Grad/Professional School

[Sugar_N_Spice]

I did a search on this topic, as well as asked a moderator for posting advice...I decided to post a seperate thread b/c no one is replying in the "Grad Sisterfriends" Thread (which makes sense b/c some of you are members who also went or ar currently in Grad school)...On to my question:

1.) To all of you that are in Graduate or Professional School (or have completed graduate or professional school), what advice would you offer those of us that are still in undergrad in terms of getting prepared for it???

Please include:
*What you did in undergrad to prepare for grad school (helpful tips, etc.)
*The type of program you are studying or intend to study
*Dual degree holders: did you do them concurrently or seperately? What do you advise?
*What you plan on doing w/ this degree(s)
*Your current occupation (if you don't mind)
*The institution of attendance (once again, at your own discretion), including a description on the atmosphere, dynamics, etc. of the school and surounding town/city

By the way, I am interested in obtaining a M.P.P. (Masters in Public Policy) or a M.S.W. (Masters in Social Welfare or Social Work) and a J. D. (Juris Doctorate, which is a law degree) either concurrently or separately...But I'm not really sure what I want to do with these degrees... I need direction

Thanks a bunch,
SNS

[AKA2D '91]

I graduated out of the Public Policy department with a MPA (Public Administration (HC Admin). I thought HC admin was the ticket. IT IS if you are... And I am not ____ or ___.

I'm not using the degree at this time, but I had been told that getting on the Federal Registry is not a bad idea.

Interning with State or Local, even Federal government agencies.

In light of the 9-11 incident, I don't think that I will EVER seek employment with ANY government agency. I don't think it's safe. I LOVE my stint with Education.

I do have Sorors/friends who do have Master degrees in PA and are working for (to name a couple) the Federal Government (Dept of Defense) and a local government agency.

You might want to get into politics a little, after graduation. I"m not saying to vie for an office, but politicians like mayors and governors will need public policy people in their camp, so to speak. That's an avenue for you as well.

Now, when talking about Social Work, that's wide open.

Good luck!

[Ideal08]

law school! You didn't say anything about a MPP! I am pursuing grad school right now, and I want my MA in Public, Policy, & Management, or a MPA (which one depends on my past work experience and my current career). OSU doesn't have a Non-Profit Mgmt major, so this is the closest thing to what I need. I've looked over the course descriptions, and I can't wait to apply what I learn to opening my non-profit. I need 3 pre-reqs that I didn't take in undergrad: statistics, American Govt, and microeconomics. So that's a tip, if you haven't taken those, take 'em, lol.

I'm going to start my application process at the end of this week, or early next week. Clearly, lol, I don't have any advice for you, I just wanted to share! But I'm looking forward to the responses in this thread.

[PinkNGreen]

I think I can offer some advice. I finshed my MBA about a year and a half ago. In terms of getting prepared, I think the most important thing is to make sure that you're getting a degree in an area that you really want to work in. I orginally considered getting a Ph.D. in Psychology and after wasted application and test fees, I took a year off and went for the MBA.

Preparation: I think that GRE/GMAT test preparation is really important, I found the classes to be helpful.

Program Type: Decide what type of program do you need, a working evening program or do you prefer to continue as a full-time day student. I opted for the evening program, housing cost in the Bay Area require me to work. But, if I had to do it again, I would have chosen the more traditional route.

Using the Degree: I want to work in Human Resources Management. Unfortunately, I keep being told that I'm not "seasoned" enough.

Current Job: Totally unrelated to Management or Human Resources, I'm a Project Coordinator for an area hospital.

Location of Grad School: California State University, small, commuter school. Nothing at all like my Alma Mater in Illinois.

Last Word: Be careful with concurrent degrees, especially if one of them is Law, it's really tough and you have to be SUPER committed to make it work. Best of luck to you!

[Happydaysf91]

Well, Lawd knows I have had enough of school...the last 10 1/2 years of my life, I've been in school in some shape form or fashion (This is for my degrees as well as 2 licenses).

As far as a joint program....it depends on the school and if you have the time and money to dedicate. I have a MBA and JD, but I did them separate. I suggest (personally), if you are desire to get a MBA and have a business undergrad degree....get with a good company that is willing to pay for it and go part time. That way you will get some work experience and the degree while going to school for free. Most of the better schools require that you have 2-5 years worth of work experience for an MBA. However, there are several good part-time programs out there.

As far as preparation...scores are vary important on the GMAT/LSAT and etc. So dish out a little extra cash for those prep courses! These days, a lot of people have 4.0's and 3.8's. Those scores could be what separate you from getting into an Ivy League school versus as state school (which is not bad....just in case you were striving for one of the ivy leagues).

Schools: DU/IL State/Vandy

Good luck to you! Like someone before me said. Make sure you pick a field you like. Its nothing like wasting your good money on a useless degree! And make sure you research that field....many markets are saturated now.....just because you got the degree doesn't mean that you are going to get a job in that field!

[darling1]

sugarnspice i guess we have a few things in common . happydays91 thanks for the advice.

[Sugar_N_Spice]

As I stated in another thread, "Vacation Time is Over!" So, let's get bakc to "work", shall we...

I would love to see more replies to this thread, and I'm sure many of my other Sister- or Member-friends would too...

[Little32]

As I said, I am working on my PH. D. So I don't know how much of this information will be helpful in applying for other programs.
A good statement of purpose is essential. Start working on that now and having two or three readers (including one who is up on grammar) who will give you valuable critiques does not hurt.
Cultivate relationships with several professors so that when it comes time for those letters of recommendation, you will have several people to turn to who know of you and your activities. The more your professors know about you, the better the letter will be.
Apply to one or two safe schools. These school might not be your first choice, but they are the ones that you will certainly get into. Therefore, if things don't pan out with your top choices, you will still have the option of continuing with your education.
That's all I can think of right now.

[CrucialCrimson]

With some few exceptions such as medical or dental school - I strongly discourage anyone from going directly to graduate school. Get some work/life experience first - even if it is just a year or two. I earned a law degree about 8 years ago and am starting an MBA now with an employer paying for it - stacking up degrees is useless without the experience to go with it - I say that not only as someone going on her third degree, but as someone who routinely reviews resumes and interviews people and a page full of degrees doesn't usually get you past the first mark with me. As for law school, if I had to do it again I would have majored in history as an undergraduate student. Law school wasn't in my plans so I didn't "prepare" for it per se, but the best study tool I had to catch up was my nephew's 6th grade social studies book!!

[AKA2D '91]

I've decided to work on my doctorate.

If anyone knows of any schools that have great programs (Education programs), please let me know. I am willing to RELOCATE.

[darling1]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
I've decided to work on my doctorate.

If anyone knows of any schools that have great programs (Education programs), please let me know. I am willing to RELOCATE.

From what I understand, my university has a very good education department. I believe it is top 25. I will e-mail you the web address. Let me know if you want me to forward any other information.

[markmywords]

i am reviving this thread b/c i have some questions.

for those of you who are in graduate school how did you prepare for the gre and/or gre subject tests? i'm considering taking a class, but dropping a G on kaplan or princeton is going to put a hurt on my budget.

has anyone taken those classes and had it be worth the money?

has anyone not taken classes and found alternative ways to study, and still been successful?

[RedefinedDiva]

Well, I am currently in grad school. I took the GRE off of my own knowledge. I bought the test prep book and studied little by little everyday. I made about a 950, but I really wasn't concentrating. I had graduated Saturday and took the GRE on Monday. I wasn't into it. It was good enough to get me into my grad school. I am not a "class" kind of person, nor do I have the money. I just don't see the rationale behind someone teaching me how to take a test. I am currently perparing for the LSAT. Many lawyers that I know have provided prep test materials to me. They even told me that the classes were a waste.

The only way that I would take the class is ONLY AFTER I have taken the test WITHOUT assistance first. That way you can see a correlation between the two. If you take the class prior to testing, how would you know if you did well by your own merit or not? Even then, i would still be skeptical. If your scores don't go up, you don't get a refund, so what's the point?

Just study on your own, try your best, and pray.

Maybe someone sees differently....

[Confucius]

Originally posted by Happydaysf91

Good luck to you! Like someone before me said. Make sure you pick a field you like. Its nothing like wasting your good money on a useless degree! And make sure you research that field....many markets are saturated now.....just because you got the degree doesn't mean that you are going to get a job in that field!

Great advice, I was told to work for two years. So far I have been working for 5 months and I am beginning to look at graduate school differently. Now, I am less and

[ClassyLady]

Originally posted by RedefinedDiva
The only way that I would take the class is ONLY AFTER I have taken the test WITHOUT assistance first. That way you can see a correlation between the two.

In regards to the LSAT, the goal is to take that test only once and get a good score that time. The LSDAS averages your test scores so if you do okay the first time and great the second time, the score that gets reported to the schools will only be good. Additionally, I read that when there is drastic improvement in standardized test scores, admissions officers tend to assume that the lower score reflects your actual ability and the higher score was just a fluke.

I plan to take the prep course for the LSAT and the GMAT. I look at the money as an investment into my future. And, it doesn't hurt that I have a hook up and will be getting my class at a DEEP, DEEP discount.