The admissions essay is one of the most important parts of your graduate school application. Don't simply churn it out. Take time to reflect on yourself - your characteristics, strengths, and goals - and gather the information that you need to write a stellar essay.

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Aspiring graduate students have more options than ever before. Until recently, students who wished to pursue a graduate education often were forced to relocate in order to live near school or they often faced long commutes to far away campuses. Today many students relocate or commute, but a growing number of students avoid the common geographic challenges of graduate study and instead enroll in online graduate programs. If you're considering graduate study it may be worth your time to at least consider distance education. The first step is to locate online graduate degree programs. Learn about how online classes typically work. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of pursing an online graduate degree and carefully consider each program.

Professional science master's degree programs provide a multidisciplinary education that typically includes courses in business and management rather than total immersion in a narrow field of research. Graduates end up very well rounded with training in science and an advanced grasp of business - and very employable. Graduate school officials are urging Congress to fund the development of more professional science master's degree programs.

Check out the MSW and PhD programs at Washington University in. St Louis.

Every year several publications post lists of "top" graduate schools, but nearly all refer to doctoral programs. A reader asks, "I see national rankings for doctoral programs, but not master's. What do I do?"

A graduate degree opens many doors. Some graduates learn that their chosen field isn't for them - or that a career in academia isn't what they really want. In this article from the Chronicle of Higher Education Susan Basalla May interviews a biologist who made a major career change and became a life coach. Also see: Redefining Success

A reader asks:

I am about 3 years out of school and am applying to Clinical Psychology PhD programs. I'm not asking any of my old professors because it's been too long and I don't think they can write helpful letters. Instead I'm asking an employer and a colleague. My question is whether I should get a recommendation letter from my therapist. She would be able to speak very favorably of me. What should I do?

A letter from a therapist is not a good idea. It will not help your application. Recommendation letters speak to the student's academic competence. Effective letters are written by professionals who have worked with you in an academic capacity. Helpful letters discuss specific experiences and competencies that support an applicant's preparation for the academic and professional tasks entailed in graduate study. The graduate admissions committee will deem a letter from your therapist as inappropriate as it's based on a therapeutic relationship rather than an academic relationship. I can't stress enough the importance of an effective recommendation letter for admission to any graduate program. Clinical psychology, however, is one of the most competitive fields for graduate admissions, so the bar is set higher.

So what do you do? An effective referee can talk about your skills. A letter from your employer and colleague may be appropriate if they detail your capacities for academic work (and include concrete examples as support). You may think that your professors don't remember you (and they might not), but profs are used to hearing from graduates with requests for recommendation letters. Try.

Wondering what you can do with your graduate degree? Start by considering the skills that graduate study develops.