Grad School Prep Lab Workshop Success
Last month, 34 students gathered for the Grad School Prep Lab, hosted by Cornell Career Services and the Graduate School. This intensive workshop aimed to help juniors and seniors at Cornell jumpstart their graduate school applications.
The evening started with a brief overview of research-focused graduate programs like MA/MS and PhD, presented by Alex Jablonski (Assistant Director for Pre-Law and Pre-Graduate Advising in Cornell Career Services). Students learned about the ins and outs of these degrees and reviewed reflection questions to clarify their decisions to pursue graduate education.
“The activities were very helpful, especially the resume exchange and elevator pitches.“ – Attendee
The workshop’s main sections were each framed around the theme of “Telling Your Story,” through which participants began to consider the stories that their application materials holistically would tell. First, Dr. Colleen McClinn (Associate Dean for Professional Development) and Dr. Christine Holmes (Director for Postdoctoral Studies), of the Graduate School, offered advice on building effective resumes and CVs, and then students exchanged resumes with their neighbors, looking to see how much they could learn about one another’s goals and research interests.
Next, following a presentation on application essays by Anitra Douglas-McCarthy (Assistant Dean for Access and Recruitment) and Dr. Urszula Piasta-Mansfield (Assistant Director for Access and Recruitment), of the Graduate School, students engaged in a freewriting exercise, working from a series of prompts to begin sketching out the details and experiences that would eventually figure into their statements of purpose and personal statements.
Finally, Alex Jablonski and Dr. Jessamyn Perlus (Senior Associate Director with Cornell Career Services) provided an overview of networking and interviewing and then led students in crafting their own “elevator pitches”–brief, engaging introductions that could capture the stories they had started to put together.
Overall, the Grad School Prep Lab was a success. Students left feeling informed, confident, and ready to tackle their applications. The event fostered a sense of community and support, making it a memorable and impactful evening.
“I was able to talk to others and get reassurance that although I have weaknesses, I still have a chance of getting to graduate school.” – Attendee
