If you are deciding whether or not to apply to graduate school, these sites may be helpful:
- Choosing the Right Graduate Degree – http://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools/choosing-right-graduate-degree.aspx
- Master’s or Ph.D.: Graduate Degree Options http://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools/graduate-degree-masters-phd.aspx
- The Chronicle of Higher Education: Graduate Students Section http://chronicle.com/section/Graduate-Students/559?cid=megamenu (See ‘Things to Know Before You Go’ and ‘Strategies for Success’)
- The Princeton Review: About Graduate School & Applying to Graduate School – http://www.princetonreview.com/grad-school-advice
If you decide to get your PhD, you will primarily be prepared to teach and conduct research. However, lots of think tanks and similar types of organizations also hire people with advanced degrees. To learn more about these positions, see:
- Career Opportunities in Think Tanks and Research Institutes https://sipa.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/Career%20Op%20Think%20Tanks%20and%20Research%20Institutes.pdf
- “Beyond the Ivory Tower” http://chronicle.com/section/Advice-Columns/144?cid=megamenu
If you are interested in strengthening your future applications for graduate school, get as much research experience as possible. Here is a list of some programs designed to give undergraduate students summer research experience (many include a stipend!). Most programs are geared towards students who have at least a year left to complete their bachelor’s degree, but some are open to students with less than a year left to graduate.
- Berkeley Summer Research Opportunity Program: http://diversity.berkeley.edu/srop
- ICPSR Summer Undergraduate Internship Program http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/content/ICPSR/internship/index.html
- Montgomery Summer Research Diversity Fellowships in Law and Social Science for Undergraduate Students http://www.americanbarfoundation.org/research/Fellowshipopportunities/SummerResearchDiversityFellowshipsinLawandSocialScience.html
- Brookings Institute Research Internships: http://www.brookings.edu/about/employment#/?tab=1
- University of Maryland Summer Research Initiative http://www.bsos.umd.edu/diversity/eligibility-and-expectations
- The U.S. Department of State’s Pathways Internship Program http://careers.state.gov/work/pathways/internship
- The Smithsonian – http://www.smithsonianofi.com/internship-opportunities/
- Purdue Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) http://www.purdue.edu/GRADSCHOOL/diversity/srop/index.html
- Northwestern Summer Research Opportunity Program http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/diversity/undergraduate-summer-research/index.html
- National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=5054
- The Leadership Alliance Summer Research – Early Identification Program http://www.theleadershipalliance.org/Programs/SummerResearch/ProgramStructure/tabid/242/Default.aspx
- UNC Chapel Hill The Moore Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program http://murap.unc.edu/
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Off-Campus List http://www.urop.uci.edu/opportunities/frame_offcampus.html
- The University of California Summer Research Opportunities http://www.csusm.edu/otres/summerprograms/ucsummeropps.pdf
The American Sociological Association also has advice for undergraduate students who plan to apply to graduate school: http://www.asanet.org/employment/careers21st_Graduateschool.cfm
Here are a couple of resources to prepare a strong application:
- GRE Preparation – http://web.stanford.edu/dept/humsci/cgi-bin/gus/content/diversity-gre-prep (Note: if you are a junior, the summer of your junior year is a perfectly fine time to study for and take the GRE)
- Graduate admissions essays : write your way into the graduate school of your choice – https://ezproxy.stedwards.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat00249a&AN=stedwards.b1828418&site=eds-live&scope=site