<p>Parents, do you think your son/daughter should attend graduate/law school immediately after college graduation or work for a few years?</p>
<p>So much depends on the individual. I know many/most go straight from undergrad to law school, while there are a good number who work for a while & then go to law school. Part of it depends on finances & interest. Would definitely take the LSAT while still in college before all memory of the test-taking skills & math for the reasoning portion fade.</p>
<p>Sometimes working for a while will sharpen the individual's interest in law school & how it will apply to his/her future, while for others it will make them decide they've had enough school & not pursue law school (or perhaps help them find what they might be more interested in pursuing in grad school--like business or something else). Most of the folks I'm closest to plowed straight throw from undergrad straight to law school & seem to be pretty satisfied, tho some have decided after practicing awhile that law is NOT for them.</p>
<p>Gotta admit, I found all the reading & Socratic method of law school VERY intellectually challenging--MUCH more than in HS or college. I really admired those who were able to juggle the rigors of law school, a spouse, kids, & a job WITH law school (definitely makes everything more challenging). Sometimes when folks "stop out" of school, they get pretty comfortable with earning a salary & not having exams on a regular basis & might be quite reluctant to give all of it up to go back to school & return to the poor student lifestyle.</p>
<p>dont go to grad school without a really good reason. unless you have an MBA from a top 10 school, they dont really help. dont goto school for the sake of going to school.</p>
<p>S took the GMAT as a college senior, and looked at grad schools. But he really wanted to work first, and considered grad schools only as back-up. He was tired of school, and itching for some greater independence (that a paycheck and some free time brings).</p>
<p>In the end, he didn't even apply to any grad schools because the programs he was interested in were all "Professional" programs, which required work first. Now he is glad, as actually working in his field (economics) has helped him understand what areas he really wants to pursue more deeply, and what he wants to do with it. He is hoping to take graduate courses eventually, part time as he continues working, with the hopes that his employer will pay for some of them.</p>
<p>Also consider whether an employer will pay for your graduate school education. My b-i-l has an engineering degree from the University of Illinois and his employer paid for him to get his MBA from the University of Chicago. The school district my children attend pays for teachers to get their master's degrees.</p>
<p>I don't think there is one right answer. I applied to grad school in architecture as a senior and then requested a one year deferment. I spent the year photographing firestations all over the US thanks to a grant I'd gotten. It was a great experience and it was nice to have a year of no classes before the intensity of arch. school. I think for B-school work experience can be a huge plus (and often required). The trick is getting a job that's reasonably interesting with just a BA.</p>
<p>i know for clinical psych, which is one of the most difficult programs to get into, work experience is extremely helpful.</p>
<p>Someone advised me to take the GREs as a college senior and that was a great suggestion, because they come easy when you are in the groove as a student and the scores can be used much later. That said, I think some time in the work force is a great advantage for many reasons when it comes to both selecting a graduate program and making accurate career choices for who you are. </p>
<p>It is definitely true that clinical psych programs value work experience for the depth and maturity you bring to clinical work (research or therapeutic). Also true in education and probably many of the arts. </p>
<p>I taught for two years before doing a masters in a summer program (Middlebury, English) then three more years before entering a doctoral program in psychology(Northwestern) In both cases I know the work experience helped make it possible to apply to one school of choice and get in. My experience in organizations also gave me skills that helped navigate graduate school life.</p>
<p>Medicine and law get more complicated, if one also wants to have a family and in those fields it may be helpful to get the career well launched before the biological clock starts ticking</p>
<p>What about humanities and social sciences programs?</p>
<p>For MBA programs, work experience is nearly mandatory.</p>
<p>For PhD programs in econ and poli sci, delaying grad school by more than a year or so is probably harmful. The only exception is if you were doing something technical enough that it directly related to graduate training in your area. Even then, having worked for 3-4 years is of dubious value at top 25 programs. There have been notable instances of well known professionals starting their PhDs late in life but those were rare exceptions.</p>
<p>Our son will be able to complete about 2/3's of his MS degree in his 4th undergrad year and complete it in one additional semester. Because he is on scholarship it makes sense for him to go that route. </p>
<p>There is also a big difference between a MS and PhD graduate program. A student makes great time, emotional and economic sacrifices embarking on a PhD program. Most PhD candidates put their post-graduate life on hold for 5-6 years and approximately 50% do not complete their degree program for one reason or another. Add to this the fact that job prospects requiring PhD credentials is dismal in most fields. </p>
<p>Attached is a links summarizing comments of PhD students in various fields of study. Scroll down and click on one of interest to you. While giving a sobering window into the life of a PhD student, much of the advice is on target.
<a href="http://www.phd-survey.org/advice/advice.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.phd-survey.org/advice/advice.htm</a></p>
<p>That is a good survey. For various reasons however (easier to end up in consulting, a better academic job market) Economics (or even better, Finance) is a bit different. Good departments usually don't offer terminal master's degrees and the best thing to do is to go for a PhD and drop out after a year with a Master's if it's not really your cup of tea.</p>
<p>Also students on CC often lump professional school and Phd work under the heading "Grad school" and I wanted to keep the two separate.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that econ degrees funnel into both MBA and PhD programs, the two are vastly different. And work experience almost never helps for the latter. However, there are some jobs in addition to academia where a PhD is strongly recommended if not essential.</p>
<p>Hey! I know Chris Golde! It always tickled me when I see the work of people I know cited here.</p>
<p>Okay, hijack over.</p>
<p>I'd just reiterate that this does vary from field to field. In some field you should work first, in others you shouldn't, and in yet others its a toss-up.</p>
<p>Some business schools are beginning to cutback on the experience requirement. It is very disruptive to a real life progression. It creates stress in marriages and delays home buying and other things best done sooner than later.</p>
<p>Interesting question. Various family and friends have inquired about D1's plans after college. Recently, she mentioned grad school but nothing definitive. She will think it through and discuss the possibilities with us this time next yr. H worked for 2 yrs before deciding on area of focus for grad school...for him, it was the best thing that could've happened. It gave him the knowledge/experience and, thus, the passion and motivation to pursue it. The workplace kicked in some money for tuition....every little bit helped.</p>
<p>HIMom, I know 2 law school grads...after practicing 3 yrs, both decided that litigation was not for them. One is now a researcher. The other works as a recruiter for legal temp agency.</p>
<p>My S rejected my strong plea to work before entering law school right after undergrad. Now, 3 years later, he has told me I was right. He is exhausted after 7 straight years of school and having to live a student's life for that long (and continues to do so as he's studying for the bar). Looking back, he acknowledges he could have used the mental break as well as some experience in business. On the other hand, my soph D thinks she'd like to sample a few careers before going back to school for some sort of post-grad.</p>
<p>Actually, if kids go right to undergrad from high school that would be 19-20 years of uninterrupted schooling! My son took a gap year this year before heading into college and I can't tell you how glad I am. He is relaxed, recharged, renewed, very ready to be a first-year now, and astonishingly more mature. Obviously in some career lines, you can't do that, but from an overall health/mental health perspective, there is a good argument for a non-student year sometime between 5 and 25....</p>
<p>I too know several folks who have "burned out" from law. One has become a property owner & manager. Another has become a commercial loan officer at a small fraction of his prior salary (after 10 years practicing law). Yet another has become head of HI Red Cross. Others for for the government where you don't really HAVE to have a law degree.
I don't think we have a legal temp agency in our state.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>I don't think we have a legal temp agency in our state.<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Looks like you can start one!</p>
<p>I think it's much more common for kids today to take that break after undergrad before going on to grad school or law school. It seems that most top law programs have large percentages of their incoming students with years of work experience. When my H went to law school back in the dark ages, that wasn't the case, everyone was the same age. Same with me and my grad program, everyone within a year of being the same age. </p>
<p>Like most things, I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all approach. I have one D who took a year off prior to her grad program and even at that, she's VERY glad to now be finished school. I also have two nieces who will enter law schools this fall after graduating this spring. There are pros and cons to each approach and each kid has to find the right path.</p>