 The Players
When you enter the treacherous waters of the applicant pool, it's wise to know exactly who you're swimming with. There is a quick overview of the power players in the admissions process.
The Admissions Committee
Each department has its own admissions committee, which is principally responsible for the decision to admit or reject any given applicant. Even when you submit your application to a central office of graduate admissions, it will wind up in the hands of the department that administers the program to which you're applying. Admissions committee in the main consists of three to five faculty members. Some faculty volunteer to serve on the committee and others are assigned to the job unwillingly. Some of them are irritable; others are cheerful; and all inevitably bring their own quirks of prejudice and personality to the table. Sometimes, in departments, doctoral students may even sit actively on the admissions committee.
The Departmental Secretary
Every educational department has a single, central administrator who knows where everything is. The job’s title can vary, graduate secretary and graduate administrator are some possibilities, but the job is the same. The job is more powerful than you might think. The characteristic graduate secretary has been with the department for many years and will probably keep the position for many years to come. Graduate secretary knows where everything is, how everything works, and what's happening in the department. He or she has a good general understanding of the major fields within the discipline and know what research each professor and graduate student is doing. Significantly, they are personally responsible for keeping the department running. Don’t misjudge their importance.
If the application process goes right, you'll talk to the departmental secretary a number of times: to request information and materials, to find professors and graduate students working in your field, and to verify the receipt of application documents. The graduate secretary is a source of information that can provide invaluable assistance with your admissions strategy. Also secretary is an esteemed member of the department, whose opinions are respected by the faculty. Keep in mind to be always polite and respectful.
The Pieces: Your Application
If you send away to your target schools for application materials, you'll get a sheaf of very different forms from different schools. They differ extensively in appearance, from grainy, expensive-looking booklets with stately print to flimsy, perforated sheets of onionskin with disco-era lettering. There’re also schools that offer online applications that let you fill out information online and either submit your application electronically or print a hard copy to mail in.
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