Advice to Alumni
Deferring Matriculation
Many students inquire whether it will be acceptable to defer matriculation once admitted to a graduate program. The school or departmental web site may address this question as part of the application information. In general, however, it is wise to apply to a Ph.D. program only when you intend to matriculate at the end of that application cycle. Departments are allocated an annual fellowship budget to support a defined number of continuing and entering graduate students. Since the size of an entering graduate class in any single department is small, typically fewer than 20 students, the program is often reluctant to commit funded positions for what might be a smaller fellowship budget in the subsequent year. Thus, students who prefer a hiatus between undergraduate and graduate should wait to apply rather than expect a deferral of matriculation. There are, however, exceptions. Students who have won major national or international awards, e.g., a Rhodes or Fulbright Scholarship will be welcomed in the future. If a deferral is approved, it will be for a specific length of time, but it is not common to defer matriculation from the fall to the spring.
Applying as a Recent Graduate
Graduate departments have no preference for seniors or recent graduates as applicants. As long as you are able to demonstrate that you ready to begin advanced courses in the discipline and graduate level research, your application will receive the same attention as any other. If you prefer not to advance immediately to graduate school upon earning your baccalaureate degree, your choice for the interim period should be employment that is relevant to your chosen discipline or one that enhances the skills you will need in your Ph.D. work--employment in a lab setting for science majors, statistical analysis for the quantitative social sciences, clinical assistance for psychology, an international placement to improve language skills, or writing and editing for almost any discipline. Working in an appropriate setting often enhances a subsequent application, especially when the experience has guided the individual’s interests toward a more focused study and research plan for graduate study. The personal statement you write for the application should address the benefits of your employment, and you may want to ask a supervisor to write one of your recommendations to address the very skills
Applying to graduate school after you have completed your undergraduate degree at Duke is facilitated by a strong senior honors project and taking the GRE during or immediately after the senior year. The honors project helps students achieve a realistic understanding of the current issues in their discipline as well as the research and writing process that is fundamental to graduate education. If you did not engage in your major department’s honors program, your research experience should be made obvious in your personal statement. GRE scores are generally acceptable for 3-5 years even if the format of the exam changes. However, since the GRE General Test is undergoing substantial change, graduates who are making a new decision to apply for admission to a Ph.D. program should check the GRE web site for a description of the current exam and also check the web site for the graduate school and department to determine whether they may need to retake the GRE.
The application process for alumni and alumnae seeking admission to a Ph.D. program is the same as for seniors. Past graduates who have questions about applying to a Ph.D. program in the arts and sciences should feel free to email the Pregraduate Advising Office (pregrad@duke.edu) with questions or to set up a telephone appointment for conversation and advice.