Editing Postgraduate education (section)

===Admission===
While most graduate programs will have a similar list of general admission requirements, the importance placed on each type of requirement can vary drastically between graduate schools, departments within schools, and even programs within departments. The best way to determine how a graduate program will weigh admission materials is to ask the person in charge of graduate admissions at the particular program being applied to.
Admission to graduate school requires a bachelor's degree. High grades in one's field of study are important—grades outside the field less so. Traditionally in the past, the [[Graduate Record Examination]] [[standardized test]] was required by almost all graduate schools, however, programs in multiple disciplines are removing the GRE requirement for their admission process.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Langin|first1=Katie|date=2019-05-29|title=A wave of graduate programs drops the GRE application requirement|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/wave-graduate-programs-drop-gre-application-requirement|access-date=2020-08-27|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|language=en}}</ref>  Some programs require other additional standardized tests (such as the [[Graduate Management Admission Test]] (GMAT) and [[Graduate Record Examination#GRE Subject Tests|Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Subject Tests]]) to apply to their institutions.<ref name="PhDProcess">Dale Bloom, Jonathan Karp, Nicholas Cohen, ''[[iarchive:phdprocessstuden0000bloo|The Ph.D. Process: A Student's Guide to Graduate School in the Sciences]]'', Oxford University Press, 1998, {{ISBN|0-19-511900-2}}.</ref><ref name="AboutAdmissions101">[http://gradschool.about.com/od/admissionsadvice/a/overview.htm Graduate School Admissions 101], About.com, accessed September 2, 2007</ref> During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the GRE exam moved to an online format. This led some programs to waive GRE requirements temporarily or permanently, arguing that the new format was unfair or too difficult for test-takers.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Hu|first1=Jane C.|date=2020-06-24|title=Graduate programs drop GRE after online version raises concerns about fairness|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/graduate-programs-drop-gre-after-online-version-raises-concerns-about-fairness|access-date=2020-08-27|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Langin |first=Katie |date=November 29, 2022 |title='GRExit' gains momentum as Ph.D. programs drop exam requirement |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/gre-exit-gains-momentum-ph-d-programs-drop-exam-requirement-amid-pandemic |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330204224/https://www.science.org/content/article/gre-exit-gains-momentum-ph-d-programs-drop-exam-requirement-amid-pandemic |archive-date=March 30, 2023 |access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref> In addition, good [[Recommendation letter|letters of recommendation]] from undergraduate instructors are often essential,<ref name="AboutChoosingLetters">[http://gradschool.about.com/od/askingforletters/a/askrec.htm Recommendation Letters: Choosing Referees], About.com, accessed September 2, 2007.</ref> as strong recommendation letters from mentors or supervisors of undergraduate research experience provide evidence that the applicant can perform research and can handle the rigors of a graduate school education.

Within the sciences and some social sciences, previous research experience may be important.<ref name="PhDProcess" /><ref name="AboutResearchExp">[http://gradschool.about.com/od/admissionsadvice/a/research.htm Research Experience for Graduate Admissions], About.com, accessed September 2, 2007.</ref> By contrast, within most humanities disciplines, an example of academic writing normally suffices. Many universities require a personal statement (sometimes called [[statement of purpose]] or [[letter of intent]]), which may include indications of the intended area(s) of research.<ref name="AboutAdmissions101" /> The amount of detail in this statement and whether it is possible to change one's focus of research depend strongly on the discipline and department to which the student is applying.

Some schools set minimum [[grade point average|GPA]]s and test scores below which they will not accept any applicants;<ref name="AboutGradGPA">[http://gradschool.about.com/od/admissionsadvice/a/gpa.htm GPA and Graduate School Admission], About.com, accessed September 2, 2007.</ref> this reduces the time spent reviewing applications. On the other hand, many other institutions often explicitly state that they do not use any sort of cut-offs in terms of GPA or the GRE scores. Instead, they claim to consider many factors, including past research achievements, the compatibility between the applicant's research interest and that of the faculty, the statement of purpose and the letters of reference, as stated above. Some programs also require professors to act as sponsors. Finally, applicants from non-English speaking countries often must take the [[Test of English as a Foreign Language]] (TOEFL).<ref name="ETSTOEFL">[http://www.ets.org/toefl/ TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language], Educational Testing Service, accessed September 2, 2007.</ref>

At most institutions, decisions regarding admission are not made by the institution itself but the department to which the student is applying. Some departments may require interviews before making a decision to accept an applicant.<ref name="AboutAdmissions101" /> Most universities adhere to the [https://cgsnet.org/resources/for-current-prospective-graduate-students/april-15-resolution Council of Graduate Schools' Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants], which gives applicants until April 15 to accept or reject offers that contain financial support.