Secrets from a Graduate Admissions Professional

One of the most rewarding benefits of my job is watching students earn their degree.  As a graduate school admission professional I have experienced the full lifecycle from an initial inquiry to the grand finale—commencement.

The times that I have worked the “line,” ensuring the future graduates are in the correct order to walk the stage to pick up their prized degree has brought many flashbacks in which I remember (sometimes) in vivid detail.

Here’s one of my favorites: At the institution I was working for, we targeted hospital employees for a graduate program in healthcare administration. Our team at the office had made great strides promoting this particular degree, as we encouraged students with the prospect of having it meet onsite at their hospital. To make the prospect of earning a master’s even easier, we had a baccalaureate completion program in healthcare administration. At a particular scheduled information session at a northern NH hospital, I met a very accomplished woman who had an associate’s degree and a position in the administration. She was very eager to speak with me after the meeting to tell me her educational dreams. After discussing with her what it was going to take to get her master’s she was still very motivated and ready to hit the books—for several years.

Move the clock forward, and now this woman has won numerous awards and is a leader in her field. She is one of the people initiating change in healthcare in our state.  I often see notes in the newspapers about her recent accomplishments. It makes me proud that the chance meeting we had and the programs we offered fulfilled and exceeded her career goals.

I have been recruiting for Granite State College for only a few months, and I am very excited about my new job. The College is now offering two masters programs--for the first time! We're proud to offer the Master of Science in Project Management and the Master of Science in Leadership. These two programs are not only flexible and affordable, but are also practical for most industries and professions.

Granite State College is New Hampshire's best deal for higher education. First of all, they have ten locations, from Nashua to Littleton NH, and eight more in between, plus it is a part of the University of New Hampshire System.  For undergraduates they offer an array of programs, including the School of Education--which includes early childhood education, paraeducator certification and teacher preparation programs. It amazes me how Granite State is just about off every highway exit. And, if you don't want to go too far, you can get your degree online.

This is what I love about my job in graduate education. It truly is a gift that keeps on giving.

Occasionally, I meet up with a potential graduate student who has a touch of anxiety about writing their statement of intent, one of the application components for Granite State College's Master's Degree Programs. I gently explain that it is 500-1000 word statement which includes professional goals and aspirations, motivation for applying for the degree, and relevant formal or informal experiences. I suggest that they start by predicting their career future. Where do they see themselves in a few years? What narrative can they bring to the program? Review the course descriptions carefully, envision the skills taught in GSC graduate classes, and apply them personally and professionally. Review the Granite State College practitioner based graduate faculty. Where do they work? What can you gain from their real world experience? After these brief suggestions to the applicant, I sense relief on their part.

The greatest presumed anxiety on graduate essay writing is marketed to the upper tier and ivy b-school applicants. You can hire an editor, work with a coach, or just purchase one. I found a multitude of options on the internet. What is most alarming is that, if you think you are darn good enough for an elite school, one would hope that penning the perfect picture of your business acumen would be YOU. A well thought out and perfectly written statement about YOU can only come from YOU.

The GSC Office of Graduate Studies understands that you are who you are. You want to succeed and we're here to see that you do. Our degrees are concise, focused, and applicable to numerous businesses and industries.

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently. It’s a strategic competency for organizations, enabling them to tie project results to business goals - and thus, better compete in their markets--according to the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The Master of Science in Leadership program focuses on an action-learning approach, intended to leverage the interdisciplinary backgrounds of participants and help build leadership competencies. We believe that the principles of leadership, when mastered, are applicable in any environment – whether commerce, education, health care, government, or social services.

To find out more about GSC's programs, give us a call at 603.513.1135 or visit www.granite.edu. And, relax about writing our essay, we know you can do it.

You can run, but you can’t hide—in online.

If you have never taken an online course, or have free floating anxiety about logging into a classroom, please read on. Some of the potential students I meet in information sessions, graduate school fairs, or speak with on the phone, have a huge block of fear when it comes to learning this way. At Granite State College (GSC), we offer two master’s degree programs: an M.S. in Leadership and M.S. in Project Management. We do offer a few graduate courses in Concord, Portsmouth, and Manchester - however, the majority of the Master of Science classes are often online.

Laura was an adult Granite State College student for several years, furiously working towards completing her baccalaureate degree while taking part time classes. She was a professional HR director, and GSC helped her get to where she wanted to be. She loved taking courses at GSC, and had taken them in all delivery methods - hybrid, weekend, evening, and online courses. I was delighted to meet Laura at a conference recently - her enthusiasm for lifelong learning was infectious. I thought she would be a great master's candidate for either the Project Management or Leadership program.

As she was nearing the end of her undergraduate career, the last course she needed to complete was Interpersonal Communication. It was a course offered online and she had every intention of taking it, even with its ironic online delivery. While telling me her story, I flashed back to my undergraduate days. I took Interpersonal Communication in a decade when online learning was not available. I quickly assumed it could only be a classroom course, learning the art and science of successful communication. I paused in my thoughts and was preparing for the worst. How could a college create this online? I prepared for a sympathetic reply.

As she continued her enthusiasm for (what I thought) was a pedagogical mish mash of course delivery gone wrong, I started to listen closer. Her family and friends thought she was making an error in judgment.  "Don’t do it," they said. "You’re crazy." She took the course successfully and told me it was the best course she ever took. The posts were lively, deep, and thoughtful. She made friends with a number of people in the virtual classroom. “You can’t hide in an online learning platform. Students who are shy in a classroom can’t hide in online learning. You can also think about your posts, edit, and get your point across clearly.” Her sales pitch was right on queue. And, I know she is correct.

This brief encounter with Laura gives me more fuel and intelligence for the GSC graduate programs. I have chatted with potential students who feel the same way Laura’s friends and family did. The anxiety about getting a graduate degree online can be eradicated when you listen to Laura's story. She preferred her online courses. It was her time. She’d get up at 5:00 a.m. and start her coursework before the day got away from her. Laura is now applying to Master of Science in Leadership, and is very excited about the incredibly flexible, affordable, and relevant program. “It’s time to do it. And, I love that I can take it online.”

 

As a graduate admission counselor, I can tell you many wonderful things about our programs.  For example, you have the flexibility of the program - your choice between taking an online class and learning in a traditional classroom setting. I can speak to you about the affordability factor - where else can you earn a master’s degree for under 15k? We can talk about assessment and outcomes, and the high level of customer service the faculty and staff at Granite State College gives to all students. We can review the pedagogy of our two highly tuned programs. And how they are designed to incorporate your own set of competencies and propel them into a new improved skill set. But after much thought, I believe one of the best methods of trying to convince you to apply is to hear what our students have been saying.

“I have received my Associate, Bachelor's, and am two weeks away from receiving my Master’s degree from Granite State College. Granite State College is a professional school with professional faculty that helped me to achieve goals that I would have never thought of achieving ten years ago. The flexibility of their online courses and on-site courses in multiple locations gave me the flexibility to “fit” school in no matter where I was at in my life. In addition to the education I have received at GSC, I have also had the opportunity to make great friends and create a network of people of both faculty and students.” -- Bonnie Soule

Thank you, Bonnie! I appreciate your comments. I am delighted that Granite State College could help you achieve your educational goals.

“The graduate program at Granite State College is flexible for my demanding career and has allowed me to expand my leadership knowledge and provided me the management tools I need to succeed in today’s fast paced public safety environment.” -- Paul Dean

Thank you, Paul, for sharing your experience and growth that you gleaned from our master’s program. Paul works in law enforcement, and from his post it sounds like he got the tools he needed to excel at his job. Way to go, Paul!

Take your career and life to the next level. Achieve educational goals you never thought were possible. Call me at 603.513.1135 or visit www.granite.edu to explore our graduate programs. You will be glad you did.

I love my job.  I recently had the opportunity to attend two events and was able to be up close and personal with two of the University System of New Hampshire's (USNH) presidents—and this does not include the one I work for.

Each venue was different in topic and setting. After listening to each of the president’s messages, one passage was the same. “We are only given 6% of our budget from the State. Essentially, we run like a private school.” Could that have been planned? No, I seriously doubt College Presidents call each other the night before about wearing the same tie color or chat about the same message to give (that’s what Politicians do!).  The message was said both times without judgment. It’s just a fact.

What impresses me most about working for this 31,000 student and 6,000 employee university system is that collegiality and respect runs rampant. For me, working for Granite State College’s relatively new graduate programs, I get a positive affirmation from a colleague almost each time I meet someone new. We are free to collaborate, explore, expand and discover the talents that each institution has that could benefit a sister school, and our voices are heard when we speak of ideas and change.  Here, the equation is 1 + 1 = 3. Yes, you get more when you work together with excellence in leadership with what you have.
 

The more I thought about this academic environment I call my professional home, I began to realize that we also teach our students how we behave, or even better, what we believe. The collegiality in the USNH parallels the Granite State College Master of Science in Leadership.  In part, the pedagogy behind our program in leadership comes from scholar Joe Raelin's Four C’s of Leadership: Collective, Concurrent, Collaborative and Compassionate. We are collective, which means that we can all serve as leaders, and can be heard. Concurrent is the thought that we can all have a say; a contribution is an important part of the process. Collaboratively, we all work together and engage in dialogue. And lastly, we have compassion, which preserves the dignity of everyone on the team, especially when an action is taken.

At GSC and our sister institutions, we practice this on a daily basis.  Collectively, we work together coming up with solutions and ideas that serve the greater good of our students and our community—including our sister institutions. Concurrently, we are free to have leadership at all levels in our institutions—we are all important members. Collaboratively, we work together until a mutual idea is brought forth and found to be the best solution. And, we are compassionate through our humble nature. We don’t gloat. We worked together.

At Granite State College, our graduate programs' philosophy is to teach what you practice.

According to the US Census Bureau, 30% of adults over 25 years old hold a baccalaureate degree and almost 11% hold a graduate degree. These numbers increased about 25% from 10 years ago.  

The benefits of earning a degree outweigh the negatives when it comes to job performance and skills. A graduate degree will give the recipient excellent analytical skills, an additional network of fellow students who are in the workforce, and it may get their resume to the top of the pile.

At Granite State College we have two graduate degrees that fit easily into a busy lifestyle and cover curriculums that cross many industry lines. This makes them pragmatic and practical, and one of the most affordable options in the region.

The GSC Graduate program in Leadership offers interesting courses, like Ethical Decision Making (hmm..maybe I can recruit at the political conventions), Foundations of Organizational Communication (talking to chairs may not be covered), and Emergence of a Strategic Leader (very timely).

Our Project Management degree course listing includes Risk Management, Project Planning and Scheduling, and Project Quality Management.

Interestingly enough, when I look at these course listings I see how they can fit in most jobs and many career paths. You will be better organized, a highly skill full thinker and thoughtful decision maker. I know in my own job of a graduate school recruiter and marketer how these skills help me on a daily basis.

And with that, I will close. I've got to hop a flight to Charlotte.

The fall semester begins in a few weeks. I know that Granite State College has one of the best project management programs around, and a terrific leadership master's program. No matter how much I blog about how great the faculty, program directors, and the entire staff of the College,  you can only really tell when you hear from the students in the programs. Please take a moment to listen to Mary.

I read a recent survey of the cost of a graduate degree—and it got me thinking. Here’s what I am trying to understand: A Mercedes-Benz is expensive. You can find a model for $80K. Yes, it is aesthetically beautiful, comfortable, and prestigious. A Toyota Prius is roughly one-third of the cost of the Benz. The Prius is practical, well-designed, and extremely fuel efficient. However, the most important similarity is that both cars get the driver to the same place.

Fast forward to graduate programs in New Hampshire. There are many choices. Do they get you to the same place? Granite State College’s Master of Science in Leadership and MS in Project Management offer similar curriculum and assessments linked to professional standards as other higher-priced institutions, extremely good student customer service and care, pragmatic skills for an evolving and global marketplace, faculty who are experts in their subject matter, online and in-person course options, and finally, affordability.

If you are interested in looking further into an experience at Granite State College, and into the Master of Science in Leadership and the Master of Science in Project Management—I will be in Durham on Wednesday, August 8, from 12 to 1pm to conduct a drop-in info session at Memorial Union, Theater One. I hope to see you there!