Making the decision to go to graduate school

Making the decision to go to graduate school is a difficult, but rewarding task.  There are many questions to ask yourself in choosing which school and which program you want to pursue.  You most likely have a general idea of what field you want to continue your education, but be reminded that most graduate programs are very focused and fine-tuned to specific professions.  Before going through all of the trouble of applying to a program, do detailed research on aspects of your program so you are confident that you know what the profession entails and it is the goal you want to pursue.
After establishing a school and a program, time must be delegated in preparing yourself to be a desirable applicant by making sure all requirements for the program are achieved.  These requirements could be prerequisites, volunteer hours, CPR certification, etc.  In making yourself a desirable applicant, apart from good grades, you may want to apply for an internship in the field, try to establish important connections, or if available join the club organization that the program is associated with.  When the program directors have your application coming across their desk, you want them to already have heard about you, or have an application that cannot be refused.