Application Timeline

By now you have identified programs and have determined what materials are required to apply, but how should you go about organizing yourself and your materials? First, consider the following questions:

• When do you want to start graduate school? Right after you graduate? Do you have the time to apply fall quarter of your senior year when you are still in school, and have you gained enough experience to be informed and competitive?
• Would a gap year be ideal for your needs? Do you want to focus on preparing application materials after you have already finished school, giving you some more time in your senior year to pursue additional opportunities and courses?
• Are you still forming your professional goals and interests? Would gap years be more appropriate so that you can grow, mature, work, and explore?

Creating Your Timeline

Determining your start time is the first step to designing your timeline. In addition to the above questions, read through the following to help you decide your start time.

No gap year

• Are considering a research graduate degree, and you have already built up momentum in your research
• Have a current network you can leverage
• Have very clear academic and professional goals and don’t need more time to explore
• Have the time and resources to apply while still in school
• Are planning on entering a teaching credential program
• Are interested in a career where a grad degree is required for an entry level position

A single gap year

• Are still exploring your goals and interests
• Have opportunities and coursework set up for your senior year that you want to fully include in your application
• Need some more time to repair your GPA
• Want to work to gain professional experience and network before grad school, or to pursue an opportunity abroad
• Want more time to identify and apply to fellowships
• Want time to work before entering grad school to set money aside

Multiple gap years

• Are still exploring your goals and interests
• Have a competitive job offer or opportunity
• Want to work to gain professional experience and network to deepen your experience in your grad program
• May be entering an industry where your employer might fund an advanced degree
• Want to strategically pursue an advanced degree when it would most benefit you in your career trajectory (ex. M.B.A.)
• Want time to work before entering grad school to set money aside

Note that many programs may allow you to defer entrance for a year, meaning you could apply assuming no gap, and then decide to still take a gap year, deferring but still maintaining your offer. Additionally, if you apply your senior year and don’t get in to your preferred program, you can take a gap year and reapply. Programs encourage students to reapply, as whether or not you are accepted many have had to do with factors beyond your application. One example may be that you applied for a Ph.D. program to work with a specific professor who currently has numerous advisees or is going on sabbatical, or maybe there were numerous other applicants also interested in your specialization, so the competition in that area for that cohort was abnormally elevated, but may not be the following year. In this vein, do make sure to reach out to professors, especially for programs where you will choose an advisor, to verify that they are taking on new students or have room in their lab.

Sample Timelines

Sample Timeline (no gap)

Below is a long-term timeline for those planning on entering graduate immediately after graduating from UC Davis. The sample timeline is suggested sequence to follow, but everyone’s path will be unique to them.

• Junior Year
  Begin exploring graduate programs that align with your interests. This is a great time to gain relevant experience in your field through research, internships, or extracurricular activities. Start building strong relationships with faculty or mentors who could write compelling letters of recommendation.
• Summer Before Senior Year
  Use this time to work on the bulk of your graduate school applications. Draft your personal statements, update your resume/CV, and gather necessary materials. Be sure to check each program’s application deadlines as they often fall in the early part of senior year.
• Fall of Senior Year
  Finalize and submit your applications. This is also when many fellowship and scholarship deadlines occur, so stay organized and keep track of all submission dates.
• Winter and Spring Quarters
  Connect with programs, attend interviews if applicable, and apply for funding opportunities. This is also the waiting period for admissions decisions.
• Summer After Graduation
  Prepare for the transition—whether that means relocating, registering for classes, or attending orientation events.

Sample Timelines That Include a Gap

If you are considering a gap year, you will adjust the timeline accordingly (see below). Notice the gap is moreso between your graduation date and start time for grad school, and less between your graduation date and your application deadlines, which is only really the summer. If you feel too strained to apply to graduate programs while still in school (fall quarter of your senior year), a gap year can be a nice option.

The specific requirements for applying to graduate school differ from field to field and often even from program to program within a particular field. Furthermore, even when applications have similar requirements, programs may weigh them differently. For these reasons it is always important to spend time reading the program’s application website and researching the practices of the field in which you are interested. Make sure to talk to graduate students in similar programs here at UC Davis. These students not only recently went through the same process you are going through now, but did it in the same area in which you are hoping to study.

Now that you have researched programs to identify ones that meet your needs, you will have to methodically gather information on their application requirements and materials. As a starting point, most programs do require the same core components:

• Online application
• Transcripts
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Letters of recommendation
• Essays
• CV or resume
• Other materials

Online Application

Applications are submitted online, and there is an application fee associated with each application. Within the application, you will upload documents, submit short essays, and request letters of recommendation. Many programs have their own application site, but sometimes a system, such as CSU, will have one portal for all applications (although separate fees are still required). If application fees pose a financial challenge, consider reaching out to Financial Aid and Scholarships to request a “Graduate School Application Fee Waiver Support Letter”. You can submit such a support letter to the institutions to which you are applying, who may then be able to waive your application fee. ETS, the non-profit organization that developed and administers the GRE, also offers opportunities to apply for a fee reduction: Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Fee Reductions.

Transcripts

One of the documents you will upload in your online application is your transcript. You may self-report your GPA, sometimes distinguishing between overall GPA and major GPA, as a field in the application, but a transcript is needed to verify GPA, units, and courses taken. Regardless, you will still be required to send a transcript.

During the submission process, you will probably be asked for an “unofficial” transcript. This simply means a copy of the transcript you can see on SISWEB. Since you will most likely be working on these applications during the fall, this will not include the grades from the classes you are currently taking at that time, nor the ones that you will take in the following winter or spring quarters. Once you are accepted into a program, you are then commonly asked to send an “official” transcript. This means you must request a transcript from the registrar and have it delivered to your graduate institution. This transcript will include your fall grades.

Regarding your GPA, most programs have a minimum, typically 2.5 for CSUs and 3.0 for UCs. If you don’t meet the minimum, contact the program to inquire about next steps. You shouldn’t let a lower GPA stop you from applying, but you want to ensure that the time and resources you invest in applying will result in your application being considered. Programs understand that there are other parts of a person’s application that balance or explain lower GPA—higher GRE scores, or an explanation provided in an essay about extenuating circumstances. Consider emphasizing important distinctions in your transcript–for example, if your overall GPA is low, but the GPA of all your upper-division courses is very high, note this in your application or resume.

Test Scores

The most common standardized test necessary for admission to graduate school is the GRE (from the company ETS, ets.org/gre). This is much like the SAT or ACT you may have taken to get into college. There are three parts to the GRE: a quantitative section (math), a verbal section (language), and a writing section (two essays). Many people are nervous about the math section, but the material is at the level of what you potentially saw in high school-- trigonometry, geometry, fractions, etc. It is important to prepare yourself on two fronts: 1) your test wisdom, or familiarity with the test format, its question types, and its traps, and 2) your understanding of the content, ex. academic vocabulary, writing conventions, and mathematical concepts. You will also need to build up your stamina and time management, as the exam lasts about four hours. You should plan on doing multiple full-length exams on a computer, as the exam is computer-based.

The GRE is administered year-round at testing centers and virtually (at-home), and you must register ahead of time. Fall is the busy season for the GRE, and it is possible for testing centers to fill up, so register early. It is advised to study well and test once, as the test is expensive, currently $220 (as of 2025).

On exam day, you may ask that the scores from that exam be sent to a set of four schools of your choosing for no additional charge. After that, there is a small fee to have your scores sent to each school. Make sure to register for the exam ahead of your deadlines, as it could take up to 15 days for the scores to be reported. Scores are valid for five years.

When should you start studying for the GRE? Many people begin preparing during the summer before they apply. Study books and courses usually advocate for doing as many practice problems and tests as possible. There are lots of resources available for studying, as well as preparation courses that can be taken, ranging from free to very expensive.

Study tips:

• Register for the exam to give urgency and accountability to your timeline
• Review the basic structure of the exam and the question types that are included
• Take a timed, full-length practice exam to determine where to prioritize your study time for the different sections
• Study vocabulary using Quizlet (stacks for GRE vocabulary are already available through the user-created library); start this early and don’t plan to cram
• Watch Khan Academy videos as a resource for the quantitative reasoning section
• Study with a partner so you can exchange essays and give each other feedback according to the essay rubrics; you can also submit practice essays to ETS and prep companies to get feedback, but for a fee
• Review banks of essay prompts on the ETS website; compare and contrast the two essay types, and practice taking apart the prompts and organizing outlines
• Remember to time yourself when doing practice problems and writing essays, to match the pace of the actual exam.

Test-taking tips:

• Check to make sure you have all required materials the night before the exam
• Get a good night’s sleep, no caffeine, and limited sugar on the morning-of the exam
• Arrive early to the testing center to help yourself stay calm (in person)
• Answer items you know first to build confidence, mark ones that stump you for review
• When marking for review, make an educated guess at the answer (do not leave blank; this would result in an automatic zero if you run out of time to return to the item)
• There is no penalty for wrong answers, so leave nothing blank
• Manage your time and set yourself goals, i.e., at 8 minutes I will have finished my prewrite, or by 15 minutes I will have done a full pass of all items in the section
• Don’t second-guess answers you mark with confidence; do not mark these items as review, as you are more likely to change a correct answer to an incorrect one

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation offer an important evaluation of your experiences and qualifications. The purpose of these letters is to give graduate programs a fuller picture of who you are and what you’ve done, from the perspective of those who have a personal and professional relationship with you. 

Who should I ask? Someone who...

• Knows you well
• Can write you a strong letter
• Has the title of professor (or supervisor)
• Knows your work and can describe it positively
• Has evaluated you in upper-division courses
• Can favorably compare you to your peers
• Can comment on your research or professional potential
• Is familiar with your academic and career goals

How should I ask for a letter?

Write an e-mail asking the professor if you can meet to discuss questions about graduate school. Ask them in person about the letter, making sure to phrase your question in the following way: Would you feel comfortable writing me a strong letter of recommendation for graduate school? Gauge their reaction. Did they seem hesitant? Phrasing it this way gives them an out: Well, I could write you a letter, but I have only known you for a quarter, so I’m not sure how strong it would be. Consider asking another person, depending on their answer–you don’t want lukewarm or impersonal letters, as they can be damaging.

Other tips:

• Open up the topic early rather than later. Even if it’s far away, you can plant the seed. Try to give at least 4 weeks in advance of deadlines.
• Provide letter writers with a packet of supporting documents: your resume/CV, term paper, transcripts with courses you took with them highlighted, a draft of your statement, etc.
• Communicate your timeline. Present them with a table outlining the schools to which you’re applying, and when their deadlines fall.
• Check in with them and give them friendly reminders as deadlines approach.
• Thank them for their support with a handwritten card, and keep them updated.

In general, the strongest letter for a research-based graduate program will be from a full professor who has taught you and supervised your research, whereas for a professional degree, your ideal writer would be from a supervisor from an internship that is as relevant as possible to your future profession. Are you having trouble identifying letter writers? As a rule of thumb, go for letter writers who can write you a personal and positive recommendation, rather than someone you don’t know well. This means asking a professor from your community college, or a mentor from your community, might ultimately be more strategic than asking a professor.

Get to Know Your Professors

Just knowing you will eventually need to get letters of recommendation can help guide the way you build relationships and seize opportunities. Try the following to build relationships with your professors:

• Go to office hours
• Take multiple courses with the same professor
• Taking smaller classes or seminars, or requesting to join a grad seminar
• Come to class prepared and ready to participate; make insightful contributions to discussions
• Joining club with faculty mentors
• Join a professor’s research project, or request to do independent research with them as your mentor
• Attend department events and colloquia
• Volunteer for opportunities in your department

It is typical for programs to require three letters of recommendation. In your online application, you will provide the contact info for your letter writers, including their e-mails. You will request letters from them in the app itself, which will send automated messages to them asking them to upload their letters. This ensures that they are confidential. If you are applying for numerous programs, this could mean that they receive a high number of these types of e-mails. One way to mitigate this and have more control over your letters is to use a dossier service like Interfolio, where letter writers will upload one generic letter, which you then can have forwarded to programs yourself (for a fee). The dossier services act as a middleperson so you don’t ever handle the letters, for confidentiality purposes. A dossier service is also very beneficial for anyone considering taking a gap year so that you can collect your letters before you leave campus.

Lastly, although it can be daunting to ask for these letters, remember that professors are only where they are because others wrote them letters of recommendation. They were once in the very same spot as you! Furthermore, it is an expected demand of their vocation that they mentor and provide letters of recommendation for the students they teach. 

Resume or CV

You may be required to submit some form of a CV or resume, or this document may be optional (submit anyway-- it’s another area to share more about yourself). A resume and CV, although sharing some features, are not the same document.

The Career Center offers examples of resumes and help with writing and editing your own. Also, reach out to professors in your discipline and ask if they might share theirs with you. CVs can differ from discipline to discipline, so seeing your professors can give you an idea about the conventions for your field.

One of the best ways to gain relevant experience that will allow you to transition your resume to a CV is to engage in undergraduate research with a professor. Reach out to professors and ask who may be looking for a research assistant, and visit the Undergraduate Research Center for an advising appointment and workshop schedule. Do not write off a possible research opportunity if it does not align with your major or current interests. There are many transferable skills and methods used in related fields, and it’s better to have some research experience than none at all. In fact, the majority of the categories unique to the CV will stem from this experience.

Through engaging in research, you will be able to add a section titled Research Experience, and if you present at the Undergraduate Research Conference or with your professor at a national or international conference, Conference Presentations. Should you be added to publications coming out of the research experience, you will then include a Publications section. If you are doing independent research with a professor, perhaps for an honors or senior thesis, you will add a section on Research Interests, or Honors/Senior Thesis, that gives a brief summary of your project and your faculty mentor. Lastly, if you apply for and are awarded grants for travel or research, you will want to highlight those under Awards and Distinctions.

Adding the aforementioned sections to your resume and removing experiences that aren’t relevant to academia and your field will transition you to a CV. However, make sure you do not leave out relevant professional experience and volunteer work, and continue to highlight leadership activities on a CV as you would on a resume. All in all, you want to strive for a CV rather than a resume because it demonstrates maturity and showcases graduate-level accomplishments. If you position yourself as a graduate student in this document, you are communicating a more defined trajectory to your future department, strengthening the competitiveness of your application.

 Take the following steps to transition your resume to a CV

• Don’t have a resume, or have a very outdated one? Attend a workshop at the Career Center to craft or strengthen this document so you have a good starting point.
• Analyze what you have included in your current resume. Take out what would not be relevant to graduate school, or experiences prior to college. If this is difficult, consider making a pre-graduate appointment with us at the SASC.
• Identify college experiences and accomplishments that would apply to any of the “CV categories” discussed above.
• Use the space below to brainstorm.
• Add your graduate-level experiences/accomplishments across these new categories to the document.
• Recorder categories so Education is at the start, as you can see in the Career Center’s materials (Resumes | Career Center) or perhaps in the CV of a professor.
• Reach out to the Career Center for an appointment for CV review. Since you are an undergraduate, they may sign you up with someone only familiar with resumes, so be specific that you have a CV you are preparing for grad school apps.

Essays

Every application will include some sort of essay, or even multiple essays. Usually referred to as the “statement of purpose” (or sometimes “personal statement”), this core essay is typically 2 pages double-spaced and is often considered the most important part of the application. Consult program requirements to determine appropriate length, as this can vary widely, however, ranging from a series of short essays for a Master’s in Business Administration program (M.B.A.) to three or more pages for a teaching credential program.

Your essay can explain circumstances that are unclear or confusing in other parts of the application; it can describe experiences or skills that are not demonstrated elsewhere in your materials; it can address inconsistencies in your record; and it can illustrate your personal voice, philosophy or outlook. Because the statement does so much, and is fully crafted by you, students often find it overwhelming. That is why it’s important to focus on the ultimate function of the essay. It is further evidence of your ability to succeed in the graduate program to which you are applying. You want to show them that you have the maturity, experience, skills, outlook, and passion to finish the program.

Your statement will typically include the following:

• Why you chose your field of interest
• Why you are prepared for graduate school
• Why you feel graduate school is necessary for you
• Why you chose this graduate school in particular
• What you hope to achieve in your program and with your degree

The structure of how you answer such questions is up to you, but most people organize it in a chronological sequence rather than a topical one, a your reader should be able to chart your growth over time. Consider your essay an argument piece: you are a great fit for the program, and the program is a good fit for you. You cannot simply tell why you’re interested and what you’ve done and will do, you must relate it back to your argument that you are the ideal candidate for their program and illustrate your statement will an example. If you don’t make these necessary connections, you may leave the reader saying so what? It may be clear to you why you are telling them what you’re telling, but less so to an outsider who don’t know you or your work like you do. If you feel like making explicit and direct reference back to your argument is elementary or unnatural, at least begin there and then work on making these connections more sophisticated as you draft and redraft with the input of others. 

Example: Telling vs. Showing Your Experience

Also helpful in defining what one should include in the statement of purpose or personal statement is defining what it is not. You want to use this space to do what no other component of your application can do.

What the statement is not:

• A piece of creative writing
• A place to “take risks” to stand out
• Your resume in prose
• Your transcript in prose
• A list of accomplishments or awards
• A place to compare yourself to your peers
• An essay about others and how they have inspired you

What do I talk about?

Your statement of purpose is the academic or professional you and a place to craft your identify. You cannot include every accomplishment, so what is most relevant? First, make sure to limit what you share to university experiences, preferably ones you’ve had at UC Davis. Do not go back to high school unless you have an experience that is uniquely compelling. What will be most relevant to include will depend on the nature of the program to which you are applying. Leadership experiences will be relevant no matter what program, and research experience, even for professional degrees, help to make you a more competitive applicant.

• Research-based program? Scholarly experiences like research, honors/major thesis, conferences, summer institutes, and participation in academic organizations.
• Professional degree? Work-based experiences like internships, paid experience, applied courses, practicums and trainings, and participation in career-focused organizations.

Example outline

1. Interest in my field/grad school
2. Experience 1
   1. What skills/experience/perspective I gained
   2. How I will apply what I gained to grad school
3. Experience 2
   1. What skills/experience/perspective I gained
   2. How I will apply what I gained to grad school
4. Experience 3
   1. What skills/experience/perspective I gained
   2. How I will apply what I gained to grad school
5. Fit for program
   1. Faculty
   2. Courses/curriculum/specializations
   3. Practicum/internships, etc.
6. Long term goals
   1. What I want to accomplish in grad school
   2. What I will contribute to my program
   3. What I plan to do with my degree
   4. Who I plan to serve

Personal Statement

In addition to your statement of purpose, you may be asked to submit a personal statement. This essay goes beyond academic to present an image of you as a person. This essay is more open-ended that a statement of purpose, with a greater range of possible content. The length is similar to the statement of purpose, usually no more than 2 pages, double-spaced. Possible questions/topics may include:

• How has your personal background led you to pursue a graduate degree?
• What experiences, opportunities, or challenges have you had that are relevant to your academic path? (social, educational, familial, economic, cultural, etc.)
• Consider any experience in which you overcame a barrier.
• Show how you persevered academically despite facing challenges.
• Explain any inconsistencies in your record.
• How have you contributed to the social, intellectual, or cultural diversity in your field?
• Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to diversity.
• What experience and understanding do you bring having served underrepresented or marginalized people?
• How will you serve underrepresented populations of society with your degree? In your research?

Tips and Strategies for the Statement of Purpose and Personal Statement

• Remember your audience (experts in your field) and establish your voice
• Answer the prompt(s) thoroughly, but aim for concision
• Make sure you do not repeat points across the two essays
• Lead with illustrations and examples (evidence) instead of statements
• Treat the essay(s) as a writing sample: polish your writing and strengthen your arguments
• Be confident and straightforward, but avoid being arrogant or excessively formal
• Do not make excuses, do not blame others, and avoid negativity
• Turn weaknesses into strengths 

Other Materials

We have just summarized the most common application materials, but other additional materials may be required. This might depend on the program or field. Potential other materials are the following:

• An academic writing sample (great option: honor’s or senior thesis!)
• Creative or design portfolio
• Audio recording (ex. international languages, music performance) 

Frequently Asked Questions

• What does my timeline look like?
• In general, most application deadlines for graduate programs fall in December/January, but make sure to research and identify the exact deadlines for the programs to which you plan to apply, as there are exceptions.
• What does the application require?
• Materials required in an application usually include the following: online application, required and optional essays (including the statement of purpose), letters of recommendation, GRE score, resume/CV, and transcripts (unofficial when applying, official upon acceptance). Consult the specific requirements of the programs to which you plan to apply, as requirements differ.
• What is a statement of purpose?
• This is an essay that you craft to explain why you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in your field. It is usually two pages long, and double-spaced, but length requirements and prompts can differ, so consult your programs. You will share how you have prepared for graduate school, what experience and skills you bring to the program, and what your short-term and long-term goals are academically and professionally. You will also address why in particular you seek to attend the program to which you are applying.
• How do I get letters of recommendation?
• Approach professors, mentors, supervisors, etc. early to start the conversation about your long-term academic and professional goals. The strongest letter is one that is personal and addresses your abilities in multiple capacities. When asking for the letter, do so in person and with a packet of support documents that can aid them in crafting the letter (a draft of your statement, resume, transcripts, list of schools to which you will be applying with deadlines, etc.). Aim to formally ask for the letter at least a month in advance, and check in with them as the deadline approaches. Remember to follow up with a handwritten thank-you note.
• What should I think about when accepting an offer?
• Before accepting any offers, you should be able to visit the campus and meet with the program—professors, current students, and staff. Take notes on your visits and conversations to draw upon later as you compare and contrast offers. As you reflect on the fit and culture of each program, also compare and contrast the funding packages.
• How will I finance my degree?
• Most graduate programs are full-time, meaning it is assumed students in the program are not working full-time to finance the degree. Programs are financed through personal savings, loans, grants, and fellowships. A funded program typically provides students with a tuition/fee remission and a living stipend in exchange for working as a teaching assistant (TA) or a graduate student researcher (GSR). See UCLA’s GRAPES database to see what grants and fellowships might be available.
• What does success in graduate school look like?
• Success in graduate school can take many forms: excelling in coursework, performing well in internships, collaborating with colleagues and professors, taking on leadership positions, chairing committees and symposia, securing grants or competitive fellowships, passing a certification or comprehensive/qualifying exams, presenting at conferences and networking, publishing research articles, and making progress in developing a thesis or dissertation with the support of your committee of professors. Talk to current graduate students in your field to hear about their challenges and successes, and what advice they might have for you as a future graduate student.

Suggested Workshops

Attend one of our workshops to learn more about these topics and more! View our schedule of workshops offered this term here. 

• Applying Next Cycle (Spring only)
• How to Write the CV or Resume for Grad School
• How to Write the Personal Statement
• How to Write the Statement of Purpose
• Intro to the GRE
• Maximizing the Gap Year(s)
• Paying for Grad School
• Remember Me? Asking for Letters of Rec
• Success Coaching and Learning Strategies workshops
• Communicating with Professors
• Task Management

Resources

• Books
  • A Field Guide to Grad School: Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum (2020)
  • Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning a Master's or a Ph.D. (1997)
  • The Latinx Guide to Graduate School (2023)
• Career Counseling, Exploration
  • Career Center (including career courses)
• Examination
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (official website - ETS)
    • GRE fee reduction (UC Davis Financial Aid)
• Financial Resources
  • UC Davis Financial Aid and Scholarships - Prestigious Scholarships
  • Immigrants Rising  (especially fellowships and such) for UndocuGrads
  • UC Davis Office of Graduate Studies
  • UCLA's GRAPES search engine (fellowship and grants)
• Letter of Recommendation
  • Interfolio - Dossier service (letters of recommendation)
• Ordering Transcripts
  • Office of the Registrarr
• Seeking Experiences
  • Career Center (including fairs)
  • Center for Leadership Learning
  • Undergraduate Research Center (programs)
• Skill Development: Time Management, Goal Setting, and Academic Skill Development
  • Success Coaching and Learning Strategies
• Support Services & Programs
  • California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education
  • Graduate Preparation Programs
  • University of California - Graduate Admissions
  • Undocu-Grad School Guide from the New York State Youth Leadership Council
• Written Material Support
  • Academic Assistance and Tutoring Center - Graduate & Law School Personal Statement Appointments
    • Current UCD students
    • Alumni (one quarter after graduation)
  • Career Center - Resume/CV Review
    • Current UCD students
    • Alumni (one year after graduation)
  • Citation management tools (options through the UC Davis Library)