Planning a workshop or seminar? Seeking a keynote speaker for your conference? From rural midwestern churches to the U.S. Capitol Building, Dr. MacPherson has 20 years of experience talking to a broad range of audiences concerning issues of great importance:
Begin, in the fall of your junior year, considering topics that you would like to pursue in graduate school and try to enroll in courses and write research papers pertinent to those topics during your junior and senior years. This will help you to confirm your interest in the field and also prepare a sample of your research writing to include in your application packet.
Consider relevant factors for selecting a particular graduate program: mission statement of the program, professors who may be well suited to mentor you, professional reputation of the school, student environment, geographic location, etc.
Collaborate with classmates who are applying or recently have applied.
Budget for application fees, entrance exam fees, and possible travel (e.g., spending part of spring break or summer vacation visiting schools that you are considering for graduate study).
Entrance Exams (e.g., GRE, LSAT):
Complete these steps during the summer between your junior and senior year.
Identify entrance exam requirements of the schools/programs to which you likely will apply.
Register to take the required exam.
Prepare for the exam by studying (the hours spent doing so can yield a huge pay check if you score well enough to receive a substantial scholarship).
Finalized Selection of Schools/Programs:
Refine your selection of schools early in the fall semester of your senior year.
Refer to the guidelines for "Preliminary Selection of Schools/Programs," above, and consider how your life plans may have changed since then.
Letters of Recommendation:
Identify professors who know you well (both in and out of the classroom, e.g., an advisor, speech team coach) and who have a reputation pertinent to the field of study you wish to pursue.
Request that they write letters of recommendation on your behalf, providing them with the following items:
Personal Statement (as required by the school to which you are applying)
Resume (contact the Career Services Office for assistance)
Letter Request Form (provided by the school to which you are applying; you must fill it out and sign it; if you have completed an online version, email a link to your professor)
Unofficial Transcript (simply print one from campus web)
Writing Sample (as required by the school to which you are applying)
Timeline Checklist (if applying to multiple schools, provide your professor with a clear schedule of the deadlines for each school, so these may be checked off as letters are sent)
After finalizing all application materials (that is, having revised multiple drafts to ensure it is your best work), put them in the mail.
Contact your letter writers to verify they have sent their letters, too.
If possible, submit a few weeks in advance of the deadline, so that you can confirm that the schools have received your applications and all other supporting material prior to the deadline passing. This is especially important if you have transcripts from multiple undergraduate institutions.
Radio Interview, Jan. 13, 2023: Minnesota Requires Teachers to Advocate for Transgender Ideology and Critical Race Theory[Learn More]
Education Conference: State Teacher Licensing Requirements vs. the Bible, the Hymnal, and the Catechism, Oct. 27, 2022 [Learn More]
Education Conference: Getting the Facts Straight: How Grammar, History, & Logic Can Rescue Education from Postfactualism, July 8, 2022 [Learn More]
Radio interview: The Magdeburg Confession of 1550 and the Lutheran Principles of Political Resistance, July 3, 2020 [Learn More]
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Dr. MacPherson provides a variety of consulting services for organizations that need assistance pursuing their mission to the next level. Click for more information.
