Spring is a time for new beginnings and, for some, making decisions about continuing their college experience as a graduate student. Making these decisions and preparing for entrance exams are cardinal concerns for students considering graduate school.

Common graduate program entrance exams are the LSAT, GRE and GMAT, but different tests are required for students trying to enter different programs.

The organizations who create these tests usually offer some free online help materials. Paid exam help is also available from companies such as Kaplan Test Prep.

Carolyn Payne, program manager of the ISU graduate college, said the important things to keep in mind when making decisions about graduate school include program compatibility and finding a faculty sponsor to assist in the process.

“Early on in your [college] career you have to make yourself known to faculty so that later on they can help you,” Payne said.

Finding a graduate program consistent with individual goals is also crucial to students’ success and satisfaction with graduate school.

“You may not choose the No. 1 school necessarily,” Payne said. “You may choose the No. 2, 3 or fifth school, because that program will get you where you want to go.”

Deciding whether to pursue graduate school is a first consideration. Increased earning power and higher entry-level positions are clear incentives. Students reluctant to leave the college atmosphere, however, are advised not to enter into graduate school lightly.

“If people are wanting to stay in the campus life, they get a second major, not go to grad school,” said Lindsey Alexander, graduate student in human development and family studies.

Payne said some students make the mistake of looking at graduate school as an alternative to a difficult job search.

“You have to want to go, too. If you are going to graduate school as a second or third choice, you may not put in the effort and time that is really required,” Payne said.

Another factor to keep in mind is timeliness. A late start making decisions on what to do after graduation can be a serious handicap for successful entry into grad school.

“You really have to know deadlines and you have to know how to meet those deadlines,” Payne said. “That is one problem that people have; they start too late in the process.”

For students with less-than-stellar test scores, it is important to remember that entrance exams are only one criterion considered by graduate programs.

“Some people tend to shy away because their GRE score was not high enough,” Alexander. “Not all schools rank that as highly.”