Honors students are actively involved not just on campus but in the larger academic community, as well. Alumni of the Honors College use their experience, excellent academic records, and relationships with professors to land acceptance into competitive and prestigious graduate programs. For example, Honors senior Jessica Dugan was offered a position at the esteemed Bauer Lab at Emory University to receive a PhD in Developmental Psychology. Senior Logan Herbert has interviewed to attend medical school at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Virginia, and MUSC; he has been accepted to the latter two programs. We spoke this week with Logan, as well as with exceptional Honors students Annie Galizio and Ross Baker, and asked what they did, what worked, and which campus resources they used when applying to graduate programs. Thanks to Annie, Logan and Ross for sharing their insights and advice!
HC: When did you start preparing for entrance exams or applications?
AG: I started studying for the GRE in June and I took the GRE in October. I began researching the types of programs I wanted to apply to and the faculty mentors I wanted to work with over the summer, and I began my applications in September or October – most of the deadlines were in December or January. I contacted potential faculty mentors to see if they would be accepting students in the coming year in August and September.
LH: I started preparing for the MCAT about 4 months before the test. I studied a few hours two days a week and took a lot of practice exams.
RB: I actually began studying for the DAT exam using both software and written materials the Winter Break of my junior year. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Havana, Cuba with the College of Charleston beginning in February last year and that gave me from the end of fall semester in December until February to focus on studying for the DAT. I took the DAT in February and then began my applications to dental school when the AADSAS [American Association of Dental Schools Application Service] common application opened in the summer on June 1st.
HC: How did you go about asking for letters of recommendation?
AG: Most of the programs I applied to required three letters of recommendations so I thought about the professors who have been the most influential in my development as a student over the years. Then, about 3 weeks before my first application was due, I asked them if they would be willing to write a strong letter of recommendation for me for my applications.
LH: For letters of recommendation, I talked to professors I thought knew me pretty well, and had seen my work in at least two classes. Each professor wanted something a little different to help them write it, and asking early is a must. Many professors are asked to write a lot of letters, so they may not have time if you wait until the last minute.
RB: Over my first three years at College of Charleston I began forming relationships and getting to know some of my professors not only in the Biology department but in other areas as well. After this, I began to get an idea of who would be able to write a good letter of recommendation that highlighted my achievements. Due to the fact that I did not have many reliable forms of communication while I was studying in Cuba, I emailed the professors and asked them if they would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me many months before the deadline. All of the professors that I contacted were very receptive and helpful and I provided them with a copy of my CV, my dental school personal statement, and a copy of my transcript.
HC: What criteria did you look for when considering your options? Of the programs that matched those criteria, what were the most compelling factors?
AG: The programs I was considering were all doctoral programs in behavioral neuroscience or behavior analysis. The most compelling factor when choosing which schools to apply to was whether there was a professor (or more than one) there who was doing research I found interesting.
LH: I picked the schools I applied to based off of their academic reputation, how early the curriculum started making working with patients a priority, and how happy the students were. The interview was also an important part of my decision making. To me, that is when you really discover if a school is a good fit for you or not.
RB: When looking for dental schools, I looked very hard at the schools dental board passage rates as well as the curriculum that they had. After applying to these programs, the opportunity to interview at a few of them is what ultimately allowed me to make a decision. It’s really hard to know much about the school itself without visiting and allowing them to show you their program. It was a great opportunity to be able to travel around and see the variety of programs that schools across the country offered. Ultimately, the University of Southern California really impressed me with their curriculum and the location of the school really helped me make a decision as well!
HC: Who was the most helpful to you during the application process?
AG: My parents, my current research mentor, Dr. Doughty, and my Honors advisor, Dr. Folds-Bennett, have been the most helpful people during the application process. They helped me narrow down my schools, prepare my applications, and prepare for my interviews.
LH: Karen Eippert [Director of Pre-professional Health, full-time health professions advisor] was a huge help during the application process. She helped coordinate my letters of recommendation, helped me practice my interview skills, and was always available to answer questions during the application process.
RB: The resources provided by the Honors College and my membership in the William Aiken Fellow Society helped me a lot with understanding the graduate school application process. In addition, the pre-professional health-advising program run by Dr. Eippert was always there for support during the process. There are really a lot of resources available at the College that students interested in pursuing graduate studies can use. During the application process, Karen Eippert, the pre-professional health advisor at College of Charleston, was a really great help. She is very knowledgeable about all of the steps involved in applying to dental school. She was able to help me with any questions that I had as well as send all of my letters of recommendation to the application service and keep copies of them on record. In addition, all of the professors that provided me with letters of recommendation as well as my advisor, Dr. Folds-Bennett, were very helpful and supportive during the process. Finally, because the process of applying to graduate school is so expensive, my parents were also extremely supportive of me.
HC: If you had an interview, what was the process like? What kinds of questions were asked?
AG: I haven’t had any in-person interviews yet but I do have some scheduled. I have had a few preliminary phone interviews. I had to answer questions like: Why are you interested in our program? What are your research interests? What are your long-term goals? What do you hope to get out of the program? What are your strengths and weaknesses as a student? What are your questions about the program?
LH: The interviews for medical school have all been pretty similar. They start in the morning with a meeting about the school’s curriculum and philosophy. Students take the interviewees on a tour of campus, and then eat lunch with you. That is one of the best parts of the interview day. You really get a good idea of what the atmosphere on campus is like and whether the students are happy. The last part of the day is usually the interviews. Everywhere I have interviewed did two 30 minute interviews, one with a student and one with a faculty member. The questions were all pretty basic: Why do you want to be a doctor? Why this school? What is your favorite class this semester? How do you work in a group? They just want to hear you tell a story about yourself. None of the interviewers are trying to trick you. They just want to know if you are a good fit for the school.
RB: Each of the dental school interviews that I went on during the application process was set up very similarly. All of them required that my schedule was very flexible because of the long distances that I had to travel for just a single day. I had interviews at Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical University of South Carolina, the University of Maryland, and the University of Southern California. In each, I was given a tour of the campus, an overview of the curriculum, an opportunity to speak with current students, and a short interview portion with either students or professors. In all of the interview portions, the structure was very casual and conversational. Basically, the school just wanted to assess the reasons that I wanted to enter the dental field and get an idea of why I liked their school. I was very rarely thrown off guard by any of the questions that they asked and I believe the key to success is staying calm and collected.
HC: What advice would you give to College students who are considering graduate programs?
AG: Start early! If you get an interview, do your homework so that you are knowledgeable about the program and the faculty members’ work beforehand.
LH: I would tell students to really pay attention and learn the material in the core classes for whichever exam they are taking. Not having to completely relearn things during the study process makes the entire process so much easier. Once you get an interview, the best way to not be nervous is to spend the time in the waiting room talking with the other people interviewing that day. Everyone there is going through the same process, and keeping yourself occupied while you wait makes the interview much less stressful.
RB: The advice that I would give to College students who are considering graduate programs is to start researching the program and application process early and know what you are getting into. The application process is very long and stressful and in my case took almost an entire year. Be sure to use the many resources that the College has to offer for students and it is possible to get through the process and successfully get into a graduate program.
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