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Ask HN: Where to get graduate school advice?

2 points by frgtpsswrdlame ↗ HN
Hi, I'm looking to pursue a masters degree in the near future. Nobody in my circle has a masters degree so I'm sort of venturing into new territory here. I'm looking for someone to look over my resume, see where I could reasonably get in, advice on how to pay for it, tell me what my job prospects will actually be, etc. My undergrad wasn't pristine so I'm basically looking for standalone academic advising - is there a service like this? I've looked online for a business like this but my google-fu is failing me.

2 comments

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RingwormOne
Many grad schools publish post graduation job and salary prospects, so I'd start with that. Many also publish average GPA/GRE scores, so look at those to get an idea of where you stand.

Because the job market is being saturated with masters degree holders, it's important that you don't get a potentially expensive degree from a low ranked school, and if you do go to a lower ranked school, to make sure your degree is in a high demand field.

Masters degrees can be very rewarding, but you need to be aware that graduate school brand will strongly determine the quality of your job prospects post graduation.

gvajravelu
Write down a list of the grad schools in your geographic area. Read up on their websites about the programs you're interested in to learn their tuition, graduation rates, job placements rates, and salary information.

Then go meet alumni of these programs. I've done it several times myself. They'll be happy to talk to you.

You can find these alumni by searching for them on LinkedIn and then emailing them. Checkout this article to learn how to get their advice: http://www.climbuptheladder.com/networking-more-than-linkedi....