Many Liberal Arts students consider graduate school as they approach the end of their undergraduate education, but aren’t quite sure what to expect. Preparing for graduate school can be confusing and overwhelming while juggling classes and schoolwork. I recently got in touch with Jacque Andrews (’08, Communication Arts and Sciences, Journalism), to find out how graduate school is going for her and what she did to prepare for it. Jacque is currently a graduate student at the University of Denver, working towards a master’s degree in human communication studies.
What was the application process like for you when applying to graduate schools?
Jacque: I applied to three grad schools and took the GRE twice. I had to have 3 letters of recommendation for each school, so getting close to a few professors near the end of my time at PSU helped a lot with getting those taken care of. I think hearing back was really similar to undergrad application process. It didn’t take too long but it also wasn’t a short process either.
Why did you decide on a human communications graduate program?
Jacque: I chose human communications because I think a lot of jobs require great personal speaking skills and great writing skills. I also like that I can teach communications at smaller colleges with a Master’s degree.
What made you choose Denver when narrowing down a specific school to attend?
Jacque: I chose Denver because I was interested in going to a smaller school, and Denver is just an all around great city. Also – Denver is kind of a “best kept secret” in the rhetoric world. We aren’t huge and crazy well-known, but our professors are outstanding and all of them get published regularly and some are on the board of editors at a few important publications.
What are the main differences for you when comparing undergraduate coursework and graduate coursework?
Jacque: Graduate work is a LOT more writing and reading intensive. Having a book read by each class and 30 page papers due are a lot more than I was used to from undergrad. Also, because my program is very small, I work very closely with professors and other graduate students, which makes me feel like I have made really strong connections with other people who are interested in what I like to study.
What internships did you have as an undergraduate? What did you have to do and how did you find these internships?
Jacque: One of my internships was marketing for a Nevada garden shop–I helped plan and promote a wine tasting and gathered data on the shops demographic, did event coordination for a concert series in NV, took care of the band (food, drinks etc.) and set up the venue. I was a PR intern for the Reno Pioneer theatre, and I promoted upcoming shows. I did PR for the Reno Philharmonic where I wrote press releases and public service announcements for radio and TV, and then I wrote a television treatment for a show that a local company was pitching to FOX and ESPN. I found a lot of these through friends of my family, and then from people who knew me from events that I interned at.
Which internship have you found the most useful now that you’re in graduate school?
Jacque: I think anything that involved writing and personal communication with people that I had to work with were really helpful. My writing was a lot stronger after writing announcements and press releases, and having to talk to people for work helped my interpersonal skills a lot. Strengthening my writing with internship duties has helped my graduate studies.
What advice would you give to prospective undergraduates thinking about graduate school?
Jacque: I would say to start early, get to know some professors that you would like to write recommendation letters for you. If you have a personal relationship with professors, they will gladly write great letters, which I think helped my application look really strong.
To other CLA students who have applied for and been accepted for a graduate program: where are you going? Why did you choose that program? What do you hope to accomplish?