Despite all the resources that claim to rank the best graduate schools in the country, it can be difficult to know what to look for in a top-notch program. Even with the rank-order lists on the Internet and in magazines, you should learn the most important criteria to use in choosing the graduate school that is best for you.
Instructions
1. List the schools that have the toughest admission rates. In other words, look for a small number of acceptances compared to the total of number of applications.
2. Rank schools based on the amount of career assistance and job placement offered to current and graduating students.
3. Compare institutions in terms of the amount of external grant funding awarded to their faculty and researchers each year. Funding often indicates the quality and amount of research conducted at the school. A university's office of research services will have these figures.
4. Determine the number of prestigious faculty working at each school you are considering. Faculty can be assessed based on publication frequency, national and international recognitions and years of professional experience.
5. Document the percentage of classes taught by full time, tenure-track or tenured faculty as opposed to part-time or adjunct instructors.
6. Count the number of intercultural, international or cultural-diversity programs offered by each university. Diverse institutions usually make for better schools.
7. Ask for the average GRE scores of current students. A graduate school is only as good as the students it accepts.
8. Determine the amount of funding, such scholarships or assistantships, offered by each prospective school.
9. Compare schools based on the size of their programs or the number of students participating in them. This statistic may help you determine whether a particular school will be able to accommodate your needs or give you the attention you want.
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