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[INTRO]

STEPHANIE: HELLO AND WELCOME TO GRAD PREP TALK FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. THIS IS THE ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM’S PODCAST OR AUDIO GUIDE SERIES TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL. HERE WE DETAIL STUDENT AND EXPERT STRATEGIES FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL PREPARATION. MY NAME IS Stephanie Sequera FOR ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT PROGRAMS OR AAP. IN THIS EPISODE, Colleen Smith, A GRADUATE SCHOOL PREP ADVISOR, WILL TALK WITH Gisselle Pombar AND Lianne Brito, ABOUT HOW TO NARROW DOWN YOUR TOP TEN GRADUATE SCHOOL CHOICE.

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STEPHANIE: DECIDING WHICH GRADUATE SCHOOL YOU WISH TO ATTEND IS NOT AN EASY TASK. THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL SPEND THE NEXT 2 TO 6+ YEARS OF YOUR LIFE FURTHERING YOUR EDUCATION, SO MAKING SURE IT’S THE RIGHT SCHOOL FOR YOU IS PARAMOUNT.

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STEPHANIE: CONSIDERING THINGS LIKE LOCATION, COST OF LIVING, AND WHAT MENTORS ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU ARE ALL THINGS YOU MUST CONSIDER WHEN LOOKING AT SCHOOLS. NOW, LET’S LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH GISSELLE AND LIANNE AND HOW THEY NARROWED DOWN THEIR OPTIONS TO DECIDE WHICH PROGRAMS AND SCHOOLS WERE RIGHT FIT FOR THEM.

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COLLEEN: HELLO AND TODAY I AM HERE WITH Giselle Pombar. SHE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA AND IS WRAPPING UP HER BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY HERE AT UCF OR THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. SHE PLANS TO OBTAIN HER PHD IN CHEMISTRY AND ROUTE TO BECOMING A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR WHERE SHE WILL USE HER POSITION TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN PROMOTING DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND EQUITY. HER PASSION FOR CHEMISTRY COMMENCED IN HIGH SCHOOL AND FURTHER DEVELOPED IN COLLEGE THROUGH HER EXPERIENCES. HER PROFESSORS HAVE INSPIRED HER TO BE AN EXPERT IN THE FIELD AND SHE DREAMS TO DO THE SAME FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. AND WE ARE ALSO JOINED HERE TODAY BY Lianne Brito.

LIANNE: HI EVERYONE!

COLLEEN: THANKS FOR BEING HERE LIANNE!

LIANNE: THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

COLLEEN: SHE IS CURRENTLY PURSUING A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING WITH AN INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING MINOR. SHE STARTED IN A FIRST-YEAR RESEARCH PROGRAM AT UCF AND DEVELOPED A PASSION FOR RESEARCH. LIANNE ALSO LIKES TO BE INVOLVED IN MANY EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES INCLUDING LEADERSHIP ROLES IN THE OFFICES OF ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT PROGRAMS AND UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH HERE AT UCF. LIANNE HAS CONDUCTED RESEARCH IN DIFFERENT FIELDS WITHIN CIVIL ENGINEERING SUCH AS CONSTRUCTION, STRUCTURAL, AND GEOMETRICAL. SHE PLANS TO OBTAIN HER PHD IN CIVIL ENGINEERING. SO WHERE ARE YOU AT WITHIN YOUR APPLICATIONS RIGHT NOW?

GISSELLE: SO, I ACTUALLY ALREADY APPLIED LAST SEMESTER. RIGHT NOW, I AM GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF VISTING SCHOOLS AND HONING DOWN WHICH SCHOOL IS RIGHT FOR ME.

COLLEEN: SO, WHEN YOU STARTED LOOKING AT SCHOOLS, THIS WAS A ABOUT A YEAR AGO?

GISSELLE: EXACTLY.

COLLEEN: OKAY. OKAY. SO, WE’LL HAVE TO BRUSH OFF THAT MEMORY BLOCK A LITTLE BIT.

GISELLE: YEAH JUST A LITTLE BIT.

COLLEEN: ALRIGHT LIANNE, SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU FOUND THE SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS YOU’VE APPLIED TO GRADUATE SCHOOL SO FAR.

LIANNE: YES! MY PATH WITH RESEARCH WAS A QUITE DIFFERENT. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT RESEARCH WAS BEFORE I STARTED COLLEGE AND THEN MY FRESHMAN YEAR, GISELLE AND I, ACTUALLY STARTED WITH THE NSF-FUNDED LEARN PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PROGRAM WHERE THEY PRETTY MUCH THROW FRESHMAN STUDENTS INTO THE RESEARCH WORLD. THERE I LEARNED THAT RESEARCH WAS A PATH TO CREATING CHANGE, SO I REALLY LIKED THAT IDEA AND THAT WAS THE FORCE THAT PUSHED ME TO GO TO GRADUATE SCHOOL.

COLLEEN: JUST THINKING ABOUT CHEMISTRY AND CIVIL ENGINEERING, THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT FIELDS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALL JUMPED IN WITH TWO FEET INTO RESEARCH AND THEN YOU WERE ABLE TO GAIN SOME SKILLS TO EITHER PUT TOWARDS YOUR GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATIONS OR TOWARDS WHENEVER YOU TRANSITION TO GRADUATE SCHOOL BECAUSE BOTH OF YOU HAVE APPLIED AND BEEN ACCEPTED TO SEVERAL SCHOOLS, RIGHT?

GISSELLE & LIANNE: CORRECT!

COLLEEN: AREN’T YOU EXCITED ABOUT THAT?

GISSELLE: VERY EXCITED! IT’S DEFINITELY A DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE NOW THAT YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE GREAT OPTIONS AND WHERE TO MOVE ON FROM THERE.

COLLEEN: LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT, HOW DID YOU START OUT FIGURING OUT YOUR PRIORITIES AND NARROWING THOSE DOWN TO YOUR TOP TEN SCHOOL TO JUST EVEN THINK ABOUT APPLYING TO, NOT EVEN DECIDING ON APPLYING TO LATER ON, JUST THINKING DECIDING ON THEM? WHAT ARE THOSE PRIORITIES FOR YOU TWO?

LIANNE: FOR ME, I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED TO APPLY TO THREE TOP SCHOOLS IN THE NATION, THREE MEDIUM TOP SCHOOLS, AND THEN THREE SCHOOLS THAT WERE IN THE LOWER LEVEL RANKING WISE, BUT I ALSO CARED ABOUT LOCATION AND ALSO MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY MENTOR WERE THE THREE MAIN THINGS I LOOKED AT WHEN APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL.

COLLEEN:  SO, YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR RESEARCH MENTOR—

LIANNE: YES! CORRECT.

COLLEEN: —WHICH IS WHY RESEARCH WITHIN YOUR UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE WAS SO IMPORTANT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPE OF MENTOR RELATIONSHIP YOU WERE LOOKING FOR?

LIANNE: CORRECT.

COLLEEN: SO, YOU APPLIED TO 9 SCHOOLS TOTAL?

LIANNE: YES!

COLLEEN: AND HOW MANY HAVE YOU BEEN ACCEPTED TO?

LIANNE: 8

COLLEEN: 8 OUT OF YOUR 9 SCHOOLS? WOW! SO APPARENTLY LIANNE IS DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. SO, WHAT ABOUT YOU, GISELLE? WHAT ARE THOSE PRIORITIES WHEN YOU STARTED LOOKING AT SOME OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOLS YOU WANTED TO APPLY TO?

GISSELLE: SOME PRIORITIES LIKE I SAID, FOR CHEMISTRY SPECIFICALLY, AS I KNOW IT VARIES FROM DISCIPLINE TO DISCIPLINE, BUT IN MY FIELD THE PHD VARIES FROM FOUR TO FIVE YEARS, SO IF I’M GOING TO BE IN AN DEPARTMENT FOR THAT LONG, I DEFINITELY* MY BIGGEST PRIORITY WAS TO BE WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT MOTIVATED ME EVERY SINGLE DAY BECAUSE I KNOW GRADUATE SCHOOL IS A VERY CHALLENGING PROCESS. YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TO BE VERY SELF-MOTIVATED AND BECAUSE OF THAT, MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WAS RESEARCH.

COLLEEN:  SO, YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC HAD TO BE INTELLECTUALLY STIMULATING?

GISSELLE: YES. EXACTLY. IF NOT, I COULD JUST GET A JOB IN DOING QUALITY ANALYSIS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A GREAT JOB COMING OUT OF CHEMISTRY.

COLLEEN: JUST NOT FOR YOU.

GISSELLE: JUST NOT FOR ME, ESPECIALLY FOR THE GOALS I HAVE, BUT ANOTHER PRIORITY I HAVE I GUESS IS THE FIT BEING BASICALLY WHAT FACULTY DO I SEE MYSELF WORKING FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND BEING PRODUCTIVE AND HAVING A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH THEM. BASICALLY, WHERE I WAS GONNA BE PUSHED THE MOST INTELLECTUALLY. I NEEDED A MENTOR WHO COULD SEE MY POTENTIAL AND PUSH ME TO WHERE I NEED TO BE AS WELL AS ANOTHER PART IS HAVING A GOOD SUPPORT SYSTEM. I THINK THOSE BIG THREE IS DEFINITELY WHAT I TRY TO LOOK FOR WHEN I CAME ON THESE VISITATIONS AND BASICALLY IN APPLYING I TRY TO SITUATE MYSELF LIKE WHERE I WOULD BE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN THE NETWORK OF PEOPLE THAT I COULD REACH OUT TO, SPECIFICALLY DIVERSITY OFFICES, AND HOW TO GET INVOLVED AND WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMS THEY OFFER AT THOSE INSTITUTIONS. BASICALLY, WHAT PROGRAMS THEY HAVE TO INSTITUTE THIS DIVERSITY AND HAVE EQUITY FOR THEIR PROGRAM.

LIANNE: AND I ALSO THINK THAT VISITATIONS BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY START APPLYING ARE A VERY HELPFUL STEP TOWARDS PICKING WHAT GRADUATE SCHOOL YOU WANT TO APPLY TO IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE THAT GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO KIND OF SEE THE ENVIRONMENT AND MEET THE PROFESSORS THAT THEY HAVE IN THE PROGRAM THAT YOU WANT TO APPLY TO AND JUST MEET THE GRADUATE STUDENTS IN GENERAL ON THE CAMPUS AND SEE IF YOU JUST GET THAT GUT FEELING IN THE FIRST PLACE THAT YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF THERE.

COLLEEN: YEAH! SO, TELL ME A STORY ABOUT A TIME YOU VISITED A CAMPUS AND YOU WERE LIKE, “WHAT?!”

LIANNE: LIKE HAPPY ABOUT IT?

COLLEEN: YEAH! YOU WERE SUPER EXCITED AND HAD THAT GUT FEELING YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.

LIANNE: YEAH, SO, FOR ME IT WAS THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA – DAVIS. I LOVED IT FROM THE BEGINNING AND I ACTUALLY INTERACTED WITH THE PROFESSOR BEFORE I VISITED AND I HAD A REALLY GOOD FEELING ABOUT HER, BUT WHEN I VISITED AND MET WITH HER AND HER GRAD STUDENTS, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS DEFINITELY A TOP CHOICE FOR ME AND IT WAS A PLACE I SEE MYSELF SPENDING FIVE YEARS OF MY LIFE PERFORMING RESEARCH.

COLLEEN: SO, YOU LIKE THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, YOU LIKED THAT IT WAS RANKED, AND YOU LIKED THAT THERE WAS A MENTOR THAT YOU COULD SEE YOURSELF WORKING WITH, RIGHT?

LIANNE: CORRECT.

COLLEEN: I BELIEVE THAT VISITATION PROGRAMS, WHICH FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON’T KNOW WHAT VISITATION PROGRAMS ARE, THEY ARE PROGRAMS YOU CAN APPLY TO AT SOME POINTS TO BE ABLE TO COME SEE THE UNIVERSITY, THE DEPARTMENT YOU WANT TO WORK IN, AND GET TO KNOW THE CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS THERE. IS THAT THE TYPE OF VISITATION PROGRAM THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT?

LIANNE: YES. RIGHT! THEN THEY GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THEIR PROGRAM, THEIR COURSE REQUIREMENTS, AND YOU CAN ASK ANY QUESTIONS SO IT’S A REALLY NICE WAY FOR YOU TO START THE PROCESS OF FICURING OUT WHAT YOU WANT BEFORE YOU EVEN START APPLYING.

COLLEEN: VERY COOL! SO, WHEN YOU ARE STARTING TO LOOK AT YOUR TOP TEN, SO LET’S GO BACK TO A YEAR AGO WHEN YOU ALL WERE STARTING TO LOOK FOR THESE YOUR TOP TEN PROGRAMS OF WHERE YOU WANTED TO FOCUS YOUR EFFORTS ON, RIGHT. BACK TO THE YEAR AND YOU USED TO HEAR THIS WORD CALLED FIT, KIND OF LIKE YOU HAVE TO FIND YOUR BEST FIT FLOATING AROUND. WHEN YOU WERE JUST ON WEBSITES, HOW DID YOU NOTICE FIT, THAT ANTIQUATED WORD RIGHT NOW.

LIANNE: I THINK THAT VARIES FOR EACH PERSON PERSONALLY BECAUSE FOR ME, LOCATION IS VERY IMPORTANT, I DON’T WANT TO BE IN A REALLY COLD PLACE BECAUSE PERSONALLY, I WOULD NOT BE VERY HAPPY WITH SNOW HAPPENING ALL THE TIME.

COLLEEN: FLORIDIANS, IT’S VERY HARD TO PROCESS THE SNOW.

LIANNE: RIGHT?! AND JUST SEEING THE TYPE OF RESEARCH THAT’S GOING ON AT THE SCHOOL. IF THEY’RE BEING INNOVATIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO GET A PHD, BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO FIND A JOB AFTER YOU GRADUATE, SO IT’S IMPORTANT TO SEE WHAT KIND OF RESEARCH YOUR DOING. IF IT’S IMPACTFUL OR IF YOU WANT TO GO TO INDUSTRY OR ACADEMIA. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO INDUSTRY, YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE RELATABLE ONCE YOU GET OUT AND IT WILL BE EASIER TO FIND A JOB. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO ACADEMIA, YOU WANT SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY PUBLISH THERE AND PUBLISHING AS MUCH AS THEY CAN EVERY YEAR. ITS ALL DEPENDABLE OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN THE FUTURE AND WHERE YOU WILL BE HAPPY IN THE FIRST PLACE. THAT IS THE MAIN PRIORITY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE PICKING YOUR TOP TEN. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF FOR FIVE YEARS OF YOUR LIFE.

COLLEEN: WELL, GISELLE, WHAT DO YOU THINK FIT MEANS TO YOU?

GISSELLE: WELL FIT FOR ME, ON THE OTHER HAND, I’VE ONLY BEEN EXPOSED TO FLORIDA SEASONS WHICH IS JUST ONE UNFORTUNATELY. I DEFINITELY WANTED TO BRANCH OUT AND GO SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE ARE SEASONS AND EXPERIENCE SNOW AND FALL, BUT BESIDES LOCATION, I THINK IF YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE GRADUATE SCHOOL SPECIFICALLY, YOU WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE WHERE FOR ME I GUESS, IN TERM OF WHAT I WANT TO DO, IS WHERE THEY PUBLISH A LOT BECAUSE IN ACADEMIA, YOU WANT TO GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE.

COLLEEN:  AND YOU WANT TO BE FACULTY AFTER YOUR PHD SO YOU WANT TO BE SOMEWHERE LIKE WHAT LIANNE SAID, WHERE THEY’RE PUBLISHING A LOT.

GISSELLE: EXACTLY! FOR ME, I DEFINITELY WANTED TO BE PUSHED AND BE AT A TOP-TIER GRADUATE SCHOOL ITHINK WAS OBVIOUSLY THE IDEAL CHOICE. ANOTHER ASPECT TO THAT IS, LIKE I BRIEFLY MENTIONED EARLIER OR LIKE I SAID, DEFINTELY PROGRAMS AT THE GRADUATE SCHOOL THAT HELP STUDENTS OF COLOR OR STUDENTS THAT ARE LGBT. YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO LOOK FOR SCHOOLS THAT PROMOTE THIS TYPE OF DIVERSITY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE REALLY WORKING TOWARD EQUITY AND KEEPING THESE STUDENTS IN THEIR PROGRAM AND WANTING THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

COLLEEN: BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY. I MEAN THAT’S WHERE YOU GET YOUR COMPETITIVE EDGE IS WHEN YOU HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS COMING TOGETHER AND WORKING ON THE SAME RESEARCH AND PUSHING IT FORWARD, RIGHT?

LIANNE & GISSELLE: RIGHT. EXACTLY.

COLLEEN: I LIKE IT, SO THAT MAKES A MORE COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. SO, WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THINGS ONLINE, YOU ALSO WANT TO LOOK AT COST OF LIVING TO SEE IF THAT IS EVEN FEASIBLE. FUNDING PACKAGES ARE NICE, BUT THEY’RE NOT ALWAYS RELIABLE SO YOU DON’T KNOW IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET A FUNDING PACKAGE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OR NOT, SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE FUNDING PACKAGE, COULD YOU MAKE IT? ALRIGHT SO WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED LOOKING AT SCHOOLS, YOU HAD YOUR LITTLE SPREADSHEET, YOU PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER, BUT WHEN YOU STILL HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM, WHO DID YOU CONTACT OR DID YOU CONTACT ANYONE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS OR DID YOU WAIT TO MEET SOMEONE IN PERSON LIKE THE VISITATION PROGRAM YOU TALKED ABOUT LIANNE OR WHAT’S THAT PROCESS? LET’S SAY, YOU GOT ALL YOUR INFORMATION, YOU HAVE LIKE 20 SCHOOLS, MAYBE NOT TOP TEN, BUT LIKE WE’RE AT 20 SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW AND WHO DID YOU CHOOSE TO TALK TO AND HOW DID YOU GET THAT INFORMATION TO FURTHER, OR FILTER DOWN TO YOUR TOP TEN SCHOOLS?

LIANNE: WELL, FOR ME, I STARTED WITH A REALLY LONG LIST OF GRADUATE SCHOOLS AND THE WAY I NARROWED IT DOWN WAS MAINLY BECAUSE OF RESEARCH INTEREST, SO I LOOKED AT PROFESSORS THAT WERE DOING PROJECTS THAT WERE SIMILAR TO STUFF THAT I REALLY ENJOYED IN THE PAST AND BASED ON THAT I STARTED EMAILING THEM THE SUMMER BEFORE I STARTED APPLYING, JUST 5-7 PROFESSORS, ONE FROM EACH SCHOOL, THAT WAS MY WAY OF CONTACTING THEM AND MOST OF THEM GOT BACK TO ME THANKFULLY AND THEN I WOULD JUST ASK THEM ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE AND IT WAS A WAY FOR ME TO GET TO KNOW THEM. SO, THIS SERVED AS A WAY TO GET MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND ALSO SEEING IF IT WAS A GOOD FIT IN THE FIRST PLACE IF I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT PROFESSOR TALKING ON A ONE-ON-ONE, SKYPING INTERVIEWING SETTING.

COLLEEN: SO, YOU ENDED UP CONTACTING FACULTY FIRST?

LIANNE: YES, YES. MOST OF THE QUESTIONS I COULDN’T ANSWER, I WAS ABLE TO FIND ONLINE LIKE THE PROGRAM’S CURRICULAR STRUCTURE, HOW MANY CREDIT HOURS ARE REQUIRED, AND MOST OF THOSE QUESTION YOU ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK FOR THEM ONLINE ON THEIR PROGRAM’S WEBSITE OR YOU CAN CALL THE ACADEMIC ADVISOR FOR THE GRADUATE STUDIES AND THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. FOR ME CONTACTING ANY FACULTY WAS A WAY FOR ME TO FIGURE OUT IF I LIKED TO WORK WITH THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE AND SEE IF THE FIT WAS THERE AND ALSO GET MY QUESTIONS ASKED BASED ON THE RESEARCH INTEREST THAT I HAD.

COLLEEN: I WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT THAT BOTH OF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PHD DEGREES, SO LET’S SAY YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A MASTER’S DEGREE. WOULD YOU STILL CONTACT A FACULTY MEMBER FIRST OR DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD CONTACT A PROGRAM COORDINATOR FIRST?

GISSELLE: SO, FOR THAT QUESTION, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY A PROGRAM COORDINATOR BECAUSE I KNOW THEY FOCUS MORE, AS LIANNE SAID BEFORE, MORE ABOUT COURSEWORK FOR MASTER’S, SO FOR THEM, I WOULD RECOMMEND REACHING OUT FIRST TO THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR AND THEN MAKING THAT FACULTY CONNECTION.

COLLEEN: SO, THE OTHER PART IS THAT YOU ARE BOTH STEM – SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH – SO IF WE LOOK AT OUR NON-STEM, I THINK THAT’S DEFINITELY SOME GOOD ADVICE FOR OUR SOCIAL SCIENCES AND ARTS AND HUMANITIES STUDENTS TO FOLLOW TOO. DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR STUDENTS TRYING TO FIND THEIR TOP TEN SCHOOLS OR PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW OR WOULD YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT THEN WHAT YOU STARTED WITH?

LIANNE: I THINK MY MAIN ADVICE WOULD BE FOR YOU TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT AND I KNOW THAT’S HARD AND SOMETIMES WE DON’T KNOW, BUT YOU HAVE TO DO A SELF-REFLECTION KIND OF EXERCISE FOR YOU TO FIND OUT, “DO I CARE THAT I’M NOT SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS OR DO I CARE THAT I’LL BE IN LAB 24/7” AND THEN FROM THERE FIGURE OUT, “DO I WANT TO HAVE THAT ONE-ON-ONE RELATIONSHIP WITH MY MENTOR OR DO I NOT CARE THAT THEY’RE THERE ASKING ME HOW’S THE PROGRESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?” SO, JUST FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT FIRST AND I GUESS WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE THINGS THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL AND THEN FROM THERE MAKE YOUR LIST.

GISSELLE: FOR ME, I WOULD SAY SOME ADVICE I WOULD GIVE TO ANYONE GOING THROUGH THEIR TOP TEN SCHOOLS OR PROGRAMS IS MAKE SURE AND TRY, AND I KNOW ITS KIND OF HARD TO DO IT THROUGH A WEBSITE, TO GET A GOOD IDEA OF BASICALLY THAT FIT. I THINK THAT FIT IS SO IMPORTANT AND MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE VISITING THE SCHOOL OR BEFORE APPLYING. I THINK IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ADVICE AND SOMETHING I WOULD DO DIFFERENT IS REACHING OUT TO THE GRADUATE STUDENTS. SO, THE GRADUATE STUDENTS WILL REALLY TELL YOU AND GIVE YOU THEIR MOST HONEST OPINION AS TO THEIR EXPERIENCES IN LAB OR THAT RESEARCH GROUP AND OBVIOUSLY IN TIMES WHEN FACULTY MIGHT NOT BE HONEST, OF COURSE, THEY ARE ONLY GOING TO TELL YOU GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE RESEARCH GROUP, I THINK GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR FELLOW GRADUATE STUDENTS, OR POTENTIAL INCOMING GRADUATE STUDENTS, AND EVERYBODY WANTS BEST FOR ONE ANOTHER. I THINK REACHING OUT TO THOSE STUDENTS, I DEFINITELY WOULD ADVISE FUTURE STUDENTS.

COLLEEN: HOW WOULD YOU FIND GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE PROGRAMS YOU WANT TO APPLY TO?

GISSELLE: RIGHT! SO, WHEN LOOKING FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS, WHAT I WOULD DO IS GO INTO THE FACULTY’S WEBSITE. EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN WEBSITE AND BASICALLY HAVE A LAYOUT OF WHO THEY ARE, WHAT THEIR RESEARCH IS, AND WHO WE ARE. AND USUALLY UNDER THE ‘WHO WE ARE’ SUBSECTION, THERE SHOULD BE A LIST OF GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION.

COLLEEN: AND IF THEIR NOT, THEN THAT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING LIKE MAYBE THEIR NOT ACCEPTING GRADUATE STUDENTS AT THAT TIME OR PERHAPS THEY DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH BANDWIDTH TO BE ABLE TO PUT THEIR GRADUATE STUDENTS ON THERE.

GISSELLE: EXACTLY! I THINK THAT’S ANOTHER THING, ANOTHER USEFUL TIDBIT OF THAT, IS TO GAGE, I GUESS, MORE ABOUT THEIR RESEARCH GROUP.

COLLEEN: ALRIGHT! TO SUM IT ALL UP, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU FOUND THE PROGRAM THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU?

LIANNE: YES! I FEEL LIKE I HAVE AND NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, I ALWAYS KNEW THAT WAS MY TOP PROGRAM, SO I DON’T KNOW WHY I APPLIED TO SO MANY PLACES IN THE FIRST PLACE,  BUT IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN BECAUSE LIKE I SAID BEFORE, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THE PACKAGING IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR FUNDING.

COLLEEN: SO, LIANNE, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

LIANNE: SO, I WILL BE CONTINUING MY EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO – BOULDER THIS FALL, PURSUING A PHD IN GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING, WHICH I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. I ACTUALLY SPENT A SUMMER THERE AND I LOVED IT! AND THE MENTORSHIP THAT I’M GOING TO RECEIVE FROM THERE IS GOING TO BE GREAT! I’M GOING TO BE CO-ADVISED BY THREE ADVISORS AND IT’S DEFINITELY A PLACE I’VE ALWAYS BEEN HAPPY, SO IT’S DEFINITELY A GOOD FIT.

COLLEEN: SO, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU FOUND THE PROGRAM FOR YOU?

GISSELLE: SO, FOR ME, ON THE OTHER HAND, I’M TORN BETWEEN THESE TWO BIG DECISIONS RIGHT NOW. I DIDN’T EXPECT ACCEPTANCES FROM MY TWO TOP SCHOOLS AND I GUESS BEFOREHAND IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR WHAT I WANTED TO DO, BUT AFTER VISITING BOTH PROGRAMS, I AM BASICALLY IN LOVE WITH TWO SCHOOLS AND ITS DEFINITELY A HARD DECISION TO DO BECAUSE I DO PICTURE MYSELF, FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, AT THESE TWO SCHOOLS.

COLLEEN: I FEEL LIKE THAT’S A GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE THOUGH. TO FEEL LIKE YOU CAN FIT INTO TWO DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT JUST BEING ABLE TO PICK WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU IN THE LONG RUN.

GISSELLE: I AM JUST TORN BETWEEN WORKING WITH SOMEONE I KNOW AND I DO LOVE THE RESEARCH THERE, BUT I’M ALSO TORN WITH WORKING WITH A FEMALE FACULTY, AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR THAT JUST GOT HER FOOT IN THE DOOR, AND I FEEL LIKE I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE MORE OF AN IMPACT WITH SOMEONE WHO IS JUST STARTING VERSUS SOMEONE WHO IS VERY ESTABLISHED. SO, FOR ME, IT COMES DOWN TO THE RESEARCH, BUT MAINLY THE MENTORSHIP I WANT TO OBTAIN GOING THROUGH THESE TWO PROGRAMS.

COLLEEN: WHICH WAS ONE OF YOUR PRIORITIES IN THE FIRST PLACE, RIGHT?

GISSELLE: EXACTLY.

COLLEEN: SO, YOU ARE WORKING TOWARDS FIGURING OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL OF THOSE PRIORITIES.

GISSELLE: EXACTLY. EXACTLY.

COLLEEN: SO, LET’S DIAL IT BACK A LITTLE BIT. SO, YOU FIRST DECIDED TO GO TO GRADUATE SCHOOL AND HAD AN ‘AHA’ MOMENT AND LOOKING UP PROGRAM WEBSITES KIND OF AROUND YOUR DISCIPLINE, RIGHT? AND THEN YOU STARTED FIGURING OUT THERE WAS RESEARCH, RIGHT. SO, YOU STARTED LOOKING INTO RESEARCH AND CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN DIFFERENT AREAS WHETHER YOUR DOING A SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM OVER THE SUMMER AT A DIFFERENT INSTITUTION OR YOUR WORKING REALLY HARD WITH DIFFERENT TYPE OF MENTORS AT YOUR CURRENT INSTITUTION, RIGHT. AND THEN YOU START CONDUCTING SOME PROFESSIONAL INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS OR INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS WITH YOUR FACULTY AND STARTED ASKING THEM WHAT THEY WERE DOING. THEN YOU STARTED LOOKING DEEPER INTO THE CURRICULUM STRUCTURE AND THEN YOU STARTED TALKING ABOUT CREDIT HOURS AND TAKING QUALIFYING EXAMS AND MAKING SURE YOU HAD ALL YOU TS CROSSED AND YOUR IS DOTTED. YOU STARTED RESEARCHING IN THE SPRING AND YOU STARTED CONTACTING PEOPLE IN THE SUMMER. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO CLICK APPLY ON CERTAIN PROGRAMS?

LIANNE: I GUESS, WELL, AT THAT POINT I ALREADY NARROWED IT DOWN IN A SENSE WHERE I HAD MY NINE SCHOOLS THAT FIT ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT I HAD FOR MYSELF IN THE FIRST PLACE.

COLLEEN: AND THEN YOU STARTED LOOKING INTO YOUR RESEARCH INTERESTS AND THEN WHAT A GOOD MENTOR IS FOR YOU. GISELLE, I KNOW YOU HAD A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT A GOOD MENTOR WAS FOR YOU.

GISSELLE: FOR ME, I REALIZED AS AN UNDERGRAD THAT I DO LIKE WORKING WITH A MORE HANDS-ON, AT LEAST A MENTOR WHO CAN MICRO-MANAGE YOU AND THEN FROM THERE KIND OF STEP BACK AND KIND OF LET YOU BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT AS YOU GO.

COLLEEN: KIND OF SHOW YOU THE ROPES FIRST AND THEN BE MORE OF AN INDEPENDENT.

GISSELLE: EXACTLY. I KNOW THAT VARIES FROM PERSON TO PERSON AND FROM MENTOR TO MENTOR. REACHING OUT TO GRAD STUDENTS AND REACHING OUT TO THESE FACULTY AND GETTING THEIR INTAKE ON HOW THEY MENTOR STUDENTS AND SEEING HOW THE GRADUATE STUDENTS RESPOND CAN CONFIRM TO THAT TYPE OF MENTORSHIP, DEFINITELY GAVE ME SOME INSIGHT OR NOT IF I DO WANT TO GO TO THAT SCHOOL OR NOT.

[MOTIVATIONAL MUSIC]

STEPHANIE: DEPENDING ON THE MAJOR YOU WANT TO PURSUE; YOUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS WILL LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THANKFULLY, LIANNE AND GISSELLE LEFT US WITH SOME GREAT ADVICE.

[MOTIVATIONAL MUSIC]

STEPHANIE: WHEN DECIDING ON PROGRAMS YOU WANT TO APPLY TO, HAVING A LIST OF PRIORITIES TO HELP YOU DECIDE WHICH SCHOOL IS THE BEST FIT FOR YOU. CONSIDER THINGS LIKE LOCATION, ALUMNI JOB PLACEMENT, OR FACULTY CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON YOUR INTERESTED TOPIC.

[MOTIVATIONAL MUSIC]

STEPHANIE: MAKE A LIST OF SCHOOLS AND WHAT THEY MAY HAVE TO OFFER AND WHAT YOU MAY LIKE FROM THEM. REMEMBER THAT AAP PEER ADVISORS ARE HERE TO HELP YOU GET STARTED ON THIS LIST. REACH OUT TO FACULTY IN YOUR FIELD OF POTENTIAL PROGRAMS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR RESEARCH IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE WHAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY DOING ALIGNS WITH WHAT YOU WISH FOR THE FUTURE AND REMEMBER THERE IS NO EXACT SCIENCE OF KNOWING WHICH SCHOOL IS RIGHT FOR YOU. ITS MORE OF A FEELING THAT YOU GET WHEN VISITING AND DISCUSSING THE PROGRAM WITH GRADUATE STAFF AND FACULTY. IF THE SCHOOL IS RIGHT FOR YOU, YOU WILL KNOW. SO, TRUST YOURSELF!

[MOTIVATIONAL MUSIC]

STEPHANIE: THAT’S ALL WE HAVE FOR THIS EPISODE OF GRAD PREP TALK. I’M Stephanie Sequera AND YOU’LL FIND OUR NEXT EPISODE IN ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT PROGRAMS’ AUDIO GUIDE SERIES IN THE GRAD PREP ZONE. REMEMBER YOUR GRADUATE PREPARATION STARTS NOW.

[OUTRO]