7 Times You Should Wait to Start Graduate School
There are so many reasons people go back to graduate school. And just as many reasons not to.
From achieving career goals to personal fulfillment, as long as you have a solid reason to pursue further education and the stars align with your life priorities, you should go for it.
That said, as a graduate school strategist some of the most productive conversations I have with working professionals are those that end in clarity on the decision not to go back to school right now.
It may sound counterintuitive, but I am a firm believer in going to graduate school only when it perfectly fits your career goals and personal priorities.
Here are 7 times it’s ok to wait on going back to graduate school:
1. When you’re not 100% clear on what you want to study
2. When you’re uncertain about your career goals post-graduation
3. When someone else is pressuring you
4. When finances are a concern
5. When you’re already overwhelmed with current commitments
6. When circumstances change
7. When your intuition says “something’s not right”
Read on for examples and get action steps to help you find the best time for you to go back to graduate school.
1. When you’re not 100% clear on what you want to study
What this can look like:
“Should I get an MBA or law degree?”
If you’ve started researching different types of graduate program options and they all sound equally interesting, you’re not ready to apply.
After reading 3,000+ applications since 2010, I can tell you that the best, most acceptance-worthy applicants have clear whys in their personal statements and application essays.
Your why is demonstrated by how you connect your past interests to present intentions and your future goals.
If you have any hesitation on the area you’d like to study, that’s ok!
It means that you’ll benefit from another year of exploration before committing to the application process.
Action step: Do a little more digging on where you want to go in life and who you want to become.
If you’re considering graduate school, chances are you have a career goal in mind that requires another degree to reach it.
Use LinkedIn to research job titles, the people in those roles, and the types of graduate degrees they have.
If you have a local university or specific programs in mind, you can research the types of jobs their alumni have, too.
2. When you’re uncertain about your career goals post-graduation
What this can look like:
“Well, a master’s degree will probably open doors for me professionally.”
Even once you know what you want to study, you still need to know — and be able to articulate for admissions committees — what you intend to do with your degree after graduation.
Questions to consider:
Will it help you to progress into a leadership role in your field?
Are you planning to pivot to a completely new industry?
Will you gain knowledge and skills that will make you a more attractive candidate in a specialized field?
Here’s the catch: you’re not required to follow through with this career plan. Especially after you learn more about your career options throughout the program.
However, going to school without any idea of what you want to do with the degree after could make the experience a waste of time and money.
Story time: My intentions for pursing a Doctor of Education degree were fairly simple — I wanted to ensure I was qualified for any higher level position at a university when I was interested and ready to pursue it. (Part of this was also driven by wanting to graduate with a terminal degree before starting a family).
Looking back, I wish I had a clearer vision of what type of leadership position I actually wanted.
It would have helped me spend more time on career development and networking activities throughout grad school to help me reach my goals, instead of solely focusing on graduating.
Action step: Informational interviews.
Talk to people who have the type of degree and the type of jobs that you’re considering post-graduation.
Ask questions like:
How did you know it was the right time in your career to go back to graduate school?
What other types of industries or jobs did your degree prepare you for?
From what you’ve seen and experienced in your career, do you think I need this degree in order to achieve them? If not, how much faster could I achieve them with the degree?
3. When someone else is pressuring you
What this can look like:
“My parent or partner thinks I need to get another degree (for fill-in-the-blank reason — examples: before I get married/have kids/am too old), so I should probably go back to school soon.”
Don’t go back to school if someone wants you to go more than you want to go.
Please.
They’re not the ones who will be pushing through long nights of papers, projects and studying. You’ll need serious stamina to get through the experience, which is hard to maintain when you’re not as invested as someone outside of yourself.
Satisfying someone else’s dreams will never be as satisfying as creating and achieving your own.
Action step: Keep communication lines open and have an honest conversation.
What is the root reason for your parent or partner to want you to go back to school?
Is it because:
They wish they had gone to graduate school and didn’t?
They believe your career and salary prospects will be better only if you get a graduate degree?
They hold cultural or personal beliefs that more education = more success?
They’re likely coming from a good place in wanting to see you succeed in life — but remember that further education is only beneficial if it advances you toward achieving your personal and professional goals.
4. When finances are a concern
What this can look like:
“I’ll need to pay for this degree out-of-pocket or with loans, but my salary will barely increase after graduation. It might take me 10–20 years to pay this off.”
Graduate school is expensive.
Some programs cost more than six figures! Granted, there are a number of funding options, but take time to do some realistic math before applying (which also costs $$) and committing to tuition payments.
Once you know what you plan to study and your potential career goals post-graduation, do a little research on expected salaries for someone with your years of experience and your future graduate degree.
These questions are a great starting point:
How long will it take to pay off?
If it will take a long time (10+ years), will the satisfaction of your career choice be worth the financial strain?
If the answer to this is yes, then go for it and apply.
Otherwise, wait until you’ve saved more for tuition, start working for an employer with education benefits, or have a change in finances that make it more feasible to pursue another degree without sacrificing your quality of life.
Action step: Have a money date with yourself.
Be open, realistic and, most importantly, nonjudgmental about the current state of your finances, the costs of going back to graduate school, and how those will reconcile themselves when you move into a new job — hopefully with a higher salary — after graduation.
5. When you’re already overwhelmed with current commitments
What this can look like:
“If I can manage to only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ll still be available for choir practice, Joe’s soccer games, driving mom to physical therapy, my monthly book club and exercise 3–4 times a week.”
When you’re in graduate school — especially if you continue working — something’s got to give.
Whether it’s your social life, family commitments, or quality time doing something you love, prepare for that time to be displaced with the need to read and do schoolwork until graduation.
It’s not always easy, and you might be in a spot where you’re not able or willing to curb your commitments to make time for school.
If that’s the case, then wait another year or two before applying.
Behind family (including chosen family), possibly work and any other top priorities, you’ll need to find a way to squeeze academic responsibilities into your schedule.
Equally as important is your health and wellness, bolstered by my favorite concept of scheduling guilt-free fun to help with focus and motivation.
Story time: You may find that graduate school is an opportunity to redefine or even shed relationships that do not bring you joy or improve your life.
When I started a master’s program in my mid-20s, it was the perfect excuse to pull back from a toxic friendship, and leave behind purely social friends I only saw when alcohol was involved.
This made space for better grades and stronger relationships with people who supported the best version of me.
Action step: Before applying to graduate school, spend a quiet hour writing out all of your responsibilities and priority relationships.
These include people (family, friends) and places (work, hobby groups).
Consider scoring them in order of importance, then take notes on which of these you’re able to pull back on during hectic weeks as a graduate student.
6. When circumstances change
What this can look like:
“I’ve already been accepted to graduate school, but my dad’s sick and I need to be available to care for him”
“I got the promotion I wanted! And I didn’t even have to go back to school to qualify for it”
“My partner got a job offer and we’re moving”
Six months ago you may have been on the clear path back to graduate school. You may have even applied and been accepted!
Life moves fast, and change is inevitable.
If circumstances change and your life priorities shift, you are not required to go back to school right now.
You have options.
It’s not always easy, and might include several difficult conversations. But going back to graduate school is a big commitment that affects you and your availability for other life priorities.
Do what’s best for you and your overall wellbeing.
Action step: Wait until the time is right.
Depending on what is happening in your life and the stage of the application process you are in, you might talk with admissions to:
Withdraw your application
Defer your acceptance for a year and reevaluate circumstances again
Remember that even if you go through an entire admissions process and are accepted, you are not required to attend if your circumstances change and the timing is no longer right.
Also know that after you start school, you can take a semester or two off if you need to prioritize other aspects of life.
7. When your intuition says “something’s not right”
What this can look like:
“I don’t like how I’ve been treated through this application process, maybe this isn’t the right program for me”
This exact situation happened to one of the applicants I worked with last year.
She had identified two dream programs and submit applications to both.
When it came time for interviews and next steps in the process, she was blown away to find that one of them — the one she was most excited about and would be less expensive — had poor customer service to say the least.
She felt they weren’t excited about her as an applicant, and overall felt concerned about moving forward with the process.
Ultimately, she withdrew her application and committed to the second school, which eventually came through with a graduate assistantship that fully covered her tuition.
It was a perfect example of all’s well that ends well, but that was only because she listened to her intuition and acted accordingly.
Action step: Pay close attention to how you feel.
After interacting with faculty, staff, students and alumni of a particular graduate program or university do you feel:
Welcomed?
Included?
Supported?
If not, ask yourself why — then connect with a few more people to ensure it’s not a single interaction that felt “off” before making a final decision on whether a program is a good fit for you.
Conclusion
As you navigate decision-making on whether to go back to graduate school after working full-time, know that there equal numbers of reasons to go as there to wait — at least until your circumstances and reasons align with timing.
Give yourself grace in the process, everything will work out when the time is right.
Good luck, you’ve got this!
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Hi! I’m Dr. Jena. I help working professionals confidently apply to graduate school and advanced degree programs so they can achieve their career goals.
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