One year before
- Plan when you’re taking the Subject and General GRE tests
- Start thinking about who you want to write your recommendation letters
Summer
- Take the General GRE (Subject test as well if you can)
- Begin thinking about what to use as your writing sample
September
- Ask three professors if they would be willing to write a recommendation for you
- Come up with a list of schools to apply to and research their programs and persons of interest
October
- Take the GRE again if needed
- Log in to all applications and fill out personal information
- Update recommenders on which schools you are applying to and their due dates
- Write up a draft of personal statement and academic interests
November
- Writing sample should be fully written; get as much feedback as possible
- Cater your personal statements to each specific school
- Find out if any transcripts need to be sent to schools by mail and order them
December
- Finalize all application materials and upload them to applications
- Proofread writing sample & statements
- Send recommenders a polite reminder
- Hit that send button!
Read an explanation of all these steps!
