Speaker 1: Did you know that more than 750,000 people apply each year to graduate school? As academic expectations continue to rise, I'm going to share with you five tips drawn from my experience as a former professor to make sure that you stand out in the sea of applicants and increase your chances of getting admitted. So let's not waste any more time and get into it. Hi, I'm Philippe Barr, I'm a graduate school admissions consultant and I help people get admitted into their dream grad programs. As you can see, competition will be very fierce in 2024 and with many applicants vying for the limited number of spots in each program, it's quite easy to get lost in the crowd. That's why it's really important to have a good strategy in place to make sure that you go through the admissions process successfully. It's about showcasing your skills, your experience, and your passion in a way that sets you apart from the competition. The first tip that is really important to keep in mind as you go through the application process is to actually understand the two main goals that you should try to reach as an applicant to increase your chances of getting admitted into your target grad programs. And these two goals are to stand out and to fit in. It seems like a really difficult paradoxical balance to acquire, but it is really important that you stand out from the crowd because there's a lot of applicants and it keeps increasing. And it's also important to demonstrate that the school that you're applying to is the perfect place for you. Tip number two, once you've understood the two things that you need to demonstrate in your application, the first step that you should take is to research each program you're interested in. And that means going deeper than just looking at a few pages on the internet. Your first task should be to actually take an in-depth look at each program to find out as much as you can about their value and what they propose to students. That means that you should start looking at their curriculum and identify potential classes that you would like to take and be prepared to talk about the reasons why these classes could be really helpful to you. The other thing that you need to look into is going to be faculty profiles, especially if you are applying to a master's program or a PhD program that has a really strong research component. So you should take a look at the faculty who are working in this program and identify potential people that you could work with. So you need to be familiar with their research, what they teach, what are their interests, and how well this fits into what you'd like to do. The next step would be for you to investigate extracurriculars. So it's really important to take an in-depth look at what's happening outside the classroom. Are there really interesting and useful student organizations that you'd like to join? Do they offer study abroad opportunities? Are there workshops offered on campus? So basically, you should investigate all these extracurricular activities and identify, again, activities that are relevant to you and that you'd like to partake in. Another step that a lot of people forget to take is to look at each department's mission statement. In general departments, faculty members get together and provide you with insight into what they stand for, their culture, their values, and the way they see their role in shaping you as a future graduate. And so it's really important for you to be familiar with these values and this value proposition to make sure that you really have a strong grasp of what distinguishes this program from other programs. You're going to see later on in this video that you can use this to your advantage to increase your chances of getting admitted. Finally, take a quick look at the current students. Do they look like you? Do they have the same profile? Would they be the type of people that you'd like to be with in a classroom? That's really important for you to understand if you fit there and to actually also find out what type of students that they're looking for. You can do the same thing by taking a quick look at the alumni page, if there is one, to make sure that you know where people have been, what organizations they work for, what is their role in general, etc., etc. It's a great way, again, for you to have a really strong grasp of their program. As you can see, it's really important to devote a substantial amount of time to conduct proper research to make sure that you know them like the back of your hand. Also, it's important to not forget to attend info sessions. Most programs nowadays, since COVID, are providing opportunities for you to take part in an online info session where you will meet with admissions committees. Sometimes you meet with current students, sometimes even alumni. It's a great way for you to get more information than what you can find on the website and make sure to use the email that you intend to use in your application because admissions committees will very likely match people who attended these info sessions with the application. It's a great way for you to stand out from others by showing that you took the extra time to go beyond the website to find out more about them. As you can see, this is quite time-consuming and maybe a little boring, but it is essential to conduct this type of research about each program. So obviously, if you want to do this thoroughly and thoughtfully, it's really important for you to start as early as possible so that you have time to go through all this information, digest it, and have a clearer idea of where you'd like to go potentially in the future. Tip number three, pay attention to your resume. Too many people submit a resume that they had lying somewhere in the bottom of a drawer. They think that it's not necessarily important, that it just provides quick insight into what you've done in the past, and they do not understand that the CV or resume really holds an important function in the admissions process, and that function is slightly different than if you were applying for a job. In the context of admissions, your CV or resume should be how you demonstrate that you stand out from others. This is the space where you should be bragging about yourself, about your achievements, where you should list everything that makes you stand out from others so that you avoid sharing that type of information in your statement of purpose. I see too many people wasting too much time in their essays or even during their interviews trying to sell themselves to admissions committees, while it should be done in your resume. It's really important to build your resume or CV with that frame of mind to make sure that you come up with a CV that will provide all the information that distinguishes you from other applicants. So do not consider your resume as an afterthought, and really put a lot of work in this resume. When I work with applicants, we usually start with the CV or the resume to list all the achievements and to highlight what makes them stand out from other applicants, and then we start building the other pieces to complement this CV or resume. So pay a lot of attention to your resume. Maybe it's a good idea to even start working on this first so that you have a clearer idea of what the content of your statement of purpose should be. Speaking of statement of purpose, my fourth tip has to do with your statement of purpose or your personal statement, depending on what the program you're applying to calls it. It's important to understand that the essays for graduate school applications are oftentimes the first thing that admissions committees look at. So if you submit an essay that is sloppy or that does not provide them with the information they're looking for, they might discard your application without even taking a second look at all the other information that you provided, such as your GPA, letters of recommendation, et cetera, et cetera. So what are admissions committees looking for? They're looking for two things. They're looking for evidence of your interest in the program, meaning you need to share with them why you are applying to this specific program and why you are going for this specific degree. The best way to do this is to provide them with clear career goals. Graduate schools in general are evaluated on their ability to connect you with employers. So it's really important in your statement of purpose to tell them what you want to do and where you'd like to work. You should share that with them in the short term and in the long term. Short term meaning right after graduation and long term, five to 10 years after graduation. So if you provide them with a clear idea of where you'd like to go post-graduation, it will really decrease their concerns into taking you into their program because you will come off as somebody who has a clear sense of direction. The other way that you can justify your interest in a program, especially if you are applying to a research-focused program, is to talk about your research. So it's to connect the dots between the research that you've done in the past and what you'd like to do in the future. The second bit of information that they're looking at when they look at your statement of purpose is obviously why you are picking this specific school. So this is where all the research that you've conducted will be coming very handy to you as an applicant because this is where you will demonstrate why this school is the perfect fit for you. You will justify your choice based on what has stood out as being perfectly aligned with the experience that you'd like to have or the goals that you'd like to reach in the program. So it's all about talking about courses, extracurricular, etc., etc. So overall, when we talk about the statement of purpose, it is as important as your resume. As you probably can conclude from what I talked about when I talked about the resume, you should avoid having your statement of purpose repeat the information that is in your resume. You should provide them with a context between these bullet points to make sure that you make a convincing case about yourself. Obviously, all of this takes a lot of time, so you should not write your statement of purpose or your personal statement in just one hour. And it might also be a good idea to seek some feedback to make sure that your statement of purpose is flawless. You need to send your best piece of writing. This is your ticket to getting admitted into our program. By the way, if you are looking for help with your statement of purpose, I invite you to take a quick look at the description box of this video. I am providing you with access to a few resources that I've created to help you with your application. I do have a guide that will help you come up with a perfect statement of purpose. This resource is completely free. The fifth tip I'm going to share with you is really helpful if you want to stand out from other applicants. You will be glad to learn that a lot of people who are applying to grad schools are not necessarily like you watching videos on YouTube to find out more about the application process, especially if they have good grades and strong professional experience. They tend to think, well, I took a look at the website. I have everything needed for me to be successful. And they usually just send an application by the deadline and they consider it done. In my opinion, if you want to stand out from other applicants, this is exactly what you should not do. You should make sure that you prepare your application. And what do I mean by preparation? I mean that you should have as many touch points as possible with the program before you even send your application. As I've talked about previously in this video, I encourage people to attend info sessions. This is a great way, again, to have this extra point of contact with the program. And it's a great way for you to stand out from most people who forget to do this. Another great way for you to stand out would be to visit campus if it's possible or if this program is really high on your list. Paying a visit to campus, meeting with admissions committees, meeting with students, walking around the grounds is not only a great way for you to determine if it's a great fit for you because you'll gain access to a different type of information than you would get on the website. And it's also a great way to show them that you're really interested in their program. If you flew or if you took time off your busy schedule to come pay a visit, it is a great way for you to stand out from other applicants, especially if the program is super competitive. Really competitive programs are used to having a lot of students who apply just because of the reputation of a school or because of the name. And so if you're able to demonstrate that you are not one of these people, then you get at the top of the par and you will get more in-depth consideration than other applicants. So it's important to keep that in mind. If it's not possible, you can also reach out to students and alumni. Go on their website, identify a few students, email them, try to have a phone conversation or a Zoom conversation with them to find out more about their experience and about the program in general. It is a great way to demonstrate that you're very enthusiastic about joining their community. You can do the same thing with alumni. Take a quick look at LinkedIn, identify people that you might be interested in talking to and find out about their experience. Again, you'll get a lot of information that you wouldn't get if you did not do any of this. And you'll also convince people that you are very serious about their program. Once you've done that, you will be able to use this information throughout your application. So you can allude to these conversations, for example, in your statement of purpose or your personal statement. It's also information that you can share with them during the interview if there's an interview. So having these extra touch points, in my experience, is the best way for you to increase your chances of getting admitted and in many cases to also get more money. The more your application is rigorously conceived and prepared, the more chances you have of getting more money if money is available to you as a prospective student. So the key takeaway from this video, as you can see, is that you should take a substantial amount of time to prepare your graduate school application. It takes a lot of effort and it takes a strategy. So the more well thought out your strategy will be, the more chances you will have to get admitted into your dream program. So if you understand clearly the goal of standing out and fitting in, and you know how to demonstrate these two things throughout your application, in your resume, in your statement of purpose, in your interviews, in your own actions, you will get closer to that letter of acceptance that you're looking for. So that's all, folks. I hope this video was useful to you. If you are interested in going to grad school, applying to graduate programs, I invite you to subscribe to my channel. I will be continuing to provide you with videos on various aspects of life in graduate school. If you have had positive or negative experiences applying to grad school, feel free to share them in the comments section. I'm really interested in finding out more about your experience, about concerns that you might have about applying this year. So don't hesitate to share this information. I will make sure to answer everyone and every question that you might have. Again, thanks for watching and I will see you in the next video. Bye.