Archive for the ‘After College’ Category
Cappex Can Help after College!
Photo: education-portal.com
Dear College Seniors,
Congratulations on making it to your final year of college! You should be very proud of yourselves. This year is going to be great! You might be wondering what Cappex can still do for you – or will be able to do for you after graduation. Cappex is the place to find a college match, scholarship opportunities, and advice throughout your schooling. But what about… after college?
Have no fear, you fearless College Seniors! Cappex will not abandon you. There are tons of tools available to post-grads. For instance:
Internship Help
Cappex offers information on and tips for internships. While many students will have completed these during their college years, often times an internship is the best launch pad for your career. If you have your heart set on working in a specific company, they may hire interns first before looking at outside candidates.
Social Help
Yes, we know many of our words of wisdom are geared towards students. However, Cappex’s rules for using social media, setting goals, and finding a balance between life and work apply to people all over. Not just students in the midst of mid-term season. Also, there’s tips on filing taxes, a task at which many college graduates are new their first year out of school.
Graduate School Help
Some students apply to and attend grad school right out of college – but many take a year or two (or three!) to work and relax before diving back into the education pool. Cappex has tons of information on why to apply to graduate school and which graduate schools might suit you best. You found your college here, you might just find your grad school, too!
Scholarship Help
So, if you are thinking about graduate school, you know where to look for scholarships and all of the information you’ll need for financial aid. Hooray!
Job Help
Finding a job is not a piece of cake, but once you’ve got one there are other hurdles that may be intimidating to conquer. Cappex offers insight into relocating for a job and bad behavior for new employees. In addition, our interview tips are listed for summer jobs, but they can and should be applied to any job interview on which you go.
The 10 Best Graduate Schools for Education
Photo: teachersalary.org
For college students planning a career in education, graduate school may very well be on the horizon. U.S. News & World Report recently posted a list of the best graduate schools for education majors. Take a look at the top ten!
Vanderbilt University – The Peabody School of Education and Human Development (Nashville, TN)
- Students: 855 enrolled
- Tuition: $1,680 per credit (both full and part time)
- Application Deadline: December 31st
- Fun Fact: Vanderbilt undergraduate students have the option to complete a 1-year master’s degree in one of the 15 specialized concentrations offered to graduate students.
Harvard University - Graduate School of Education (Cambridge, MA)
- Students: 936 enrolled
- Tuition: $36,992 per year (full time), $18,496 per year (part time)
- Application Deadline: December 14th
- Fun Fact: Grad students primarily interested in education reform can participate in the Doctor of Education Leadership Program, which is tuition free.
University of Texas – Austin - College of Education (Austin, TX)
- Students: 1,273 enrolled
- Tuition: $8,110 (out state, part time); $15,770 (out state, full time); $7,786 (in state, part time); $14,666 (in state, full time)
- Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
- Fun Fact: Students and professors are often very involved with research projects involving high schools in the Austin area.
Stanford University - Stanford Teacher Education Program (Stanford, CA)
- Students: 359 enrolled
- Tuition: $40,050 per year
- Application Deadline: December 4th
- Fun Fact: Joint degree programs are offered through Stanford’s business and law schools.
Teacher’s College, Columbia University (New York, NY)
- Students: 5,108 enrolled
- Tuition: $1,231 per credit (full and part time)
- Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
- Fun Fact: As the oldest and largest graduate school for education in the country, Teacher’s College worked with the New York Department of Education to open a new elementary school in 2011. This public school will use it’s affiliation with higher education to give its kids the best in educational resources.
Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
- Students: 1,650 enrolled
- Tuition: $33,000 per year (full time), $577 per credit (part time)
- Application Deadline: April 1st
- Fun Fact: The federally funded Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education is run by Johns Hopkins and aids school districts in dire financial need across the country.
University of California Los Angeles - Graduate School of Education and Information Studies (Los Angeles, CA)
- Students: 835 enrolled
- Tuition: $15,102 per year (full time)
- Application Deadline: December 3rd
- Fun Fact: This school is known for educating new administrators and policy makers. The UCLA Lab School is an experimental, on-campus school that works with kindergartners through sixth graders to find innovative teaching methods.
University of Oregon - College of Education (Eugene, OR)
- Students: 681 enrolled
- Tuition: $14,556/year (in state, full time); $20,658/year (out state, full time); $488/credit (in state, part time); $714/credit (out state, part time)
- Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
- Fun Fact: The Positive Behavior Support System began at the University of Oregon; this academic programming now reaches 10,000 schools across the U.S.
- Students: 356 enrolled
- Tuition: $41,592 (per year, full time), $4,622 (per credit, part time)
- Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
- Fun Fact: Northwestern offers an accelerated degree program called NU-TEACH. After one summer of classes, students are put into their own classroom, under supervision. If the first year goes well, students spend the next four years teaching in Chicago Public Schools.
University of Pennsylvania - Graduate School of Education (Philadelphia, PA)
- Students: 1,212 enrolled
- Tuition: $42,950 per year (full time), $5,370 per credit (part time)
- Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
- Fun Fact: Students and professors help run schools located in West Philadelphia and train educators in the area.
Do you have any advice for students looking into graduate education programs? Share your experiences here! Then, visit Cappex to find out more about the best schools for education.
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Tip for High School and College Students: Invest in Yourself
It doesn’t matter whether you are a high school junior applying to college today, thinking about potential career paths, or a college senior dreading graduation day and a grueling job. It is important to continue evolving and connecting!
Back in February, at MTV’s Pioneers Speakers Series, Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn, spoke about the importance of evolving – changing over time and continuing to grow as a person. Hoffman’s Internet phenomenon, LinkedIn, is a networking site that links people to each other professionally instead of socially (cough cough, Facebook). He advises students to build their skills and networks one step at a time to prepare for the future. Think like an entrepreneur and invest in yourself.
So, what does this mean for you?
Well, if you are still in high school and applying to schools, focus on building skills. Think about majors that might be beneficial to a variety of professions. Certainly study something you are passionate about, but don’t let it limit you to a narrow job field. Involve yourself in extra-curricular activities that are different from your major. You’ll meet brand new types of people that will expand your network and you’ll learn to do new things that may come in handy – or at the very least become excellent jumping off points – for your future.
If you’re a college senior with serious senioritis, schoolwork is definitely getting on your nerves. Lucky for you, this is a terrific time to get out your networking chops and start socializing! Focus on making connections with other students – both with your same interests and with completely different areas of expertise. Even if these connections don’t lead directly to a stellar opportunity right off the bat, they might open a door that leads to another door that leads to the right door for you. Focus on enhancing the connections you’ve already made. If you’ve done an internship in the past, reconnect with that company or an employee you remember well. Scroll through contacts or online friends to see who might be able to offer insight into your job search. Hoffman says that even though you are almost finished with school, “You are not a finished product.” Don’t be afraid to keep growing even after graduation.
In his new book, The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career, Hoffman insists that if you approach your career like an entrepreneur and take the bull by the horns, you’ll have much greater success than hoping the right job finds you. The beauty of Hoffman’s sentiments is that the power lies within you to build your own career path. It can start when you apply to college, while you attend college, or after graduation. The key is: don’t stop evolving or “you start dying.”
Start investing in yourself today! Find scholarships and your perfect college match at Cappex.
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Think About Grad School for the Future
There are tons of reasons students choose to attend graduate school after college. When considering whether or not grad school is right for you, it is important to consider the long term effects it can have on your life down the road. While it’s not necessarily an easy decision to make, here are some questions you can ask yourself to help move the process forward.
Do I know what I want to do, and does it require grad school?
If you are planning to go into the fields of medicine, law, psychology, research, or collegiate education, you have to attend some form of graduate school. So, that decision is made for you. If you don’t know what your career path looks like but know you want to spend more time studying and theorizing on a specific topic, graduate school can still be a valid option. Plus, during your time at grad school, you may discover new jobs to which you can apply your degree.
Am I passionate enough to focus on one topic ambitiously for the next few years?
While in graduate school, your studies will be narrowly focused on a single topic of your choosing. You should ask yourself as you apply if you can envision yourself studying the same subject matter and rereading the same terms over and over again. Does this idea excite you or put you to sleep? Yes, you will find nuance within your studies over the next few years at school, but if the fundamental field doesn’t peak your interest now, it won’t stick once you are in school or after you’ve finished.
Will attending graduate school eventually help me earn a higher salary?
Take a look at career options you have with the field of study you are considering. If your goal is to increase your future salary by attending graduate school, make sure you do research on different salaries for your career options. Don’t forget to factor in any student loans you’ll need to pay off. It’s expensive to attend grad school, but if you find it worth it in the long run, go for it!
Am I ready and willing to take on the rigor?
You can always take time off between college and grad school to refuel your batteries before diving into a pool of books and independent research. Be honest with yourself about whether or not you can be the self-motivated and ambitious student graduate schools require.
Check Cappex for more graduate school information and ways to help pay your way through any school!
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Think About Graduate School Now
Many junior and senior college students grapple with the question of graduate school. Should I go? Will it be worth it? It is impossible to see into the future unless you have a really reliable crystal ball. So, trying to figure out if graduate school will make your life better in the long run will be stressful because it is hard to tell what the future holds. Instead, ask yourself the questions below to clarify if grad school is the right choice for you right now.
Am I stalling because I don’t want to make a career decision?
Many students dread graduating and jumping head-first into a new job. That abrupt transition can certainly be rough, but graduate school should not be your way of side-stepping the real world. If anything, graduate school should be a means of solidifying a career field for you. If you think you would use grad school to stall making any big career choices, it may not be for you.
Am I considering grad school because all my friends are considering it, or is this something I want?
It’s hard not to feel pressure to apply to graduate school if everyone else in your department or circle of friends is doing it. You may feel a sense of competition because getting into graduate school is like a badge of honor. However, you must ask yourself if this is something you want for yourself or if you are just wrapped up in the hype. Picture yourself at grad school – does that make you excited or nervous? Do you dread it before you’ve even applied? Be in touch with your true feelings on the subject.
Do I have the time, money, and energy to go to grad school today?
Graduate school is nothing if not expensive and time consuming. Yes, it is definitely rewarding, too! But, if you know you have student loans from college you’ll need to pay and are just plain tired of being a student, think about taking some time off from school before you consider graduate programs.
Will a year or two in the work force be a better step for me?
Many students opt for a year or two working at a job or traveling before applying to graduate school. This is a terrific idea if you are uncertain whether or not you want to study intensely for several years right out of college. Another positive effect of taking this time off is that you’ll gain experience that may improve your grad school application and the chances that you’ll get accepted.
Since you can’t see into the future, listen to yourself today. Take your time asking yourself these questions and the right choice will come to you.
Check out Cappex for more advice on college, school, and building a career!
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5 Ways To Be Proactive About Your Future!
As a college student, your job is to study, learn, build skills and have fun. Explore your world! While it’s important to be in the moment and focus on school, it’s never too early to begin career planning. This does not necessarily mean concrete planning, but having some foresight about your future is a great idea. Here are some things you can do to be proactive about your future career.
Consider Attending Graduate School
Depending on your major, you are either bound to attend some form of graduate school or have never considered it as an option. Medical School is necessary for doctors, obviously. But if you aren’t pre-med, graduate programs may be worth investigating if you enjoy learning in a more challenging and competitive environment. Take a look at these six things you should know before applying to grad school. If you know Law School is or may be in your future, check out Cappex’s list of the best Law Schools in the country.
Study a Second Language
It’s not everyone’s strong suit, but studying a second language will come in very handy when you graduate college and begin applying for jobs. Our world is becoming smaller in many ways and knowing even the basics of another language will make you more valuable to an employer. Take a foreign language class if you can fit it into your schedule!
Think Outside the Box
You might have a freak-out moment where you yell, “Help! My major is useless in today’s job market!” Don’t worry. There are a lot of jobs to which you can apply all that you’ve learned earning your degree. Remember: work forward from where you are. You have a great set of skills that will vary in demand over time, but use what you have now to work towards an ultimate goal.
Have an Ultimate Goal!
An ultimate goal shouldn’t be a binding goal – demands change rapidly and so do you. You might change your mind down the road and that’s okay! But having a direction is better than having no direction. You can’t discover what you really want to do if you never start anything. So, choose a goal like graduating from Law School or writing a book or teaching a class. Work towards it from where you stand now.
Build Leadership Skills
Having experience as a leader will make you much more appealing to future employers and will definitely give you confidence to tackle your career search post college. Here are three awesome ways you can build leadership skills!
Make your profile today at Cappex to learn more about education and career planning!
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Deciding to Join the Military
Joining the military can be a great, respectable option for students who don’t want to go to college, students who wish to postpone college for a few years, or students who are looking to enter the work force after high school. The military offers a unique experience to give back to your country, and many people are attracted to the prestige and benefits the military has to offer.
You may be thinking about the military as part of your future plans, but before you make a definite decision, it is important to ask yourself what your real motivation for enlisting is. The military is not for everyone, and once you enlist, you’re required to serve out your term even if it doesn’t turn out to be the experience you anticipated. Serving can be a very rewarding experience both personally and professionally and allow you to have a very enriching few years. Consider the following potential motives:
• Are you looking for a job?
• Do you not know what else to do?
• Do you want to serve your country?
• Are you looking for a career with the military, or do you just want to serve a term or two?
• Are you interested in the educational benefits and money for college?
• Do you want to see the world?
• Are you looking for a way to mature?
• Does serving in the military run in your family?
• Do you need money for college?
• Are other personal motivations driving you?
Once you determine that—and why—the military is the right choice for you, you will need to determine which branch you’d like to join. The best way to gain a real perspective about what military life will be like in each of the services is to meet with recruiters and ask all the questions you have about enlisting, including how to get started, specific details about deployment and active duty, what job opportunities are available to a new recruit, and whether there are options available primarily in the United States or overseas. There are six main services that make up the military: Marines, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, and National Guard/Reserves. Once you research each of these branches and narrow down your decision, speaking to your guidance counselor or looking on the internet will help you find recruiters and recruiting offices in your area.
Still need help making plans after high school? Cappex can help!
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3 Tips on Relocating for a New Job
You’ve accepted the job offer! Two weeks from today is your first day of your first job. Only, it’s four hundred miles away from where you live! Or maybe you don’t have a job offer yet, but you know your current town isn’t where you’re going to get one. Perhaps all of your college friends are from New York City, and growing up in a small town, you’re dying to get out there! But how do you go from Point A to Point B? Check out these tips on how to relocate for a new job!
Save
Moving isn’t cheap. There are security deposits, pet deposits, realtor fees, administration fees, and often several month’s worth of rent before you can sign a lease. There’s the cost of the moving truck you will not only have to gas up, but you’ll also have to pay for every mile you drive it. There’s the cost of food on your drive down, and rest stop coffee doesn’t come cheap. Then there’s the unknowable expenses: the window air conditioner because you’re apartment has desert temperatures; the split box spring because yours didn’t fit up the stairs; the new coffee maker, because you’ve unpacked everything, and you can’t find it anywhere. Moving will set you back. Try to save up as much as you can before you make the big move to a new place.
Find a Temporary Living Space
You may want to consider making your first home in your new state temporary. Instead of committing yourself to a one-year lease before you’ve even started your job, think about staying with some friends or a relative for a month or two. You’re new to the area. You don’t know which communities are the safest or which apartment complexes will give you the most bang for your buck. You may be dealing with a completely different climate and are unsure if you’ll be able to handle it. You may start your first job and realize it’s not what you thought it was. You may get your first paycheck and be surprised at how much in taxes was taken out of it. You can save money and make better long-term decisions for yourself if you’re lucky enough to find a way to get your feet wet before diving in.
Talk, Talk, Talk
Moving to a state in which you know no one can be one of two things: It can be a wonderful opportunity in which you make new friends, check out all the tourist sites, experience new restaurants, and take in the new culture; or it can be a depressing experience in which you mostly keep to yourself, stay in on the weekends, and live for the trips back to your hometown. Make the most of your relocation. The easiest way to start is with your coworkers! Work will be the most likely place for you to find friends when moving to a new state. They’ll be able to tell you which movie theater is the best, where you can get the cheapest groceries, and what to do on a Friday night.
Thinking about getting a masters degree? Cappex is the best place to search for graduate school!
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