2008 Woodie Awards
Students prepare for life after Emerson
Alyssa Velekei
Issue date: 10/14/04 Section: Lifestyle
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So, you want to trade in your camera for a stethoscope or put away those publishing books and grab a gavel? Nice try, but without the right degrees, an aspiring doctor or lawyer is about as close to achieving his or her dreams as Boston is to Hong Kong. Today there is an ever-growing demand for workers who possess degrees of a higher level, such as a master's or even a doctorate.
Not only do employers give preference to potential employees with graduate degrees, these employees also earn higher salaries than their less educated counterparts. All fields welcome employees who have attended graduate school, but some fields, like medicine and the law, actually require prospective physicians or lawyers to attend further schooling. Of course, attainting a higher degree to gain more prestige and/or pay requires more years in school. Graduate schools give students the opportunity to take their education to the next level and earn degrees that will ultimately assist them financially.
Of course, acceptance into a chosen graduate school does not automatically come with a college diploma. Graduate schools employ an application system similar to those of four-year colleges and universities, depending on what you want to study. However, a key part of the graduate school application process involves the right recommendations given by the right people.
"Graduate school admissions boards appreciate references from previous jobs or other non-educational sources but what they really look for are solid recommendations from professors," Justin Giugno, Emerson's graduate admission application manager said.
In addition to recommendations, graduate school applications require transcripts, essays, general information, and of course, the dreaded standardized test scores.
Naturally, different kinds of graduate schools require different standardized tests. Each field of study requires different tests; for example, art and science courses use the GREs (Graduate Record Examination), business courses use the GMATs (Graduate Management Admission Test), law courses use the LSATs (Law School Admission Test), and medical courses use the MCATs (Medical College Admission Test). They are all structured somewhat like the SATs or SAT IIs, with specialized sections that depend on the subject of the test. Each test lasts for about four hours, except for the intense MCAT, which generally runs about eight.
Not only do employers give preference to potential employees with graduate degrees, these employees also earn higher salaries than their less educated counterparts. All fields welcome employees who have attended graduate school, but some fields, like medicine and the law, actually require prospective physicians or lawyers to attend further schooling. Of course, attainting a higher degree to gain more prestige and/or pay requires more years in school. Graduate schools give students the opportunity to take their education to the next level and earn degrees that will ultimately assist them financially.
Of course, acceptance into a chosen graduate school does not automatically come with a college diploma. Graduate schools employ an application system similar to those of four-year colleges and universities, depending on what you want to study. However, a key part of the graduate school application process involves the right recommendations given by the right people.
"Graduate school admissions boards appreciate references from previous jobs or other non-educational sources but what they really look for are solid recommendations from professors," Justin Giugno, Emerson's graduate admission application manager said.
In addition to recommendations, graduate school applications require transcripts, essays, general information, and of course, the dreaded standardized test scores.
Naturally, different kinds of graduate schools require different standardized tests. Each field of study requires different tests; for example, art and science courses use the GREs (Graduate Record Examination), business courses use the GMATs (Graduate Management Admission Test), law courses use the LSATs (Law School Admission Test), and medical courses use the MCATs (Medical College Admission Test). They are all structured somewhat like the SATs or SAT IIs, with specialized sections that depend on the subject of the test. Each test lasts for about four hours, except for the intense MCAT, which generally runs about eight.