When my D graduated from a top school in 2011, there weren’t many jobs available. Many of her classmates went to grad or law school because they didn’t have anything else lined up. She wasn’t interested in going to school right away, since she didn’t really have an idea what she would end up doing in terms of a career. Four years later, she still hasn’t gone to grad school … her career is going really well, so there isn’t a need for it right now. She is open to the idea, and it may be in the cards down the road … but she does prove that not “everyone” from a top school goes to grad school (granted, it wasn’t Harvard …).
D actually wanted to be in the entertainment industry, and she interned & networked throughout undergrad. In the end, she realized it wasn’t really for her … too cut-throat and unpredictable for her. She was so upset when she made the decision not to pursue that path - thought she had “wasted so much time” - but the truth is, we don’t know whether or not something is for us until we are right in the thick of it. Internships really do help a young person to see what the business is like & decide if it’s for them.