty and advisors3. Current students4. Academic Journals

• Secondary Sources1. Graduate program directories

• www.gradschools.com• www.petersons.com

2. US News & World Report • grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-

schools3. Department websites4. Journal articles/current research

O*NET OnLine

* 4 Rules of Thumb 4 success

1. Get your degree for FREE2. Find resources that will PAY YOU to go

to do research or get your degree

3. Scholarships, grants, work-study and jobs.

4. Loans should be a LAST RESORT

1.Fellowships: A merit-based scholarship, or form of academic financial aid. Fellowship Databases

2.Assistantships: Financial assistance provided through part-time academic employment.

3.Employer Tuition Reimbursement: Various employer-sponsored programs to help employees and their dependents pay for college and/or graduate programs.

* Funding Graduate School

*Fellowships• GEM Fellowships: minorities in engineering and

science; $16,000

• Pathways to Science

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: fellowships focused on public health policy

• NSF – Graduate Research Fellowship Program

• Fellowship Databases – Harvard, Cornell, UC, UCLA, & others

• Teaching Assistant (TA/TA Spec): directly involved with producing student credit hours

• Teaching Associate (TAssoc): advanced teaching assistant

• Research Assistant (RA): one who helps with research that is relevant to the assistant’s thesis, dissertation or other requirement for a graduate degree

• Graduate Assistant (GA/GA Spec): someone who’s duties are related to instruction, but who is not directly involved in producing student credit hours

• Project Assistant (PA): one does work required by a research grant, contract or special project that is not related to degree requirements

*Types of Assistantships

*Benefits continued…

Resident Tuition and Tuition Waiver Awards, if applicableoTuition waiver up to 12 hours per semester or 3 hours during

the summer

oOut-of-state students are eligible for the resident tuition rate if the FTE is 25% or higher and the assistantship is held for at least one-half of the semester

Health Insurance – full payment through Student Health Center

* Minimum Salary Guidelines @ UNM

Pre-Master Post-Master

.75 FTE (TA) $10,084.06 $11,093.25

.75 FTE (GA) $9,350.67 $10,286.25

.50 FTE (TA) $6,722.70 $7,395.50

.50 FTE (GA) $6,233.78 $6,857.50

.25 FTE (TA) $3,361.35 $3,697.75

.25 FTE (GA) $3,116.89 $3,428.75

*Maximum amounts are set at the department level

*Where to Look?

1.Graduate School: A merit-based scholarship, or form of academic financial aid. UNM Graduate Studies

2.Financial Aid: Financial assistance provided through part-time academic employment. UNM Finaid

3.Department: Various employer-sponsored programs to help employees and their dependents pay for college and/or graduate programs. UNM Anthropology

* Strategy #1

Start Early*Sophomore Year• Identify basic required

coursework

• Establish relationships with faculty

• Put together a CV

• Get involved at departmental level*Junior Year• Research programs & industry

• Work with a faculty member

• Get involved professionally

• Gain research experience

*Summer (Between Junior & Senior year)

• Schedule, prepare, & take entrance exam

• Contact prospective programs

• Prepare letter of intent and CV

• Gain research experience

*Senior YearSeptember

• In-depth program investigation

• Finalize letters of intent & CV

• Contact references for letters of recOctober/November

• Collect letters of recommendation

• Request college transcripts

• Finalize application packetsDecember

• Send thank you notes

• Send all applications ahead of deadlines

* Strategy #2

Minimize Application Costs*Discounted or Waived Exam

Fees

• MCAT - $270

• GMAT - $250

• LSAT - $235

• GRE - $185

*Application Fee Waivers

• Just ASK!

• McNair List – www.coenet.us

X FAP (Fee Assistance Program) = $100

X LSAC Fee Waiver = $0

X Fee Reduction Certificate = $92.50

* Strategy #3

Relationship vs Merit*Admissions committee dynamic

*Faculty Connection

*Visit, Visit, and… VISIT!

Existing CampusResources

Career Services• Letters of intent, CVs, Interview Prep

• Researching academic programs and financial aid

• Mock Interviews

• Career Development Facilitation – Self Assessments

Mentorship• Project for NM Grads of Color Mentorship Program

• AISS Sidekick Mentorship Program, RGSA, BGPSA

Other Graduate Prep Programs• MARC – Minority Access to Research Careers

• IMSD - Initiatives to Maximize Student Development

• PREP – Post baccalaureate Research and Education Program

Planning for Graduate School Guidance

•Workshops on a variety of graduate school related topics

• One-on-One consultations on appointment or walk-in basis

• Class presentations on applying to graduate school

• Online Planning for Graduate School Guide

Graduate Resource Center

CONTACT

277-1407

unmgrc.unm.edu

Mesa Vista Hall, Suite 1057