career development center presentation: kerri quick | kaplan test prep
TRANSCRIPT
Career Development Center Presentation:Kerri Quick | Kaplan Test Prep
Session AgendaWho Are We and What Are Our Services
The Future
The Career Development Center Individual appointments with Career Counselors
•Resumes•Applications•Cover Letters•Interview Preparation•Internships•Graduate School•Targeting Your Dream Job
Monday – Friday 8:00 – 4:30
Drop in Hours no appointment necessary: W-TH, 1:00-3:00
Tuesday Evenings open until 6:30
We are here to help – Top Floor University Center570-422-3219
RESERVE YOUR SPOT
NOW!Attend 5
sessions and you’re entered for a chance to WIN a Brooks Brothers gift
certificate!
RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!
Attend 5 sessions and you’re entered for a
chance to WIN a Brooks Brothers gift
certificate!
RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!
Attend 5 sessions and you’re entered for a
chance to WIN a Brooks Brothers gift certificate!
November 8thEVOLVE – College to Careers
In order to help graduating seniors prepare for the next step, the Career Development Center invites all graduating seniors for a program designed to help them make the most of their spring term and prepare for life after college. Seniors will be informed of best practices on how to increase their chances of success during an interview, money management and transitioning to a new community. Become informed of what soon to expect in life after graduation.
Seniors Only
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 20141:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
The Future
There will be 55 million job openings through 202024 million new jobs31 million due to baby boom retirements
35% of job openings will require a bachelor’s degree
Fastest growing industries - STEM, Healthcare Professions, Healthcare Support and Community Services
Will require high levels of post-secondary education
• The U.S. will fall short by 5 million workers with postsecondary educations by 2020 at the current production rate
NACE Salary Outlook 2014/Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook
Reasons to Go…..
Intellectual interest
Money
Vocational interest
Free Money…..
Teaching Assistantships
Research/Graduate Assistantships
Fellowships
Grants
LOANS
Application Checklist
Take appropriate standardized graduate admissions tests
Forwards scores to schools of interest
Obtain letters of recommendations
Obtain original transcripts
Draft, rewrite, polish statement of purpose
Send materials to schools
Additional Requirements/Items
Writing Sample
Clinical Hours
International Applicants
Interviews
GPA Long-term indicator of your performance as a student
Reflects motivation & ability to do good or bad work
Masters program requires a GPA of 3.0 or 3.3
Doctoral programs require minimum GPA’s 3.3 or 3.5
Admission committees look at courses taken
Look at overall GPA and the relevant program courses
Standardized exams GRE, MCAT, LSAT & GMAT for comparisons
GRADES It is what it is!!
Obtain transcripts - learn your worst grade, worst semester, worst class
GPA in Major vs. GPA Overall
What if I Have a Low GPA? Take high quality courses
Take more classes
Take summer classes
Consider delaying graduation with an extra semester
After graduation take a few graduate courses to show aptitude
Statement of Purpose The most important document of your Graduate application
Can be 300, 500 or 750 words
The Statement of Purpose required by graduate schools is probably the hardest thing you will ever write
Through the essay you will speak to the committee and demonstrate your unique fit to the program
Incidentally, the statement of purpose may also be called an Application Essay, Objectives for Graduate Study, Personal Background, Cover Letter, or some comparable title
Essay Do’s Prepare an outline and create a draft Answer all the questions being asked Make sure your essay has a theme or a thesis Provide evidence to support your claims Speak in the first person (I) Make your introduction unique Write clearly and make sure it is easy to read Be honest, confident, and be yourself Be interesting and positive Make sure your essay is organized, coherent, and concise Write about yourself and use examples from your own life
experiences
Essay Do’s Use a mixture of long and short sentences Discuss your future goals Mention any hobbies, past jobs, community service, or
research experience Mention weaknesses without making excuses Discuss why you're interested in the school and/or program Show, don’t tell (Use examples to demonstrate your abilities Ask for help Proofread and revise your statement at least 3 times Have others proofread your essay
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE-example- BORING
Introduction First Sentence is the most important. Be
creative.
The following sentences should provide a brief explanation that supports the claim made in the first sentence.
I am applying to the Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing at the University of Utah because I believe my writing will blossom at your program since it is a place where I will be challenged and I can hone my writing skills.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE-example- HOOK!
I am honored to apply for the Master of Library Science program at the University of Utah because as long as I can remember I have had a love affair with books. Since I was eleven I have known I wanted to be a librarian.
When I was eleven, my great-aunt Gretchen passed away and left me something that changed my life: a library of about five thousand books. Some of my best days were spent arranging and reading her books. Since then, I have wanted to be a librarian.
The Body Usually 3 paragraphs providing detailed evidence supporting the
intro statement
Each paragraph should have a transition statement to start & a resolution statement to end
Include experiences, accomplishments or other evidence to support claims
Short summary of educational background is appropriate in first paragraph
Do not repeat application information
Last paragraph should explain why you should be accepted
The Conclusion
Last paragraph of your personal statement
State why you are interested in studying the subject of interest
State key points mentioned in the body in a conclusive & brief manner (accomplishments, experiences)
End on a positive note with 1-2 attention grabbing sentences
Essay’s Don’ts Be defensive or arrogant Complain Preach Have your essay focus too much on other individuals Discuss politics or religion Give excuses for a low GPA Make lists of accomplishments, awards, skills, or
personal qualities (Show, don’t tell) Write a term paper or an autobiography Summarize your resume Include information already cited on the application
Essay’s Don’ts• Becoming increasingly popular/preferred • Replacing objective statement Replaces the “this is what I want” objective statement with a “this is the
value that I offer” branding statement Have any grammar or spelling errors. (Proofread!)
Be wordy or use jargon (don’t try to impress the readers by using big words)
Swear or use slang Digress or be repetitive Be boring Generalize Include clichés Use gimmicks Be comical (a little humor is okay but remember it can be misconstrued)
How To Get The Best Letters Of Recommendation Build relationships over time
Be nice!
Start in SEPTEMEBER
Have your transcripts/resume ready to familiarize them with your performance
The reference may take it upon themselves to call the person directly
KEEP IN TOUCH…don’t burn your bridges!
Deadlines
Apply for acceptance in SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER
DEADLINES fall around DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY…
Be sure to check for open or “rolling” admissions
GRE Test BreakdownSection Number of
QuestionsAllotted Time
Analytical Writing (One section, Two timed tasks)
One Analyze an Issue task and One Analyze an Argument task
30 minutes per task
Verbal Reasoning (Two sections)
Approximately 20 questions per section
30 minutes per section
Quantitative Reasoning (Two sections)
Approximately 20 questions per section
35 minutes per section
Unscored Varies Varies
Research Varies Varies
Total Testing Time: About 4 hours
There is a 10-minute break following the third section and a 1-minute break between other sections.
The GRE Multi-Stage Test (MST): Adapts at Section Level
Verbal Section 120 Questions
•6 Text Completion•4 Sentence Equivalence•10 Reading Comprehension
Highest potential
score range
Middle potential
score range
Lowest potential
score range
Verbal Section 2a20 Questions
•6 Text Completion•4 Sentence Equivalence•10 Reading Comprehension
Verbal Section 2b20 Questions
•6 Text Completion•4 Sentence Equivalence•10 Reading Comprehension
Verbal Section 2c20 Questions
•6 Text Completion•4 Sentence Equivalence•10 Reading Comprehension
Quantitative Section 1
20 Questions•7-8 Quantitative Comparison•9-10 Problem Solving•3 Data Interpretation
Highest potential
score range
Middle potential
score range
Lowest potential
score range
Quantitative Section 2a
20 Questions•7-8 Quantitative Comparison•9-10 Problem Solving•3 Data InterpretationQuantitative Section
2b20 Questions
•7-8 Quantitative Comparison•9-10 Problem Solving•3 Data InterpretationQuantitative Section
2c20 Questions
•7-8 Quantitative Comparison•9-10 Problem Solving•3 Data Interpretation
The GRE Multi-Stage Test (MST): Adapts at Section
Level
GRE Score Distribution
151151
162
159
153
164
159
154
130 162-164
GRE Scoring and Other Details
Scoring for Verbal and Quantitative Sections: 130-170 in one point increments and 150 will be the mean; AWA has a 0-6 scoring scale in half-point increments
Unofficial Quant and Verbal scores are available right after you finish the test with a 130-170 score; official scores, including writing score are mailed to you and the schools you select 10-15 days later
Must wait 30 days to retest The test is offered every day of the year except Sundays
and major holidays. Register at www.gre.org The cost of the test is $185 Test scores are good for 5 years
What the GMAT Covers
VERBAL
Length: 4 hours
Verbal SectionQuestions: 41 multiple choice questionsTime: 75 minutesQuestion Types: Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning
Integrated ReasoningQuestions: 12 multi-part questionsTime: 30 minutesQuestion Types: Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, Two-part analysis, Multi-source reasoning
Quantitative SectionQuestions: 37 multiple choice questionsTime: 75 minutesQuestion Types: Problem Solving, Data Sufficiency
Analytical Writing AssessmentQuestions: One essayTime: 30 minutes Question Types: Analysis of an Argument
Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) Scoring
GMAT Scoring Scale
550
90th
80th
60th
7700
660
590
GMAT Scoring and Other Details Total GMAT score ranges from 200 – 800, AWA
has a 0-6 scoring scale in half-point increments Integrated Reasoning scores range from 1 to
8 in single-digit intervals. Like the AWA, the IR scores are computed separately from the Quantitative and Verbal sections and have no effect on the Total score.
Unofficial scores will be available immediately, official scores will be sent in approximately 20 calendar days
Must wait 30 days to retest The test is offered every day of the year except Sundays
and major holidays. Register at mba.com The cost of the test is $250 Scores are good for 5 years
LSAT Test Breakdown
LSAT Scoring Scale
LSAT Scoring and Other Details The LSAT is a paper and pencil test offer 4
times per year: June, September/October, December, and February
Scored by raw score (number of questions correct), scaled score (120-180) and percentile score (you score compared to other test takers)
Can be taken 3 times in 2 years, scores good for 5 years
Cost of test is $160, register at lsac.org
MCAT 2015 Test Breakdown
MCAT 2015
Test Cost
Offered
Retaking
Validity
Avg Prep Time
Application Deadlines
Where to register
$275
Approx. 28 times/year in Jan, Mar – Sep
No lifetime limit; can only take 3x/year
3 years
300+ hours
Accepted on a rolling basis starting in June
www.aamc.org
MCAT Scoring and Other Details
Registration opens up in February 2015 with a registration cost of $300. A $150 Amazon gift card will be given to April 2015 examinees. Test dates run April through September of 2015.
Each of the four sections on MCAT 2015 will be scored 118-132, for a total possible score of 528. The mean is expected to be 125 per section for a total mean score of 500.
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