作为一名准备读研的本科生，尤其是如果你想获得博士学位.D., 尽早开始了解研究生院的性质和入学要求将帮助你成为一个更有竞争力的候选人. 下面的时间表示例展示了你本科课程每年需要完成的推荐任务. 一旦你开始考虑毕业工作，就与你所在领域的知识渊博的人交谈总是最好的策略. 

First Year

Sophomore Year

Junior Year

Senior Year

First Year

1. 探索不同的学习领域，开始钻研你感兴趣的专业和话题. 利用通识教育计划，尝试你以前没有考虑过的不同领域.
2. Establish a strong GPA. 寻求辅导或其他支持服务，并与你的教授谈谈，如果你没有在课程上做得像你想要的那样好. 评估你的学习技巧，培养一套适合你的学习技巧.
3. 开始练习和你的教授谈论你对他们的课程感兴趣的事情. If their field of study seems interesting to you, ask about research, careers, and graduate study to see if this might be the field for you.
4. Begin exploring possible research opportunities. 许多可以通过你的专业或本科研究和奖学金办公室在校园获得.
5. Create resume or CV and LinkedIn. 早点开始可以让你在整个教育过程中增加经验. The Career Center provides workshops on the differences between a resume and a CV. 

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Sophomore Year

1. Confirm your major. 确认你的专业适合你想要从事的领域.
2. Continue to hone study skills and maintain strong grades. If you are struggling in a class, reach out! GVSU offers many resources to help you succeed academically.
3. Research. Engage in undergraduate research, scholarship and/or creative work. 参加海报会议，出席会议，最重要的是，发表你的研究.
4. Ask professors in your field 在网上搜索一下如何申请研究生院，需要什么材料、考试等. 申请所需的条件是什么?怎样才能成为一名有竞争力的研究生申请人.
5. Determine if graduate study is really for you. There are many things to consider when pursuing graduate school. 
6. Take relevant, meaningful classes in your field of interest.  Plan on taking more challenging, upper-level courses and rigorous, but realistic, 未来两年本科课程的课程负荷. 现在和大三的时候，与指导老师讨论合适的课程.
7. Become involved in internships, leadership opportunities, volunteer experiences, job shadowing, 以及其他能让你成为更有竞争力的申请者的课外活动.
8. Consider joining a professional association 作为学生成员与你的领域相关，并开始阅读专业期刊.
9.  Identify key faculty mentors and advisors 你经常向他们寻求职业规划方面的指导(这些老师最了解哪些研究生项目最适合你的兴趣和能力).

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Junior Year

1. Research. 如果你还没有正式参与研究和/或其他相关经验.
2. Plan. 与教师/顾问一起选择高级课程和适当的经验. 花点时间仔细地关注和发展你的毕业设计或论文——你可能会把它作为你研究生申请作品集的一部分.
3. Develop a list of potential graduate programs.
   1. 确保你所选择的课程的教师在你感兴趣的特定领域具有专业知识或兴趣.
   2. 与你所在领域的教师讨论你对研究生课程的选择, especially if they attended that program.
   3. 浏览网站，仔细检查你的目标项目所需的申请程序和材料.
   4. 检查财政援助和奖学金申请程序/要求.
4.  Do 'detective work' on your chosen graduate programs - dig into their websites, follow them on social media platforms, explore faculty members' profiles on Google, Linked In, etc.
5. Network. 联系校友关系或以其他方式寻找他们感兴趣的大河谷校友或最近从大学毕业的学生
6. Gather information on registering and taking any required standardized tests.
   1. 参加一次模拟入学考试来确定你需要学习什么和学习多少. Thanksgiving, Winter, or Spring breaks are good times to do this.
   2. 为相关入学考试制定学习计划，并开始定期学习.
7. Develop a timeline for your application tasks.
8. Explore the profiles of admitted graduate students 为了更好地了解研究生项目的要求:该项目是否支持有几年工作间隔年或有重要志愿者经验的申请人? Many do! In this case, 你会想要考虑间隔年的机会，这有助于为未来的申请打下坚实的基础:在实验室工作, Peace Corps, the Fulbright U.S. Student program, employment in your field, etc.
9. Develop an appropriate Plan B. 与导师讨论如果你没有进入研究生课程你可以做什么. 要知道，即使你没有进入第一志愿，也不是世界末日.

Rising Senior Summer

1. Continue to study for the relevant entrance test.
2. Register for the entrance test, if needed.
3. Get further research experience 或者有其他相关的经历:这可能是出国留学的好时机, or immersive language study, or field/lab experience beyond Grand Valley, or for a competitive internship in DC or NYC, or something else - the possibilities are endless! Explore!
4. Consider research or internship summer programs 其他大学提供的，尤其是你想去的大学.
5. Take the entrance test, if needed, near the end of your summer.
6. Complete all necessary graduate school application forms.
7. Draft up your personal statement and begin to polish it, inviting feedback from the Writing Center, your faculty mentors and others who can provide helpful guidance.

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Senior Year

Fall Semester:

1. 继续从事本学科的研究和深造, working closely with faculty mentors.
2. Take or retake the entrance test, if needed.
3. 请一到两位老师评论你的个人陈述或其他申请文书.
4. Write Statement of Purpose, if needed.
5. Contact your recommenders, reminding them of deadlines, sharing drafts of your personal statement and transcripts, and being sure to provide any forms they will need. Often, 您将在在线申请系统中输入推荐人的姓名和电子邮件地址，请确保拼写正确, get the titles right, and include correct email addresses. Remind your recommenders to check their 'spam' filters, 由于上传推荐信的自动请求经常会进入教师收件箱中的垃圾邮件过滤器. Determine a date by which they will need to submit them. Send in / upload official transcripts into your application portal.
6. Send test scores, if appropriate.
7. Check to see if recommendations have been sent.
8. Complete all applications. Submitting early in the application cycle can be an advantage.
9. Check to see if your applications at each school are complete.

Winter Semester:

1. Visit schools.
2. Negotiate financial aid packages.
3. Let schools you have chosen NOT to attend know.
4. 让推荐人和你的本科部门知道你决定去哪里.
5. 庆祝你的成功，不要让任何拒绝阻止你实现目标.

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