 Although you may think that the graduate school application process begins when you request application materials from the graduate institutions of your choice, it really begins months before you ever request those documents, albeit only informally. It begins when you begin to consciously seek out and nurture relationships with your undergraduate professors and advisors as well as professors or researchers at your target graduate institutions. And the process goes on when you begin your preparation for, and then take, the GRE, if it is a required application element for the schools you are considering.
Many graduate schools, such as a Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at a major university, have a single application form for all their graduate programs and a set of basic application requirements to which individual departments may add. Some schools in individual departments have their own applications. There, you will have to request the application from an individual department rather than from a central office.
If you have requested and received admissions materials, it's time to buckle down and complete the applications to your target schools. Previous to digging in, take some time to consider all the application pieces and set a schedule with self-imposed deadlines that are possible to meet. There are some scheduling tips for you as well.
The applications typically involve writing a personal statement, filling out general information forms, soliciting recommendations, requesting transcripts, and having GRE scores sent. Some courses may have additional requirements, such as an interview or portfolio.
No matter your completed application is sent to a central graduate admissions office initially, rest assured it will quickly end up in the hands of departmental admissions committee. The place where the decisions are made is the departmental admissions committee. These committees characteristically sort applications into three piles: definitely yes, maybe, and definitely no. The first heap is generally the smallest, and the second the largest. Just as the application hits the yes heap, it doesn't generally come out again, and there are that many fewer vacancies for the applicants who follow. This can show you an important truth: Getting your application in early is important. At the same time as extremely qualified individuals applying close to the deadline are still likely to receive an offer of admission, extremely qualified individuals are few and far between. Do not go for a risk.
Finally, the department subjects offers of admission, notices of rejection, and, in some cases, a few notices that applicants have been wait-listed. Commonly, the larger the enrollment of a program, the more likely a waitlist is. A committee will usually extend offers of admission to a few more people than a department actually has room for; the assumption is that some students who've been accepted will prefer other schools and enroll elsewhere. If most of accepted students choose other schools, offers will be extended to wait-listed applicants.
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