Applying to graduate school can be overwhelming, time-consuming and expensive. Stony Brook University’s Center for Inclusive Education in The Graduate School aims to make the process less stressful – and more successful – by offering information, advice and support at Graduate School Preview Day (GSPD). On Friday, August 17th, the CIE team hosted its 5th annual GSPD, and welcomed nearly 30 undergraduates, Master’s students, and adult learners to the Hilton Garden Inn on campus.
The day kicked off with opening remarks by Richard Gerrig, PhD, Interim Dean of The Graduate School, who emphasized the need for a diverse graduate student body to ensure research is inclusive, and therefore more effective. Dr. Gerrig then moderated a faculty panel that provided attendees with an insider perspective on strengthening their applications. Takeaways from this panel included: reach out to prospective faculty mentors early, and don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back right away – (polite) persistence is key. Also, do your homework on the program to which you plan to apply: review the program’s website, contact program leadership, and schedule a meeting with a prospective faculty mentor to learn if the program (and university) is the right fit for you before delving into the application process. For more advice and application best practices, watch the faculty panel video on the Center for Inclusive Education’s Facebook page.
During the Graduate Program Networking Lunch, attendees had an opportunity to speak to department representatives and ask program-specific questions about GRE and GPA requirements, funding opportunities, course schedules, etc. The majority of attendees emphasized the value of the Networking Lunch, with one prospective student stating “[It] allowed me to interact and ask questions personal to myself.” Shortly after, attendees heard from current graduate students, all of whom are Center for Inclusive Education (CIE) scholars, about their personal experience getting into, and getting through, their graduate programs. The graduate student panel was moderated by CIE Program Manager, Angel I. Gonzalez, PhD, who completed his graduate studies at Stony Brook University. The engaging panel touched on topics including how to identify or choose your mentor, whether to apply to a PhD or Master’s program, and if taking some time off (i.e. gap year) before entering graduate school is advisable. Watch the full conversation on the CIE’s Facebook page, and feel free to comment or ask questions for more advice on how to get into (and succeed) in graduate school!
The final activities of Graduate School Preview Day included a presentation on funding and research opportunities at Stony Brook. Faculty and CIE scholars led lab tours in Biomedical Engineering, Pharmacology, Chemistry, Psychology, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Neurobiology & Behavior and the Institute for Advanced Computational Science. This unique opportunity allowed attendees to see first-hand what it would be like to conduct research at Stony Brook University. Attendees also learned about institutional and external funding mechanisms that can support their graduate studies. Visit the CIE’s event webpage to view the full PDF presentation on funding.
We would like to thank all of our campus partners who contributed to the success of Graduate School Preview Day! Special thanks to our faculty panelists: Drs. Dilip Gersappe, Robert Br. (Barney) Grubbs, Kathleen M. Fallon, and David A. Rubenstein; as well as our graduate student panelists: Vaughn Greene, Jr., Brittany Miller, Hanna Morales, and Yalile Suriel.
Questions about graduate study at Stony Brook, funding opportunities or the Center for Inclusive Education? Email us at CIE_GraduateSchool@stonybrook.edu or call 631-632-1386