Grad School Advising

New College graduates have attended some of the top graduate and professional schools in the nation and abroad within their field. Including:

• Stetson School of Law
• Duke University
• University of Florida
• American College of Greece- Athens
• George Washington University
• University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
• Florida State University
• University of Barcelona-Spain
• FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
• John Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Courtauld Institute of Art- London, England
• Nova Southeastern University Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
• University of Ottawa- Ontario, Canada
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Penn State University

Our honors-level curriculum equips students to pursue a wide range of advanced studies. You don’t have to necessarily study in graduate school what you studied at the bachelor’s level. Graduates have pursued a variety of masters, doctoral, and other professional programs such as:

• Chemistry/Biochemistry
• Engineering
• Philosophy
• Marine Science/Oceanography
• Social Work
• Animal Sciences
• Veterinary Medicine
• Linguistics
• Physics
• History/Art History
• Mathematics
• Food Science
• Economics
• Microbiology
• Political Science
• Dentistry
• Data Science
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Neuroscience
• English
• Law
• Pharmacy
• Library Science
• Mental Health Counseling
• Psychology

Absolutely not! New College graduates have been successful in every industry and depending on your career goals, you may need to go to graduate school, but not necessarily. Your career coach can help you explore and make decisions about your AOC and/or career, connect you to experiences (jobs, internships, global scholarships, mentors, employers, shadowing, graduate schools), and partners with you to successfully land any opportunity you wish to pursue.

Attending graduate or professional school is a long term and serious commitment, but also a personal choice. You should not pursue an advanced degree simply because you think it is the only natural next step, it should be a decision that has been well-thought-out and reflected upon. Graduate school can be a major financial and time investment, so carefully consider how a graduate degree will increase career possibilities and meet your professional goals.

Before selecting a graduate school program that is right for you, it is a good idea to consult with a Career Coach to talk through your interests and future career goals. We can provide some tools and guidance for exploring career paths that may interest you.

You can make an appointment through Handshake to see a coach.

One great resource to get you started is to take the The Focus 2 Career Assessment which is an intuitive career guidance system that helps students explore Areas of Concentration (AOC) and careers that connect to their work interests, values, personality, skills, and leisure interests. If you want to take the Focus 2 Career Assessment, contact the CEO or your career coach for the access code.

It’s completely okay and normal to not know what you want to study or do for a career. One study found that 80% of college students change their major at least once and it’s estimated that the average American worker will have 11 jobs over the course of their working life! It’s also hard to know definitively what you want to do when the workforce and jobs change so rapidly.

New College’s unique academic program will allow you to explore a range of academic subjects and you can put your interests into whatever Area of Concentration (major) you want. Just chat with your faculty advisor about the possibilities.  The way you’ll be taught to think and problem-solve will prepare you for the jobs of the future! So, while it’s okay to be nervous and unsure about the future, try to be intentional and explore. Regardless of your studies, you will need to research possible careers, understand the educational requirements/skills needed to access the careers that interest you, and intentionally gain the skills, experience, and educational requirements necessary to gain employment in your desired career while in college. Talk to your career coach about assistance with these.

Another resource for you is to take the The Focus 2 Career Assessment which is an intuitive career guidance system that helps students explore Areas of Concentration (AOC) and careers that connect to their work interests, values, personality, skills, and leisure interests. If you want to take the Focus 2 Career Assessment, contact the CEO or your career coach for the access code.

In the majority of cases, you will not need a GPA to pursue a graduate or professional school program. New College is not the only school nationally that uses narrative evaluations as a grading system. New College grads have successfully been admitted to medical, law, and graduate school, won prestigious scholarships, as well as pursued careers in every industry. Employers and graduate schools have told us that New College students are often more prepared because narrative evaluations force you to reflect on your learning and you can better articulate your strengths and areas for growth than if you only had a letter grade.

Depending on what you’re pursuing, not having a GPA might be a factor in the application process that you and your career coach need to navigate through strategically, but it’s unlikely to stop you from reaching your goals. The CEO can help you navigate through GPA requirements.

Take these steps when facing a GPA requirement:

Step 1: Some programs may need to better understand NCF’s grading system. All applicants should request that the program waives the GPA requirement and include the Provost’s Letter – NCF Grading System Explanation with application materials to ensure a comprehensive understanding of our unique educational program.

Step 2: Occasionally, a program will not grant a waiver of the GPA requirement and will require a GPA, proof of meeting a specific GPA threshold, or an estimation of GPA. In those unique situations, you should complete the GPA Proxy Request form, in which case the Provost’s Office will review your request and can provide a letter with an estimation of a GPA. In order for an estimated GPA to be provided, you must provide sufficient supporting documentation that indicates the need for GPA in connection with a specific opportunity. Questions about this process should be directed to the CEO.

The CEO is continuing to update and add to our inventory of resources to support students through the application process for graduate and professional school. We have a variety of testing resources and additional educational materials to help students navigate their admissions process.

Testing Resources

To learn more about testing options for graduate school admission, visit these sites. You can also consult with a Career Coach for additional guidance.

• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
• Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
• Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)
• Dental Admission Test (DAT)

You can visit the Jane Bancroft Cook Library Catalog to access test preparation materials you can check out from the library to prepare for an upcoming admissions exam. Pre-Health and Pre-Law students also have additional resources available to them.

Additional Resources

We have created a Graduate & Professional School Resources page within our Handshake Resource Library that contains a variety of support resources and handouts for students who are currently applying to graduate school. We have created pre-professional communities designed for students interested in pursuing a specific specialty. We currently have a Pre-Health and Pre-Law programs where students can find specific resources for their interests.

It’s important to consider multiple factors when deciding on what graduate or professional school programs to apply to. Among those: What do you want to study? Where do you want to live? Who is the best in the field for what you want to study? What are your career goals? You can refer to the Considering Graduate or Professional School section towards the top of this page for additional questions you should ask yourself when considering what schools to apply to. Once you consider what’s important to you in a school and program, you can use various search tools to look for programs, such as:

• GradSchools.com
• Princeton Review Search Tool
• GradTrek

Applications for graduate schools usually have deadlines between November and February to begin the program the following year. Typically, the more competitive of a program, the earlier the deadline. Thus, students should likely explore their graduate school options in their 3rd year and apply in the Fall of their 4th year to begin the next academic year. Students interested in medical school will begin their application process in the Spring of their 3rd year as applications will begin opening in May.

Each school will have specific guidelines for what is required to be admitted into their program listed on their websites. Usually, there is also a link to begin applying through their online application portal. Most schools require you to submit a resume or CV, a personal statement, transcripts, test scores, and letters of recommendation among other documents. Some programs, particularly in professional programs, have centralized applications. Medical school and law school also have special considerations, please see our pre-professional communities page for more details on these.

Many programs will provide a few guidelines on what they would like to see on a personal statement. Most will have a page or word limit and some guiding questions to help direct your writing. However, most personal statements include the same general elements regardless of the program. See the handout below on personal statement writing to help get you started and make sure to meet with a career coach for further assistance and feedback to sharpen your statement before submission.

Writing A Grad School Statement

From the time you begin your undergraduate journey, you should start cultivating relationships with faculty members by visiting their office hours, regularly checking in when you have questions or concerns, and discussing future goals. This way when you ask for a recommendation letter, you can be sure you’re asking someone who knows you well and can speak to your skills in a positive holistic way. Most graduate and professional school programs require submission of 2-3 recommendation letters from faculty and/or other professionals who can speak to your potential and character.

As these professionals can be very busy and have other priorities that need their attention, you will want to give them plenty of time before your deadline to provide recommendation letters.  Ideally, you would notify them about a month ahead of your deadline, and at a minimum, you should not give anything less than 2 weeks notice. To help with their letter, you should be ready to provide them with a resume/CV or your personal statement that gives insight into other activities and projects you’ve done outside of the classroom that they may not know about. This will help them craft a robust recommendation that reflects your strengths.