After earning an undergraduate degree, some students choose to further their education through graduate school. While filling out these applications, however, there are many important things to know.

“For a lot of careers, a master’s degree, at least now, has become the equivalent of what used to be an undergraduate degree,” said Ralph Carter, a TCU pre-law advisor and professor who holds a doctorate in political science.

He said it is important to consider the location of a potential graduate school.

“Don’t neglect to consider, do you want to be in that place?” Carter said. “There might be a wonderful graduate program in a city that you are going to learn to hate.”

Nicole Jackson, the career advisor for the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences, encourages students to be responsive when it comes to graduate school applications.

“A lot of students will submit the inquiry form and then go ghost,” Jackson said. “That is added to the first impression because schools keep track of when you submitted the first inquiry and if you have stayed engaged.”

Both Jackson and Carter emphasized the importance of knowing if you really want to go to graduate school. They said that if you are unsure, you need to do more research first, because graduate school is a serious and often expensive commitment.

TCU offers numerous resources for students considering graduate school, including career advisors, resources through Handshake and pre-graduate advisors such as those for pre-law and pre-health.