Are You a Fit for Grad School?

Whether you’re looking at one of the three Canadian universities ranked in the global top 50 – McGill University, the University of Toronto, and the University of British Columbia – or one of the other over 90 universities in the country (17 of which are private), your first question should be, am I a good fit for graduate school?

Here are some things to consider when deciding whether attending graduate school in Canada makes sense for you:

Why do you want a graduate degree?

Are you looking to improve your job prospects? Maybe you want to become a professor or pursue a different job in academia? Or you are preparing for a career as a doctor or lawyer? Knowing why you want to attend graduate school will make the tough slog more bearable and that 200-page term paper won’t seem so burdensome.

Are you picking the right graduate program?

You’ll want to do your due diligence and research graduate programs thoroughly to make sure the offerings, the campus life, the surrounding community – really, everything about the program matches what you’re looking for. Otherwise, it’s going to feel like a long three or four years pursuing your graduate degree. Use your resources wisely – get to know current and former students, talk to the department supervisor, and by all means, take a campus tour to get a feel for the place.

Are you paying attention to your application?

Poor writing and editing can kill your chances of getting into the graduate program of your choice, as well as a lack of attention to application requirements – writing 100 pages or 10 won’t cut it if the application asks for a 25-page paper.

Tell your story, write a personal statement that focuses on the one or two projects you’d like to pursue and the value you’ll add to the graduate program, and sell yourself to the admissions panel.