Rating: 
Summary: Very helpful and concise.
Review: Dr. Mumby has done an excellent job of clarifying the process of getting into graduate school. The book is a wealth of practical advice giving appropriate information and encouragement. Our students have especially appreciated the guidelines on financial aid, writing personal statements, and the list of resources.Graduate School: Winning Strategies for Getting in With or Witout Excellent Grades is an excellent addition to our Information Center.
Rating:
Summary: - An essential resource for Graduate School applicants.
Review: Graduate school application can be a foreboding task. Many undergraduate students are unfamiliar with the review procedures and selection criteria that are used by the various graduate schools. Consequently, students often fail to present their applications in a manner that will make them most attractive to their chosen school. It is imperative that applicants prepare themselves by becoming familiar with the requirements and expectations of their chosen school. This is a task that students should undertake as early in their undergraduate career as possible. In order to avoid the frustration of rejection, any undergraduate applicant should do three things: 1) Consult with an Academic Advisor at the undergraduate institution (as early as possible). 2) Find out as much as possible about the available graduate programs in your chosen field of study, and consult with potential graduate supervisors in the appropriate graduate schools. 3) Read "Graduate School : Winning Strategies for Getting in With or Without Excellent Grades". This book is an excellent orientation to the process of graduate school application. Dr. Mumby provides a very clear and easy-to-read analysis of what you should know when you select a program, how you should prepare an application for that program, and how you should follow up that application in an appropriate and timely fashion. This book will make the application process less daunting, and will help students overcome some of the pitfalls that may otherwise handicap their application. Dr. Mumby also makes some specific recommendations that will enhance students' applications. These suggestions range from finer points of style, to major tasks such as involvement in graduate-style academic activities at the undergraduate level. The book is a must-read for anyone considering application to graduate school. Undergraduate Advisors will also find that it is a useful tool in their academic advising activities with prospective graduate students.
Rating: 
Summary: Common Sense
Review: I felt like I wasted my money purchasing this book. In general, it was mostly just common sense for anyone who is really serious about applying to graduate school - ie talk to professors, talk to grad students, research the programs you are interested in. Basically, it said that if you do not have excellent grades, you need to have other areas of strength. Obviously.
I did find some parts of the book to be quite humorous. It was published in 1997 and talked about using the internet to research schools as a novelty. It just shows that the internet is in use much more than it was when the book was published.
Additionally, the book was too long (and too expensive for its quantity and quality). The information could have been summarized in 20 pages max.
I really wish I had not purchased this book, but at least Amazon allowed me to return it and get my money back.
If you are looking for a book about applying to graduate school, I suggest looking elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for calming nerves
Review: If you're someone who doesn't have the prescribed 3.25 or above, someone who is just eeking by the minimum requirements for most grad. schools, than this book is a must-have. For me the biggest struggle in applying was coming up with enough courage and drive to just do it without procrastinating or rationalizing that I could continue to wait or that my very average GPA made even applying not worth my time.
Sure this book has some common-sense advice but even in this advice there are at least a few tidbits/different perspectives that will have you looking at the whole process anew, feeling prepared and above all else, CONFIDENT. Good luck.
Rating:
Summary: IT WORKS!
Review: My friends benefited a lot from the book: they had GPA around 3.2 but followed the instructions of the book and they got accepted to the top schools to pursue their graduate work. I found it extremely well informed--your academic councillor may not know all and the book can serve as an extremely helpful councillor!
Rating:
Summary: A Must for Graduate Applicants!
Review: Start reading the book now or at the beginning of your senior year! It's so helpful and informative that I highly recommend it to all aspiring graduate school applicants. All that you want to know is contained here!
Rating:
Summary: Informative. A welcome addition to our Career Library.
Review: The book offers the prospective grad student a straightforward guide to the admissions process. From researching the right graduate program, preparing for standardized admissions tests (GRE, LSAT, etc.), to writing a personal statement and obtaining letters of recommendation, Dr. Mumby helps demystify the process, breaking it down into easy and well defined steps.
Rating:
Summary: Useful in many ways
Review: This book provides clear, step-by-step information that students need to know about the application process;one which is complex and at times ovewhelming. I particularly appreciated the sections of the book which explained the decision-making process and the importance of choosing a supervisor based not only on the type of research area but on personal factors as well. Although much information about potential schools, supervisors, research areas etc.. is available on the web, there is also much to consider that cannot be obtained easily and this book really addresses those issues well. I myself am still unsure of when I will be applying to graduate school, however, I am sure to use this book when the time does come.
Rating:
Summary: Very good -- Don't know about the results yet
Review: This book, while very helpful and packed with information is mostly for the undergraduate interested in pursuing an advanced degree. I have been out for quite some time so I am not sure if I will get many answers to my tough questions.
Rating: 
Summary: College and university students have been waiting for this!
Review: University and college students finally have a guidebook that deals with ALL aspects of the graduate school application process, and shows the way to a successful application. This book dispels the most common misconceptions students have about the nature of graduate school and what it takes to get into a good program, including the two most popular myths - that you need outstanding grades, and that outstanding grades are all you need! The information and advice will help prospective graduate students steer clear of the pitfalls that prevent most applicants from getting in. It explains what admissions committees and graduate supervisors are really looking for in students who apply to their programs. Armed with insight to how and why the winning applicants are selected, readers learn how to navigate, step-by-step, through the application process, maximizing the impact of each component of their applications, and avoiding a great deal of unnecessary confusion, anxiety, and stress. It includes a sample plan and timetable to help both early and late starters organize their application strategies, and an extensive directory of other valuable resources. The information and advice in this comprehensive guidebook is based on interviews with Graduate Program Directors and other faculty members from universities across North America, and the author's experiences as a professor, a graduate supervisor, a member of graduate admissions committees, and someone who got into graduate school without excellent grades.
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