The first step in the graduate school application process is researching graduate institutions and programs to find the right one for you.

As a senior, you have already completed your major requirements and, if you attended workshops, panels, presentations and other academic discussions, then you should have a good idea of where your intellectual interests lie. Most students are usually interested in the graduate program that coincides with their major; undergraduate political science majors generally apply to political science programs for graduate work. However, this is not always the case. It is not uncommon for history majors to apply to graduate political science programs.

Choose the graduate program that you find the most intellectually stimulating, that you believe you will be able to devote sufficient time to and that will permit you to develop and refine your own area of expertise. You should start your preliminary research no later than the summer before your senior year.

Once you have selected your area of study, you need to choose which particular institutions are best for you. For example, not all political science programs are created equal. Some political science programs have a quantitative emphasis while others are more qualitative in nature. Some may have a stronger comparative politics faculty while others may be stronger in international relations. These distinctions, regardless of whether your field of study is political science, biology, anthropology or mathematics, are important.

One way to start to gather information on programs is the U.S. News and World Report annual rankings. These rankings are based on a number of criteria and provide a good overview and comparison of programs. However, they are by no means definitive; they are general appraisals of programs and are not tailored to your specific needs. Rankings can be a starting point, but they should never be an end point.

Another method of researching potential programs and institutions is to speak with professors whose opinions you trust. Because they know you and your research interests, they may be able to make pointed recommendations about where they think you should study. They can also put you in contact with colleagues at those institutions who can provide more in-depth information. They may even be able to set up meetings with certain professors who may share your research interests. This is where the relationships you have built with university faculty and staff become invaluable. If a professor believes in your ability as a scholar, then he or she will be more willing to assist you in your endeavor.

After you get a general overview of programs at various institutions you should visit each institution’s website. The website can provide a good overview of an institution. For example, location may be important for you if you need to be in close proximity to your family. You may be interested in the resources the institution has or the demographics of the undergraduate and graduate student populations. You should then peruse the website for the specific department or program website. These websites usually provide information regarding faculty, including biographical sketches, research interests, courses taught and recent publications. In addition, you can find information on matriculation requirements, the variety of courses taught and perhaps even the backgrounds of the current graduate students.

Finally, you may find information on admissions, including the number of applications received and the number of applicants admitted each year.
Most graduate programs are looking for a particular "fit" when applications for graduate programs are reviewed. "Fit" refers to whether the particular program has sufficient faculty with research interests that coincide with your own. This will be important when you are accepted into a graduate program and you need advisors to guide you in your research. If your interests are popular then there will be many faculty members in many departments that can guide you through your graduate work. However, if your area of interest is less common, then finding a program may be somewhat more difficult. This matter will be taken in the discussion of the statement of interest.