This guide, which was developed by a college career center, is designed to answer some common questions about the process of applying to graduate school. The following topics are covered: graduate schools versus professional schools; differences between graduate and undergraduate school; considerations in deciding whether/when to attend graduate school; steps in selecting the right school and determining which/how many schools to apply to; criteria for choosing a program; program costs and sources of financial support; and ins and outs of the application and admissions process (the general process, graduate admissions criteria, application essays, required tests, letters of recommendation, deadlines, strategies for dealing with rejection, and the importance of gathering information as soon as possible). Appended are a list of questions and issues to explore, a chart to list characteristics of programs under consideration, sources from which samples of major standardized graduate school admissions tests can be ordered, and a list of 24 related resources. (MN)