<p>I'm a senior engineering student strongly considering grad school. After a long period of thinking about it, I've decided it's something I want to do. I have a few very basic questions. My main question is: what's the next step? In other words, who do I first talk to?</p>
<p>Since I do not know essential information (such as what type of schools I'm eligable for, the process, funding, etc.), I need to have a thorough conversation with someone who knows this stuff. Using common sense, I would assume I need to talk to one of my professors. </p>
<p>My other question is: How should I approach the professor on this topic and how prepared should I be? Should I contact them via email or just walk in to their office? I know professors are very busy and probably do not want to waste their time with undergrads. I also do not want to talk to them completely unprepared. Should I have a "statement of purpose" put together already as well as a list of grad schools I hope to attend and names of professors I want to do research with?</p>
<p>Any input from people who have been through this process would be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>Most professors do not consider advising undergraduates to be a waste of time. You can make an appointment to see one of your professors – perhaps one you’d think of asking for a LOR down the line – to discuss your graduate school plans. You do not need to have your SOP done yet (but you should have it ready to give to people when you ask for LORs). It’s OK to just start with general questions and ask for advice, but try to have some sense of what you hope to get out of graduate school, so you don’t appear completely clueless. Most schools have counselors for helping students with career planning, including grad school, so start there. But DO discuss plans with your profs as well, as you need to have some who know you well enough to write you good LORs.</p>
<p>As a side addition - the career office is rarely helpful in planning for graduate school. They know a lot about helping you get jobs, but few of them have specific training about general graduate school admissions much less specific ones for each field. The best people to talk to about this are your professors. Also do some Internet searches for advice articles written by current and former grad students.</p>
<p>I was in the same position a few months ago. I think your best resource is time. To learn everything about the process of applying to grad school and even to just mentally adjust has taken me months. Researching programs, reading about grad school, talking with professors, wrtiting your statement, or having random conversations with people all takes time and a bit of luck. It could be a while before you make up your mind on things but if you’re patient and take it day-by-day, you’ll be there before you know it. </p>
<p>When I was into modifying cars it was the same type of thing. Where do I start? What parts do I buy? I wanted so badly to make my car cool, but if I had rushed, or even talked to only a few people to get ideas, it would’ve been a mess. Instead, it took me over a year to develop my taste. But I learned a lot just by observing, talking to people about it, and reading. </p>
<p>It’s been 3 months since I took the GRE and since then I’ve requested letters from professors, got my list of schools together, written my personal statement (final draft is being edited as we speak). It feels like a lot has happened since then, but I would be going crazy if I wasn’t chipping away at it each day.</p>
<p>My point is, a single, even thorough conversation about this stuff with a professor, isn’t going to be much of a catalyst for you. A professor can’t make up your mind for you and wanting to go to grad school doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve gotta make decisions for yourself and just ride the process. But that takes the most amount of time.</p>
<p>I agree with the posters above. In addition, I would suggest that you do some basic research on the graduate admission process before you talk to your professors so that you can ask intelligent questions. The internet or a graduate student friend might do as a first resource. Some departments also have “grad school 101” info sessions early in the fall semester, or a designated graduate school adviser (either faculty member or full-time advising staff) who can give you the basics.</p>