<p>I went to visit Wesleyan yesterday, and really enjoyed the campus. I learned so much about the school and can really see myself as a student there. I just have a question, not really Wes-specific, but more about the LAC degree. Wesleyan's academic program is so open, and through the four years students really seem to cultivate the ability to think, reason, and discuss ideas. Though this is important, most of the seniors I met during the tour and information session seemed a bit indecisive in terms of their career goals. During the info session, the presenter discussed how the Wesleyan degree can prepare you for almost any career--how an individual can go from being a history professor to a Wall street executive, and then something different after that. Though I personally found this appealing, my parents concern was that you would definitely need a graduate degree in order to get on the track for a specific career. After paying for four years of undergraduate study, I know that I would need to start paying back loans immediately, and could not consider grad school for awhile. Most of the students I met were planning on attending grad school or working for non profits/community service groups for a time before going to grad school. I know that in the contemporary world, its becoming increasingly important to have education beyond undergrad--but I was wondering how probable it is for an individual to leave an LAC and land a successful career (or at least one that could support repayment of loans). </p>
<p>Basically, I am wondering whether the Wesleyan experience provides sufficient for entering the job market right after senior year.</p>
<p>An awful lot of students certainly try to make it in the real world first before tackling graduate school, probably a majority. I think the Career Resources Center does a pretty good job of finding entry level jobs for people in a variety of fields. But, the fact remains that outside of investment banking and teaching, I can't think of too many fields where a graduate degree won't eventually come in handy. Most people would not be happy working in back office operations, handling data entry for the rest of their lives (unless, of course, they were pursuing something else on the side, like acting, directing or writing the next Great American Novel.) And, there's only so much demand for web designers in the world.</p>
<p>The Wall Street Journal did a poll not long ago that estimated something like 85% of Wesleyan students pursue a graduate or professional degree within five years of graduation. That makes a little more sense when you consider the fact that even top MBA programs prefer some job experience right after college and before graduate school.</p>
<p>In the work world, I know many, many people who went directly from college to career with an LAC undergraduate degree. Because we live in a time when the globalized economy is getting more volatile and exciting, it's a fair bet that many of the jobs that will be most attractive in four or five years don't even exist yet. That's the value of a liberal education, preparing you for constant change with critical thinking skills that never go out of style. Wesleyan in particular does quite well in producing creative and nimble people right out of the box, in lots of fields, as this list shows:
<a href="http://www.wesleyan.edu/about/alumni.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.wesleyan.edu/about/alumni.html</a></p>
<p>I was actually just discussing graduate schools with my parents yesterday. One works at a large DC non-profit, and it attracts a lot of younger people who don't end up pursuing careers there but do usually put in a couple of years after college graduation to a) save up money and b) get work experience and c) test the waters to see if a career/further study of politics/law is what they want to be up to. Although she knows people who went each of the different ways (first going to grad school, then on to the workaday world; as opposed to working a few years first, then going to grad school), she says most tend to follow the second route. So if I was you, I wouldn't worry about whether you can get a job after Wes, because I think that's the generally accepted path for most people who graduate from LACs to begin with.</p>
<p>I'm not planning on going to grad school right out of Wesleyan (unless I get a master's in education alongside teaching). I'm still not even quite sure what I'm going to be doing (I'm going into my junior year). However, I'm a double major in mathematics and sociology, and I feel like in combination these two fields prepare me for a wide array of possible career paths. I feel pretty confident that I'll be able to get a job right out of school - and I'm not planning on ever getting a pHD, an MD, or going to law school. It's hard to generalize, but I feel like a lot of the seniors I know who just graduated have gotten some pretty cool jobs - even people working for nonprofits still make money (not a 6 figure salary, certainly, but some)</p>
<p>direwolf: It's called the Welyean film mafia. Our film major gradutes tend to be really successful in Film and TV, with a really strong alumni network.</p>
<p>Of course, the OP's question is really not about LACs. It is about marketability holding a liberal arts degree; you know, the kind you get at all the fancy research universities.</p>
<p>WesDad make a good point: except for certain types of degrees that mostly only unis offer (business, engineering, nursing, etc) that are very “pre-professional” oriented, there’s really a difference between a degree from a uni and one from and LAC. An English major is an English major, with whatever degree of marketability that entails, whether they got the degree at Brown or Wesleyan.</p>
<p>I agree with Wes Kid. It is the major not the LAC v. Uni question, though LAC's, thankfully, do have a greater variety of majors that trigger a "what the . . .?" reaction from potential employers. If you're concerned about $$ when you graduate (which when you're taking out a WHOLE lot of loans to pay for a school like Wes is totally legit), consider your major more carefully . . hard sciences, engineering, accounting or even econ tend to be reasonably lucrative. But really, you're going to want a graduate degree at some point even (if not especially) in those fields. </p>
<p>Your parents concern is waranted, but perhaps a bit outdated, as graduate degrees are increasingly de riguer for professional success (unless you've got a YouTube or Facebook under the bed). An undergrad degree, ANY undergrad degree, doesn't mean now what it did 20-25 years ago.</p>
<p>I suppose, then, that the concern is majoring in liberal arts, rather than going to a liberal arts school. It just might be easier to secure a job if one follows a pre-prof path, or is interested in accounting, economics, etc. My parent's concern is really based in the idea that someone would major in English, and then be left without a particular occupation. They are encouraging a degree in Physical Therapy, some school that would offer a 5 year program. Personally, I feel that majoring in libarts allows for a more creative job experience...and eventually a position that cannot be labeled by a certain degree. The great editors, writers, activists, newscasters...most did not major in journalism or "editing" but rather were able to enter the field through their other skills.</p>
<p>It's a little like choosing a "safety". You have to ask yourself, if all else fails, how happy would you be as a physical therapist the rest of your life? If, as it would appear, that you are thinking about the medical field generally and are merely looking for a "fall-back position" in case you don't wind up in medical school, then -- and, again I realize that's a big IF -- you should realize 1) you don't need a sci/med major in order to get into med school, and 2) a liberal arts major is probably a better fall back position in case you change your mind. I mean, why spend four years studying something that will be of no interest or use to you if you should change your mind about being a doctor? Unless, of course, you really want to be a physical therapist. :p</p>
<p>That's just it...I want a career that is versatile--something that I can build on, exceed in, work my way up towards higher levels of a field. Physically therapy, and most related jobs, just don't offer those possibilities. I think that persuing a liberal arts major is more beneficial because you develop the skills that can be applied to all fields.</p>