As summer winds down and a new academic year gets underway, the season of personal change is also here. You are reading this because you are at least considering whether to apply to one of our graduate programs. It’s an exciting pursuit, though we understand how daunting it can feel at times, particularly when you are considering multiple programs and balancing the other needs of work, school and life in general.
Our hope is that this post will provide some clarity and a few useful tips as you begin the application process. And as always, we are here to provide any additional support you need as you go forward.
One of the questions we most often receive is some version of “What do you look for in an applicant?” or “What can I do to make my application as strong as possible?” It’s a good and important question. And you may have heard a variety of answers. Our best response to these questions can be distilled into four points:
1. Get to know the school
Get to know the school and their programs, then tell them why you’d be a valuable member of that community. Even within the network of policy schools, every place is unique in its own way. Ours is certainly different. Notice that we didn’t say it’s better – that’s up to you to decide. At Batten, we sincerely believe in our mission. But you have to find the program (or programs) that speak to you.
Our mission is to teach and train the next generation of consequential policy leaders. We are unique in that we integrate leadership training with public policy education. For us, these are not just academic programs you enter and exit in a year or two. We’re looking to build a lifelong community of individuals who will change the world. So, when we review an application, we’re looking for people who understand what we’re trying to do and who desire to be a part of it.
2. Answer any required essays as they’re written
This may seem self-evident, but it’s not uncommon to see applicants cut and paste the same essay from a different application and forget to change the school’s name! Or, as AI tools make it easier to generate content, we have seen generated essays missing the point of the questions. We get it – essays take a lot of time and mental energy, but schools ask questions specifically because they are trying to draw evidence of what matters to their programs. If you answer essay questions directly and in your original voice – even if not perfectly – schools will have the best chance to consider your contribution to their community.
3. Talk to people in the program
Don’t just read about a program – talk to the people in it. We’re happy to connect you with others in our community so you can ask what their day-to-day experience is actually like. Each will give you a different, valuable perspective: students can speak to what it’s like to be in the classroom right now; faculty can speak to where the curriculum and their research are headed; and alumni can offer a longer view of how the program shaped their career.
Remember, you aren’t just signing up for an academic program you’ll finish in a semester, a year or a couple of years – you’re joining a community you’ll be part of long after you graduate. We take that seriously here at Batten, and we’re always happy to help make those connections happen!
4. Remember that you are the asset, not the school
While we appreciate the question of how to build the strongest possible application for Batten, the better question to ask is “What’s the best program for me and my future aspirations?” There are so many outstanding programs out there. Find the one that is best for you. If it’s Batten, we will humbly accept the application. But you’ve worked very hard to get to the position to apply to graduate school, and chances are you have much to offer to these programs. Please don’t forget that – you’ve earned it!
Applications for all 2027 graduate programs are now open! Between now and whatever program and deadline you choose, we are here to help. If you have any additional questions or need more information and insights about our programs, our school and our university, please do not hesitate to ask.
We offer virtual webinars and daily virtual appointments. If you are interested in visiting us for a day to sit in on a class and have lunch with a current student, you can fill out our Prospective Graduate Student Visit Form, and a member of our team will get back to you with visit details. We wish you the very best on your search, and hope to see many of you here at UVA next year!
