The bad news is that you've missed the deadlines for applying to most graduate programs. Most Ph.D. programs have deadlines of Jan 1-Feb 1. Master's programs might be different.
The good news is that your enforced delay will allow you to get a good application together for next year, work on paying down your credit card debt and give you time to really find out what program you want to do.
You might also consider going to see the career counselors at your current university.
This is what I advise my students to do when they want to go to graduate school:
- Talk to your professors and find out where they think the best programs are for what you want to do. (If you're geographically constrained, it makes life much harder, unfortunately. If you want to be a professor, you need to be prepared to move across the country. This is both for grad school and the subsequent jobs. You just can't guarantee where you will end up.)
- Research programs yourself. Contact them for more information. Ask to talk to students who are there.
- Ask about funding for graduate students at the institutions you're interested in. Most Ph.D. students do not pay for their own program. They get money from the program for tuition/living costs (not much but it helps), usually in return for teaching or research help. If you have a family, you'll still need to take out loans, but you shouldn't pay for the entire program yourself.
- Note that M.A. programs are different. You are expected to pay your own way. Because of that you're better off applying to a Ph.D. program if you think you want a Ph.D. You can always stop at a master's if you decide you don't want the Ph.D. Many Ph.D. programs do not require a master's to entire. They award the MA along the way. A few do require a master's, and it's very field dependent.
- Decide 3-4 programs to apply to.You want a program where you will get excellent mentoring in your chosen field.
- Prepare for the GRE or whatever test is an entrance requirement in your field.
- Line up people who are willing to write you a letter of recommendation. If you can have one mentor in that group, it would be great.
- Write your statement of purpose and have your mentor give you feedback on it.
- Once your statement really polished, give a copy of that and your resume to your other recommenders.
- When the deadline gets close, check back in with your recommenders to make sure they've got all they need to fill out the recommendations (and that they actually do it). Faculty write letters of recommendation because it's our job. But it's not much fun and we tend to put it off until it's urgent.
