4 Graduate School Myths Debunked

Don't let common fallacies stop you from earning an advanced degree, a former admissions dean says.

April 13, 2012 RSS Feed Print

There is no stigma of being an older graduate school student.

The decision to go to graduate school can be scary. After all, millions of Americans face stagnating wages, impending layoffs, and seemingly chronic unemployment. Is now a good time to think about going to grad school? Absolutely.

Historically, interest in graduate school increases during downturns in the economy, according to data from the Educational Testing Service, which administers the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Unfortunately, many don't move forward because they believe one of the four following myths:

Myth 1. It isn't worth going unless I get into a top-ranked school or program: From my experience this may be the most pervasive myth. And choosing a program primarily because of its ranking is one of the biggest mistakes grad school applicants can make.

[Learn how to use the U.S. News graduate school rankings wisely.]

There are plenty of examples of people who went to all the top schools yet have failed dismally. Employers know this; when it comes right down to it, they value who you are, what you can bring to the table, and the degree itself—not where you attended school.

Getting your graduate degree from any institution demonstrates to employers that you have what it really takes to succeed: persistence and determination.

Myth 2. It's too expensive and I can't afford it: Let's face it; school is expensive. But it always has been, regardless of the economy. Fortunately, there are many opportunities to get others to pay for your graduate studies so you can earn your degree with minimal personal expense or debt.

• Check with your current employer. Many offer educational benefits.

• Work for the college or university you want to attend. We're not talking about minimum wage or work-study jobs. Get a job in admissions, developments, human resources, or other institutional offices. And you can earn a salary and benefits that almost always include full or partial tuition coverage.

• Apply for scholarships and fellowship funding. There is more available for grad students than undergrads, and it isn't just the educational institutions that offer them. Look into these options: the U.S. Department of Education; civic organizations such as your local Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Elks Club, Masons, etc., and religious organizations.

As tuition costs rise, so usually does funding for scholarships, and far more financial help is available than you may think. By combining the resources above, you can end up with a very large amount of money. Some of these options come with 'strings attached'—a method of service or commitment to continuing to work for a period of time after graduation. Fulfilling those obligations will be well worth it.

[See what President Obama's student loan plan means for you.]

Myth 3. I'm too old to go back to school: Statistics show that, in many institutions, the average graduate student is in his or her mid to late 30s. So, there is no disadvantage or stigma in going back as an older student.

In fact, institutions desire older students with work and life experience because of the value they add to the discipline being studied and discussions in the classroom.

Online, part-time, evening, and weekend programs are proliferating in response to the growing number of older students returning to school. There are many good ones. Take the time to research your options and what works best for your situation.

Myth 4. My undergraduate academic record isn't good enough, and I won't get accepted: Admissions committees don't just look at grades. They look at everything in your application including letters of recommendation, essays, the courses you took, internships, and work and life experience. Admission directors are looking for reasons to get you in, not reasons to keep you out. The older and further away you are from your undergraduate degree, the less important your previous grades will be.

[Avoid these deadly sins of business school applicants.]

If you still feel your academic record is lacking, take one or two grad courses and get an A. It shows you're serious about your education and demonstrates what you're capable of doing. Then you can say in your application essay, "While my undergrad record is not strong, this is an example of the kind of work I do now." And don't worry about if your recent courses are at a community college or lesser-known university. It's the initiative that shines.

Dr. Don Martin, Ph.D., is a higher education admissions expert, author, and former admissions dean at Columbia University, Northwestern University, Wheaton College, and University of Chicago Booth School of Business. To learn more about graduate admissions, visit gradschoolroadmap.com.

Tags:: students,; employment,; economy,; GRE,; graduate schools,; scholarships,; financial aid,; rankings,; academics

Reader Comments Read all comments (10)

Add Your Thoughts Comment Name State Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Hate to break it to you, but grad school isn't necissarily about having education "spewed at you" through books. Most of it is doing research, creating and monitoring projects and learning to work in the field you have chosen. The Dean who wrote this article was dean at Columbia University, one of the top ranked schools in the US.
Top paying employers in Canada, The UK and most of Europe, (who are not part of the trades) require you to have some form of degree above the undergraduate level.
Teachers, Doctors, Social Workers, Psychologists, Lawyers, Speech Pathologists, Veterinarians, Scientists, Museum Curators, and the list goes on... all these professions REQUIRE a masters degree.
Furthermore, I find it offensive to assume that because you may not agree with furthering your education on your own dime that it is a total waste of time. The trouble with most of the American populace is that it values ignorance, and therefore could not possibly understand why anyone would want to further their education.
Finally you don't have to go into debt in order to further your studies. Most programs PAY YOU to do research as a masters student. My Fiance and I could currently live off of his Masters salary. You can also apply for scholarships, bursaries, work your butt off and get an academic scholarship offered through the institution you are enrolled at, or get a part time job to help ease the load. It is not unrealistic to try and do any of the above. No one said higher education would be easy.
Sincerely
A student currently paying their own way through school.

ccgibbons 12:36AM April 01, 2013

Try getting into engineering grad school in your late thirties. You probably won't even be able to get recommendations from your previous professors. Go ahead and travel to your nearest university and ask any engineering department how many people over 35 are in their program that are full-time students.

shawn of CA 12:18PM January 11, 2013

This article is so biased it makes me cringe. Listen, the person who wrote this article gets paid because people go to grad school. Of course this former dean is going to tell you every reason to further your education, that's how he collects whatever inflated salary he earns. Let's look at facts instead of biased opinions. If you do the research, you will see that it is in fact a waste of money, and risky to incur debt pursuing something that might not be viewed by employers as all that valuable. The top schools will continue to be worth the money, because these schools do place students in top paying jobs. Of course, not all students who go to top schools get top paying jobs, but the stats are overwhelmingly in the favor of students attending top 10 schools. I definitely don't think furthering your education is a waste of time if you are passionate about something, I just think its a waste of money. If you are passionate about something, there are plenty of ways to learn about it other than paying for someone to spew information out of a book that you could read yourself. Over-educating is overvalued, puts people into debt, and creates unrealistic expectations. I say go for it if an employer is paying, otherwise, proceed with caution. The former dean seems to spend more time making his points by referring to edge cases, and may even work at a sub-par program which is why he says it doesn't matter where you go, in hopes to recruit more students to sub-par schools.

dsmith of MA 11:47PM December 06, 2012