Ok so in Part I of this post, I shared a portion of my testimony about getting admitted into a PhD program. In this post I will be walking you through the basics of applying to a doctorate program. So lets get to it!
I have to say that growing up I was NOT prepared for college. No one in my family ever talked to me about the importance of getting a college education. No one motivated me to push beyond high school. My schools didn't emphasize college either (I know isn't that crazy??). It wasn't until I entered into doctoral studies and comprised a presentation in one of my classes on black culture that I understood that society has set up minorities to fail in several aspects. Poor educational systems and lack of funding for inner city schools are examples of how many children in the black community are programmed to believe that college is not something to aim for. I can only speak from my experience as a young black girl from the eastside of Detroit in the 90's. In high school, my counselor never talked to me about the purpose or importance of the ACT (American College Test) so I didn't take it seriously. I took it and got a score of 15 which isn't great at all. I barely heard of the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) so I never took it. That's how I know God has been with me through this ENTIRE process because the world didn't care if I made it to college or not.
As a black woman, it was only when I decided to apply for graduate school that I saw the racial divide in the classroom. It was rare that I saw another black student in my class or even within the faculty unless they were in the Africana/African-American studies department. Remember, I was a psychology major. I realized fast that I was different in this field and everywhere I looked reflected my differences. Even though my university promoted diversity, I was still the only black person in my master's class. To look around and not see one person who you can understand your ethnic/cultural experience as a student is disappointing, but I couldn't let that stop me. I guess I really noticed the racial differences because unlike undergraduate classes where a classroom can be as large as 100+ students, graduate classes are much smaller, and they continue to get smaller the higher you go up the academic ladder. My master's class started off with 12 students (but only five of us completed the program). At the PhD level, there are only four students in my class including me. In my program now I'm not the only woman of color but I am the only black student.
The purpose of this post is to show you how to apply to a PhD program, if this is something that you have been going back in forth in your mind about. I want to dispel any myths about the doctorate degree that might be intimidating you from applying. Most of all I just want people to know especially minorities that YOU CAN get a PhD! YOU CAN! I know that society has sent a message that minorities don't quite fit in this domain of education but I am a living testimony that if you want it to happen...GOD CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR YOU! You are intelligent enough and capable enough of having PhD behind your last name!
- WHAT SHOULD I GET MY DOCTORATE IN?
- There are so many areas to explore with a PhD! A PhD stands for Doctorate of Philosophy and you can earn a PhD in any discipline except medicine. The key to choosing the right area is to look within yourself. For me, I had to ask myself, "What is my purpose? What work am I here to do? Who am I here to help? What area(s) would I like to study and work in for the rest of my life?" For me, those areas are counseling and education. God showed me my purpose when I was very young so every college course I took had to do with psychology and counseling. Everyone's path isn't like that and that's ok. I would suggest that you begin thinking about this sooner than later though. If you have a bachelor's degree, you can be admitted straight into a PhD program (depending on the institution) and you can attain a Master's along the way by completing a thesis or certain exams. If you already have earned your master's degree, you can continue your doctoral studies in that same area or an area that is closely related (for example I switched my focus from psychology to counseling however since these areas are so closely related it was fairly simple to cross over). If you pick an area that is not closely related, most institutions require additional coursework to be completed before being admitted into a specific doctorate program. Lastly, and probably most importantly DO NOT I repeat DO NOT choose to pursue a PhD because you want to make tons of money! I know professionals that chose a paycheck over their purpose and they HATE going to work everyday. I'm not saying that money isn't an important factor but it shouldn't be the only factor that you look at.
- WHAT PROGRAM SHOULD I CHOOSE?
- When choosing the right doctorate program for you it will be important that you take time to DO YOUR RESEARCH!!! Take into consideration location. Are you willing or able to relocate to another state or two hours away from where you live now? Look at faculty research interests. Does any faculty member have similar research interests as you or new research interests that attract you? Look at the courses listed for the program. Look at the length of the program. Are you willing and able to commit to what is required?? Make sure to visit the campus and check out the environment and schedule an appointment to speak with an advisor.
- SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!
- I know for me, I refused to take out any other loans for my education. I already had accrued loan debt from my bachelor's and master's degrees. I knew that going forward into my PhD I wanted it to be DEBT FREE. What most don't know about PhD programs is that a lot of them are FULLY FUNDED. When researching programs, look to see how they will fund your education. Being fully funded means receiving a monthly stipend for your living expenses and a tuition waiver. Some institutions also offer health insurance. In exchange for funding, students work for the university as graduate assistants doing both teaching and research. Full funding is the primary reason why PhD programs are so competitive. Typically PhD programs only admit a very small number of students because of the limited amount of funding. Also look for other sources of funding such as minority scholarships, fellowships, and research awards. If a university is not clear or does not provide full funding for your PhD you should consider applying elsewhere (click on link below):
- WHAT DO I NEED TO APPLY?
- In order to apply to a PhD program you must make sure that you read and provide all of the required materials. Its helpful to make a checklist to make sure that you don't miss anything. Most applications require the same materials. The link below is from Stanford University in California however I followed the same procedure when applying in Michigan:
- Make sure to take the Graduate Record Exam or GRE for short. Your GRE scores need to be submitted directly to the universities that you are applying to. The GRE is like the ACT and SAT that is taken in high school. It is a standardized assessment test that is taken for entrance into graduate school. The GRE is used by many graduate schools to determine an applicant's eligibility for grad studies (click the link below to read more about the GRE):
- WHEN SHOULD I APPLY?
- Most doctorate programs only admit once a year, typically December first. It will be important to make sure that you verify program deadlines to make sure that you get all of your materials submitted on time. Make sure that you give yourself plenty of room. For example, when I was applying to grad school two of my recommendation writers submitted their letters later than I expected. It was only because I requested the letters earlier than I needed to that the letters were submitted on time. Always account for the unexpected. Create a timeline for yourself:
I hope this information helps and encourages you. Dare to go for your doctorate!!! I want to be the first in congratulating you on your admission FUTURE DOCTOR!
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