Consider Graduate/Professional School
As you consider graduate or professional school, ask yourself what motivates you to go. Various outcomes might come to mind: knowledge, expertise, career preparation, greater marketability in the workplace, higher salary. Yet not all graduate programs will fulfill all these outcomes. It will depend on your academic field, your professional goals, your strengths, and the opportunities that come your way.
Unlike the undergraduate years, a graduate or professional program allows you to focus more specifically within your chosen field. Therefore, it’s important to know what you want to study before you apply. Graduate school is not the place to figure out "what to do with your life."
So you might be wondering - how do I decide?
Here are some common questions that many students have brought to counseling at the CEC:
Should I enter graduate school straight out of college?
Should I take an entrance exam (GRE, GMAT, etc) now, even if I’m not sure?
How do I find graduate programs in my area of interest?
Can I afford a graduate degree?
Can I get in with my GPA?
What do I do about recommendation letters if I wait a year before going?
You will find many of these questions addressed in our Graduate School Planning section of this website. The CEC also has several handouts and resources on this topic in the CEC library.