Make a list of your targeted schools. Divide these schools into safety schools and reaches. Once you have made this list, look at the respective universities websites or brochures and make sure that you meet all of their minimum undergraduate GPA and standardized test score requirements. Many graduate schools require the GRE (Graduate Requisite Exam), but some more specialized programs will ask you for the MAT (Miller Analogy Test), LSAT or MCAT.
Submit all your transcripts and financial aid information to the university/universities. Once you have done this, focus on your personal statement. The personal statement is the one critical piece of information that the university has which is reflective of your personality and includes the reasons why you want to undertake a graduate course at that particular institution. The personal statement can often make or break a graduate school application, so it's important that you spend a great deal of time on this aspect of the application process.
Your personal statement should fall between 300 and 500 words and should reflect as much about you as possible. Include your long- and short-term goals and very specific attributes and qualities that you possess pertaining to the course of study that you seek and why you would be a perfect candidate. Feel free to get creative with your statement and delve into the things that make you unique. You can also add anecdotes about pivotal points in your academic career that you believe would make you stand out from the rest of the applicants. If you are unsure about what you want to write in your personal statement, it may help to browse sample statements online. Some graduate schools will even include a prompt or specific question they want you to answer in terms of what the content of your personal statement should be.
If the graduate program you chose requires a writing sample, you must submit that along with your personal statement. The writing sample, like the essay, is also very crucial in terms of representing the level of your writing and can be indicative to the admissions committee of the quality of work that you may produce during your graduate career.
Be very attentive when picking your sample and be sure to check the website of your university to ensure the page length of the sample and which topics are acceptable. For example, if you are looking to take on a history course, sort through your old undergraduate history papers and pick one or two essays which you think are exemplary pieces of your writing (given that they meet the page number requirements) and edit them so they would be ready for submission. Some graduate programs may ask for two or three writing samples, so be prepared to go through old college essays and papers. Only submit what you think is superior undergraduate work.
In addition to your application, writing samples and your personal statement, you will also need at least two or three recommendations from college professors. Pick your recommenders wisely; did you have a course you enjoyed while in college? or a professor who stuck with you? If you did, those would be the people you would seek out for a graduate school recommendation. It would be a good idea to meet with or email your recommenders before they write you a letter of recommendation. Be sure to tell them what program you are applying for and why. This will help them greatly in writing a letter of recommendation which is tailored to the kind of program that you will be entering.
You're almost done! With your personal statement, completed application and recommendations in hand, you are nearly ready to submit your materials. There may be a $25 to $50 fee to process the application (fees vary from school to school), Review all of your application materials carefully. If necessary, you may want to have a professional look over your portfolio before the final submission. You may also have the option of sending your application as a hard copy or using www.applyonline.com, a service available for some universities which allows you to submit all of your application information online, including your recommendation letters.