Between managing a heavy class load and extra-curricular activities, SMU junior Danielle Preston has the added pressure of figuring out how to get into a top law school. “I thought the LSATs were in October,” she said, not realizing she needed to take them in June in order to make early admissions.
According to the Council of Graduate Schools, in 2005, almost 1.3 million applications were submitted to graduate programs, and only about 500,000 were accepted. That means 54 percent of all graduate school applicants were declined.
No matter which graduate route a student chooses, law, medical or a masters program, students must make preparations before an application can be submitted.
In 2005, the University of Texas Law School took in 5,442 applications and of those, only 1,017 offers were made. SMU Dedman School of Law received 2,977 applications and sent out 714 offers.
Judy McMaster, pre-law advisor at SMU says there are several things students considering law school must do in order to get make themselves competitive. “It is critically important that students start strong and stays strong academically, starting from the fist day of their college career. Students have only six semesters to establish their academic credentials before applying to law school in the fall of their senior year.”
Law school admissions are different, in that they look at the whole picture. McMaster added, “The personal statement can be as important as the LSAT and GPA, it is your interview on paper because law schools don’t interview applicants.”
However, according to Patti Cudney, students looking to go into a MBA program will have personal interviews.
Cudney, director of MBA admissions at SMU said, “I always encourage people to be honest when they apply – don’t try to second-guess what the admissions team wants to hear. Admissions reps appreciate a candidate’s focus on their short-term/post-MBA goals.”
According to their admissions statement, Cox School of Business seeks individuals with significant professional and life experiences. The Business School tends to accept approximately 50 percent of applicants into the MBA program.
Pre-med students on the other hand have much steeper competition. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges in 2005 only 45 percent of applications resulted in acceptance.
Senior pre-med student Chris Buchanan is currently in the middle of interviewing with several Texas medical schools. He said, “I wish I would have known it was better to apply earlier.” Buchanan participated in the Parkland Collegiate Fellows Program and had this to say, “It helps if you have some medical field experience besides just shadowing a doctor. The Parkland program helped me decide what I really wanted to do in the medical field.”
Pre-Med Advisor Dr. Karen de Olivares added, “There are three meetings all pre-med students should be attending: the Alpha Epsilon Delta, Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, and Pre-Med 101.” Each meeting provides valuable knowledge about medical school admissions and what to expect once you’ve been accepted. In addition, the meetings present opportunities to talk with SMU professors about future educational goals.
For all students interested in graduate school the messages is the same, start preparing early, and take advantage of the on-campus advisors available to answer questions.
