When Should I Attend?

There are reasons to attend graduate school immediately after finishing your undergraduate education. There are also reasons to take time off before continuing your education at the graduate level.

• Building on the momentum - some people feel they are most likely to stay on track academically if they continue being a student and don't take time off
• Entry level job requirements - a graduate degree may be required in your career field even for that first position
• Shelf-life of your courses - certain mandatory pre-requisite courses (especially those in science and technology) may "expire" after a period of time

• Admissions requirements - some programs will not accept you until after you have significant work experience in the field in which you choose to study
• Competitiveness - although you may be accepted without relevant work experience, you may find your application is viewed more competitively by the admissions committee if you have experience. Additionally, you may be more competitive for jobs once you finish if you have both a graduate degree and related work experience
• Clarification/confirmation of interest - time off gives you time to test out a variety of fields. This critical since graduate/professional programs, unlike your undergraduate education, don't provide you with a broad exposure to a variety of disciplines; rather they narrow your educational focus and professional options.
• Burn out - you've been in school for a long time and simply need a break
• Financial - you can pay off some of your student loans before incurring new ones or you can simply get a head start saving for graduate school
• Employer support - you may choose to pursue your graduate education in partnership with an employer who offers educational benefits. Usually, this benefit doesn't kick in right away, you have to obtain permission when you want to take courses, and coursework must be related to the work you are doing for the employer.