By Alisha Steere
alisha@newsroom.byu.edu
More graduate studies applicants are enjoying the convenience and ease with which they can apply for graduate school.
On March 15, 1999, the Office of Graduate Studies introduced an on-line application. While in 1999 they only had 11 applicants, that number has increased to 652 this year.
Those students who have used the online application say that they like the efficiency of applying on-line.
'Whenever I tell students there is an on-line application, they are excited,' Mark He, a masters student and Graduate Studies employee, said.
International students also enjoy the ability to receive the information and apply quickly over the Internet.
The on-line application has also made the application process easier for the Office of Graduate Studies. '(The application) has reduced our workload,' He said. 'It is much easier to make corrections to applications once they have already been turned in.'
Accessing the application is simple. Applicants just fill out their name, date of birth, zip code, and a password on-line. The system then assigns a pin number.
With the pin number and a password the applicant can enter the system and fill out the application. The applicant can enter and make changes to their application at any time.
Additionally, applicants can also have their reference letter submitted on-line.
Once the application has been completed, it can be submitted electronically. Within a few days they will receive an email confirming receipt of the application.
Applicants will also receive periodic emails updating them on the status of the application, or they can check that information on the Graduate Studies web site.
The on-line application is available for all graduate programs and colleges except the J. Reuben Clark Law School and Marriott School of Management.
The Marriott School has their own on-line application. Those students who have already filled out information on the Graduate Studies application can have that information automatically loaded to the separate application.
In comparison with graduate students across the nation, applicants to BYU are more likely to complete an online application.
Forty-eight percent of applicants that start filling out the BYU application are actually submitted, while the national average is 32 percent.
To find more information about graduate studies or to access the on-line application, go to www.byu.edu/gradstudies.