7 Tips for Your Postgraduate Application
When you’re applying for your postgraduate degree, you want to feel confident with your application. Postgraduate degrees are pretty prestigious and if it’s something you want to achieve, you should absolutely go for it. However, there are lots of details to consider when you get to the application process and you don’t want to miss anything important. Here are some tips to help you when you’re applying for your masters:
The course and financing
First off, you need to actually choose the course you want to apply to and check that it is a viable option! You’ll need these three tips to get you started:
Check the course info
Many different courses and universities ask for different things when it comes to a postgraduate degree. That’s why it’s important when you check each course you apply for individually, so you know all of the fine details. The information can include course content, the grades you need to be able to apply and even the cost of the course. This will be really helpful when deciding where to go. You might find some places suit you more than others.
Be sure about your course choice
Speaking of course content, there are often quite a few variations of the same course at different universities and you want to identify the one that suits you the most. Maybe there are several courses in marketing that you can choose from, but the one that specifies in digital marketing might hit the spot that little bit more. That’s why you should always check the modules and make sure it’s something you’re actually passionate about learning – you don’t want to make any mistakes here! Make sure the courses you’re applying for is perfect for you and your aspirations. That way you’ll get a lot more out of it.
Check your funds
As postgraduate studying is more prestigious than undergraduate alone, it also means it is less accessible! If you’re used to getting Student Finance loans, be warned that there is only one payment that includes both tuition fee and maintenance in one! So we suggest checking out the gov website to see exactly what you’re entitled to – after all, a lot of these courses are much more expensive than a year of undergraduate! It’s a pretty big factor to consider and it’ll make your application easier if you plan this detail ahead, you don’t want to be left with no funding.
Your application
As for the details in your actual application, you want to make sure you’ve spent time on refining it as much as possible. There’s also a range of things you’ll have to include such as references and essays. It can be difficult, but here’s how to make sure yours looks the best!
Be open on your reason for studying
If the university wants to see anything in your application, it’s the reason you want to study that course in particular. They want to see that it’s important to you and that you’re not just applying for a masters because you’re unsure of what else to do with your life! If the subject is one that’s close to your heart, tell them that. If the course is going to help towards your career? Let them know that too. Essentially, you are convincing them that you’re the person who should get the chance to study there, so make them believe it. And most importantly? Make sure you’re sincere; they will feel it if you do.
Choose your references carefully
You might not be aware, but for a postgraduate application, you actually need at least one academic reference. That’s why you should get contacting your lecturers (past or present) as soon as possible to secure one! Try the lecturers in charge of those classes you exceeded in most to keep a good profile – you don’t want a reference from a teacher you’ve not had the best time with. You always want to impress.
Perfect your personal statement
You might find you’ve finished your personal statement, but there’s still plenty of room to perfect it. One way to do this is to contact your lecturers (if you’re still at university right now) and get them to read through it. Especially if they teach in the area you’re applying to, they will be able to give you the best advice on how to stand out from the crowd. These are the experts, so it’s worth asking them if you want to create a strong application. We also offer our own personal statement services if you think you need some extra help!
Plan your evidence
Another thing most applications need is some proof of your ability whether it’s in the professional field or from your assignments. It really depends on what the course actually asks from you. It could be an essay related to the subject, a portfolio of your work or even just a copy of your CV. That’s why you should get ahead and plan the piece you want to submit with your application, especially if you think it’s something new you want to work on. Just like the rest of the application, this is something they’re going to be judging you on, so you want to wow them. Remember to go above and beyond!
Hopefully, this will help to get you started with your postgraduate study application. We hope they make the process smoother as you now know what to expect and plan for! Let us know if you have any other postgraduate tips below and good luck!
