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Graduate Studies

Assisting Students with Admissions

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Graduate admissions is a year-round process that takes planning and coordination. The following tips will help your program design a thoughtful admissions process and a great experience for future students.
  • Determine your admissions criteria and set up your application in Slate
  • Establish and communicate admission deadlines with prospective students
  • Stay in communication with applicants
  • Design your review process
    • Committee structure and function
    • Selection criteria
      • Do you have a rubric to minimize bias?
      • Do you conduct interviews?
  • Notify applicants of decisions
    • All graduate students receive official communication about their offers of admission from the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Director of Admissions. Programs can notify applicants that they have been recommended for admission to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and that an official admission letter is forthcoming. Along with this communication, programs can provide applicants with information that can assist in their decisions to accept admission or information about how they, unfortunately, will not be recommended for admission to UMKC. Communication regarding your program’s decision to recommend acceptance (or not) can be programmed into Slate for use across multiple admission cycles.
    • Suggested language for preliminary program Acceptance/decline letters
    • Funding offer letter template
  • Communicate with admitted students about advising, enrollment, financial aid and scholarships, housing options, parking, One Card, dates of program-specific orientations, and general UMKC student support services (e.g., Career Services, Health Center, Writing Studio)