Surviving the Slowdown, part 3
Job market encourages many to get Master’s
   After Jason Golpz graduated in December 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, he went east to start a banking career.
He settled in Birmingham, Ala. with his wife and sent out resumes for various positions the three major banks headquartered in the city.
“I ended up having to work in two strictly sales jobs that didn’t interest me at all,” he said. “If the economy was doing well, Birmingham would probably be a great place to start a banking career, but not now.”
Golpz’s only job offers in his chosen profession were part-time teller positions.
“I finally decided to just try to study and go to graduate school,” he said. “I think now my undergrad degree was a waste. I spent four and a half years at LSU, and I got nothing.”
Golpz is studying chemistry and biology to attend graduate school and prepare for a health-related profession.
“If everything goes as planned, it will take me one and a half years to finish the prerequisites and two and a half years to get out of grad school,” Golpz said. “But, I’m going to go into a field with inelastic demand.”
Golpz is one of many people choosing to continue his education in a tight job market.
A representative from Educational Testing Service, the company that designs the Graduate Record Examinations students must take to get into graduate school, reports more people have taken the tests during the past year than in previous years.
“There is a national trend — when the economy is slower, we get more applicants,” said John Larkin, dean of the graduate school. “Overall, applications are up about 19 percent from last year.”
Though students may consider returning to graduate school a negative effect of a slowing economy, the recession is good for the school itself.
“Because we have a larger applicant pool, we can allow the departments to be more selective with who they admit,” Larkin said. “Ultimately, that means we get an even better quality of graduate students.”
Larkin said during the five years prior to Fall semester, there had been a slow, but steady decrease in the number of Graduate School applicants.
“The increase is significant and we’re delighted,” Larkin said. “If this holds, we may indeed admit more students.”
Larkin said admissions numbers will depend on whether departments can offer internships and financial packages that compete with other graduate schools.
Adam Sharp knows the importance of finding a good deal in tough times.
Sharp, an ISDS and management senior, is applying to the University’s graduate school because it is inexpensive.
“The job market is really tight right now,” he said. “By going to get my [Master’s of Business Administration] at LSU right after I graduate, I only have to spend about $3,400, I think.”
Sharp decided to attempt his MBA because friends in his field are having a difficult time landing good jobs.
“I’ll be honest,” he said. “I haven’t been doing much job searching because I have a lot of friends doing that right now. Most of them are still at their college jobs.”
Sharp said the other major draw of graduate school was faster promotions.
“It just makes me more marketable,” he said.
Students also are considering law school to help them out of the economic slump.
The Law School Admissions Council, which designs the Law School Admission Test, reports a 26.3 percent increase of test-takers from December 2000 to December 2001.
Applications at LSU Law Center are up 21 percent from last year, said Michele Forbes, law school director of admissions.
Forbes said the increase could be a result of heightened recruiting efforts and the Law Center’s dual degree programs rather than the economy.
“We visited all Louisiana colleges and universities as well as some in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and other areas,” she said. “More visibility probably increased applications.”
Also, enrollment in law schools in general is up, she said.
Current application increases cannot be conclusive until at least after the priority date for admission to LSU Law on Feb. 1, Forbes said.
“Typically when the economy is good people work and when it’s bad people go to school,” she said. “We don’t really know much other than that.”
Mary Honore, a first-year law student, said she entered law school to make more money.
“There are certainly some people who left careers to go back to school,” she said. “I’m not sure how much it had to do with the job market, though.”
Because the recession began last March, enrolled law students applied with different economic circumstances than today’s applicants.
Applicants to law and graduate school must now compete with more people to obtain a place in either program.
“The most important thing for applicants to know is how they are assessed,” Larkin said.
Larkin suggested applicants improve their GPAs in majors as much as possible, take examinations early, send applications before Christmas and concentrate on a well-written entrance essay.
“That essay must be written perfectly,” he said. “We expect good recommendations. The essay is your opportunity to show the departments who you are.”
Jason Golpz is on his way in the process.
“I decided to go into economics at LSU because I enjoyed it,” he said. “Now I’m going to grad school because I have to find a job.”
Rebekah Monson