Deadlines come up faster than you might think. Give yourself a decent cushion for materials to be received on time.

Get the easy stuff like transcripts and GRE scores sent in early so you don't have to worry about getting them in at the last minute. To avoid a backlog at the registrar’s, you may want to stockpile a stack of sealed, official transcripts that you will send to universities directly.

Avoid last-minute computer glitches or internet problems by submitting at least 48 hours before the deadline.

The earlier you approach letter writers, the better your chances of their agreeing. Offer to provide them with a Statement of Purpose draft in order that they can tailor their recommendation to match what you are saying. You may also want to give them an edited version of your application chart, in order that they can see which departments you’re applying to and upcoming deadlines. These documents should be provided no less than 2 weeks before the deadline.

If you have been out of school for a while or if you your letter writer is not very familiar with your research, provide them with an updated CV/resume. You may also want to provide each professor with a paper you wrote for a course you took with them - preferably WITH their comments.​​​

Letter writers do not have to be professors, but they should be individuals with some degree of awareness of and clout within the field of study. They should also be able to speak authoritatively about your prior work and potential for success within the program or future career. While they may speak of character traits that will support their argument for your suitability, this is not a character statement.

If selecting an employer as a letter writer, provide them with details about the program and your reasons for applying so that they can better speak about what traits and experience makes you a good match.

Letter writers can be notorious for ignoring or stretching submission deadlines. Quite often, this will not be a detriment to the applicant, but on occasion there is no extra time permitted for late supplemental materials. As such, it may be a good idea to give your letter writers earlier deadlines, but be sure to also increase the amount of time they have to prepare your letter, especially if it is the first one they have written for you.

It is not a bad idea to email potential advisors to introduce yourself, let them know that you are intending to apply, provide them with a CV, and ask if they are taking students for the upcoming year. 

If you are vacillating between applying to MA and PhD programs or different departments, potential advisors can provide key insights into how they see your application comparing with their standard accepted students as well as which environment seem to be the best fit for your interests. They can also provide you with helpful information regarding funding opportunities and availability. 

Contacting potential advisors can be a very helpful step in the application process, but it’s best to contact professors well before the application rush. Avoid the busiest times of the academic year (beginning and end of the semester), and keep in mind that professors may not be checking their emails regularly over the course of the summer.

The statement of purpose is your opportunity to demonstrate your voice, your focus, your fit, and your suitability for the program. Consider the type of “tone” you want to convey. Consider also what you want a reader to come away knowing about you and make sure your statement clearly conveys that. Anticipate going through multiple revisions, as this is one of the most important parts of the application.

Do not focus entirely upon your past experience or how you came to be in this field. Professors are often looking for students who demonstrate the ability to pose interesting research questions that are applicable to their general field. Past experience and unique qualifications can be used as supporting evidence that you can carry out the proposed research project (note: this is more of an exercise in demonstrating your research interests and skills than a promise to research this precise topic; you CAN change your mind and focus).

See also the page on writing statements of purpose.

Whether or not a program requires the GRE or other standardized tests should not be a factor in deciding where to apply. A GRE score in and of itself should not be the ultimate deciding factor about whether you are accepted or not; consider it as a necessary checkmark to get out of the way. 

That said, do not blow off the GRE. In schools where funding may be tight, the GRE may be the only common factor amongst potential students from multiple departments who are all competing for the same university funding packages. 

Your writing sample should reflect both your writing and research skills in your area of study. If your best piece of writing is in an unrelated or only tangentially related topic, send that if you have nothing else. Ideally, your writing sample should demonstrate your awareness of the field and your ability to analyze relevant information.

If you do not have a piece of writing that is long enough for page requirements, most programs permit you to submit multiple, shorter papers. 

While some places may not care if you go beyond page limits or include extra letters of recommendation, it is better to just follow directions and not risk coming across as someone to whom the rules do not apply or who thinks that they merit more attention than other applicants.

If the directions seem to be advocating unnecessary busy work, go ahead and do the extra work. Keep in mind that it will likely take you much longer to put together an application than it will take someone to read it. Even if directions seem redundant (like writing out classes already listed in your transcript), do what they say.