Preparation

Yes, the childhood edict comes back to haunt you again. The process of the Student Affairs grad search is twofold; set yourself up so you have the choices that will make you happiest in the long run (succeed in the present), and be aware and prepared for the ever-changing world that you’re about to enter.

Of course, this is grossly minimizing how hard the process is, especially since you’re likely involved in all kinds of other things; your programming board, maybe residence life or your wellness affiliates on campus, orientation, or maybe working with other areas of student affairs in a workstudy capacity. In any case, the most important way to plan for your future is to succeed in the present; especially when it comes to graduate school. Having gone through a majority of the process I can tell you that the best advice that I got in my undergrad was to ‘be intentional.’ I looked at what programs were looking for early on, and I did my best to deliver. And never just meet expectations (for yourself or anyone else, inside or outside of your graduate pursuits) do your best to exceed them. At the end of the day, that is what is going to set you apart.