The Art of Graduate School Admissions Coaching

by Dr. KT on March 5, 2012

Coaching Defined

Whether you’re talking about athletics or dating or starting a business, it is a natural inclination to seek out the help of someone who has once stood in your shoes, faced the challenges that lie ahead of you, and successfully navigated those obstacles to the other side of sweet success. No matter the specific area in which you need assistance, coaching, under the guidance of a professional coach, is the art of supporting someone through a process of achieving a specific, meaningful accomplishment.

What is Grad School Admissions Coaching?

Grad school admissions coaching then is a process where you (the client) are walked through a step-by-step process in applying to grad school. Every client enters into the coaching relationship with different strengths, weaknesses, and different needs. Let’s see if you recognize yourself in any of the following scenarios:

  • “I have questions about the grad school application process and need straight answers”
  • “I am completely overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin”
  • “How do I figure out which program is best for me?”
  • “My grades and test scores aren’t the greatest. Do I still have hope of getting in?”
  • “I’ve applied to grad school before, I didn’t get in, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong”

If any of these situations sounds vaguely familiar, YOU could benefit from working one-on-one with a graduate admissions coach.

As a grad school coach, there is one ultimate goal I have for each of my clients: To submit their applications with the utmost CONFIDENCE they have presented themselves in their strongest, most brilliant light – one in which admissions committees are likely to name you as a top candidate for their program. In other words, we figure out a STRATEGY to help stack the deck in favor of earning your very own acceptance letter.

My Story

Way back before I became a grad school coach, before I earned my doctorate in psychology, before I ever took my first graduate level course, I was rejected from grad school. I learned the hard way that successfully getting into grad school is a more complex equation than having a high GPA or test scores.

I remember having questions about grad school and no one to answer. Sure, I had professors who had been there and done that, but they were busy with classes and I had to compete with my classmates for Office Hours time. I also had advisors at my university. They issued advice on which classes to take, but their advice was limited as far as applying and getting into grad school. And they surely weren’t available to review all of my materials to make sure they were submission-ready. There are plenty of “get into grad school” books but what about specific questions that cannot be answered in print? What about critique of my materials before I spend hundreds of dollars in application fees?

How I Can Help

A great grad school admissions coach understands the ART of getting into grad school. Coaching isn’t a mathematical formula. It isn’t a measurable science. It is an active process of working hand-in-hand with someone with great promise and helping them REALIZE their potential. Sometimes it means listening to your fears, sharing your stories from when you were in the trenches, clearing up confusion, keeping you accountable, and minimizing feelings of overwhelm and anxiety. Coaching is all about meeting you where you are and enacting an individualized action plan that works FOR YOU.

Grad school coaching is the “softer” side of the application process. Whether you’re applying to a master’s degree program, Ph.D., MBA, law school, or medical school, the coaching process is the same: It is whatever you need, whenever you need it, to help you on your way to grad school superstardom. But first, you have to successfully earn the approval of the admissions committee.

If you could use help in ANY one of these areas, then I’m your coach! Check out my coaching packages and figure out which one is best for you.

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