Post Graduate Support

• If your GPA is an issue, it’s time to pull your grades up! 
• Start looking for programs and schools that match your interests. 
• Investigate what kind of financial aid options will be available to you at the various institutions, including grants, loans, fellowships, and assistantships.  
• Schedule your entrance exams. You may want to take these exams in the spring of your junior year so you get them out of the way (and have time to retake if necessary). 

• Get your transcripts from all your post-secondary education institutions. 
• Line up references and provide them with the information they need to write a complete reference. 
• Schedule your entrance exams if you haven't already taken them or need to retake them. 
• Fill out your applications and FAFSA before the end of the calendar year. 
• Acceptance letters should arrive in the Spring. 

Watch Self Made Millennial as she talks about her admissions board experience for grad school!

• Big Interview isn’t just a training course, it is a whole interview prep system. You’ll also get hands-on practice with mock interviews tailored to your specific industry, job, and experience level. 
• Register with your Marian University account and get started interviewing today. Big Interview allows students to browse through thousands of pre-loaded interview questions, conducting and reviewing their own web interviews. 
• Get started with Big Interview today! 

• Purpose is to tell admission committee of your goals, aspirations, previous experiences and qualifications that demonstrates and describes you as a person. 
• Your resume/CV may show the reader what you have done, but the personal statement explains why. 
• A personal statement should be deeply personal, giving the admissions committee insight into your passions and ultimate decision to pursue a career in your field.
• A compelling and introspective personal statement can make the difference between getting an interview and getting a rejection letter.

• Shemmissian: Provides additional examples of medical school personal statements and analysis regarding personal statements. 

• The Graduate Management Admissions Test, is a multiple-choice, computer-based, standardized exam.  If you are serious about business school, take the GMAT exam. Schools know that if you take the GMAT exam, you are serious about earning a graduate business degree. It demonstrates your commitment, motivation, and ability to succeed in business school and measures your critical thinking and reasoning skills. Fees are subject to change and are currently $275 for the test.
• There is a free GMAT Handbook, 8 week study planner, and additional prep for a cost. Use this link for further information on scoring.  A competitive overall score for the GMAT is 650 or higher.  

• The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is an integral part of law school admission. The test is designed specifically to assess critical reading, analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, and persuasive writing skills and is administered in two parts. The first part of the test is a multiple-choice exam administered at test centers throughout the world. The second part of the test is a written essay, called LSAT Writing. Fees are subject to change and are currently $200 for the test. There is a free LSAT Prep or a paid version, Khan Academy also has free prep. Fee waiver information and eligibility can be found here.
• Your LSAT (or LSAT-Flex) score is based on the number of questions you answered correctly — your “raw score.”  To make it easier to compare scores earned across different LSAT administrations, your “raw score” is converted to an LSAT scale. This is the score you receive in your score report. The LSAT scale ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score. 

The Pharmacy College Admission Test is a specialized test that helps identify qualified applicants to pharmacy colleges. Check with your schools before, not all schools require this. It measures general academic ability and scientific knowledge necessary for the commencement of pharmaceutical education. The PCAT is constructed specifically for colleges of pharmacy.  

• Nerd Wallet Cost of Living Calculator: Want to see how much more/less it will cost to live in a city when you graduate?

• Kahn Academy Better Money Habits: This site provides well-produced personal finance lessons on any topic you can imagine.

• Mint: See where your money goes and keep track of your budget.

• Feed the Pig: This site provides tips and interactive tools to remind you to feed the piggy bank.

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: This is a U.S. government agency that makes sure banks, lenders, and other financial companies treat you fairly.

• Job Seekers Salary Calculator: Get a good understanding as to how much money you can expect to make after you graduate based on your location, experience, and education.
• MoneyGeek: A Step-by-Step Guide to Negotiating for the Pay You Deserve.​

• ​IN Reality: Explore your career choices based on how much you could earn.

• FinAid: The SmartStudentTM Guide to Financial Aid

• StudentLoans.gov: The online home for federal student loan programs.

• StudentAid.gov: An office of the U.S. Department of Education with a wealth of information from applying to colleges to learning the many plans a borrower can utilize to best repay their loans. In addition, directions, tips and definitions are provided for filling out the FAFSA, assessing loan eligibility, and deciding how financial aid can make college a reality.

• National Student Loan Data System: The U.S. Department of Education's (NSLDS) central database for student aid.
• College Scholarships
• Granite State Management
• Grants

Graduate test fee reduction programs:

• ETS (Educational Testing Service) GRE Fee Reduction Program
• AAMC MCAT Fee Reduction
• ADA DAT/Dental School Fee Reduction
• LSAT Fee Waiver