What do you need to apply to University in the UK?

I graduated in Psychology with a 2:1 UK University and I would like to apply for a PhD or Dphil in Psychology, what do I need? What are the best tips to get in? Is there even a chance to get in without a masters? What about Oxbridge? How should I prepare? In what kinda things should I engage to boos

• Answer:

  Hi Aysha, Specific requirements vary from school to school, but here are the basics: So you think you want to go to graduate school? Many psychology students have some vague notion that they  should/would like to go to graduate school once they earn their  baccalaureate degree. Unfortunately, getting into graduate school is not  like getting into college. The graduate school admission process is  highly competitive and only about 20% of undergraduates ever make it to  some form of advanced academic education (e.g., law school, medical  school, graduate school in psychology or other discipline). That’s not  to say it’s impossible; it just requires quite a bit of planning and  hard work on your part and it’s never too soon to start.  A graduate  degree (like an undergrad degree) also does not guarantee a job of any  sort, let alone a job in your desired area. Why do you want to go to graduate school? If your answer is something along the lines of “because my family  expects me to” or “because you can’t get a job with a Bachelor’s in  psychology,” or “because I like going to school,”  you might want to  think again. First, this is not a decision to make lightly. As mentioned  above, graduate school is difficult (the attrition rate once in  graduate school is just over 50%) and it is hard to get in to graduate  school. The bottom line is: preparing for graduate school will require a  lot of sacrifices on your part (e.g., not being able to take “fun”  classes like underwater basket weaving because you have to TA or RA  instead; not being able to go to the movies Thursday night with friends  because you are running participants in the lab). If you truly want to  make those sacrifices, that’s great, but do it for you, not someone  else. Second, you actually can get a job with a degree in psychology.  For more information, go to: http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/07/Careers-With-Advanced-Degree-Talk-RMPA-2004-posted.ppt (powerpoint) http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/08/Landrum-Harrold-2003.pdf http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/07/Getting-a-Good-Job-with-a-BA-Talk-RMPA-2002-posted.ppt (powerpoint) You may also want to watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmMJSZ4se4c&context=C3b9f6f3ADOEgsToPDskLGttRLXcYbPcUg55JT8bbo. What is graduate school like? Graduate school is not just a continuation of your undergraduate  education, and different types of graduate schools have different models  of education. For example, if you want to go to law school, read the  book One-L by Scott Turow for a taste.  But most of you are  likely considering the PhD route. There are a plethora of advice  articles out there, but here is a good place to start: http://gradschool.about.com/cs/transitions/a/like.htm. Information adapted from Deborah Kerr: Much of your undergraduate education has taught you how  to answer questions, the answers to which you were previously given.  In  graduate school you will learn how to ask questions, and thereby to  find answers to previously unanswered questions.  The transition from  answering questions to asking them is generally not an easy one. In graduate school there is much less coursework, and much more  independent research.  Don’t love research?  Reconsider grad school. The choice of graduate schools is also not like undergrad.  You  should not choose a graduate school based on location or on general  school reputation.  Instead, look for a close fit with faculty members  whose interests coincide with yours. While the faculty stands ready to help you, it is you who will make  decisions about how to approach the difficult task of learning to  analyze, think, support your ideas, and to ask and answer questions.   The responsibility for your growth and learning is yours. Graduate school is your new job: you will likely spend 50-60 hours  per week attending class, completing readings, conducting research,  writing papers, preparing presentations and discussions, and maybe even  teaching.  The configuration of the work varies: sometimes you will work  alone, often you will work in teams to produce an assignment, mirroring  the experiences you will most likely have in your professional career. As a graduate student you will gain a great deal of experience in  figuring things out.  For example, your teachers will not tell you what  you should remember or conclude from the readings – assignments are  designed to help you develop your thinking skills, not to answer  particular questions posed by the professor (although s/he will surely  question you).   You will be given guidelines by each professor, but you  will rarely be given step-by-step instructions for assignments… your  learning is your responsibility and graduate school offers the  opportunity for you to practice learning in a setting which is both  demanding and supportive.  Although the content covered in your classes  is important, it is only secondary to the critical thinking skills that  you gain from studying and discussing this material. Scared? You should be. Again, the key is groundwork. The more you can  do as an undergraduate to help prepare yourself for the challenges  ahead, the better. So what should you be doing? Graduate School Preparation Timeline: In order to encourage a strong career path, early on in your  undergraduate career, you should build relationships with faculty. They  can discuss career plans with you and help point you in the right  direction. You may also want to consider finding an internship if you  are having trouble narrowing in on a possible career path that  corresponds with your personal goals (see below for more information).  Doing these things help create a baseline for deciding which groups of  people you enjoy working with as well as the field of study that matches  your individual goals. Not only will building relationships with  faculty and internship supervisors give you clarity on future goals,  those relationships will benefit when applying for graduate schools and  collecting recommendation letters. The http://career.boisestate.edu/ recommends  students take the career assessment in order to get a better idea of  options they have. This is a great place to start if you are truly lost. For information about specific graduate programs, please refer to  Graduate Study in Psychology – available at Boise State’s library or to  order on-line at: http://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4270098.aspx.  APA accredits programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology,  at the doctoral level only. If you are doing a PhD in one of these three  areas, make sure your program is APA-accredited. If you want to go to  school in a different area (social, experimental, health, cognitive,  I/O, developmental, neuroscience, etc.), then APA does not have any  accreditation process for those programs. If you are unsure what different types of psychologists actually do  (e.g., clinical v. counseling, forensic, social), please see http://www.apa.org/careers/resources/guides/careers.aspx. Once you have decided on a career path or if you need information  about a specific career path (e.g., what does a Cognitive Psychologist  do?), you should make an appointment with the SSPA advisor () for further assistance. In order to get into graduate school, you should consider doing  several extracurricular activities in order to strengthen your  application. It is never too early to begin preparing for graduate  school. More information about each of these activities is provided  after the timeline. Freshman Year Coursework – most of your freshman year will be focused on taking  your core or foundational requirements. If you are unsure what to take,  the SSPA advisor can help. Email to  make an appointment. In addition to your core/foundational work, you  should be taking your 100 level psychology coursework: PSYC 101 and PSYC  120. Related Work/Volunteer Experience – This would also be a great time  to think about getting related work or volunteer experience, especially  if you are unsure exactly what you want to do after you graduate. For  example, if you think you want to work with kids, spend some time  volunteering in a location that allows you to work with this age group  (e.g., Discovery Center, Boise and Girls Club, Boise Parks and  Recreation, child care facility). You may find you love it, but you may  also discover working with kids isn’t for you. The earlier you can make  these types of decisions, the better. In addition, if you are eligible,  you might think about joining the Honors College (http://honors.boisestate.edu/). The additional academic challenges included in such programs will better prepare you for your future academic coursework. Sophomore Year Coursework – You should be finishing up your core/foundational  studies this year. In addition, you’ll begin taking specific classes  required by the major that are both within the department (e.g., PSYC  295, PSYC 321) and outside of the department (e.g., MATH, BIOL 227 &  228). Extracurricular Activities – during your sophomore year you should  begin developing relationships with faculty that might ultimately  provide you with letters of recommendation. This might include serving  as a Teaching Assistant for a class that you have taken and did well in.  This might also include joining the Association of Psychology Students  and Psi Chi (http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/students/student-organizations/)  to get to know more about what specific faculty members do. If you are  eligible, you might also consider applying for the McNair Scholars  Program (http://education.boisestate.edu/mcnair/),  which is designed to help under-represented and first generation  college students prepare for graduate level education. Finally, you  should continue your related work and/or volunteer experience to help  you narrow down your career interests.   Junior Year Coursework – By this point in your career, you should be finished or  almost finished with your core/foundational requirements. Now is the  time to focus on your psychology major and take specialty courses that  will help further your career. The SSPA advisor can help you decide  which of the course selections in each cluster might be best for your  career path. Extracurricular activities – If you have not already, you should become involved in our student organizations (http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/students/student-organizations/). You  should also continue developing your relationships with faculty. This  may entail being a Teaching Assistant and/or Research Assistant. If you  ultimately want to work in a community setting (e.g., clinical  psychologist, counseling psychologist, I/O psychologist, community  psychologist), you may also wish to obtain an internship in a related  area (http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/students/internships/). Summer between your Junior and Senior Year This is a critical summer for you. You should be studying for and  taking the GRE, figuring out where you want to apply to graduate schools  and what types of programs you would like to apply to. When choosing  graduate schools, your best bet is to use the 3-tier approach (see below  for more information on picking a good program). Your first tier will  be your top 3 or 4 picks. These are your dream schools – places you  would love to attend and are reasonably qualified for. The second tier  should be 3-4 schools you would be happy to attend, but don’t quite make  your short list of top schools – moderately difficult to get into, but  still good schools. Your third tier choices are your backup schools.  These are typically 3-4 Master’s programs that you are very confident  you will be able to get into and would serve as a good stepping stone to  get into the tougher PhD programs if you don’t make it the first time  around. (Having a Master’s degree significantly ups your chances of  getting into a PhD program, but it also adds 2-3 years onto your total  schooling, and there is sometimes less funding for Master’s students  than for PhD students.) In addition, you should be working with your  faculty advisor on your curriculum vita (CV) and statement of academic  purpose/personal statement for graduate schools (see below for samples). Senior Year Coursework – Most of your major-specific required coursework should  be taken by this point, with the exception of the Capstone course (PSYC  487 or 489), which you will take your last year at Boise State. Extracurricular activities – Your senior year is the time to focus on  getting ready for graduate school and firmly establishing relationships  with at least three faculty members that will write  letters of recommendation for you when you apply to graduate school.  Thus, most of your ‘coursework’ this year will entail being a Teaching  and/or Research Assistant, doing an internship and/or working in the  field in a related job. You may also wish to conduct a Senior Honors  Project, Senior Thesis, or Independent Study. See below for further  information on each of these activities. Note: You will be applying to schools this Fall if you plan on  attending graduate school right after you earn your Bachelor’s degree.  You will also be taking the GRE Subject Test if your schools require it.  The Psychology Subject Test is a GRE subtest that is specific to our  discipline and illustrates your general knowledge of Psychology (think  Intro Psych textbook). If you didn’t do as well as you would have liked  on the GRE when you took it last summer, this is the time to re-take it.  Finally, your graduate school list should be finalized, you should have  your application materials ready (more on that below), and you should  have politely asked 3 to 4 people to write letters of recommendation for  you (see below for more information). How do I choose a Program? Graduate school is all about fit. You can have the best GRE scores  and GPA in the world, but if a specific faculty member at that school  doesn’t want to take you, you won’t get in. So your first step in  choosing a program often involves finding faculty members whose work  interests you (PsycInfo is a good place to start looking for who is  authoring papers in your areas of interest). Once you’ve selected key  faculty members, get online and research the specific schools and find  out what programs they offer. You should also consult the APA’s Guide to  Graduate Study in Psychology and search by program type (2012 Edition –  available at Boise State’s library or to order on-line at: http://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4270096.aspx). Finally, there are several websites out there that specialize in helping you find the right school for you: http://graduate-school.phds.org/, http://www.gradschools.com/article-index/graduate-school-articles/choosing-a-graduate-program-47, and http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/choosing-a-school.aspx to name a few. How do I get in to graduate school? As mentioned above, there are a variety of things you should be doing  to up your chances. Below, we will discuss several of these in more  depth. Related Work/Volunteer Experience Having experience in your field of choice will make you an attractive  candidate for specific graduate school programs, especially if your  experience is relevant to the program you are applying for. Such  experience can also enable you to make an educated decision about  whether or not that field is right for you. In addition, many programs  require students to shadow a professional in the field before applying  and/or entrance into that program. Finally, many of our students started  volunteering at organizations and ended up with jobs in those places as  soon as they graduated. Year Off? If you are taking one or more years off of school after you graduate,  be sure to spend this time doing work that is related to the graduate  program you want to go into.  Many graduate programs like and value  experience such as this!  Stay in touch with your professors during your  time off.  Another great thing to do during this time is to find  someone who has the job you want to have, and talk to them about what  they did to get there, what kind of degree they have and from what kind  of program, etc.  This will improve your focus and your chances. Internships Similar to volunteer experience, an internship is a valuable tool  that will provide you with real-world experience in the field you wish  to go into. Internships are also a plus on any curriculum vitae and  graduate school application. For more information about internships, go to: http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/students/internships/ For information on the difference between internships and volunteer experience, go to: http://internships.about.com/od/internships101/p/faqsandmyths.htm. Teaching and Research Assistantships Teaching assistant and research assistant positions give students the  opportunity to get to know faculty while acquiring leadership and  research qualities. Getting started early on in your bachelor’s degree  is strongly recommended in order to get as much experience as possible.  By the end of your degree you will have more clarity as to which avenue  of research you to wish to pursue. With more responsibility in the  classroom setting, professors are equipped with detailed descriptions on  how to provide graduate schools with outstanding recommendations for  the prospective graduate program. For more information, see: http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/07/Importance-of-an-Undergraduate-Research-Experience-MPA-2002-posted.ppt (powerpoint) http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/students/advising/ Each faculty member has their own requirements for Teaching and  Research Assistants, but generally you are only able to TA for a class  that you have already taken and earned an A or B in. In addition, you  must have a 3.0 GPA to be eligible for an RA or TA position. Please  contact the faculty member you wish to work with directly to learn about  available positions. What do I need to prepare to apply for graduate school? Getting into graduate school requires a number of things we’ve  already discussed: a good academic record, teaching and research  assistantship, internships (if applicable), and solid letters of  recommendation. But ultimately, it all comes down to fit. A faculty  member on staff at the school you wish to attend has to take you under  their wing, so to speak. For that to happen, you need to convince them  that you are the perfect fit for them. How do you do that? Personal Statement/Letter of Intent/Statement of Academic Purpose The personal statement is a way to exemplify your personality that  might not be seen on other portions of a graduate school application.  This section gives you opportunity to show off your skills, passions,  and qualities that make you unique and applicable for their program.  Although colleges differ on how heavily weighted the personal statement  is to other programs, it is important to broadcast yourself in a way  that sets you apart from other students fighting for the same position.  What makes you unique to the other candidates with similar GPA and GRE  scores? The personal statement is designed to show that you deserve to  be accepted, making a difference in their program. Although committees  want to know about you, keep personal stories brief. Divulging personal  sob stories rarely capture a committee’s attention in a good way.  Work  with your trusted faculty adviser to improve your personal statement,  and take their feedback seriously. For tips on what to include in your personal statement, see: http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/07/Personal-Statement-Talk-RMPA-2004-posted.ppt (powerpoint) http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/07/Personal-Statement-Handout-for-RMPA-2004-posted.doc (handout) Letters of Recommendation Strong letters of recommendation are essential for admission into  graduate school. Apart from GRE scores and your letter of intent,  letters of recommendations are perhaps the most heavily focused on part  of your application packet as graduate school committees make their  admission decisions. Committees generally require a minimum of two to  three letters while some professional programs require as many as five.  Most applications require a minimum number of letters from faculty  members at the university you received your undergraduate  degree. Forming strong, personal relationships with members of the  psychology department faculty is essential for earning strong letters of  recommendation. In addition, you need to make sure that you provide  letter writers with all of the necessary information about you (e.g.,  CV, letter of intent, cumulative and Psychology GPA, anything you want  them to address in your letter like a low GRE score, which classes you  have taken from them and what grade you earned in those classes, a list  of all the program you are applying to as well as the reason why you are  applying to each of those programs, instructions for where to send the  letters, any forms the schools may require that letter writers complete,  a list of each school’s deadline) so that they can be sure to highlight  your accomplishments in their letter. Last, be sure to ask your letter  writers well in advance and have your packets of information to them no  later than one month before the letter is due. For more information, go  to: http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/07/Earning-Strong-Letters-of-Recommendation-April-2005.ppt (powerpoint) http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/07/Writing-Letters-of-Recommendation.pdf GPA/Transcripts GPA and Transcripts are among the top 5 criteria examined when  graduate school faculty members evaluate an applicant for their program.  Although graduate schools typically give more weight to your last two  years when assessing grades, a low cumulative GPA might be enough for  faculty to exclude you from their applicant pool (see graduate school  websites or their entries in APA’s Guide to Graduate Study in Psychology for  information on specific GPA admission requirements). Generally  speaking, Masters programs usually have GPA requirements in the 3.0-3.5  range and PhD programs have GPA requirements in the 3.5 to 4.0 range. In  addition, faculty members often weigh your cumulative psychology GPA  more heavily than your total cumulative GPA. As such, you should provide  your Psychology GPA on your curriculum vita. To figure out your GPA for  just your psychology classes, go to this website: http://www.back2college.com/gpa.htm For further information, see: http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/07/Graduate-Admissions-Talk-RMPA-2004-posted.ppt http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/08/Landrum-2003a.pdf GRE Scores (General, Psychology) The Graduate Record Examination is the test that you will have to  take prior to applying to most graduate programs. This test is known as  “the great equalizer” because methods of grade distributions may vary  from university to university but your GRE score shows where you stand  among all other applicants. This is often the first piece of information  committees examine when considering applicants. In fact, many schools  have GRE cutoff scores. At the very least, most graduate schools publish  their average GRE admissions scores on their website or in the APA’s  Guide to Graduate Study in Psychology. Your GRE score should  fall close to or above their average score to be considered among the  top applicants. The range of scores for the Verbal Reasoning and  Quantitative Reasoning measures of the GRE revised General Test is 130  to 170, in 1-point increments. The range of scores for the Analytical  Writing measure is 0 to 6, in half-point increments. Always check with the school before applying to make sure your GRE score meets their cutoff or range of acceptable scores. Doing  well on the GRE is essential for forming a strong application. There  are two portions of the GRE that graduated committees for psychology  programs especially look at: the general GRE (the test that is the same  for all GRE test takers) and the psychology GRE (the specific  psychology-related portion).  For more information see: http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/07/Taking-the-GRE.ppt Purdy, J. E., Reinehr, R. C., & Swartz, J. D. (1989). Graduate admissions criteria of leading psychology departments. American Psychologist, 44, 960-961. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.44.6.960 There are many ways to prepare for the GRE. Preparation courses are  offered by several different companies, as are preparation books. All of  these can provide valuable information. Ultimately, though, the most  helpful way to prepare for the GRE is to actually take it. Most prep  courses and books offer sample tests. You can also find them on-line.  Before you decide how much time you want to spend devoting to studying  for the GRE, you might first wish to take a sample test and see what  your baseline score is. If it is far below the cutoff or average score  of the schools you are interested in, you either need to spend a great  deal of time trying to improve your score or rethink your list of  schools. Curriculum Vita or Resume The Curriculum Vita (CV) is a way for you to highlight how your  personal and academic experiences make you a good candidate for  admission to a graduate program. A CV is like a resume, only instead of  containing your paid work experience, it shows what you have done that  pertains to graduate school. Your CV should include contact information,  educational history, volunteer/service learning experience, teaching  assistantships, research assistantships, presentations, awards, honors,  and memberships in professional organizations. For a sample CV, see: Landrum, R. E. (2005). http://sspa.boisestate.edu/psychology/files/2010/08/Landrum-2005c.pdf. Eye on Psi Chi, 9, 28-29, 42. Additional Materials Some schools will ask for a writing sample. Ideally, this will be a  publication you have co-authored. If you do not have a publication, you  can use any research paper you have written (think Research Methods  paper, or final paper in an upper-division psychology class). Make sure  that your sample is well-written and in perfect APA format. Personal Contact Once you have chosen the faculty member(s) you would like to work with, it is often a good idea to email them. Here is a sample: Dear Dr. Jones, I am a senior undergraduate student at Boise State University. I have  read your work on the influence of media on body image in male  adolescents, including your recent article Is G.I. Joe the New  Barbie? My research interests seem similar to your own. Specifically, I  have been working with Dr. Smith on a project examining the influence of  hours of television viewing on body dissatisfaction in college  students. Based on our mutual research interests and my research on your  department, I am very interested in application for admission to your  Social Psychology doctoral program. Can you please tell me if you will  be taking new students next year? Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Alice Quinta The faculty member may or may not respond to you, but nevertheless it  is a good idea to get your name out there. At the very least, perhaps  the faculty member will remember that you contact him/her when your  application comes in. Hopefully, you will get a response from the  faculty member that will help you decide whether or not you truly want  to apply to their graduate program. For example, if the faculty member  is not taking new students next year, you might decide to email another  faculty member at that school or cross that school off of your list. In  addition, these email exchanges can help you get an idea of what it  would be like to work for this person. Do they seem interested in you  and what you have to offer? Or was their response short and terse and  generally unhelpful? If you receive a positive response from them, you may decide that you  want to visit the school in person and meet with that faculty member.  This will allow you to get a feel for what that school is like. In  addition, if you could meet with current graduate students on your  visit, you will get an even better idea of what graduate school is  really like at that institution. If you present yourself well, this  could help you get into the program when you apply. What happens once I apply? Aaahhh, the waiting game. Most PhD applications are due in December  or January for the following Fall. Schools typically call or email you  in February or early March if you made the first cut (roughly one to two  months from when applications were due). That doesn’t mean that you are  in, however. Most graduate schools do both phone/email and in-person  interviews (see below for what to expect). Most Master’s program  applications are due in February or March. You will likely hear back  from them in late March or early April (roughly a month to a month and a  half from when applications were due). You may or may not have to do a  phone/email or in-person interview. The magic deadline for all graduate  programs is typically April 15th. If you get into a program, they will  likely ask you for a decision no later than that date so that if you  turn them down, they can make an offer to another candidate. Similarly,  if you have not heard from a program (email or phone interview, for  example) by April 15th, chances for admission are typically not good.  Regardless, DO NOT contact the school and ask them if you’ve gotten in.  The only time it is appropriate to contact a school is if you have  already gotten into other schools and those schools are pushing you for a  decision. At that point, you can shoot off a quick email to the program  administrator telling them that you have received offers from X and Y  school, but you would rather attend their program. As such, you would  like to know where they are in their admissions process. Always be  courteous and professional in any contact you have with anyone at your  schools of interest. Personal Interview If you make the first round of cuts based on your academic record,  letters of recommendation and personal statement, you will likely  receive an email or phone call asking for an interview. This interview  may be either on the phone or in person, and you may be asked to do  both. Many schools now do interviews in two stages: an initial phone  interview by the faculty member you requested to work with, and then if  you make that cut, a visit to campus for a more formal interview with  several faculty members and current graduate students. To get ready for an interview, go to the website below and prepare  your answers to the questions. You will likely get asked all of them at  some point in your phone and in-person interview process. In addition,  be prepared to discuss your RA and TA experiences. Make sure you read  all of abstracts/articles of the professor(s) you will be speaking with  so that you can have questions for him/her prepared about his/her  research in addition to the questions they suggest below. In addition,  they will likely give you time to ask them questions. It is always best  to have a few questions prepared. If you don’t ask them questions, it  makes it seems as though you are not interested in their program. The  link below provides some suggestions for questions you may want  answered. http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/skills/interviewing-graduate-school.asp The On-Campus Interview/Visit In addition to preparing your answers to the questions mentioned  above, there are several other key steps to take when preparing to visit  a graduate school. What do I wear? – This is a professional interview and you  need to treat it as such. That doesn’t mean you need to wear a suit, but  you should at least be dressed in “business casual.” Remember that you are interviewing them as much as they are  interviewing you. That doesn’t mean you need to be rude or  disrespectful, but you need to get answers to any questions that will  help answer the question: “Do I really want to spend the next 5 – 7  years of my life here?”  What will your partner do in this town? Find out the funding situation – If it’s a Master’s program,  do they offer any funding at all? If it’s a PhD program, do they offer  TA or RA positions? Do they fund you for 4 years or 5 or not at all? Do  they allow you to work outside of their program? Chances are if they are  funding you, the answer will be no. So get ready to be incredibly  frugal with your money. Explore the city – this may be your only chance to figure out  whether you actually can stand living in this city for several years?  Think about things like cost of living, crime rate, housing, etc. Talk  to other graduate students about how they make ends meet. Hope this helps!