With the economy of unemployment at ten percent, more people are growing interest and applying to graduate and law schools.
A NY Times article published last week that the number of people taking the Law School Admissions Test rose 20 percent in October. And the number of Americans who took the Graduate Record Examination in 2009 rose 13 percent, according to Educational Testing Service.
The University Annual Assessment Report of 2008 stated the number of applicants for the graduate school climbed to nearly 10,000 in 2007-2008, the largest number the graduate school has ever received.
Nicole Machado a senior in textile and apparel management said she thinks more students are applying to graduate school because they are afraid of the people who already have jobs in the global market.
‘They don’t have the network as the older professionals do have because they’ve been working in the field for a long time,’ Machado said. ‘Eventually graduate school is their back up plan and tell themselves, ‘So I guess I’m just going to stay in school longer.’
Carol G. Schroeder, director of Career Center said anybody wanting to be in graduate school needs to know why they are going into that specific program.
‘They need go ahead and do it now assuming it will be necessary to have several years of experience before competing in the global economy,’ She said. ‘The more experience you have the more meaningful your training and education will be.’
Schroeder also said one needs to be incredibly well prepared for the job market because it is extremely challenging.
‘I think there is a lot of fear and anxiety about the job market but I wouldn’t say it was uncalled for,’ Schroeder said. ‘I think it is a very place to be. Students should approach the job market with hope and in a positive way but also in a very pragmatic and persistent way.’
Machado said she wants to further her education and make sure that not just a bachelor’s degree is taking her to places she wants to go.
‘I have big dream and I need a better education for that,’ Machado said. ‘It used to be that you could get an awesome job with an undergraduate degree but now going to graduate school is starting to become a norm.’
Schroeder said they are some things that students can do and being in a good graduate program may wind up being the best bet for them but it needs be a carefully decision.
‘Students who believe that finding a goal in life will magically appear by going to graduate school,’ Schroeder said. ‘They are going to be very disappointed at the end.’
Machado also said she thinks a student must have an advanced degree to obtain a better job.
‘It’s really hard to find jobs right now,’ Machado said. ‘Graduate school is delaying that process for me by finding a job that will help me get out into the workforce hopefully by the time the economy has turned around.’
Schroeder said the global market is not going to turn around by the time a student leaves graduate school.
‘We [the career center] really do believe that the job market is changed forever and that it will never go back to what it used to be,’ Schroeder said. ‘It never does.’
