Book Description
Is graduate school right for you?
Should you get a master’s or a Ph.D.?
How can you choose the best possible school?
This classic guide helps students answer these vital questions and much more. It will also help graduate students finish in less time, for less money, and with less trouble.
Based on interviews with career counselors, graduate students, and professors, Getting What You Came For is packed with real-life experiences. It has all the advice a student will need not only to survive but to thrive in graduate school, including: instructions on applying to school and for financial aid; how to excel on qualifying exams; how to manage academic politics—including hostile professors; and how to write and defend a top-notch thesis. Most important, it shows you how to land a job when you graduate.
Customer Reviews:
2007 Potential Masters Student Doesn't Find This All That Helpful.......2007-09-11
At the time of this review, this books last revision was 10 years ago. Many things have changed in school's admission systems, and in other areas such as computer technology. That being said, a good bit of the book is completely outdated. Peters also chooses to focus HEAVILY on the areas that interest him, aka PHDs, Biology and English. If you aren't in interested in one of those 3 areas, you will find yourself skipping a lot of this book. As an Electrical Engineer interested in a MS degree, lots of the book were boring or skipped over. However, after all that ragging, I will say that the fundamentals of the book are strong. Advice on if you should consider grad school and steps to prepare for it are GENERALLY useful. However, I feel the book could updated and split into a PHD and Master's book that would better suit a wider audience.
Must have for any grad student.......2007-05-07
I absolutely loved this book. I got into 4 out of 5 of my choices because of this book. Yes, he is tough and the rhetoric does scare the reader, but the information he provides is real. You should be afraid and I think that fear is what helped me used his theories and suggestions so effectively. Academics are a difficult and frustrating career field so I'm glad he mentioned the downside of academic profession. The book traces everything: the application process, dissertation and thesis, and finally job search.
His essay section is great but I would still supplement his advice with an essay book. I found that when I wrote my essays they needed more direction than he provided. Also, his chapter on organization was a miss b/c he gave common sense advice, for example, he tells students how to organize their files and what type of organization materials are needed like Quicken. Many students have their own system that works for them and Quicken may not be apart of that. This section seemed a little dated.
I loved his inside look at academic politics b/c this is a large part of the learning experience. After spending a few months in my English program, I realized how important politics were among professors and department heads.
I think he provided wonderful hints, for example, before I graduated I researched major papers by the professors in my program. Even though this went a little overboard, I'm glad I did because it helped me see how my professors thought and what they believed in, deciding on classes became easier.
Should be required reading for anyone contemplating grad. school.......2007-03-28
This is the most useful book on the graduate school experience I have come across. One of my friends from college recommended it and I am so glad I bought it on Amazon! Peters does a thorough job of explaining the challenges of graduate student life while also offering helpful tips and pointers for overcoming these obstacles. I came away from this book knowing I wanted to go pursue graduate work, but having a much better sense of what kind of things to look for in a school. Now, when I talk about the grad. school admissions and thesis selection process to my friends who are currently in the thick of it, they wonder how I came to know so much about getting a Masters/PhD when I have yet to take the GRE!
The one criticism I have (as another reader alluded to) is that the technology section is VERY outdated. That is why I am giving this book four stars instead of five. A new edition is definitely in order. Aside from that chapter, the book is fantastic! Thank you Mr. Peters!
Honest Book.......2007-03-04
I have a bachelor's of science degree in Psychology, and I had every intention of going to graduate school for a Ph.D.
Until I read this book.
This book made me face some serious questions and real issues I wouldn't or couldn't face on my own. It makes some straight-forward points and tells the reader what to expect from Grad school.
The book also challenges the reader to ask him- or herself why he/she wants to go to grad school, and what he/she expects out of the experience. It also states what Grad school can give a student, but also what it cannot.
It tells you how to get in, how to stay in, the time it takes to complete a degree program, your odds of staying in, and your odds of finding a job in your field after you (finally) graduate.
"Getting What You Came For" is also certain to bring up the questions, "Is this what you really, really, truly want to do for the next X years?" and "Do you just like the look of 'Ph.D.' after your name?"
This book kept me from getting in and then dropping out of grad school. After reading it, I discovered I didn't want to go necessarily to become uber-educated, but because I wanted to be the authoritative source for ANY knowledge--and I liked the letters Ph.D.
A very expensive waste of time.......2006-11-15
The "updated" edition is incredibly outdated, especially the information on how to use technology to stay organized- I thought the entire purpose of a new edition was to add new information and resources! And then detailed instructions on how to use word processing software from 1988!! The rest of the book is mostly advice on how to kiss up to the faculty and how to make social contacts to advance your post-grad school career. This grad student was highly disappointed. Don't bother with this one.
Book Description
Cash For Grad School
Learn the secrets of experienced scholarship winners!
Cynthia and Phillip McKee have created the sourcebook on finding scholarship money that includes more than 2,500 entries representing over $2 billion in scholarships and grants! But this book is more than just a compendium of scholarships. It is also a step-by-step road map through the entire financial application process. The McKees explain how to create a sparkling résumé, write persuasive essays, obtain recommendation letters, negotiate the financial-aid maze, avoid common pitfalls, and learn the useful shortcuts that can pave the way for success. Sample letters, schedules, and charts show you how to prepare your strongest application and stay on top of deadlines. A comprehensive index helps you find all the scholarship opportunities for which you may be eligible.
Customer Reviews:
Good for getting organized, but the scholarship listings may not be that useful.......2007-06-01
If you're looking for a book to help you organize your grad school and scholarship application process, this does a pretty good job. They help you set a calendar and filing system and cover everything A-Z, from standardized testing to recommendations to personal statements to financial aid applications and more. If you really need your hand held, you can even copy the pre-written documents in the Appendix (request for info postcards, recommendation request forms, etc.).
However, in my own grad school application process, I found while some of these formalities are still recommended, it's an electronic world now. I used the advice in this book and then handled most of my applications and correspondence through email and online application systems.
The bulk of this book is scholarship listings, which may or may not be helpful to you. Again, in our digital world, things change online faster than in print. That said, this book has a ton of scholarships listed in one place that would otherwise take a lot of research to compile.
It's important to note that what you're paying for in these listings covers a range of disciplines, from the sciences to the arts, so if you know that you want a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies, you really don't need to sift through all the awards available for cancer research. I was a bit disappointed to find very little for my own graduate work in the arts/humanities. This is less the McKee's fault than the reality of funding.
Book Description
Is graduate school for me? What should I study? Where should I go? How am I going to pay for it? From academic requirements to financial realities, this all-in-one guide answers the questions, and helps prospective students make the decisions that will guide them toward their advanced degree. It covers the GRE and other relevant tests, discusses good and bad reasons for going to grad school, explains what schools look for in an applicant, offers information on fellowships, teaching assistantships, and other sources of financial assistance, and much more. With advice and commentary from admissions officers and experienced students, plus lists of useful references and addresses, The Grad School Handbook helps potential candidates master the maze--and get what they want and need out of their education.
Customer Reviews:
ABC of getting into the grad school.......2003-04-02
It goes without saying that deciding to take graduate course is one of the most serious decisions in your life. It means you decide the path the rest o life will follow. For such a critical matter, any amount of information shouldn¡¯t be enough. You should do your best in collecting information to decide whether to enter the graduate program, which school you would enroll, how you could get into that school. It¡¯s not easy task at all and demands your time and money. This book is written to help you in that process. This book opens with recommending reconsidering whether the graduate program is the right one you should choose Once you are determined, you should think what will lie in your way such as how to fund your course, how to choose the right school. And then you should prepare to documents such as application form, the statement of purpose (SOP) or essay, transcript, recommendation and GRE or GMAT score. These papers are decisive in whether you could get into wanted school and there are some rules you should keep.
This book offers you how to start the process. Yep other similar material would help you get through it. But the beauty of this book is this: this book show you how those papers would be considered in the department. In other word, this book illustrates the process from the insider¡¯s view: who read the papers and how they evaluate them. Knowing the criteria of your reader is definitely helpful to win the admission notice. And that, authors took interviews of professors and students to depict the real process.
This is a small book and you need other books to win the process. For example, you¡¯d better read some other book on writing SOP. But this is ultimately the right place to begin with.
Good first book, others more advanced.......2000-01-14
This book is perfect to give you a first glance of what is grad school like, how the admission process works and which are or are not good reasons to seek a higher degree. There is information, specifically about the admission process, which does not exist anywhere else. The only problem with this book (and others of this kind) is that it intends to cover too much and does not go deep into any topic. For example, it goes through Med school admissions, for which there is better information on many other specialized books. On the other hand, if what you're looking for is a true overview, this might be perfect for you.
If you're looking for the real thing in Ph.D.'s and M.S.'s the book you need is Robert L. Peter's "Getting what you came for". It is even recommended by the authors of the Grad School Handbook.
I admired the authors!.......1999-12-27
I just happened to find this very book written by such a very experienced educator and professor. I have not yet got a chance to read this book, but I know the authors so well that I believe this book must be great! The authors had extensive experience in grad school education and had recruited and taught many bright, outstanding students, some of whom are among the best of our days now. I was lucky to be the one he picked up among hundreds of candidates and he had unfailing confidence on me so that I could perform exceptionally well, partly due to his far-sightedness in recruiting and continual support and partly due to my advisor's strong support. I am so glad to know the author could share his experience with us and I believe his book should be a must read! I will definitely read it and provide more comments later. Please feel free to write to me if you have any questions about the authors.
I admire the authors deeply!.......1999-12-25
I just happened to find this very book written by such a very experienced educator and professor. I have not yet got a chance to read this book, but I know the authors so well that I believe this book must be great! The authors had extensive experience in grad school education and had recruited and taught many bright, outstanding students, some of whom are among the best of our days now. I was lucky to be the one he picked up among hundreds of candidates and he had unfailing confidence on me so that I could perform exceptionally well, partly due to his far-sightedness in recruiting and continual support and partly due to my advisor's strong support. I am so glad to know the author could share his experience with us and I believe his book should be a must read! I will definitely read it and provide more comments later. Please feel free to write to me if you have any questions about the authors.
I was hoping for more........1999-07-30
I was disappointed to find this book geared more towards students who were returning to school rather than to the undergraduate seeking a higher degree. There were certain areas that were extremely helpful, while other sections were almost discouraging to the prospective student. There were sections that provided some insight into writing the statement of purpose and financial aid sources, but still seemed to be geared towards either students seeking Ph.D's or students returning to school after a period of time. I have to say I was a disappointed.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2005-08-16
Even though this book was published in 1996, the information is very up to date and very helpful. It provides a realistic look at grad school.
Very Useful for Those Contemplating and Pursuing Grad Study.......2002-04-16
The Spanish have a colorful saying, `Antes de te cases, mira lo que haces', which literally means- before getting married, look at what you are doing. Figuratively speaking, this expression is a Latin version of our own cautionary admonition- look before you leap.
Ms. Mitchell's The Ultimate Graduate School Survival Guide offers thoughtful advice to those motivated students interested in critically evaluating the decision to pursue and attain an advanced degree. The book is excellent and extremely valuable because it forces the prospective grad student to focus on the most important things before, during and after taking the grad school plunge. The book elaborates on the right way and the wrong way to approach prospective schools, choose which school to attend, play the graduate school game, and navigate the treacherous, shark-infested waters of academe. It also offers useful, practical advice on grant and proposal writing, publications, and time management. Additionally, the author has included a bibliography full of useful books to help grad students achieve their degree goals.
Many students do not realize that by deciding to attend graduate school, they often lose control over their own fate, as your advisers dictate both your course of study and the possible career choices in academe and the professional workplace- long after you have left the ivory tower. Although I balk at the book's wholehearted endorsement of conformity to the prevailing regime and using sycophancy at every opportunity in the face of tyrannical faculty, this book provides the real deal, the inside story on the realities of graduate training. The book covers everything important, and tries to provide helpful hints and suggestions geared to successful navigation of the capricious politics in the ivory tower. Additionally, the author manages to cover even the more objectionable topics, such as romantic liaisons between students and faculty, the theft of student ideas and research by faculty, the fickle favoritism for some students over others by faculty, and the thorny politics of inclusion.
However, there are a couple of noticeable caveats in the book. First, the author neglected to add that a student, in deciding which school to attend, should consider the cost of living in and around the school environment, and the difficulty of attaining minimum lifestyle requirements. Even when a student receives generous financial aid, it may not be enough to cover the cost of living. If the aid given is not in line with the cost of living in the particular environment, the student will be forced to depend on loans for some or most of his or her living expenses. Moreover, many campus environments face housing shortages, and as can be expected, rents are bid upward when housing is scarce. Not only is the cost of living exorbitant in many environments, housing for students tends to be scarce and costly. If working professionals living in these areas are paying five hundred to one thousand dollars for the privilege of sleeping in someone's attic (or in more than a few cases, a closet), one can imagine the difficulty students would face.
Moreover, in recent years, given the generally dismal economic outlook, many students increasingly look upon graduate school as a safe harbor from both social and economic turmoil. One should bear in mind that one may give up much more than one gains in attending graduate school, as the cost of graduate study, whether paid for by loans or by fellowships, and the income foregone by not working, quickly mount. Also, these costs worsen the longer it takes to complete the degree. Therefore, given the hidden, though very real costs of a graduate education, I suggest one consider working part or full-time (for pay), preferably in a field related to one's studies while pursuing the graduate degree, or having one's place of work foot the bill for graduate study. Otherwise, one just might be better off substituting practical, on the job experience for advanced education, as many graduate programs are not geared to providing students with marketable skills.
Second, one should make certain that whatever body of knowledge one acquires, this knowledge should be transferable to other endeavors, or at least something that one can build upon. Too many students have pursued graduate degrees, in the process learning obscure concepts, methodologies and techniques, only to learn after completing their studies that their knowledge is either impractical or obsolete (or in many cases both)- a situation which not only makes them ill-prepared for the realities of the workforce, but also forces them to play catch-up and spend valuable time and money picking up other skills. Being in such a situation is never pretty- especially when one has a family to support. Therefore, it behooves the prospective student to consider the expected payoff from an investment in advanced education very critically.
This book, along with RL Peters' Getting What You Came For and PJ Feibelman's A PhD Is Not Enough, should be required reading for all graduate students.
Helped a great deal.......2000-07-24
I got this book when I was a senior in college and thinking about grad school. I didn't know what to expect and the book offered a great overview. I really liked the quotes from other grad students, too. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's trying to make a decision about grad school and wants the inside track.
The Ultimate Grad School Survival Guide.......2000-07-15
To my knowledge, there is no other book of its kind. It is easy reading and practical! If you are even considering going to grad school, this book is a must. Find out if you have what it takes to get in and complete grad school by reading this book.
Too basic for its audience.......1999-12-08
Despite its pleasant tone and occasional bits of helpful information, this book is far too basic to be of much use to anyone. It tries to cover an incredible amount of territory -- Finding the Right University (Ch. 1) all the way to Your Thesis/Dissertation (Ch. 8) and Getting a Job (Ch. 10) -- in barely 200 pages. Simple is not better in this case. Anyone above a college sophomore should read Robert Peters' "Getting What You Came For" instead.
Book Description
Packed with important stuff you need to know, and spiced with real-life stories of "entry-level" investors, cool facts (like the fact that between your 18th and 30th birthdays, you will likely hold an average of 7.5 jobs), and references to rock and pop songs, this hip, "tell-it-like-it-is" guide focuses on the basics of investing, stocks and bonds, mutual funds, short term saving and long term investing. Emphasizing that a person is never too young to think about investing, it includes definitions of important terms and concepts such as return, liquidity, risk, dividend, yield, and the stock market indexes; information on how to research a company, purchase stock, and select a mutual fund; and detailed explanations of 401(k) plans and IRAs.
Customer Reviews:
Start here, start NOW!.......2003-08-28
Ever traded baseball cards or comicbooks? You?ve taken your first step in investing!
This book succeeds where many others fail: It does an excellent job of breaking into layman's terms the most complex investing and financial concepts, while at the same time making the whole thing completely relatable for someone who knows *nothing* about investing. That is a talent many wish they had. This is no mean feat when you consider all the jargon you have to learn. Now, imagine having fun while doing it! Wow! Eric Tyson, eat your heart out!
Sure, it?s been a while since this book first came out, so you know it needs a little updating...get over it! I still give the book five well-deserved stars. I appreciate the authors for writing such an awesome little book, as reading a book is a big investment of time, and reading this book was definitely worth it.
Share it with a teen or twenty-something you love, and give them the gift of setting them on the path to becoming investors.
A MUST READ for people in their teens and twenties!.......2000-07-27
Before I bought this book, I was probably like a lot of young people out there... ya get paid from work and you go blow it on the weekend with your friends at the mall. You just manage to get your bills paid off, and wonder why you can never seem to get a decent amount put away in your savings account? People, wake up! This is the time you should be saving for your future, or you'll regret that you didn't when you get older! I bought this book with determination not to spend every dollar I make and how to put my money towards my future. The book gives excellent explainations on the stock market and how it works, and even explains all those Wall Street symbols in a way that it's actually fun to read! It explains everything from savings accounts, to stocks and bonds, to IRAs! When I was finished reading the book, I was so glad I had read it when I did, because the later you wait, the more you're wasting time! I recommend this book to all! Read it and you'll be glad that you did!
An excellent piece of information........1999-07-04
This is an excellent book. It makes so easy to understand - all those complicated stock terms, author makes use of beautiful examples from time to time. It is a must have for every person who wants to invest money in stocks etc. (may be, except the ones, whose primary carrier is stocks or stock trading). I myself bought and sold stock over the last few years but never understood the terminology completely. It is nice to have it in my library - Thanks to the authors.
A personal library must! Says a Cincinnati Investor........1999-03-30
There is absolutely no better tool in the market today. It's a great handbook for those sophisticated Generation X'ers, and an even a better tool for that worldly, younger new generation who are blazing trails right behind the X'ers.
Hey Boomers, your children, the N'Gens, are going to take the world by storm. With your ideas and their cohesive, cooperative energetic spirit, there isn't anything that they won't accomplish.... But without the financial skills so wonderfully illustrated in this book, your child will be left behind the pack. He or She will fail to live up to their unbelievable potential.
As an owner of this book, I can honestly attest to its value. I think it should be part of every high school senior's core curriculum! It is the only book that can make sure your child is ready to assist his/her peers in shaping the future of America and the World.
If your school board has not yet adopted this text, then please makes sure before your son or daughter goes off to college this fall that they have this guidebook to the world of life. America and for that matter the World will be grateful.
A Financial Analyst and Real Estate Investor (Cincinnati, Ohio)
This is a fabulous introduction to investing........1999-03-21
If you're a twenty- or thirty-something looking for an accessible, useful guide to investing, look no further. This is a great how-to guide to the markets, written in an inviting yet not condescending style. Buy it. Read it. Tell your friends.
Average customer rating:
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10 Minute Guide to Paying for Grad School (10 Minute Guides)
Ellen Lichtenstein
Manufacturer: Arco Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Funding
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| College & University
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Financial Aid
| College & University
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graduate School Guides
| Education
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0028611659 |
Average customer rating:
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Conquering Grad School: What You Need to Know
Jim Barner
Manufacturer: Wishbone Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| College & University
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
College
| By Level
| Education
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0964136538 |
Book Description
* More than 200,000 copies of this guide have been sold Anyone faced with the overwhelming selection of graduate schools knows how valuable clear and concise information can be. And that's just what they'll get with this comprehensive guide, now fully updated and in its eighth edition. Every aspect of graduate study is covered, including: * enrollments, locations, and housing situations for more than 1,200 accredited institutions * fields of study offered by each institution * admissions and degree requirements * financial aid and grant opportunities * details on scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, and internships. Organized in an easy-to-use format that allows for comparison among the schools and their programs, this guide is the perfect source to begin planning for higher education.
Customer Reviews:
The Most Useful Guide Available.......2004-09-21
I will try and keep this review dealing with the big picture, not getting bogged down in whether there are any insignificant errors in the 768 page volume or not (there are), but rather focus on its utility to a potential graduate student. While it is true, as one reviewer points out, that most of this information is available by phoning the schools in question, that seems to be missing the point: in this one book all the information that a prospective student needs to begin their graduate school search is in one place. That, in a nutshell, is why this is valuable.
The book has profiles on essentially every school in the US with graduate programs, including many I had never even heard of. The profiles explain what programs are available, admittance requirements and procedures, costs, addresses, phone numbers, contact personnel, etc. All the information is extremely well presented and genuinely useful. While I am sure that there are small errors in a book this comprehensive (just like there are errors in any 700-plus page book, be they grammatical or otherwise) this is a great resource for basic research into a school or program. Obviously, when a student has accomplished this first step, they will need to go to individual school websites, talk to schools, and ultimately visit campuses.
For general information on graduate programs in the US, this book is the clear champion compared with the other available options. Any prospective graduate student that isn't 100 percent sure what program they want to enroll in should own this book.
not very helpful.......2000-07-20
This book gives a bare amount of info most of which could have found out by using the phone. The information given is very vague and the book needs more info to be helpful.
Sorry to disappoint but..........1999-12-03
As I sit in Strozier Library, in the center of the Florida State University campus, I can tell you that FSU was established in 1857.
Careful with date school was established.......1999-06-26
I was browsing at the local bookstore for future graduate schools when I came across this: The book listed University of Florida as established in 1953 and Florida State University as 1857. The dates are reversed. University of Florida was establisehd in 1857. I know this because I graduated from the University of Florida. Overall the book gives a decent overall view of what programs and degrees the grad schools offer. A bit more info on graduate tuition fees for in state and out of state would be helpful.
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