Graduate School?!

In the last few years we have seen an influx of professionals going back to school for graduate degrees. For some it is their first graduate degree and for others they are seeking a new field. So how do you decide if a graduate degree is the right thing for you?

When it comes to graduate school there are a lot of things to consider. Cost, Location, Field, School, Full-time, part-time and so much more. My husband Brian and I recently traveled down this path. While getting our undergraduate degrees the topic of continuing our education came up frequently. May seem weird for some ( to be thinking about the next degree while you are still working towards the first) , but we are major planners so thinking ahead about it was very natural to us.

Through the process of deciding on a program we found that planning ever earlier on could have been helpful. Many programs build off of what you did in your undergrad program so knowing what you want to do early in life is helpful if you don't want to have to take more classes as pre requisites to your graduate program. Brian has talked about doing a JD/MBA for some time now. The thing with this combo is with law school it is completely normal to go into the program straight from your bachelors where as with a business degree they like to see several years of work experience before entering their programs.

Both programs had options of full time or part time. We were pretty set on full time from the beginning but this could be a big decision for many depending on circumstances. We wanted to avoid taking out loans for our living expenses so we decided I would continue working full time and he would focus on being a student and getting the best grades and experiences possible while I took care of the day to day expenses.

While looking into programs we found that for an MBA some schools accepted the GRE while others required the GMAT. Because the GRE seemed to the the exception for placement tests we decided he would take the GMAT so his options of schools would be greater. For lawschool you take the LSAT. This is only offered specific times of the year whereas the GMAT seemed to be offered almost everyday. From my standpoint I liked the set dates that the LSAT offered. It gave you a timeline and goal to aim for while the GMAT you could just kinda put off studying because there was no sense of urgency. At the same time if you are not ready for the LSAT when the time comes and it is only offered every 4 months or so you have a long time till the next one is being offered.

Once the tests were complete and scores were in  we then started to see what schools he qualified for and began the application process. Again several differences were seen between the 2 programs. Both required letters of recommendation and essays but some required official transcripts as part of the process while others only required them once you were accepted.

Though the JD/MBA seemed like a joint program upon further research we found that the majority of schools required 2 separate applications which meant 2 separate application fees. We decided to apply for the JD programs first and then apply for the MBA program once fall came around. Brian was set on law school but was still wishy washy about the joint program and if he wanted to fully commit to that extra year of school.

When looking at schools to apply to we relied a lot on rankings that were published by several sources as well as the schools websites. On the websites we referenced a lot of stats including job placement after graduation, bar passage rate, average income, and fields that students went into. We also had several schools reach out and offer to waive the application fee if we applied. That was an easy way to get us to consider them.

Once the applications were in we waited for acceptance letters. As those came in we re evaluated each school and the pros and cons of each. Many of the schools he was accepted to were close in ranking so we really had to start looking at what each had to offer us. We had to weigh if moving across the country  was something we wanted to do, cost (many of the schools we would have to pay out of state tuition at least the first year, so we took that into account), scholarships, job opportunities and placement.

After all that we finally chose a school, we decided on University of Utah. A few pros that they had going for them was that I could continue working at my job (important since I am going to be supporting us through school), we would be closer to family than we would be back east, lots of public transportation, they offered a strong scholarship package, great internship opportunities and the student to professor ratio is low. There were several other items we took into account but these were some of the top reasons.

When it comes to graduate programs you will typically spend more than you did on an undergraduate program, and it will impact your career path more specifically than your undergrad did as well so you need to be sure about what you want to do moving forward. Take the time to think through the pros and cons of each program and to be picky about the school you want to go to, this may be the last degree you get.