SU students offer guidance as graduate school applications increase

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Syracuse University graduate student Calvin Milliner never expected to find himself in a graduate school.

Milliner played football during his undergraduate career at Assumption College and wanted to pursue a career in professional football until COVID-19 canceled those plans. He reevaluated his career plans and chose to apply to graduate school, eventually ending up at the Newhouse School of Public Communications pursuing a master’s degree in magazine, news and digital journalism.

Milliner is not the only student with an unconventional path to graduate school. Paola González completed her undergraduate degree at SU in international relations and French before she realized she did not want to pursue a career in IR. Because of the Forever Orange Scholarship, which gives SU 2021 graduates 50% off their graduate school tuition, González saw graduate school as a feasible way to find a new career path. She is now also at Newhouse pursuing the MND master’s degree.

The number of Americans who hold master’s degrees has increased from 10.4 million in 2000 to 21 million in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. With the increase in people pursuing graduate degrees, admissions to these programs are becoming increasingly competitive. According to the Council of Graduate Schools, applications in the U.S. increased by 7.3% for the fall 2020 semester.

Connecting with people already in graduate programs is a good way of gaining insight into both the application process and the programs, said Phillandra Smith, an SU doctoral candidate in special education, disability studies. She also recommended reaching out to universities to get a better idea of the programs.

“Once I identified schools, I emailed people at the schools to get some more direction in terms of what does the application process look like, what kind of things are you looking for in the student,” Smith said. “Just so I could make a very informed decision on whether or not I wanted to complete an application, because (applications) are not free.”

Finances are a factor to be considered when applying to graduate schools, said Daniel Olson-Bang, the director of Professional and Career Development for SU’s Graduate School. The application fee for SU’s graduate programs is $75, and the cost of attendance for graduate students is $54,085.80.

“People should know what types of careers there are on the other side of (graduate school). They should have a sense of how this will connect to a future career, how long it will take, and how much it’ll cost,” Olson-Bang said.

Finances are an important consideration when applying to graduate programs, but so is location, said Haydn Jones, a third-year law student at SU’s College of Law.

“For me, location and cost of tuition (were important),” Jones said. “I thought about where I want to work in the future … you have a better chance of getting a job in the area (when you graduate).”

When reflecting on his own graduate school application process, Newhouse graduate student Cale Clinton emphasized the importance of doing research.

“Making connections to current employees or alumni will help make the best decision for you,” Clinton said.

Many students contemplate whether they should pursue a graduate degree or a gap year straight out of undergraduate studies, Olson-Bang said. They worry if they do not apply right away, they may end up never applying, he said.

Olson-Bang pursued his master’s straight out of undergraduate studies. He then took a three-year break between his master’s program and doctorate program. He does not think there is anything wrong with either decision but believes that there are some overlooked advantages to taking a gap year.

“(By waiting),​​ you can gain a lot of insight into yourself and what you’re really looking for. You might have the advantage, if you wait, of having an employer pay for you to go to school instead of you doing it yourself,” Olson-Bang said. “You might have a bit of a sharper understanding — because you’re already in the workforce — of what type of program would be most appropriate for you.”

González entered graduate school straight from undergraduate and sees the benefits of both paths.

“I feel like for some people, if you take a gap year you kind of get comfortable with the idea of not doing anything. And then you lose the motivation to actually go and start working,” González said. “But if you go to graduate school straight from undergraduate like I did, I graduated in May and started graduate school in July. It’s very, very exhausting, and it takes a toll.”

Milliner said that students who are committed to learning and furthering themselves academically will especially thrive in graduate school.

“In undergraduate we may fall into the trap or habit where we expect… to go to college, so we don’t fully immerse ourselves in the undergraduate experience,” Milliner said. “So I’d say graduate school is for those who are willing to learn, willing to really experience what an education is.”