As a result of the differences in departmental requirements, it is difficult to make generalizations about applications. No general application process for graduate students found, such as the American Association of Medical Schools (AMCAS) application, which is used by almost all US medical schools. But, regardless of this diversity, most share several features in common:
Deadlines
Meeting schools' deadlines is one of the most important details of the application process. You want by no means to be rejected from a school for which you might otherwise have qualified simply because you were late in filing your application. Discuss with each individual department to which you are applying to find out their specific deadlines. Be aware that there may be separate, usually earlier, deadlines for those students seeking financial aid. Try to get your applications in as early as possible.
Transcripts
It is a certified, official copy of a student's permanent academic record. Graduate schools require official transcripts of your grades from any colleges you attended. For the most part schools ask that transcripts be sent directly to them, but some ask that you collect the information and send in a complete application package. Get in touch with the registrar's office, at every undergraduate institution you have attended, to request that your transcript be sent either to you or directly to the school to which you are applying. If the school made use of a bizarre grading scale, you will often need to translate your transcript into the requested format.
Application Fee
Application processing fees range from low to expensive. Such high prices are no accident - they are designed to discourage less-serious applicants from bombarding busy admissions committees. Application fee waivers are infrequently offered by a school for applicants who can prove financial need. Try to follow this: if you failed to qualify for a fee waiver for the GRE, you are unlikely to qualify for a fee waiver from an institution. Discuss with the graduate admissions office of the schools to which you are applying to find out if you qualify for a fee waiver.
Test Scores
Good number graduate schools ask applicants for applicable standardized test scores, such as the GRE General Test, a GRE Subject Test, or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). So, you must consult individual departments to ensure you meet their specific requirements. Even though there are a few programs that don't require the GRE General Test, most do. Only some require the GRE Subject Tests. Foreign students from countries, where English is not the native language, are required to take the TOEFL.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters are one of the most influential aspects of your application to a graduate program. These letters may be used by committee members to get a more personal perspective on an applicant. Take into account when choosing your recommenders. They are what set you apart from the other applicants. An average student is often pushed into the acceptance pile because of excellent recommendations.
Some applications include recommendation forms that ask a recommender to rate your abilities in various categories as well as provide blank spaces for open-ended comments on an applicant’s personality and potential. Others basically request recommenders to write their own letters.
| 
