New online resource extends the impact of GRADx, helping liberal arts students explore graduate study. Above: ACM students at the fall 2024 gathering of GRADx, held at Indiana University. Photo by Indiana University.
The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) has released a new online toolkit, An Undergraduate’s Essential Guide to Graduate School, to help students at small liberal arts colleges navigate the graduate school journey from initial exploration through their first year of study.
Between 2019 and 2025, the Graduate School Exploration Program (GRADx) provided students from ACM colleges with opportunities to visit graduate campuses, meet with faculty and graduate students, and gain confidence in their ability to thrive in research environments. Developed through a decade-long collaboration between ACM and the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA), the program inspired over 100 undergraduates from small liberal arts colleges to envision themselves as future scholars and researchers.
Now that the grant funds that supported GRADx have been fully expended, ACM sought to create a lasting resource that would continue to benefit students and campuses. The result is a comprehensive, web-based guide that brings together practical tips, reflections from program alumni and mentors, and useful tools for exploring graduate study and managing the application process. As advising capacity is often constrained on small campuses, the guide also equips faculty and staff with relevant, centralized information to enhance student support.
“We know that many students at liberal arts colleges are deeply interested in pursuing advanced study and research, and that the pathway to graduate school may feel daunting,” said ACM President Lisa Jasinski. “Through GRADx, we developed insights and tools to help guide students’ thinking about whether to attend graduate school and if yes, how to make that dream a reality. This new guide captures those lessons and makes them available to all students as well as the faculty and staff who champion their success.”
A resource for students and advisors alike
Marynel Ryan Van Zee, Director of Student Fellowships at Carleton College and member of the GRADx Steering Committee, served as the guide’s primary author. She explained, “The guide is organized around five phases of the graduate school journey: Exposure, Exploration, Research, Application, and Entry. Each section is designed to help students make informed decisions about whether graduate study is right for them, identify programs and funding, craft strong applications, and prepare for success during their first year.” She added, “because every student’s path to graduate school looks different, the interactive guide can be used in any order, allowing students, faculty, and staff to move freely between sections based on their individual needs.”
Recognizing that knowledge about graduate school can feel like part of the “hidden curriculum” of higher education, the resource aims to make information accessible to all students, regardless of background or field of study. It also includes discussion prompts that faculty and staff can use in one-on-one advising, classroom settings, or group workshops.
“What I appreciate about the guide is not just how comprehensive it is, but also how it’s sectioned to use as a tool in real time when meeting with students,” said Hilary De Vries, Associate Director and Science and Health Care Pathway Leader at Lake Forest College’s Gorter Family Career Advancement Center. “We can really meet them where they are in their graduate school application process and direct them to the right resources.”
Learn more and get involved
Students, faculty, and staff can access the guide here. Faculty and staff are also invited to join one of ACM’s upcoming webinars to learn more about the guide and share ideas to integrate it into advising, programming, or conversations with students:
By transforming the insights of GRADx into a lasting, collaborative resource, the guide embodies ACM’s commitment to working together across campuses to amplify the collective impact of liberal arts colleges.
“Ultimately, our goal is to empower students to see graduate school as a meaningful and attainable next step,” Jasinski said. “This guide ensures that the knowledge and mentorship that made GRADx so valuable will continue to benefit future ACM students for years to come.”
