The end of your undergraduate career is an exciting milestone, but it can also feel a bit overwhelming with so many unknowns ahead. Before applying to graduate programs, take time to reflect on your goals, career interests, finances, and other life commitments. Talk with your personal support network and give yourself permission to explore options at your own pace. Not knowing exactly what’s next is normal - it’s a sign of growth and a willingness to learn. Whatever you choose to do next will take time, and that’s okay. You have the time to make a thoughtful, informed decision.

As you approach graduation …

1. Without putting a financial or career attachment to this, what do you love to do? What brings you joy?
2. Is it important for me to know exactly what happens next? Do I have the time/means (finances) to take a break without jumping into a full-time career or graduate school? Why or why not?
3. Do I have to consider what is expected of me by my community (family, friends, peers etc) when planning for my choices after graduation? Do those expectations align with what brings me joy?

Does your field require it?

If you're considering graduate school primarily for career reasons, be aware that the job or career you're interested in may not require an educational background beyond your bachelor's degree. Explore the career field you're interested in thoroughly before making your decision. What you may find is that your bachelor's degree is perfectly adequate for securing you an entry-level job in the field of your choice. In many fields, your skills, abilities, talents, portfolio (history of your experience, samples of the work you have done), and contacts make more of a difference in recruitment than an advanced degree.

You may find that it will be more important for you to focus on getting some professional experience (through work, volunteer work, or an internship) or some specialized training (technical or skills-based courses or programs) and to pursue contacts through networking rather than to pursue an advanced degree, which may or may not be helpful to you in terms of career advancement.

If you’d like to pursue a graduate degree, ask yourself:

Purpose

• Why are you pursuing a graduate program? Graduate school is a commitment; what specific purpose does your work have?
• Does continuing research and delving into deep critical analysis of your field spark joy for you? Are you looking for a professorship?
• Is what I’d like to research or work within something that requires a graduate degree? What experience in the field can I obtain prior to joining a graduate program?

Pedagogy

• What will you bring to a program, and what research will you contribute?
• What kind of research or focus am I passionate about? What is something I want to find answers to that doesn’t yet exist?
• Are there issues in the world, institutions, or in your communities that you feel need to be addressed or solved? What kind of research can be done to aid in those goals?

Place/People

• Consider the community you want to be part of; is where I live important to me? Do I have familial or other responsibilities that require me to stay in a certain place?
• If I am willing to move, is it important that it is a city I really enjoy, or am I open to discovering places that aren’t the most popular?

Do you want to deepen your knowledge?

The most important reason for choosing to pursue graduate study is because you are passionate about a specialized area of study that you'd like to explore in an academic setting where you can participate in the academic discourse within a community of scholars, under the guidance of faculty mentors, and be trained to engage in scholarly research. This pursuit is important to you despite the job outcome at the end of your degree.

A very important question you must ask yourself is if right now is a good time for you to continue onto graduate school, or if you should wait until later.

If your field requires an advanced degree and deepening your knowledge in a specialized area through school is important for you, then yes, absolutely. Waiting is a valid option as well. It could be that you would like to take a mental break from school and allow yourself time to rejuvenate. You may also not be entirely sure what graduate program interests you yet, so exploring the world, gaining experience, and taking on different opportunities may help provide you with more direction.

What life commitments do you have?

Other elements of your life you’ll certainly need to consider are if you have other life commitments that require your time and how continuing your education may impact those commitments. This can include being responsible for taking care of family or loved ones, or being present for a significant other or other important relationships; are you willing to, right now, sacrifice the time needed to successfully engage in your graduate studies?

Graduate school is also a financial investment, so before applying, you are encouraged to assess your financial health–current debt, monthly expenses, and personal budget–and a plan to factor in the additional costs of graduate school. Based on how you answer these guiding questions, you will hopefully make a more informed decision about waiting for another time or applying to and attending graduate school right now.

Connect with Mentors and Advisers

Certain careers, on the other hand, will require an advanced degree: if you want to be a lawyer, a college professor, or a researcher, then graduate-level training will be necessary preparation for you. Before deciding on a graduate program, you should investigate the career field thoroughly to make sure that you have a good understanding of what kind of graduate study will best prepare you, and how you should prepare.

Talk with your professors, with current graduate students in your chosen area, with alumni in your chosen field, and with advisers or career coaches about what kinds of programs may be right for you. Use LinkedIn or connect with alumni for career conversations or potential mentorship through the UW Alumni Association and their UW Husky Landing platform and their Huskies@Work program.