Applying to Graduate Programs and intro to Elevator Speeches

What’s in the application packet?

• General GRE (some also want a subject GRE)

• Personal statement/statement of purpose • Research Summary • Letters of Recommendation

• Interview

Extremely expensive from Princeton review! $900 and up!Kaplan also has prep classes, these classes are around $1300!!

Worth a try! Will help you gauge what areas you need to focus studying and its FREE!!

GRE Test Prep Tipsfrom US News

• Go Back To High School! – Many of the math concepts come from high school geometry and algebra, a good

review book will help!

• Sleep with your dictionary!– The vocabulary on the GRE is much more advanced than the SAT. Read read read

as much as possible and find a Kaplan or Princeton Review vocabulary review book!

• Take a tough English class!– If you still have time, challenge yourself with an advanced college level English

class. This is assist you with your analytical writing skills and comprehension.

• If you can afford it…Take a Prep Class! – Whether its through Princeton Review, Kaplan, or a course available at a local

college or university.

• Don’t like your score? Take it again!– The GRE is offered several times during the week/day! If you don’t like you’re initial

score, study again and take it again. This is why it is advised to take the test early, just incase you want a retake!

Writing A Personal Statement

http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/statement-of-purpose.aspx

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/01/

Dr. Blakey’s Advice

• Discuss research experience, expectations, career goals

• State who you would like to work for and display an aptitude for the type of research taking place at the university

• Display a passion for science and a vision for where you see the field progressing over the next couple of years

• Show how past experiences have driven their personal goals and how those experiences will help in graduate school

• DO NOT include personal hardships

• DO NOT make general statements

Research Summary vs Personal Statement

• Research Summary– Detailed scientific accomplishments

• Personal Statement– Educational scientific experience– College experiences – How your interest in science began

Northwestern University

UC Berkeley

UNC

Emory

Elevator Speeches

• What is it?– A short (30 sec or less) introduction including

career/career goals and research interests.

• Why is it important– Quickly inform others, helps them care about your

work• Others are your audience: Friends, Family, Peers,

Professors, Neighbors

• May be very different in different situations – Speech you give to your new neighbor will be different

than the one you give at an ACS conference which will be different that the one you give at the company you are interviewing with

Elevator Speeches• Who you are

– “My name is ____.”

• Where you are now – “I’m earning my ___ degree at ___ University.” “I will be graduating with a

___ in ___”

• What you’re doing – “I have been working/exploring/investigating ____ with ____.

• What you want to be doing – “ I am interested in ___ which offers ___ after I graduate. “

• Difference between what you can say at a conference or job interview versus family or neighbors.

• “I am a scientist, I’m working on designing new tools for building molecules” versus “My focus is organic methodology specifically catalyst design and optimization for sp2 C-H functionalization”