does anyone know the policies on most grad schools and whether you can be accepted, but wait a year before actually attending? or would it depend on the school itself? i'm mostly looking at ecu, unc, app state, and florida state if that helps.

8/14/2006 4:21:34 PM

I applied for ECU's Distance MBA program & got in for Fall 2006, but then realized I wanted to wait 'til Spring '07 to start. All it took was an email to my advisor and she shifted all my stuff to start in Jan. '07. It helped that I did it before tuition came due so there was no refund issues and what not.

Most schools it'll just depend on their policy; obviously my experience w/ ECU was a good one, but each school is def. different. Some schools make you re-apply ($$$, forms, and all) if you wanna defer, so call the school/think it over real hard before wasting time and cash.

EDIT: Don't apply to UNC regardless of what they say.

[Edited on August 14, 2006 at 5:00 PM. Reason : .]

8/14/2006 4:59:46 PM

thanks for the info. i'm about 80% leaning towards teaching in japan for a year but my dad still wants me to apply for graduate school and go through the motions of all that. do you know how long my GRE score would last (haven't taken it yet)? or would i have to take it closer to the time i go to grad school?

8/14/2006 5:17:20 PM

gre scores have a 5 year reporting limit

8/14/2006 5:31:19 PM

yep, 5 years

same w/ GMAT

8/14/2006 8:34:28 PM

from what i've been told by my advisor, grad schools tend to shove aside the applications that are automatically asking for a deferment. if spaces are left over, or a lot of room is available, you have a better chance of being selected and approved for deferment.

but it all depends on the area of study and the school.

8/15/2006 4:10:30 PM

I take it you're not expecting funding?

8/16/2006 10:45:44 AM

Why not go right away, if you land unc or fsu you will probably get full funding unless you really just made their alternates list. Asking for a deferment from what I hear typically doesn't go well at good grad schools (unless you're doing something really spectacular). They really want you to get into the professional rigor, master's thesis, networking stuff right away. Though taking a year off may be for a noble cause, they typically take it as why isn't the student ready to roll now. In my opinion it will hurt your acceptance chance and funding possibilities at good grad schools because they have ton's of people begging to start right away, especially in our fields.

Our entering cohort had a 3.8 overall and 4.0 in the major and good GRE's, because we have funding for each student. Imagine if someone with a bit less asked for a deferment, to them it would be a no brainer. That being said I would go right away, and I would consider your alma mater if they have a program. Though most people say it's harder to get in this way, from my experience it's not, this is because you have letters from graduate faculty and they already know what your capable of.

[Edited on August 17, 2006 at 5:35 AM. Reason : .]

[Edited on August 17, 2006 at 5:38 AM. Reason : ..]

8/17/2006 5:31:03 AM

On second thought why not just go teach and then apply after that is completed. Teaching looks really good, especially in our fields, and even more so if it is on the collegiate level. I was lucky and got to teach a lab as an undergraduate, and honestly I think this had a significant impact in me getting in to everywhere I applied. Having evaluations, a teaching philosphy, and experience pays dividends. It pays so much that they gave me a 12 month RA appointment instead of a teaching position, even though I asked to teach, go figure.

8/17/2006 5:47:48 AM

Even if you don't get funding at first, it's still really possible to get it. Hell, I had no research experience as an undergrad, and entered grad school with no funding.

Now I have a full time research appointment

8/17/2006 9:18:46 AM

well i would really like to get a teaching assistantship for grad school, although i really think i would regret it if i don't go to japan for a year. once i go into my grad program i'll be put in an internship the 3rd year so i'll pretty much be set from there and i'll also be overqualified to teach in japan. the reason i pretty much still have to apply for grad school is because my dad wants me to even if i'm set on the teaching thing.

8/17/2006 4:29:34 PM