Demystifying the Application Experience

Rebekah Go DeLine is a “double domer” who has worked for the ESTEEM Graduate Program since 2013. She currently serves as the Program Coordinator with primary responsibility for overseeing all recruitment and admissions.

Throughout my working career I have helped manage three different programs that had an application process of some sort.  In each case, one of my roles was to help applicants navigate the system and then to help in the selection process.  I have always enjoyed this part of my job and my work with prospective ESTEEM students is no different.

Unfortunately the ESTEEM application process can be both intimidating and confusing – so for those struggling with where to get started or how to proceed, here are my top 5 tips for completing the ESTEEM application:

1. Relax! The ESTEEM application process is not intended to be stressful or tricky.  Ultimately we would like to find candidates who are a good fit for our program and this process allows for that. Likewise it provides you with the opportunity to see if ESTEEM is right for you.
2. Organize Your Materials. There are a few items that we request that you will need to acquire from other places – namely the transcript(s) and standardized test scores. The good news is that both the GRE and GMAT exams are available at multiple testing centers throughout the world and scheduling can be done online according to your preference.
   1. Transcripts – request these from your registrar. Some schools will have an electronic request form and many institutions can provide them to you electronically for free.
   2. Standardized Tests – we accept the GRE, GMAT, and MCAT:
      1. GRE test – primarily used by graduate schools; register to take the GRE here
      2. GMAT Exam – primarily used by business schools, register to take the GMAT here
      3. MCAT – this exam is used for those considering medical school
3. Contact your References. Ideally you will contact potential references a week or more in advance of the due date – and you will have asked them personally. If you cannot ask for a reference in person, a phone call is always appreciated followed up by an email. I generally recommend that our applicants submit 1 academic and 1 professional reference. The 3^rd reference can then be either academic or professional – depending on how long or if you have been in the workforce. Note: Once you have submitted the name, email address, and phone number of a recommender into the application system, the system will automatically generate an email sent to your recommender. You will receive an email once their recommendation is complete.
4. Update your Resume or CV. Your resume or CV should give our team a snapshot of your educational background as well as internship and/or professional activities you have completed. It should also include publications, awards, and special recognition. Don’t forget to note proficiency in specialized software as well as any coding languages you may know!
5. Write your Statement of Intent and Essays. As you know we request that the two essays be limited to 250 words yet we do not have a word limit on the Statement of Intent. What I generally tell those who ask is, try to limit your Statement to one page. Primarily we are hoping you will address:

   1. 

      What are you doing/studying now, and why?
   2. What would you ultimately like to do 5 or 10 years down the road?
   3. How do you feel that ESTEEM will help you meet those goals?

What do you think?  Is this helpful or not? Hopefully this alleviates at least a little stress. Leave your comments below or share them with esteem@nd.edu.That’s it!  Voila!  Once you have completed these steps you are all set. Frankly – aside from the standardized test – I think a very strong application to our program can be completed in a week.