The University of Alabama will hold a graduate school preview day for prospective graduate students statewide on Thursday, September 26, at 3 p.m. in the Ferguson Center. The event will include presentations on the benefits of graduate study together with sessions covering the application process. The program will culminate with a seminar on preparing for graduate entrance exams as well as free practice tests for the GRE, GMAT, or LSAT provided by the Kaplan Education Center.

The program has been held annually under different names for the last several years. Dr. Carl Williams, the event coordinator, said that attendance has risen dramatically over the last three years. He attributes the increased interest to the practice tests provided by Kaplan.

°We were used to having about 100 people attend, but the first year that we offered the practice tests we suddenly had about 500. Ferguson Center was completely full. It was standing room only,” Williams said.

Kaplan provides the tests free of charge in fulfillment of its contract with the university. A student that takes the test can also receive diagnostics, which identify the areas of study that the student needs to review.

Although many students come for the practice tests, the program also provides useful information about graduate programs here at the University of Alabama, according to Dr. Williams. Usually, the event also includes a notable speaker. Last year, basketball Coach Mark Gottfried addressed the crowd on the advantages of a graduate degree.

Dana Drill, a graduate student in Community Counseling at the College of Education, attended the graduate school preview day two years ago. The sessions provided students with clearer expectations of graduate school, she said. When asked about the practice tests, she conceded that they were the most helpful part of the event.

Students from forty colleges statewide are invited to the event, according to Dr. Williams. He also stressed that the sessions are not intended only for seniors. As many as half of the participants are juniors and sophomores.

The Graduate School will send out letters of invitation on September 6th. Although the program typically targets students with a grade-point average of above 3.0, Dr. Williams stated that the event is open to all students. Pre-registration is required, especially for the practice tests. Interested students should contact the UA Graduate School at (205) 348-5922 or Kaplan at 1-800-KAP-TEST, or send an email to usgradapply@aalan.ua.edu to make a reservation.

This story was written by David Coombs, dscoombs86@hotmail.com, and edited by Kelly M. Kober, Kober001@bama.ua.edu