Grad Expectations: Planning for Advanced Degrees

Join host Dina Birmingham for an episode focused on life after your undergraduate career by thinking about preparing for graduate school and understanding the financial realities of advanced degrees.

In the first segment, Dina welcomes Career Counselor Ari Emanuel-Wright for her first appearance on the podcast. Ari shares her professional background and the experiences that led her to join Bright Horizons College Coach before diving into the topic of exploring and preparing for graduate school as an undergraduate. She discusses how students can determine whether graduate school is the right next step, when to begin researching programs, and what factors to consider when evaluating options. Ari also compares the graduate admission process to undergraduate admissions, highlighting key similarities and important differences. In addition, she explains the critical role that letters of recommendation can play in an application and offers advice on how students can build meaningful relationships with professors, supervisors, and mentors who may ultimately serve as references.

Next, finance expert Jennifer Willcox breaks down the often-complicated process of paying for graduate and professional school. Jennifer explains how the FAFSA remains an important part of the financial aid process, but notes that graduate and professional students are generally considered independent for federal aid purposes and therefore do not report parent financial information. She also discusses why some highly selective programs may still request family financial information through their own institutional forms. The conversation explores strategies for building and maintaining strong credit before borrowing for graduate education, as well as the funding realities across different fields of study.

The episode concludes with the latest installment of the podcast's "Traditions" series, featuring College Coaches Jacci Yin and Christine Kenyon. In her first appearance on the podcast, Jacci shares her background before joining Bright Horizons College Coach, including her experience as both a student and an employee at Scripps College. Christine reflects on her time working at Babson College, and together they explore the traditions, campus culture, and distinctive characteristics that help shape the student experience at their respective institutions. Their stories offer listeners a fun and insightful look at how college communities create lasting memories for students.