12/10/21
Hello everyone! With the end of this semester approaching, the search for graduate schools has started. I hadn’t thought about graduate school before spring semester of last year, so I didn’t have any idea of schools I would go to. To start this search, I have compiled a list of factors I think are important in this decision.
1. Family
I have always been very close with my family and since moving farther away for college, I have gotten even closer with my sister. Visiting or going home for holidays is something I would want to be relatively easy. Most of my family either lives in Michigan or Wisconsin, so graduate schools in either of these states would be beneficial. Overall, this isn't the biggest factor in my search since alternatives like flying are available.
2. The Program
My intended career path is in the field of Chemistry. From what I have heard from faculty and the research I have done, the jobs I would be interested in the future would require a PhD. I have also been thinking about the specific chemistry-focused PhD I would be interested in. The specialty I enjoy the most in college classes thus far is organic chemistry. Based on this, a college with an organic chemistry PhD program would be a necessity.
Organic Research
3. Costs and Expenses
One of the reasons I didn’t think graduate school was an option for me was the cost. College is usually associated with debt, but I was recently informed by my mentor that chemistry PhD programs are almost always fully funded. This removes tuition cost as a barrier, but the costs related to living in the specific cities is still a major consideration. Housing, travel, and other costs all have to be considered for a program to be feasible.
4. Faculty
The McNair program has been a great resource in the search for graduate school. One of the factors that they mentioned to look into was the specific professors associated with the school. When I choose a graduate school, I will be working closely with faculty to complete my research. Making sure there is a professor I think I would get along with and/or enjoy working with is important. The type of research they are doing is also important to look into for the same reason. At the moment, this is one of the most important factors in my decision.
My Progress...
Overall, the search for graduate school is going to be stressful. Fortunately, the McNair program has been an amazing help on where to start. The resources they have provided on what factors to consider have made this process manageable. I have found five schools so far that I would consider applying to and as time goes on, I intend to expand my options to find the best school for me.
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