Continuing+Your+Scholarship

//Attending graduate school is one way to continue your scholarship. These links will take you to resources that will be helpful to you as you attempt to navigate the various steps in that process.//

=**Finding the Right Institution**=

//1) What kind of a career would you like to pursue? (The answer to this question will, in part, determine the kind of an institution you should consider attending.)

2) What credentials, qualifications, experiences, and professional contacts would contribute to your success in such a career? Are there particular institutions that would be likely to provide you with access to these?

3) Where are exciting innovations in your chosen field occurring? Are many centered in a particular institution or geographical region of the country?

4) Of the people who are engaged in the work of interest to you, who seems highly regarded by the field at large? Are they affiliated with a particular institution?

5) What kind of support do you need in order to build on your talents while strengthening your weaknesses?

6) In what kind of an academic environment are you most likely to thrive?

7) Are there particular institutions that seem to address many of these issues simultaneously? Which institutions provide the widest range of alternatives and the most flexibility?//

[|America's Best Colleges] - U.S. News & World Report's national rankings

=Professional Communication=

//Every single interaction you have with another person further establishes your professional reputation (either positively or negatively).//
//How do you know a professional when you meet one? What do professionals look like and sound like? How do they behave? What are some things you've seen "professionals" do that have caused you to doubt their credibility? How might you avoid some of these mistakes?//

**Professional Communications**
E-mail has become an important tool for communicating with others in professional settings. Some things to keep in mind:


 * The e-mails you send are representing both you and your institution
 * You should do your best to keep confidential information confidential and to communicate with integrity
 * You should assume that any e-mail you send may be forwarded without your consent, thus becoming public information. Consequently, all messages should be phrased in such a way that you would not be embarrassed to see them published in a newspaper, or to hear them read aloud in a court of law

Professionals communicate with people they do not know for many different reasons. Here are just a few:


 * To ask for an expert opinion about a project you are working on
 * To consult with an expert, parent, or other professional
 * To follow up on a professional conversation
 * To inquire about an educational program, job opening, or professional opportunity
 * To invite someone to deliver a speech, give a presentation, or participate in a special event
 * To provide promised information to participants in a professional conference session you delivered
 * To remind someone of a deadline on something they promised to do (such as a letter of recommendation, a review of an article, etc.)
 * To request a copy of an article, dissertation, etc.
 * To request a letter of recommendation
 * To request handouts or additional information following a conference presentation
 * To request resources or materials

When writing a professional e-mail, consider including the following elements:


 * Subject Line
 * Salutation (including the person's title)
 * Context for the Interaction (when, where, and under what circumstances did you last communicate with the person?)
 * Clear, concise explanation of the purpose of the e-mail (what do you need, for what purpose, within what time frame, and why is this person in the best position to provide it to you? . . . try to phrase your request AS a request, not a demand)
 * Closing (Best, cordially, sincerely, etc.)
 * Your Contact Information

Name Title (such as Student in Foreign Language Education) Institution (Michigan State University) Address (300 Bessey Hall) City, State, Zip (East Lansing, MI 48824) Phone Professional E-mail Address (NOT beerbuddies@hotmail.com, for example!)

**Cover Letters**
- This general checklist will help you to think about the content and format of your cover letter

[|Cover Letters: Virginia Tech] - A concise list of things to consider when writing a cover letter, along with samples

[|Sample Cover Letters] - An extensive collection of sample cover letters and letters of recommendation for a variety of professions

[|Cover Letters/Application Letters] - Examples of cover letters for different professional purposes

**Personal Statements**
//As you prepare to write your personal statement, consider what you value about yourself, what your professional goals are, what your personal needs are, and how those align with the academic culture, degree programs, faculty expertise, and university environment of the institutions to which you plan to apply. Write the statement in such a way that the reader can envision you as an important, contributing member of that environment. (Paint them a concrete picture, don't just tell or explain!)//

[|Definition of a Personal Statement] (PDF)

[|Getting Personal] - Outlines key elements one might wish to include in a personal statement

[|The Personal Statement - Berkley] - Outlines what to do and provides examples of what not to do

[|Graduate Diversity Outreach Office - Social Sciences Division: Sample Personal History Statement] - Each paragraph of this sample statement is annotated so that readers can get a sense of the impact of each strategy used by this writer

[|Writing the Personal Statement - Purdue]

[|10 Dos & Don'ts]

[|Medical School Personal Statement Secrets]

[|Sample Personal Statement: Engineering]

[|Sample Personal Statements: Medicine]


 * Each of these personal statements was written by the same person. What is effective about each one? What would you recommend that the author change in order to make each one more effective?**

- Would this letter help an application review committee picture the person who wrote it and imagine the person in action in their institution?

- Are there any ideas from this brainstorming conversation that the applicant might want to include when revising the Statement of Purpose above?

- Does this letter convey the applicant's professional goals, aspirations, and potential contributions to the institution?

=**Thinking Strategically About the PhD Process**=

[|Thinking Beyond the Dissertation] - An insightful article designed to help beginning doctoral students think strategically about their doctoral work

=**The Dissertation**=

[|Dissertation Guide] - An interactive guide developed by Thames Valley University designed to lead beginning students through the dissertation process. It is particularly valuable because of its brevity, and offers interactive examples and self-quizzes throughout.

[|Research Proposals] - A concise guide that outlines what should be in a dissertation proposal, along with links to helpful resources (courtesy of Cindy Kendall)