Life After Skidmore
Life after Skidmore
Chemistry and biochemistry students are encouraged to start thinking early — ideally by junior year — about what comes after Skidmore. There are many strong paths to consider. More than a third of our majors go on to Ph.D. or master’s programs. Another third pursue advanced study in the health professions, including medicine (M.D. or D.O.), veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, physician assistant programs, or public health. The remaining third launch successful careers in a wide range of fields, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, diagnostics, environmental science, energy, materials, and manufacturing. Graduates also find opportunities in clinical, academic, and government labs, healthcare, teaching, science communication, policy, and data science.
Applying to graduate school
Helpful resources for applying to graduate school:
- ACS planning for graduate work in chemistry
- ASBMB - A Primer to Starting Grad School
- ASBMB - Choosing the right grad school for you
- ASBMB - So you want to be a grad student?
- General Advice from Cientifico Latino
- Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) for health professions
Information on graduate school funding:
Most Ph.D. programs cover tuition and fees and provide graduate students with a stipend. This funding typically comes from training grants, research grants, or internal support from the institution. Graduate students often work as research assistants in faculty labs and serve as teaching assistants for undergraduate courses. Some programs offer increased stipends to students who secure external fellowships — competitive awards that can also allow you to focus more on research and less on teaching. Fellowship applications are typically due between October and January, and many students apply the year before starting graduate school.
- Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship
- NRC Graduate Research Awards
Graduate school application timeline:
Junior year
Fall:
- Discuss with your advisor and research mentor as well as other relevant faculty members
- Start reviewing literature and think about areas/topics you are interested in along with institutions to attend and principal investigators to work with
Spring:
- Continue reading articles
- Continue discussing with your advisor and research mentor as well as other relevant faculty members
- Start the review of programs
Summer before senior year
- Research at Skidmore, REU, or an internship
- Start preparing graduate school essay
- Prepare for the GRE
- Start reaching out to potential writers for letters of recommendation
- Prepare CV
Senior year
- August/September: Create list of programs applying to including their deadlines and what they require (e.g., do they require the GRE or not).
- August/September: Take the GRE General Exam
- September/October: Take the GRE Subject Exam if relevant for the programs you are applying to (not many do — some physics-oriented programs will want the physics GRE — the chemistry subject exam is no longer offered)
- October: Confirm letter writers, provide drafts of materials to them
- October/November: Tailor application materials to programs. Update those writing your recommendations with final list of deadlines and latest drafts.
- November-February: Apply; program deadlines vary
- January-April: Interviews/visits and acceptances
- By April 15: Decide on program and formally accept offer
Job search support
Skidmore’s Career Development Center offers one-on-one guidance, job search tools, and connections to alumni and employers. Whether you're exploring options or applying for your first job, we’ll help you navigate every step of the process.