What Graduate School Preparation Workshops Does Iowa State Graduate College Offer?

Updated

Iowa State Graduate College lists a four-session "Graduate School Preparation and Application Workshop" series for prospective graduate students. The site shows Sessions 2, 3, and 4 with specific dates, times, and a location, and it points visitors to the events calendar for the latest schedule. If you are preparing to apply to graduate school, these sessions cover the core application materials and decisions you will face.

Workshop topics listed on the site

The Graduate College's upcoming events section names three sessions directly:

Session Topic Date and time Location
Session 2 "Building your CV/Resume" Thursday, Oct 01, 2026, 5:00–7:00 pm 0114 SICTR – Student Innovation Center
Session 3 "Demystifying the Statement of Purpose" Thursday, Oct 08, 2026, 5:00–7:00 pm 0114 SICTR – Student Innovation Center
Session 4 "Selecting Your Future Graduate Program" Thursday, Oct 15, 2026, 5:00–7:00 pm 0114 SICTR – Student Innovation Center

The numbering implies a Session 1 exists earlier in the series, but the page evidence only shows Sessions 2 through 4. Treat the list above as what the site currently displays rather than the complete series.

What each session addresses

  • Building your CV/Resume — how to present your academic and professional experience for graduate applications.
  • Demystifying the Statement of Purpose — what this essay is for and how to approach writing it.
  • Selecting Your Future Graduate Program — how to choose where to apply, which pairs with the site's invitation to "Explore our Programs" across more than 180 doctoral, master's, and graduate certificate programs.

Who these workshops are for

The series sits under the Graduate College's "Future Students" area, alongside guidance for embarking on a graduate program. That placement indicates the audience is prospective applicants — students preparing applications — rather than current graduate students, whose resources center on policies, forms, deadlines, and thesis or dissertation work.

How to find current dates and attend

The dates above are what the site lists, but event schedules change. To confirm or find sessions not shown here:

  1. Go to the Iowa State Graduate College website.
  2. Open the Calendar or Upcoming Events section.
  3. Look for "Graduate School Preparation and Application Workshop" entries.
  4. Note the session number, topic, date, time, and room — recent listings use 0114 SICTR in the Student Innovation Center.

The page does not state whether registration is required, whether sessions are open to non-Iowa-State students, or whether recordings are available. Check the individual event listing or contact the Graduate College for those details before planning to attend.