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GRAD SCHOOL GUIDE
magazine
GRAD TEST 101 | COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION | ALTERNATIVES ISSUE 2 / VOLUME 72
editor’s note
“S
o what are your plans for after graduation?” It’s a question that inspires motivation and hope for the future as a freshman but causes dread and uncertainty as graduation approaches. For many, the idea of going to school for a few more years is about as welcome as a speeding ticket in the West Road Garage. But for others, graduate school is a stepping stone on the way to their dream career. Whether you enter Loyola with a solidly laid out plan for the rest of your future, or if you are leaving Loyola just as undecided as you were when you entered, Wolf Magazine is here to offer you some guidance. From the MCAT to the service industry, we’ve got tips and tricks to help ease the stress of your impending entry into the real world. Career Services counselor Jill Boatright offers steps to completing the PHOTO BY SARA FELDMAN perfect graduate school application packet. Interested in teaching? Peek into the lives of recent Loyola graduates who have entered a new type of classroom in “Classroom Culture.” Does a gap year sound like the perfect remedy to your four years as an undergraduate? “Alternative Paths” shows you a few different options on how you can make the most of your post-grad purgatory. No matter your plans for after graduation, don’t get so caught up in job and grad school applications that you forget to enjoy your last few months at Loyola. Just keep swimming, y’all! Cheers,
About
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Wolf Magazine is a publication by Loyola University New Orleans Student Media and does not necessarily reflect the views of Loyola’s administration. Unless otherwise noted, all content is copyrighted to Wolf Magazine. The first copy is free to students, faculty and staff. Every additional copy is $1.00.
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ISSUE 2/ VOLUME 72 November 15, 2013
Aaren Gordon Editor in Chief Shannon Donaldson Editor Kristen Himmelberg Associate Editor Topher Balfer Copy Editor Tiffany Kudiwu Photo Editor Devinn Adams Web Editor Contributors Kristen Himmelberg Cherie LeJeune Diana Mirfiq Lexi Wangler
Photographers Sara Feldman Tiffany Kudiwu
Charley Whitman Sales Manager Albert Clesi Business Manager Hasani Grayson Distribution Manager
Michael Giusti Faculty Adviser
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On the Cover: Photo by Tiffany Kudiwu
IN THIS ISSUE 08
14 Back in
Grad School Applications:
A Q & A with Jill Boatright, Assistant Director, Career Development Center
Alternative Paths:
How some alums are spending time between graduation and “the real world”
04
Graduate test 101: Wading through a sea of acronyms
10
the Classroom:
Recent Loyola alums step back into the classroom, this time as teachers
Opinion:
Surviving the Service Industry
13
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R
ALTE NATIVE PATHS Many students opt for an unconventional post-grad life
By Kristen Himmelberg
It’s your senior year of college. Graduation is fast approaching, and as you’re sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner, someone utters the most dreaded question of all: What are you going to do when you graduate? Don’t sweat it. Not all people jump right into their dream
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jobs post graduation. The problem today isn’t one of unemployment, but rather an issue of underemployment. The Center for College Affordability and Productivity states that 48 percent of college graduates are in jobs that the Bureau of Labor Statistics says
require less than a four-year college education. The Center also states that about 5 million college graduates are in jobs that require less than a high school education. To bypass this, many college graduates are looking for alternative paths for after graduation.
Teaching in Korea Katy Ruckstuhl, A’12, always knew she wanted to take at least a year off before going to graduate school so she could get more life experience before choosing her career. “All I knew was that I wanted to live abroad, so through the course of my research, I learned that teaching was the best option,” Ruckstuhl said. “There are so many opportunities to teach in such a wide range of countries, it seemed like an easy choice.” And Ruckstuhl said the application process wasn’t too difficult. “First you have to take a TEFOL course, which I did over the course of one month. After you’ve passed, you decide what country you would like to teach in and what level,” Ruckstuhl said. Ruckstuhl posted her Curriculum Vitae, a picture and the countries she was interested in on different teaching recruiting websites. Once schools took interest in her, she underwent Skype interviews, and when she got offered the job, began collecting proper documentation for Korea. Ruckstuhl said she decided to move halfway across the world to teach English in Busan, Korea. “I decided to go, because I felt that if I did not take the opportunity to go at that point in time, I may never have done it,” Ruckstuhl said. She said it also gave her a unique opportunity to both travel and make money. “I, like many others, will need to pay my own way through graduate school, and have student loans that kicked in way too soon. Teachers in Korea have an excellent opportunity to save money, as our employer plays for our housing and the cost of living
is a little lower than America,” Ruckstuhl said. Teaching abroad has its perks as well, she said. Ruckstuhl works as a kindergarten and elementary school teacher, instructing children ranging from ages three to 13. In the mornings, she is responsible for phonics lessons as well as song and dance. In the afternoon, she teaches middle school students a variety of subjects Katy Ruckstuhl with one of her students on Halloween. Ruckstuhl teaches preschool in Busan, Korea. from phonics to as a waste of time, but if you’re living history. and working abroad, you’re building Other than working, Ruckstuhl your resume, learning new skills, as said she has also gotten a chance to well as a new language while you explore the local culture. take the time to experience life from “Every day something interesting a different point of view,” Ruckstuhl happens. Sometimes an old lady will said. try to sell me a live squid, and other She said she would advise anyone times the highlight of my day is thinking about moving abroad to ordering a coffee in Korean, and the make sure they understand what barista actually understanding me,” they are getting themselves into. Ruckstuhl said. “It isn’t the same as backpacking She said not to worry about the for a month or two and going home transition that much. afterwards. The country you choose “The transition is actually easier becomes your home, and you get than you would think because Korea what you put into the experience,” is modernizing very quickly and Ruckstuhl said. everyone under the age of 30 has “If you’re looking for a way to see basic English skills,” Ruckstuhl said. the world, meet people from all walks Ruckstuhl said she is really happy of life, save money and are unafraid that she chose to teach English of change and new things, teaching abroad. abroad is definitely something I “I am having experiences that would recommend,” Ruckstuhl said. I would have never been possible Not everyone is as adventurous if I had stayed in American and as Ruckstuhl, but there are plenty of gone down a more ‘traditional options for alternative post-graduate path,’”Ruckstuhl said. paths here in the United States. “Some people see taking a year off PHOTO PROVIDED BY KATY RUCKSTUHL
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Travelling the U.S...and Canada
Margaret Vienne, A ‘13, also opted for an alternative path, taking on the unique position of Collegiate Development Consultant for her sorority, Delta Gamma. Vienne says she doesn’t her position as a “detour,” but rather a professional endeavor that is a stepping stone to her end goal: a career in student affairs. As a consultant, Vienne travels weekly to different Delta Gamma chapters all over and helps guide them in internal and external chapter operations. “My experiences ‘on the road’ are helping me to define my goals and aspirations for my future,” Vienne said. “It is hard to call it a job, because honestly it doesn’t feel like a job.” Vienne’s favorite part of the position is being able to visit chapters all over the United States and Canada. “Each chapter is so unique and has taught me something new and different about myself and about Delta Gamma. I knew I would be teaching and motivating Delta Gammas to become stronger leaders and women, but I never anticipated
Volunteering in California
Chris Bauer, A’12, took advantage of one of the major post-grad volunteer programs in the country, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, even though he never really thought about taking a year off post-grad. “I remember hearing about JVC my freshmen year and thinking that there was no way I would be able 06 | WOLF MAGAZINE
Margaret Vienne is one of 10 travelling consultants for her sorority, Delta Gamma
just how much each chapter would teach me and motivate me,” Vienne said. Vienne said she is happy with her choice. “When I accepted the position, I was ready and willing to learn and be challenged and changed by Delta Gamma in a new and exciting way. My role as consultant allows me to do that,” Vienne said. If you are looking for an alternative
path for after graduation, Vienne suggests following a path that follows Jesuit ideals and to remember that the Jesuit mission is centered on educating the whole person. “Find a path that will allow you not only professional growth, but personal growth as well. Choose a route that will continue this education of the whole person,” Vienne said.
to do that, but it kept coming up again and again as I thought about where my path was headed postgraduation and the decision to apply for a service program started to make a lot of sense,” Bauer said. Jesuit Volunteer Corps is a volunteer organization that allows recent graduates the opportunity to work in areas where they can directly help the poor in various ways. JVC puts a large focus on its four core values: social justice, simple
living, community and spirituality. “They were values that I thought would be good to spend some time building into my life,” Bauer said. Bauer said that he didn’t see joining JVC as “taking a year off.” “I think many people see a year of service as an isolated experience separate from the ‘real world,’ but I didn’t and still don’t see it that way,” Bauer said. Bauer was placed in San Jose, California.
“The transition was a bit of a whirlwind. I think the toughest part was getting settled living in an intentional community. You move to a new city, meet five new people and within a week you’re sharing meals, a house and a bank account. On top of that, you’re also working a brand new job that often is in an unfamiliar field,” Bauer said. Bauer worked at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley in the Mental Health Advocacy Project, which provided legal aid for people with mental illnesses in areas of housing, public benefits and patients rights. Bauer said a lot of the situations were very emotionally and physically draining, but worthwhile in the end. “Sometimes the job was tough, but then I would meet with an especially grateful client or have a successful case, and it would be worth it,”
Bauer said. “MHAP helps people in tough situations have a little bit of a louder voice, and even though it felt like I was constantly fighting an uphill battle, I had an opportunity to work towards change that affected individual lives.” Even though at first he didn’t know his fellow JVC volunteers, they became close as time went on. “The community sort of functions like a family, they are there for support, to have fun together, argue etc. It was always nice to have people to go home to and hang out with, especially in a new place,” Bauer said. One of his favorite memories of the experience was a road trip he took with fellow JVC volunteers. “One of the most amazing trips we did was an eight day road trip to the Grand Canyon and through Arizona. It was a good break in the middle of the year for me and it was
probably the best road trip I have ever been on,” Bauer said. For those considering applying to the JVC program, Bauer advises allowing plenty of time to complete the application because it is lengthy and includes several essays as well as an interview. Also, he said, “talk to those that know you best about your decision, often the people who know you best will be able to offer a lot of clarity into what you should do.” Overall, Bauer enjoyed his time with JVC because he saw a transformation in himself. “I wanted to do something that would challenge me to see the world and myself a little differently,” Bauer said, “It has only been a few months since I left JVC, but there are parts of my character and lifestyle that have changed for the better because of my JVC year.”
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GRAD SCHOOL Q&A
with Jill Boatright, Assistant Director of the Career Development Center LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION How far in advance should you ask references to write recommendation letters for you? Who should you ask to write these letters — professors, employers, etc.? It is important to give your recommenders as much notice as possible. When thinking about who to ask, make sure to choose someone who knows you and your work well. Professors and current or former supervisors are a good place to start. For more information about asking for letters of recommendation, please consult the Strategic References handout available in the Career Development Center. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/ LETTER OF INTENT Are there any guidelines for writing these? What sort of resources can students use to make sure they have a quality statement (WAC Lab, etc.)?
Absolutely! For those students just starting to think about writing a personal statement, please reference our handout, “A Winning Personal Statement.” The Career Development Center offers oneon-one appointments for personal statement critiques. We also recommend that students have their personal statements reviewed by the WAC lab and professors or mentors in the discipline. 08 | WOLF MAGAZINE
RESUME Is there anything you should emphasize in particular on your resume when applying to schools?
For those students just starting to craft their resumes for graduate school applications, refer to Career Services’ Resume Writing Handout. Your resume should include information about your academic credentials and experience. This can include paid or unpaid internships, volunteer positions, part-time and full-time employment, substantial academic and/or research projects, leadership positions, activities, professional memberships, certifications, awards and other accomplishments. The Career Development Center offers one-on-one appointments for resume critiques as well as walk-in hours for quick feedback. INTERVIEWS How important are admissions interviews for grad school? Do you have any tips for these interviews?
Any part of the graduate school application process is important. Be sure to do your research before an admissions interview! Research both the institution and program itself. Know what makes that specific program stand out in comparison to others. Also, do some research on the faculty. Find out what their research interests are, and learn as much as you can about their current project(s). SCHOOL VISITS Is there any sort of etiquette you should adhere to when visiting a potential grad school on an official visit?
In terms of etiquette, a graduate school admissions interview is like any other interview. Dress professionally, arrive early, and act confidently and graciously. Any other tips?
Please see the Career Development Center’s Graduate and Professional School webpage. WOLF MAGAZINE | 09
Graduate Test 101 Test: GRE
GMAT
What it means: Graduate Record Examination
Graduate Management Admission Test
Medical College Admission Test
MCAT
LSAT
Law School Admission Test
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Cost: $185
$250
$275 (Registration 3-4 weeks prior) $325 (Registration 1-2 weeks prior)
Dates offered: Computer-based test offered year-round and on specific dates at some testing locations. Testing appointments are scheduled on a firstcome, first-served basis.
Year-round, on demand. Available times subject to change based on capacity and ongoing registration.
Prometric Testing Center 2424 Edenborn Ave., Suite 190 Metairie, LA 70001 University of New Orleans Milneburg Hall
Pearson Professional Centers 2800 Veterans Blvd., Suite 256 Metairie, LA 70002
Jan. 23 Jan. 25 March 22 April 5 April 11 April 24 May 8 May 17
Prometric Testing Center 2424 Edenborn Ave., Suite 190 Metairie, LA 70001
Saturday, Dec. 7
Loyola University New Orleans
Monday, Dec. 9
$165
Where:
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 Monday, Feb. 10, 2014
University of New Orleans Milneburg Hall
Tulane University Xavier University
BONUS:
SGA offers reimbursements for graduate tests up to $100 for Loyola students. Fill out the reimbursement form on the student affairs portal of OrgSync, or email SGA Vice President of Finance Logan McCabe at dlmccabe@loyno.edu with your W-9 and receipt.
What does it cover? The GRE measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills. These skills should have been developed over a long period of time and are not related to a specific field of study but are important for all. GRE test question types are meant to reflect the kind of thinking you’ll do in graduate and business school programs.
Should I take it?
The GRE is the standard graduate school admission test. In most cases, GRE scores are used to determine admission into the graduate school itself, not the particular program you apply to. Keep in mind that the program will consider the rest of your application materials as well.
The GMAT exam measures verbal, mathematical, integrated reasoning and analytical writing skills that you have developed in your education and work. It does NOT measure your knowledge of business, your job skills, specific content in your undergraduate or first university course work.
Whether you majored in business or not as an undergraduate, the GMAT is the standard graduate school assesment for graduate business programs.
The MCAT’s purpose is to test the skills and knowledge that medical educators and physicians have identified as key prerequisites for success in the study and practice of medicine. The MCAT goes beyond testing general knowledge, testing knowledge of specific subjects including biology, chemistry and physics. It also measures critical thinking skills.
The MCAT is required for every accredited medical school in the country. If you are planning on going to medical school, you must take it.
The LSAT is designed to measure skills that are considered essential for success in law school. These include the accurate and insightful reading and comprehension of complex texts; the organization and management of information and the ability to draw rationalconclusions from it; the ability to think critically; and the analysis of the arguments of others.
The LSAT is required for every accredited law school in the country. If you are planning on going to law school, you must take it.
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Best Cities for New College Grads in 2013
Forbes recently compiled this list of top cities for recent grads based on mean annual income, median price for a one-bedroom apartment and unemployment rate. Unfortunately New Orleans didn’t make the cut this year, but here’s to hoping!
1. Atlanta, GA 2. Boston, MA 3. Houston, TX 4. Denver, CO 5. Minneapolis/ St. Paul, MN 6. Seattle, WA 7. Dallas, TX 8. Raleigh, NC 9. Washington, D.C. 10. St. Louis, MO
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OPINION
Surviving the Service Industry By Lexi Wangler, A ‘13 Consider this, if you would, the return of the prodigal son. Except I’m nobody’s son and a dear wish of mine is to not to be described as prodigal. But I digress. So, as you come to the end of another semester, you have plans, if not concrete ones, that include a “real” job or grad school for your own post-graduate life, so you’re not really concerned with what last year’s seniors are up to. A few of us are in grad school, and a few of us are “really” employed, but some of us are just trying to get our heads together. And you know what that doesn’t do? Give you something to do during the day, or a way to feed yourself while you do whatever you need to do to get it together, be it a job hunt or grad school applications. So here I am. Returned, to tell you what might come next. I am currently employed in my fifth restaurant job in the city of New Orleans. I have worked in the Central Business District, the French Quarter, St. Charles Avenue and (briefly) on Bourbon Street. I have met (and forgotten) some horrifying people; I have met some incredible people. Mostly, however, I have met New Orleans, and that is everything good people say about New Orleans, and everything bad people say about New Orleans. That goes double for my fellow human beings. Firstly, as a city with a thriving
tourist economy, one of the biggest industries in the city is the service industry —tending bar, waiting tables, bussing tables, cashiering, hosting, delivery driving, cooking and dishwashing. Some would say that tourism is New Orleans’s only burgeoning economy, and so you have a lot of people in the service industry, and from all over, with different backgrounds. I’ve worked with people who didn’t finish high school and have waited tables for the past fortyodd years of their lives, but I’ve also worked with college students, college graduates, masters’ students and Ph.D. candidates. So while it feels a little embarrassing to have graduated cum laude and be serving food and answering phones, I am at least in good diverse company. It is also a little galling to be told that I wouldn’t and do not make a good server because of my personality — blunt, impatient, demanding and a little abrupt. What do you mean I can’t do something that looks so easy, something that all of my friends are doing? However, I will never think that the service industry is easy again. If you’ve never been in the front of the house dealing with guests and/or customers, I would recommend you do it immediately, because as difficult as it is, it makes you a person. You start to really see the people around
you, co-workers and not, and not just when you’re at work. It is something strange and oddly personal to be standing on the other side of the cashier, looking at the person doing the same thing you were doing yesterday. On a busy day, we can all be sharp and sad and tired. You will start to forgive people for the little things because they might be having a bad day, too. You will start to consider what you can do for them, just to make their day go a little bit smoother. You will start to appreciate the people around you doing things for you you don’t think twice about. Most importantly, you will learn to tip your barista, and the person bringing you your takeout order, because, hey, $7.25 an hour is not worth it to go get more ketchup for fifteen different people and smile while you’re doing it like you don’t, like them, have somewhere more important to be.You might also want to never speak to another human being again, but we all have bad days. So getting your head together after college might not mean you’re learning the things you would in grad school, or making the money you would be in a “real” job, but you might be learning more about courtesy, which is something we forget about sometimes. I think that’s worth having, at least in the long run. WOLF MAGAZINE | 13
Photo provided by Janece Bell
Janece Bell, A ‘12, with her 5th grade math class at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Hermosa Beach, California. Bell is one of many recent graduates who have taken to teaching following their graduation.
CLASSROOMCULTURE Loyola alumni embrace the teaching profession as a post-graduate alternative By Diana Mirfiq Having parents mistaking their child’s teacher as a high school student is all too familiar for Zoe Glick, biology A’13. Glick, along with other recent Loyola alumni joined one of many post-undergrad teaching programs to gain teaching experience, pay off federal loans, or even obtain a debt free master’s degree. Camilia Santi, A’13, teaches 6th and 7th grade math and 5-8th grade tennis at Arthur Ashe Charter school in Gentilly. Santi didn’t want to leave New Orleans and City Year’s program offered her an excuse to stay. City Year also placed Matt Harris, A’13, at Samuel J. Green Charter, where he teaches kindergarteners through 4th graders 14 | WOLF MAGAZINE
computer lab. Harris said that City Year is an “excellent program” that awards $5,000 towards federal loans or tuition for graduate school. “It’s a one year commitment in which you’ll receive valuable experience working with students every day and constant coaching and feedback from both your school and City Year staffs,” Harris said. Harris’ passion for education stems from his mother. He said he’d always wanted to follow in her teaching footsteps. “I’ve always liked school. I never wanted to leave,” Harris said. Janece Bell, A’12, teaches 5th and 6th grade math, 7th and 8th grade English and
is the 6th grade home room teacher at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Hermosa Beach, California. Through Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles’ Place Core Program, Bell is able to teach while she works on her Master’s Degree, which she will graduate with debt-free. Bell has always loved teaching and took any opportunity to fulfill her teaching desire at Loyola through volunteering with LUCAP, leading groups in Belize with Ignacio volunteers, tutoring in the ARC, or teaching acting classes.
“I think I’ve always had it in my heart,” Bell said. “Even though Loyola didn’t have an education degree, I was always involved with schools and kids.” Bell attributes her success to her Loyola education. Her yearlong theatre major taught her to “act like” she knows what she’s doing. Valerie Andrews, assistant professor of mass communication, taught Bell to solve and be upfront with her mistakes through her public relations courses, Bell said. Bell has also written grants gaining resources for her students and admits that it’s primarily due to her writing background. “I still remember taking professor Martin’s mass comm writing class, and how she completely revolutionized what kind of a writer I was,” Bell said. “I still use the things she taught me to this day.” Loyola science faculty left a lasting mark on Zoe Glick, who teaches 10-11th grade chemistry at Chalmette High School through the Teach for America program. She says Lynn Vogel Kopliz, chemistry department chair, and C.J. Stephenson, assistant professor of chemistry, opened her eyes to all the amazing things chemistry has to offer while she was at Loyola. “If I can have even a portion of the impact on my students that my teachers have
impacted me, then I think I will consider my teaching career a success,” Glick said. Glick doesn’t intend on making teaching her career, but she wanted to dabble in teaching before going to medical school. Glick wants prove to students that science can be fun. “You always hear people complain about their science teacher or hear that science is boring or hard. I want to be somebody who can teach students in a way that’s interesting and relevant to them,” Glick said. The transition to becoming a full time teacher required “a lot of self-discipline,” according to Harris. He said there is no way he can go out as frequently as he did in college and still perform effectively in the classroom. “I can spare the occasional weeknight out, but most nights I’m in bed by 9:30,” Harris said. Sleep is a difficult task for Bell, who finds it difficult to juggle giving students individual attention, finish her grad school homework, do readings and execute presentations throughout the week. “The job is never done. I can work for hours, I’m just going to stay up all night, I can do that, and I still have 101 things to do the next day,” Bell said.
Although the long teaching hours can becomes strenuous, Harris states that there is never a dull moment at his job. “You never know what challenges your students are going to bring in through the door,” Harris said. Bell says that these students impact her life. She explains that last summer she kept waking up feeling “empty.” She couldn’t understand why she was depressed until three days after school ended. “It hit me that I miss my kids, they were the reason I woke up in the morning, and I didn’t get to see them anymore,” Bell said. Glick can’t imagine anything harder than teaching, even medical school. However, she says it’s one of the most rewarding jobs she could have chosen. “Teaching is a huge responsibility. All of a sudden you’re not just responsible for yourself and your own future. You’re responsible for the livelihoods and futures of hundreds of students and that’s a heavy weight to feel,” Glick said.
Thinking about teaching? Consider these programs for post-undergradute teaching opportunities.
TEACH FOR AMERICA
ALLIANCE FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION
TEACHNOLA
This highly competitive program places teachers in schools and areas with the greatest need all over the country. TFA teachers train with the program and commit to teaching for two years. No teaching experience is required, but leadership skills, academic interest, organization and ability to work with diverse groups of people are preferred in TFA candidates.
In conjunction with the University of Notre Dame, the ACE Program places teachers in Catholic elementary and high schools in over 30 cities each year. ACE participants teach in Catholic schools for two years and spend the summers between these years at the University of Notre Dame, earning their Master of Education free of charge. Participants live in ACE community housing during the school year.
Teachers participating in the teachNOLA Fellowship program will be placed in high-need schools in the Greater New Orleans area. TeachNOLA fellows undergo a rigorous preparation program in which they are certified and trained to teach in Louisiana schools. Each participant is required to pay roughly $4,000 in teachNOLA Academy training tuition and fees. WOLF MAGAZINE | 15
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