Whether you're in college or a working professional, finding the right grad program takes planning! Priority number one is that you stay organized. The more energy you invest now, the happier you'll be later.

To give yourself enough time, you'll want to start at least a year before you go. It's even better to give yourself two years!

The summer before

Define your goals
To find the right program, you need to know what you want to do, specifically. It's OK to explore your interests in college. Grad school is about defining them.

Get prepped
Admission exams occur throughout the year. Prep early and make sure you're ready! A practice test is a great place to start - it will help you focus your study time.

Think money
The competition for graduate financial aid is often intense. Research fellowships and assistantships in your field and stay on top of all application deadlines.

Fall

Create your short list
At this point, you want to get a solid idea of where you want to go. Contact each school you're considering and request application materials. Deadlines creep up quickly!

Congratulate yourself
Think about your achievements in the classroom and in your field. Your internship or research project could be the inspiration for a personal statement.

Talk to your professors
Pretty soon, you'll need letters of recommendation. Meet with the people you'll ask to write them. The better they understand you, the more compelling their letters will be!

Take your admission exams
Whether it's the GRE or the MCAT, your admission exam is an important part of your application. Take the earliest sitting possible. You may be able to take it again if you're not happy with your scores.

Winter

Write away
Your transcripts provide a quantitative evaluation of your strengths. Your personal statement fills in the blanks. Start writing early and edit as much as possible.

Get to work
Most graduate applications are due between January and March. From transcripts and essays to test scores, you'll need to have everything together by then. Start early!

Fill out the FAFSA
To qualify for federal aid you'll fill out the same form for grad school as you did for college. Get the FAFSA in ASAP after January 1. Keep in mind that all grad students are considered independent for federal aid calculations.

Send your scores
Make sure that your prospective schools receive your transcripts, test scores, and recommendation letters. Better safe than out of luck!

Spring

Compare offers
Keep your eye on your mailbox. Around May, you should start to receive admission offers.

Look into alternatives
If your financial aid doesn't quite cut it, look into alternative loan programs. Remember that each sets its own terms, so compare borrower's terms carefully.

Get ready to go
You're about to start an exciting new part of your educational career. Enjoy it!