You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression! by Eric Ashton

Does this sound familiar?  It was part of an advertising marketing campaign for Head & Shoulders dandruff shampoo back in the late 1980’s.  While this tag line was originally aimed at making an attractive physical impression, it can be used in other situations as well such as applying to graduate school.

Oh no he didn’t go back to the 1980’s!

Yeah I did…but the fact remains, as in most things in life, you do only get one chance to make a good first impression…

This tag line is true for individuals who are thinking of applying to graduate school, particularly here in the School of Social Policy & Practice where our students not only make a great first impression but can back it up with exemplary education and experience.  Graduate school is an investment in your professional future.  You should give thought to the degree program and institution that can give you the academic training you need to not only make a good first impression as a leader but have the right skills to succeed and thrive in a changing world.

The Nonprofit Leadership Program (NPL Program) is looking for dynamic individuals who are not afraid to do the work required to make a good first impression and are striving for an educational advantage to be innovative leaders and managers for impactful social change.   For potential applicants seeking to continue your education straight from college/university life or those of you who have been out of college for a couple of years and have decided you are ready to dive back into academic life, it is never too early to begin to think about the application process and how to increase your chances of gaining admission to this extraordinary master’s degree program.

Before any of you can launch into the heart of the NPL Program,  you have to be admitted.  The place you get the chance to make a first impression is the application process.  Here are a few tips to make the process easy and effortless: 

1. It’s not too early to begin thinking about the 2013-2014 academic year and to start your education plan to make this transition to graduate school a smooth and worry free one;    
2. Look into taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)  if you have not already done so.  By taking the time now to prepare and get yourself motivated to take this exam, it will allow you to glide effortlessly through the application process.  Under the new test scores for the GRE, competitive verbal scores are 155 and higher and quantitative scores of 146 and higher; 
3.  Apply Early!  This one is a no brainer.  The sooner your application is received, we can begin to process it and schedule an interview with me (interview is either here on campus or can be done via Skype).   As an incentive, the application fee is reduced to $25.00 for applications submitted by December 31^st (regular application fee is $65.00);
4. Request that copies of all transcripts from colleges and universities you attended are sent to the Admissions Office at the School of Social Policy & Practice.  The Admissions Office will keep and scan all received transcripts even if you have yet to submit your application.  Once you apply, they can check their electronic files to see if they have any transcripts that match up with you and upload the scanned transcripts into your application; and
5. Prepare for how you plan on paying for this degree.   Be sensible in researching student loans and possible scholarships or fellowships.   Do not wait to the last minute as most scholarship and fellowships have deadlines.   The NPL Program does offer scholarship for both the full-time and part-time degree options.

The on-line application for the NPL Program should go “live” the end of September and you can start your application then.  We start reviewing complete applications for admission decisions December 1^st.    Our goal is to bring in an incoming class of at least 25 in the full-time option and 15 in the part-time option.

 

We seek thoughtful individuals who want to pursue an advanced degree in leadership and management, particularly as the sectors converge and it will take those with an entrepreneurial spirit to forge sustainable responses to many of the problems facing our global community.

So while you are enjoying the summer of 2012 just remember, it’s never too early to start thinking about admission to the NPL Program for the 2013-2014 academic year.   Have fun; go to the beach; indulge yourself with an ice cream cone or water ice; take some time off from work and remember… you never get a second chance to make a good first impression!

Have a great summer!  If you have any questions I’m only an e-mail or telephone call away.

Eric D. Ashton

Senior Associate Director, NPL Program