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|| SportsShooter.com: News Item: Posted 2006-08-16
Grad School's Dirty Little Secrets
Take control of your graduate school career.
By Jim McNay, Brooks Institute of Photography
Photo by Paul Myers
Jim McNay photographs during a bullfight at the Portugese D.E.S. in Artesia, Calif. on July 31, 2006.
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If you're ready to bite the bullet and consider grad school, there are a few things graduate school admissions officers don't want you to know.
The irony is, the knowing of some of this stuff can be the first step toward taking control of your graduate school career-and maybe even having some fun in school this time around.
The first little known secret that college admissions officers will not voice: In most cases colleges want graduate student applicants.
That means you, the customer in this equation, have leverage.
("Ouch, ouch, don't SAY that!" we can hear graduate admissions officers across the country saying.)
What kind of leverage? Well, what do you need, what do you want?
Do you need financial assistance-at a certain level- to grad school work for you? Then ask if this is available and if you might qualify. Spell out your needs right up front. This might mean some time with a financial aid officer, but it might be worth it.
Do you need a waiver of out-of-state tuition? (Tuition charges for those officially listed as being citizens from other states is often w-a-y more expensive than in-state tuition.) Some colleges and universities can do this, some cannot. You can ask for it. Sometimes if you are employed on-campus even as a teaching assistant, you are viewed as a university employee and are thus eligible for in-state tuition. This can mean a huge savings of thousands of dollars per year.
Do you need an on-campus job while in school? Would it really help to have an on-campus teaching job, given that you hope to teach when you complete your degree and want to get started building teaching experience now? You can ask for it.
Not every school will have these possibilities. Some will have them and will not want to offer them to you. But you are the client. If the deal being offered does not fit for you, you can take your application down the road. There are other schools.
Here's another deal-breaking card you can play: Some universities-yes, and some departments inside the same university-will offer you college credit for your past professional experience. Some offer no credit, some offer more, some less. You can make your best deal.
Some departments are locked in to their standard published curriculum and offer no flexibility. But some in closely related fields might offer the working professional considerable credit based on the exact same background and resume.
Let's say a photographer from South Dakota has done some projects on Native Americans, maybe even published a series of picture stories on this subject over the last three years. One department, say journalism, might give no consideration for the professional's credentials. The anthropology department however might be delighted to have a potential new graduate student coming into their program with what they consider serious field experience.
You never know. You have to ask.
Granted some schools and some programs are so sought after they fill up without offering these incentives. Some are so prestigious (or stuck on themselves) they just won't offer anything.
However the working pro who wants to move their degree along and is committed to receiving some recognition for what they have done previously has some cards in their favor when going in the ivy covered graduate school doors.
Bottom line: It's your education and you can impact The Deal as you do your preliminary program research.
Photographers, particularly those in school or seeking to break into the photojournalism, are welcome to send ideas for future columns to Jim McNay at jim.mcnay@brooks.edu.
Questions about getting started in photojournalism that might be answered in future columns are also welcome.
Related Links:
Brooks NPPA Student Chapter
Brooks Institute of Photography
Jim McNay's Member Page
Grad School: A Catalyst for Career Change
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