Students at Florida A&M University will soon gain the information and resources needed to apply and gain entrance to graduate school.
Chanta Haywood, dean of the School of Graduate Studies & Research, will educate students in this process. “The Write Steps to Producing Outstanding Research Papers at FAMU and Beyond” is the title of the seminar that she will head March 24.
“It will offer a direct, hands-on and practical solution to the challenge that many students face when writing college level research papers,” Haywood said.
Topics to be covered include writing strong papers for classes, drafting a convincing research centered personal statement, collecting positive and strong recommendations and preparing a competitive application.
Haywood said students should matriculate through FAMU with the idea in mind to attend a graduate or professional school upon graduation.
“This is critical because you all need advanced degrees to be competitive,” Haywood said.
Haywood said it would be wise of students to research the faculty within their study of interest, especially if they are on the selection committee. The admission committee uses the process of elimination that is checking for incomplete applications, grammatical errors or applicants that show no effort.
Prospective graduate study students should have a well-written personal statement, an exceptional grade point average and follow directions are reviewed.
Linda Knight, director of FAMU Graduate Feeder Scholars Program, said it depends on the college or university to which a student is interested in. Not all schools are looking for the same qualifications. For example, one school may be in search of diversity and another may look at the personal statement.
Knight said there is a range of reasons in the graduate student selection process. It is up to the student to find out the best choice of study and school.
Director of FAMU Honors Program Emma Dawson said by attending the two-hour session, students gain tools that are helpful for graduate school preparation.
“We welcome all majors,” Dawson said. “If you’re a smart and savvy freshmen or sophomore who wants to get a head start – it’s always a plus.”
Dawson said the purpose of this seminar is to “make sure our students are cared for so we provide them with all the information and tools necessary.”
The Graduate Studies Web site shows that FAMU offers 11 doctoral degrees and 42 master degree programs. The Graduate School’s plan is to provide help to students by creating numerous activities.
Frances McMillon, FAMU honors program counselor of admissions, said the seminar is not only for students wanting to attend graduate school at FAMU.
McMillon said the event schedule is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication lecture hall.
Please visit the Graduate Studies Web site via www.famu.edu to see a complete listing of all graduate degrees offered at FAMU.