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patrickashe41 's review for:
(I wrote the first part of this review in 2007): I'm a current master's applicant, and I purchased this book due to recommendations and some of the reviews I've read on this site, and I must say, it's somewhat disappointing. Ostensibly, it's a "one size fits all" masters/PhD book, but (as others have mentioned) it's a little biased towards PhDs, and seems rather Ivy League-oriented. Oftentimes, Peters focuses on the ideal response (mitigating factors be damned) to the cold realities of academia, and it just leaves me with more questions than answers.
I graduated from a US News top tier state university in the top 10% of my class and an above average GRE, and published an honors thesis and along with other research. But since graduation, I've had to work full-time to stay financially afloat (primarily due to medical expenses). Thus, I don't have all of the time in the world to stay abreast of all of the current research in my field (try as I may), nor to be in close contact with all of the potential advisers at all of the schools in which I'm interested, both of which are heavily emphasized by Peters. I kept thinking, "Well, that's not my situation, so what can I do about it?" (e.g., he offers pointers for a high GRE and so-so GPA, but not for the inverse aside save retaking and so on) and didn't find many answers. This, along with many "shoulda-dones" in regards to undergrad activities, left me feeling a bit frustrated.
Although, Peters does address some of the underlying personal issues that confound the application process/graduate experience (which seemed cursory at times). There are also a few useful pointers and bits of information, as well as helpful anecdotes from professors. Overall, it is helpful, but I wish the author had a higher appreciation of the myriad backgrounds of grad school applicants, as I know I'm not alone on many of my concerns.
(I wrote THIS part in 2019): In retrospect, years later, this book honestly deserves a bottom-tier ranking. I followed its advice on waiting until getting a high GRE score and professor recommendations etc., got in everywhere, realized I WAY overdid it in waiting and all that effort was unnecessary, and still lament the wasted years almost a decade later. I made bad life decisions because of this book. Allow me to correct it: insofar as professional degrees (e.g. MBA, MPA, etc.) go, most places really don't care if you graduated from a top ranked program (some employers said those exact words), and even those top ranked programs don't expected "top 10% or bust" on your GRE scores. That this book is recommended by the GRE Chair speaks volumes. It's a crock for people who obsess about standardized tests that are poor predictors of performance. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Do your best and move on. Because I did the elite route, and it made no difference other than wasted time, effort, and money. Eff this book.
I graduated from a US News top tier state university in the top 10% of my class and an above average GRE, and published an honors thesis and along with other research. But since graduation, I've had to work full-time to stay financially afloat (primarily due to medical expenses). Thus, I don't have all of the time in the world to stay abreast of all of the current research in my field (try as I may), nor to be in close contact with all of the potential advisers at all of the schools in which I'm interested, both of which are heavily emphasized by Peters. I kept thinking, "Well, that's not my situation, so what can I do about it?" (e.g., he offers pointers for a high GRE and so-so GPA, but not for the inverse aside save retaking and so on) and didn't find many answers. This, along with many "shoulda-dones" in regards to undergrad activities, left me feeling a bit frustrated.
Although, Peters does address some of the underlying personal issues that confound the application process/graduate experience (which seemed cursory at times). There are also a few useful pointers and bits of information, as well as helpful anecdotes from professors. Overall, it is helpful, but I wish the author had a higher appreciation of the myriad backgrounds of grad school applicants, as I know I'm not alone on many of my concerns.
(I wrote THIS part in 2019): In retrospect, years later, this book honestly deserves a bottom-tier ranking. I followed its advice on waiting until getting a high GRE score and professor recommendations etc., got in everywhere, realized I WAY overdid it in waiting and all that effort was unnecessary, and still lament the wasted years almost a decade later. I made bad life decisions because of this book. Allow me to correct it: insofar as professional degrees (e.g. MBA, MPA, etc.) go, most places really don't care if you graduated from a top ranked program (some employers said those exact words), and even those top ranked programs don't expected "top 10% or bust" on your GRE scores. That this book is recommended by the GRE Chair speaks volumes. It's a crock for people who obsess about standardized tests that are poor predictors of performance. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Do your best and move on. Because I did the elite route, and it made no difference other than wasted time, effort, and money. Eff this book.