How I Decided When to Go Back to Graduate School

As a first-generation college student, neither of my parents graduated from college which means graduate school was never on my radar until senior year of college when friends started applying.

Deciding when to go back to graduate school came a bit later.

My initial introduction to the concept came from my career advisor who (after many sessions) told me I could do what he was doing one day. This came after I shared that I wanted to help people figure out their goals and reach them - a broad life interest I developed after coaching a local cheerleading team.

However, doing his job involved going to graduate school (which I knew nothing about) so I tucked the suggestion away and focused on getting a job post-graduation.

But it was 2008… you can imagine how the job search went. Yay Great Recession.

The Post-College Graduation Game Plan

When graduation came, I received a card from the Dean of Students who had taken me under her wing (even though I was an average student and resident assistant throughout college).

In the card, she wrote that I could be sitting in her chair one day.

I trusted her judgment and foresight on a career I would enjoy, even if that involved going back to graduate school to qualify for entry-level roles working on a college campus.

The soonest I could apply was the upcoming autumn to start the following year.

So after graduation, I started a service year with AmeriCorps (similar to a domestic Peace Corps in the US).

Applying to Graduate School

While in AmeriCorps, I started applying to ONE graduate program at The Ohio State University.

Why only one program?

That’s where the Dean went and suggested I go; she graduated there and it was a good program.

Plus, it was in Columbus where I was already living and had zero interest in moving away from friends and family.

Here’s the catch, though: I had no clue how to apply. I also had no idea it was a top 10 program in the US.

Clearly, I was off to a great start.

I had never written a personal statement (just a few decent cover letters), and felt a little lost since I’d graduated and couldn’t use the career services office.

Honestly, I don’t think I let anyone read or edit my personal statement because it was deeply personal… I didn’t want it to affect relationships with anyone I knew personally or professionally.

This was a bad move on my part. I should’ve found an objective person for at least one read-through.

Knowing what I know now, what happened next isn’t a surprise.

… I didn’t get accepted.

Dealing with Rejection

When meeting with a faculty member about my application after the rejection, I was told that my application sounded like I was “more of a do-er than a scholar.”

Total gut punch.

I quickly learned about the values of the program and decided to dedicate the next year to gaining relevant experience to improve my application for the next year.

If you want to know the full details of this process, read more here: How I Got Into Graduate School After Being Rejected.

Reapplying to Graduate School

So, I served a second year with AmeriCorps, this time in a college setting doing work that directly related to what I would learn in the master’s program.

After updating my resume and overhauling my personal statement to be tailored to the Higher Education & Student Affairs master’s program, I applied again.

And got accepted.

YAY!

Post-graduation, I started working full-time at Ohio State with the thought that I might get a doctorate one day so I could become a leader on campus.

** Flash forward to 2016 **

Time for a Doctorate

For a few years, there had been a murmur that a Doctor of Education (EdD) program was being created for working professionals who were interested in higher-level university leadership.

The program was finally announced and one of the requirements was 5 years of experience in the field (which I had at that point).

Classes would be held after work hours so people could continue working full-time.

I was recently married and still “had time” to start a family - I decided to go all-in on finishing a doctorate before having kids because I thought I wouldn’t be able to do my job, go back to school, and be the parent I wanted to be one day.

Note: The majority of my classmates had kids and did amazing as parents on top of school and being professionals. It wasn’t always easy, but they made it work.

Expecting Rejection from Graduate School

With the “do-er vs. scholar” feedback still ringing in my head years later, my statement of purpose for the EdD program was packed with research citations.

I wanted to show that my personal story was paired with a commitment to the academic rigor expected of the program.

As a side effect of that first rejection, I put together the EdD application with the expectation I would need to reapply again. I knew of several incredible applicants and felt way under-qualified in comparison.

I was shocked (but thrilled) when I was accepted!

Going Back to Graduate School

Balancing school, work and a dynamic personal life (inc. a mid-distance marriage and house-building process) was a lot, but ultimately manageable one day at a time.

Truthfully, it takes a semester to adjust to being a student again but the schedule quickly becomes a new normal, even on top of working full-time.

The drive to reach a major goal like a master’s or doctorate is a compelling reason to push through hard days and missed social events, too.

TL;DR Version

Here are the personal and professional factors that influenced my decision on when to go back to graduate school.

Professional

• Master’s: I decided on a career path (working with college students) that required a master’s degree for entry-level roles.

• Doctorate: The next step of my career (university leadership) would be much easier to attain with a doctorate, so I decided to pursue one for my future career prospects.

Personal

• Master’s: I had a supportive network of people (friends, family and future life partner) and felt confident I could handle the challenge of going back to school, even if my social life needed to slow down.

• Doctorate: With wedding planning behind me, and no rush on starting a family, I decided to commit to finishing a doctorate before having children (even though I know now that I could have handled it if I needed to).

Plus, here are a list of questions to ask yourself when considering whether now is the right time to go back to graduate school (or if you should wait).

Hopefully hearing what influenced my decision-making and priorities in going back to graduate school helps you consider your own.

It’s a major life shift and definitely worth it if you need this next degree to reach your career goals!

Follow Dr. Jena on LinkedIn for honest insight and helpful tips on your journey to graduate school as a working professional.

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