 |
I am a UCSD graduate applying to graduate programs all over the country.
I feel like I am back in high school, applying to undergraduate programs: all the tedious work, the standardized tests, the essays. The only difference is: I am pickier now. I do not blindly apply to schools because they are close, or well-known. Instead, I do weeks of research before deciding that a particular graduate program is worth all the time and money necessary to apply. How is the weather there? How are the professors there? What kind of research goes on in that program? What kind of opportunities will that program be able to provide me?
My research comprised of hours of reading the programs' websites and emailing specific professors with whom I could see myself working. But my research was missing something. The websites are very dry and do not provide much information. Most professors are too busy to deal with pesky students who are asking them questions about their research. So the websites did not satisfy me. And professors were barely any help. So then I thought…
Why can I not talk to alumni who have graduated from the programs to which I am applying? They would be able to tell me exactly what it will be like moving to Boston, or studying under Professor Johnson. After all, location and graduate advisor can make or break a graduate school experience. And with the lovely invention of the internet, which allows you to connect to people all over the world, why can I not connect to people who have gone through what I am getting myself into?
But how would I find these people?
What would I say to them?
How many alumni would I want to speak with?
And for all those reasons, and all those questions,
I created AskAllGrads.com. |
 |
|
