Applying to Graduate School

It is estimated that only 7% of all people in the United States have a post-graduate degree. If you thought that it was a strenuous process to obtain an undergraduate degree, you'll want to make sure that your reasons to pursue a post-graduate degree are important enough to invest the time and money, and that your new credentials will make a significant difference in your chosen career.

If your plan is to become a doctor, then it's a no-brainer, you must trudge through medical school. But if your aspirations lie in the field of website design, the current job market is generally more interested in your hands-on experience than the graduate degree on your wall. As with anything in life, there is always a trade-off for decisions made. Just as you will need to estimate the financial cost of your graduate program and study the state of the job market in your field, you will have to value the personal cost of graduate school on your quality of life.

The good news is that you have choices. If you decide to make a seamless transition from an undergraduate to a graduate program, you will be out on the market in a competitive position in the most efficient timeframe possible. Many people take this approach based on fear that they may never go back for the secondary degree once they taste a study-free money-making life. The downside to this scenario is that you'll be banking on the fact that you'll enjoy working in a particular profession without truly testing the waters! What happens if, after eight straight years of studying veterinary medicine, you realize that you dislike working with people? Oops.

The delayed approach, after obtaining your undergraduate degree, may give you the opportunity to work within your profession of interest and actually help further define your specific aspirations within the industry. This could prove to be extremely valuable, as many graduate programs often zero in on very specific areas of study. The other opportunity that may emerge is that often companies are willing to help supplement the cost of further education as they benefit from the added knowledge as well!

Either way, we urge you to gather as much information as possible. Collectively, the answers will give you some idea of what your professional future (and loan-paying power) might look like.

Learn About Graduate Programs