Graduate School Application Timeline

Sophomore Year | Fall & Spring

Use the Biology Graduate School Checklist‎ to keep track of your progress in preparing for graduate school.

  • Write resume! See our Sample Biology Resume‎ or visit Career Development’s schedule of resume-writing and other workshops.
  • Reflect on what biology careers might interest you and why you want to attend graduate school.
  • Meet with the Biology Graduate Advising Coordinator to discuss your interest in graduate school.
    • Begin establishing relationships with Biology faculty members. Ask Biology faculty members about different areas of graduate study.
    • Get involved in Biology faculty research projects.
  • Get involved in the SHU chapter of the Beta Beta Beta Honor Society and the Biology Club.
  • Apply for summer research fellowships or internships in the Fall; deadlines are usually in December and early Spring. 

Junior Year | Fall

  • Update resume.
  • Reflect more seriously on what biology careers interest you and why you want to attend graduate school. Narrow down your field(s) of interest to a handful or less.
  • Meet with the Biology Graduate Advising Coordinator to discuss specific graduate school options.
  • Continue cultivating relationships with Biology faculty members and professionals within your field.
    • Consider doing informational interviews with people in the field you'd like to study (e.g., Biology Department professors, work supervisors, internship supervisors, etc.). Career Development can help you prepare for informational interviews.
    • Get involved in Biology faculty research projects.
  • Meet with your academic advisor to make sure that you are fulfilling all requirements for graduation.
    • Determine the entrance requirements for the graduate schools and programs that interest you. Plan your academic schedule so that you can fulfill these requirements before you graduate.
    • Take demanding Biology courses, and earn strong grades in them.
  • Apply for summer research fellowships or internships; deadlines are usually in December and early Spring.
  • Talk to senior Biology majors who are going through the graduate school application process.
  • Start researching graduate schools and programs.
    • The Career Development Resource Library has Peterson's Guides, books, websites, articles and other resources to get you started.
    • Write or call potential grad schools to request applications and catalogs.
  • Determine which graduate entrance exam(s) (GREs) you will need to take and when.
    • General GREs are offered frequently.
    • Some schools may require specific biology subject tests in addition to the general GRE, but the subject tests are only offered in the fall or spring. 
    • Plan accordingly! Take the GRE(s) early enough to give yourself time to retake them in case you don’t score well the first time. 
    • You are strongly recommended to register for a spring GRE, which you can retake the following fall, if necessary.

Junior Year | Spring

  • Meet with the Biology Graduate Advising Coordinator to discuss your progress.
  • Continue cultivating relationships with Biology faculty members and professionals within your field.
  • Do research with Biology faculty members.
  • Try to attend at least one professional conference in your field of study or in general science (e.g., Eastern Colleges Science Conference, Sigma Xi). Attending these conferences will help you get a "feel" for your field and provide opportunities to network with potential graduate research mentors.
  • Meet with your academic advisor to make sure that you are fulfilling all requirements for graduation and for potential graduate programs that interest you.
  • Talk to senior Biology majors who are going through the graduate school application process.
  • In early spring, apply for summer research fellowships or internships in your field.
  • Continue researching graduate schools and programs.
    • Continue to use resources listed in the fall of your Junior year.
    • Find out about the research interests of the faculty at the schools you are considering. Look up their research papers in the SHU library or online databases
    • Decide if you want to earn a Master’s Degree or a Ph.D.  in your field of interest.
  • Prepare for the GRE
    • Register for a summer GRE.
    • Study!
    • Take practice GREs when offered through Kaplan and/or the Career Development Office.
    • Take subject GRE (if required).

Summer Between Junior & Senior Year

Use the Biology Graduate School Checklist ‎to keep track of your progress in preparing for graduate school.

  • Work or volunteer at a research job or fellowship that is related to your field of interest.
  • Continue to research graduate programs and faculty members.
    • Continue to use resources listed previously.
    • Determine the minimum GPA and GRE requirements for each program in which you are interested.  Your chances of being admitted into a program are much higher if you meet these requirements.
    • If you are applying to graduate programs in non-biomedical fields such as ecology and conservation, contact those faculty whose interests are similar to your own. Request copies of their research papers and indicate your interest in their research.  Ask these faculty if they are looking for graduate students for the following year.
    • Try to make an informational visit to the universities in which you are most interested, and ask to speak with graduate students in the program(s) to which you’d like to apply. Ask these students about their experiences in the program, strengths and weaknesses of the program, and long-term success of graduates of the program.
    • Determine the costs of each graduate program (e.g., tuition, approximate room and board either on- or off-campus, miscellaneous fees).
    • Determine how your graduate training will be funded.
      • Graduate student loans
      • Graduate teaching or research assistantships
      • Graduate fellowships and grants
      • Training grants
  • By the end of the summer, make a tentative list of schools to which you plan to apply and request application packets from each of them.
  • Study for and take the general GRE.
  • Register and study for a Fall Subject GRE (if required by the programs and schools to which you are applying).
  • Budget for non-refundable application fees ($25-$100)

Senior Year

Use the Biology Graduate School Checklist to keep track of your progress in preparing for graduate school.

September

  • Do research with Biology faculty members.
  • Meet with the Biology Graduate Advising Coordinator to discuss your final plan of action for the application process.
  • Talk to your academic advisor and other biology professors for additional advice.
  • If financial aid will be required, contact the financial aid offices at the schools to which you plan to apply to ask for specific information and applications.
  • Organize applications and related information, with a separate folder for each school.
  • Request letters of recommendation.
    • Select several faculty (and/or professionals) who you believe could write you a strong letter of recommendation.
    • Contact these people in person (making an appointment) and ask them if they could write you a good letter. Talk to them about your professional goals, and provide them with your transcript (unofficial is fine) and ‎resume or curriculum vitae‎ (CV) before they start your letter. 
    • Allow at least 2 weeks, preferably more, to write the letters.
    • Also provide a stamped, addressed envelope for each of the letters you would like them to mail.
  • Make a final list of schools to which you will apply.
    • Generate a tiered list of graduate schools that have faculty whose work interests you and that provide adequate financial assistance. This tiered list may include 3-5 examples each of top tier, middle tier and lower tier programs. The more competitive you are (see admissions criteria), the more you should skew your choices to top and middle tier programs. Competition for graduate program slots is stronger than ever these days because of reduced funding for graduate training programs and research projects, so plan to apply to at least 6 schools, preferably 10.
    • Make sure you know the minimum GPA and GRE requirements for your programs and make choices accordingly.
  • Register for and take general GRE and subject tests (if necessary).
  • Budget for non-refundable application fees ($25-$100)
  • Make several photocopies of applications and begin to fill them out.
  • Find out about the research interests of the faculty at the schools you would like to attend. Write to those faculty whose interests are similar to your own. Request copies of their research papers and indicate your interest in their research.

October

  • Write your personal statement and submit for comments to Biology Graduate Advising Coordinator and other biology faculty by the end of the month.  
  • Order official transcripts.
  • Take or retake required GRE(s).
  • Budget for non-refundable application fees ($25-$100)

November

  • Take or retake required GRE(s).
  • Budget for non-refundable application fees ($25-$100)
  • Complete applications of first choice schools.
  • By the end of the month, finalize your personal statement.
  • Send official transcripts and GRE scores to the schools to which you are applying.
  • Make sure that writers of your recommendation letters are on schedule.

December

  • Take or retake required GRE(s).
  • Complete all application forms.
  • Complete applications for financial aid, assistantships, and fellowships.
  • Send applications so that they arrive a few weeks before the deadline. Keep a copy of all materials you submit.
  • Before each application deadline: follow-up with your recommenders and the schools to which you have applied to make sure that all of your applications are complete. Check that financial aid applications are complete. This step is absolutely critical; if your application is incomplete, no matter the reason, your application may not be evaluated!
  • Send thank-you notes to reference writers.

January

  • Follow-up with your recommenders and the schools to which you have applied to make sure that all of your applications are complete. Check that financial aid applications are complete.

January-April

  • Prepare for on-campus interviews.
    • Be intimately familiar with the programs to which you are applying, as well as the research of faculty members with whom you may want to study.
    • Do practice interviews with the Biology Graduate Advising Coordinator and other biology professors. This is a critical step for your success!       
  • After interviews with graduate programs, send thank-you notes to interviewers.
  • When you receive an acceptance letter, make sure that all financial aid options and your obligations (e.g., time commitments, payback, etc.) are clearly explained and are acceptable to you before you formally agree to join the program.
  • Let your reference writers, professors, and everyone who has assisted you know where you got in and where you're going!

May-Summer

  • Continue to apply for financial aid, fellowships, or assistantships if you haven’t already received them.
  • Make housing arrangements.