Customer Reviews

Graduate School: Winning Strategies for Getting in With or Without Excellent Grades

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I felt like I wasted my money purchasing this book. In general, it was mostly just common sense for anyone who is really serious about applying to graduate school - ie talk to professors, talk to grad students, research the programs you are interested in. Basically, it said that if you do not have excellent grades, you need to have other areas of strength. Obviously.
I did find some parts of the book to be quite humorous. It was published in 1997 and talked about using the internet to research schools as a novelty. It just shows that the internet is in use much more than it was when the book was published.
Additionally, the book was too long (and too expensive for its quantity and quality). The information could have been summarized in 20 pages max.
I really wish I had not purchased this book, but at least Amazon allowed me to return it and get my money back.
If you are looking for a book about applying to graduate school, I suggest looking elsewhere.

Graduate school application can be a foreboding task. Many undergraduate students are unfamiliar with the review procedures and selection criteria that are used by the various graduate schools. Consequently, students often fail to present their applications in a manner that will make them most attractive to their chosen school. It is imperative that applicants prepare themselves by becoming familiar with the requirements and expectations of their chosen school. This is a task that students should undertake as early in their undergraduate career as possible.

In order to avoid the frustration of rejection, any undergraduate applicant should do three things: 1) Consult with an Academic Advisor at the undergraduate institution (as early as possible). 2) Find out as much as possible about the available graduate programs in your chosen field of study, and consult with potential graduate supervisors in the appropriate graduate schools. 3) Read "Graduate School : Winning Strategies for Getting in With or Without Excellent Grades".

This book is an excellent orientation to the process of graduate school application. Dr. Mumby provides a very clear and easy-to-read analysis of what you should know when you select a program, how you should prepare an application for that program, and how you should follow up that application in an appropriate and timely fashion. This book will make the application process less daunting, and will help students overcome some of the pitfalls that may otherwise handicap their application. Dr. Mumby also makes some specific recommendations that will enhance students' applications. These suggestions range from finer points of style, to major tasks such as involvement in graduate-style academic activities at the undergraduate level. The book is a must-read for anyone considering application to graduate school. Undergraduate Advisors will also find that it is a useful tool in their academic advising activities with prospective graduate students.

If you're someone who doesn't have the prescribed 3.25 or above, someone who is just eeking by the minimum requirements for most grad. schools, than this book is a must-have. For me the biggest struggle in applying was coming up with enough courage and drive to just do it without procrastinating or rationalizing that I could continue to wait or that my very average GPA made even applying not worth my time.
Sure this book has some common-sense advice but even in this advice there are at least a few tidbits/different perspectives that will have you looking at the whole process anew, feeling prepared and above all else, CONFIDENT. Good luck.

The book offers the prospective grad student a straightforward guide to the admissions process. From researching the right graduate program, preparing for standardized admissions tests (GRE, LSAT, etc.), to writing a personal statement and obtaining letters of recommendation, Dr. Mumby helps demystify the process, breaking it down into easy and well defined steps.

I purchased this book and a few others on the topic and this was by far the most useful. The main reason was because it not only gave countless tips on what is important and what is not, but it was the only book that actually explained WHY certain things are important. It really changed my perception of how the process of getting into graduate school works, and this was something that the other books did not do. I think the other review that says this book is all about common sense is completely off the mark. (The other reviews I can agree with). The great thing about this book is that it deals with stuff that is NOT common sense...things that most people would never guess about the way students get accepted into grad school. Unlike the other books, this one has a small format and is full of text on every page...overall, it contains more information and useful advice than most of the other books that have lots of extra junk and large margins to make the book seem bigger and like a better value. It also has a good index, and although the website list in the appendix is outdated, it still gives a good idea of what types of useful websites you can find out there.

This book was a wonderful tool during my Grad School application process. It was a quick read and provided a wide range of tips and Do's/Don't that aren't mentioned at all on free online sites or a majority of the other reference books to help your chance of getting into Grad School. There are quite a few college students who spent most of their free time drinking beer rather than coffee at the library. And, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but if being a social butterfly or a bad test-taker has prevented you from the Summa Cum Laude crowd, this book is pretty honest in letting you know which schools you have a chance of being accepted to and those that will most likely immediately reject you. Even if you do have a 4.0 and were Student Body President, this book will provide you great insider tips as well. Applying to Grad School is 100 times more complicated than the Undergraduate application process. Even if you don't buy this particular book, DO buy at least one book that offers application tips. It will prove to be a wise investment.

This book provides clear, step-by-step information that students need to know about the application process;one which is complex and at times ovewhelming. I particularly appreciated the sections of the book which explained the decision-making process and the importance of choosing a supervisor based not only on the type of research area but on personal factors as well. Although much information about potential schools, supervisors, research areas etc.. is available on the web, there is also much to consider that cannot be obtained easily and this book really addresses those issues well. I myself am still unsure of when I will be applying to graduate school, however, I am sure to use this book when the time does come.

This book, while very helpful and packed with information is mostly for the undergraduate interested in pursuing an advanced degree. I have been out for quite some time so I am not sure if I will get many answers to my tough questions.

I must say that I'm really glad that I read this book twice. The first time I was greatly unimpressed, the author covered obvious points. However, finding myself applying to a completely different program and with bad grades I decided to read it again, and I'm glad. The author mentioned great points that I never considered. My first go around I used Getting What You Came For" with wonderful results, however, this book gave advice that I hadn't previously found on C.V., cover letters, contacting department heads and so forth. The book may seem dated to some but it was a wonderful resource, more helpful than the Graduate School Handbook that so many recommend. I think that it's a great read no matter where you are on your search for graduate school. However, if you have already graduated I suggest that you pick up another book as an accompaniment.

My friends benefited a lot from the book: they had GPA around 3.2 but followed the instructions of the book and they got accepted to the top schools to pursue their graduate work. I found it extremely well informed--your academic councillor may not know all and the book can serve as an extremely helpful councillor!