Forum:Application Process

Improvements to the Graduate Website and Online Application
The information provided on the University of Tulsa’s website for graduate school is informative on what is required to apply but in some places, it is not clear what information is actually required and what is optional. The following explains the requirements for the TU Graduate applications and what could be improved about the online process.

The requirements for the General Application are the application (which includes the student fill in basic information about them, educational plans, college/university attended, crime history, academic honors, emergency contact, employer information, and a personal statement to reflect the students’ character), three academic letters of recommendation, official transcripts from all universities, Official GRE General Test sent from Educational Testing Services, a $40 application fee but there is no charge for undergraduate students from the University of Tulsa, and International students must submit TOEFL results.

There are also special requirements for certain majors. For example, English, History, and Museum Science and Management majors must include a writing sample pertaining to their major, Clinical Psychology and Business majors require a resume, Art majors are required to submit a portfolio, and Petroleum Engineers must submit a Declaration of Research Interest form.

International applicants must hold the equivalent to a B or above average grades, take TOEFL or IELTS, submit a certified letter of financial support or a Confirmation of Financial Resources form, and a copy of the personal data page from their passport.

The Admissions page and FAQ page are both very well put together. The pages are very thorough but lack an outline near the top of each page and a list of materials that are present on the page. Both of these are additions that would make the page more accessible and easier to use. The layout of the page is the same layout used for the entire University of Tulsa website, and is very appealing. Any change from the TU layout would not work as it would destroy the congruity of the website. Finally, the use of a sidebar for the admissions and FAQ pages makes both pages very easy to navigate.

Some revisions to the online application would be to use * to label the require field instead of only bold character. * labeling is a more common way and more obvious for the applicants. Another revision pertains to the application fee. The university makes statement about the application fee both at the beginning and ending of the page. But two statements about the application fee are not consistent with each other. One states about two ways to pay the application fee, while the other one only mentions the mailing way. This controversy will definitely confuse the applicants. It is suggested either to make two statements exactly the same or delete one of them. Lastly, look up codes for universities would be very helpful and make the application process much quicker and easier. The visual design of this page is poor. Rearranging the application in a firm, compact, fancy way would be a good way to show the characteristic of the university.