Ideal Timeline of What to Do When

Service Alert: The Career Centre is moving to the Dahdaleh building! During the transition, in-person services will be impacted. 1-on-1 Appointments with Career Counsellors and Career Educators will only be available virtually from July 28 – August 15, 2025. Bookings can be made on Experience York. We look forward to welcoming you to our new space.

Because entry into many programs can be competitive, you need to craft an application package that will get you noticed by a selection committee.

  • Identify your motivations for pursuing further education: Why do you want to do this? Seek advice from your professors and TAs, book a Career Counselling appointment
  • Research options for further education related to your goals: Check out Career Cruising: Research and explore detailed information about careers and educational programs using this multimedia online resource. Professional organizations and associations are an excellent way to learn more about a career of interest, professional designations, and networking opportunities (e.g. memberships, conferences). For additional information about professional associations visit the Career Cruising website; login information and the link to the site can be found on the Career Centre home page of Experience York, under CAREER DEVELOPMENT TOOLS. 
  • Calculate your GPA: Determine whether you meet the minimum GPA requirements to apply to your preferred programs. Remember, most successful applicants will be well above the minimum. 
  • Identify potential supervisors if you are going to grad school: Get advice from professors and TAs in your field, check program websites for a list of faculties and their research interests. 
  • Consider potential referees (profs who could write your reference letters): Do you have 2-3 professors who know your work well? Should you take more courses with potential referees? Seek advice from your TAs and professors. 
  • Choose relevant research topics for coursework (if possible): Whenever you can, select essays and projects related to the topics you want to explore further, consider doing a directed reading course in your field, and/or a Research at York (RAY) position related to your field of interest. 
  • Prepare for any required exams (e.g. LSAT, MCAT, GRE etc.): Look up the website of the exam you need to take – for advice and preparation guidelines, consider taking a prep class or course often available at school e.g. - Osgoode School of Law offers free LSAT classes for students in financial need. 
  • Assess your portfolio/writing sample: Many grad programs ask for a writing sample (18-25 pages) so seek out opportunities to write papers in your courses to satisfy this requirement. They should be somewhat related to your research interests, or at least methodologically similar.

A Primer on Getting Into Graduate School: a list of useful tips from Eric Walters at UC Berkeley. 

Writing the Personal Statement: Purdue Online Writing Lab provides this list of things to consider when writing a personal statement, including questions to ask yourself before you write. 

Contact Us

Virtual, 202 McLaughlin College

The Career Centre offers a hybrid service model for career advising and counselling services.  You are welcome to schedule virtual or in-person appointments. 

Career Lounge Hours:

Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (In-person and Virtual)

Monday Evening Hours: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Virtual Only)

Summer Fridays: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (operating virtually from May to August)