The majority of graduate and professional schools require that you take a standardized examination to be admitted into their advanced degree programs. To learn which exam is required, please contact the school directly. For information on the following standardized examinations, please visit their web sites:

GRE - Graduate Record Examination
www.gre.org

GMAT - Graduate Management Admissions Test
www.gmat.org

LSAT - Law School Admission Test
www.lsac.org

MCAT - Medical College Admission Test
www.aamc.org

DAT - Dental Admission Test
www.aads.jhu.edu

Helpful Test Taking Hints

Do not take the test without sufficient preparation
Take advantage of a simulated test to determine your performance level
Remember to meet the deadline date for regular registration to avoid late fees
Follow the directions outlined in the registration bulletin completely
Clearly understand the cancellation and refund policies
Remember to be relaxed and give yourself adequate time to prepare for the exam
Understand the scoring method
Take the test seriously

PERSONAL STATEMENT
(Personal Statement Links)

A personal statement is a seriously important document and, if you are unable to have an interview, it is your first impression to the graduate admissions officer. Well-developed writing skills are becoming increasingly imperative and the personal statement reflects your writing ability.

• Follow the instructions outlined in the application. Tailor your personal statement to the particular program or institution. The personal statement should be precise and coherent. Most admission officers are looking for your personality to be reflected in a personal statement. Check the Tennessee State University Library or a local library for materials to aid you in constructing your essay. (Your essay must be grammatically correct, including spelling and punctuation; neat; intellectually honest; and type- written on quality paper). Always maintain a personal copy!
• Include your specific reasons for applying to the graduate or professional school and your interest in a particular program. Explain why you wanted to pursue the chosen educational direction.
• Provide a brief description of your academic accomplishments, including related work and leadership or research experience. Summer internships should also be included.
• Describe your specific career goals and explain how this degree will help you to accomplish them.
• Mention your knowledge of any research being conducted by faculty in the department in which you have indicated an interest.
• Once you have completed a draft of your personal statement, please submit it to a faculty member or an advisor for review. Remember to edit your personal statement for errors and have at least two other persons to check it as well. Please do not prematurely submit your statement before you have had an opportunity to review it for corrections.

• Generally, most graduate schools require two or three letters of recommendation from professors under which you have studied. If an administrator would like to give you a letter of recommendation, it should be in addition to that of your professors. If you have been employed for a considerable time, especially if it has been full-time or career employment, you may be asked to have your supervisor submit a letter of recommendation in your behalf. This is generally the situation for prospective MBA students, who are currently employed in career positions. For prospective law and medical students, you may be asked to submit a letter of recommendation from your Pre-medical or Pre-law Advisor.
• First, provide your professors and/ or employers with a timely request. Ideally you should give them at least a month. Keep in mind, that they have many responsibilities and very demanding schedules.
• Second, provide your professors and/ or employers with an updated resume that outlines your academic accomplishments and work/research experience. If possible, share a copy of your personal statement with them so that they will have a better understanding of your future academic goals.
• Third, share specific information about the advanced degree program and the school(s) that you have chosen for your advanced study to prevent any unnecessary misunderstandings.
• Fourth, specify to whom the letter should be addressed, as well as that person=s title and current mailing address.
• Finally, inform the professor or the employer of the date that the letter is needed.
• As a professional courtesy, you should always extend a personal thank you note to your professor and/ or employer for supporting your candidacy.
  

• Application fees. Application fees generally range from a low of $5 to a high of $75 and some are slightly higher. The average application fee is approximately $35 or slightly less. Please plan to apply to at least three graduate or professional schools. Given this recommendation, you should be prepared to spend approximately $105 or more in application fees. However, many schools offer a wavier for their application fee and you may be able to eliminate this expense. Most schools will indicate if a fee wavier is available.
• Standardized examinations. Most graduate and professional schools require that you take a standardized exam for admission into their advanced degree program(s). Each exam has a set fee to register. The fees generally change from year to year.

• Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). There is no fee wavier option.
  www.gmat.org

• Law School Admission Test (LSAT). There is a fee waiver option.
  www.lsac.org

• Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). There is an MCAT fee reduction program.
  www.aamc.org

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE). There is a fee wavier option.
  www.gre.org

• Dental Admissions Test (DAT).
  www.aads.jhu.edu

• Test preparation courses. It is important that you adequately prepare for the examination. You should consider taking a professional course or purchasing a study guide. Generally, the cost of preparatory course ranges from $300 to $1,200 depending on the course and the provider. The following organizations offer preparatory courses for the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT exams:

The Princeton Review (615) 269-5033 (www.review.com) (Princeton Review Course Schedule)

Kaplan Educational Center (615) 383-8638 (www.kaplan.edu)

Prepmaster (800) 325-5728

• Seat deposit. You may be required by some institutions to pay a deposit ranging from approximately $50 to $500 to hold your seat in an advanced degree program.
  

• To begin the financial aid process, you must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA is a need-analysis to determine your ability to pay for your college education. An expected family contribution is determined by a uniform federal formula. Need is determined by the cost of attendance at a specific school and subtracting the calculated family contribution. (www.ed.gov/finaid.html)

• Federal assistance cannot exceed the cost of attendance at the specified school. However, you can appeal to have the cost increased for child care while attending graduate or professional school and for commuting costs. Also, it may be increased to purchase a computer.

• Graduate students are classified as independent students.

• Graduate students who receive a graduate, teaching or research assistantship are generally assessed at the in-state level.

• Federal Stafford/ Ford Direct Loans, the United States Department of Education=s major form of self-help aid for students. There are two types of Federal Direct Loans: subsidized loans (awarded on the basis of financial need) and unsubsidized loans (which are not based on financial need). If you are a graduate student, you can borrow up to $18,500 per academic year (only $8,500 of this amount may be in subsidized Direct loans). The total debt you can have outstanding from all Direct Loans combined is $138,500 as a graduate or professional student (no more than $65,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans). Please note that the graduate debt limit includes any direct loans received for undergraduate study. There are specific requirements for you to receive federal assistance, please check with your institution for the guidelines. Subsidized and unsubsidized loans are both subject to the cost of attendance at a specific school and the expected family contribution.
  
• Federal Perkins Loan, a low interest loan for students with exceptional financial need. A graduate or professional student may borrow up to $5000 for each year of graduate or professional study. The total amount that you can borrow as a graduate or professional student is $30,000 (this includes any Federal Perkins Loans borrowed as an undergraduate student).
  
• Federal Work-Study Program (FWS), provides jobs for graduate students with financial need. Your salary will be at least the current federal minimum wage, but it may be higher depending on the type of work you do and the skills required. Your total award depends on when you apply, your level of need, and the funding level of your school. As a graduate student, you may be paid by the hour or you may receive a salary. No FWS student may be paid a commission or fee. Your school must pay you directly at least once a month.