Yes, Virginia, there actually is life after college

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Yale Law School was ranked No. 1 in the most recent U.S. News and World Report rankings.

The college application process must be all too familiar to most of you. Those months spent résumé-padding, filling out countless forms, and living in fear of thin envelopes can cause serious trauma. The prospect of doing it all over again in four years isn't appealing. Luckily, you can afford to relax a little: things tend to fall into place, and you will receive plenty of help along the way. Yale's educational and counseling resources provide information on everything from med schools to summer internship opportunities. Here are some popular post-graduate paths followed by Yalies:

Medical School

Although pre-med students at Yale often major in a variety of different subjects, all should take the specific classes required by most med schools. These requirements include two years of chemistry lab, one year of organic chemistry, two years of biology lab in any course except biochemistry or botany, one term of basic calculus, and one year of English. By the end of freshman year, pre-med students should have taken at least one math and one science course. Medical school applicants are expected to have finished the bulk of these requirements by the summer after their junior year.

The Undergraduate Career Services (UCS) office provides counseling to help pre-med students in making many of their decisions for the future. During the first week of the fall term, UCS holds a meeting for freshmen considering medical careers in order to discuss course selection and medical school requirements. Similar meetings held in subsequent terms answer any further questions about requirements and course choice. The office also provides listings and online catalogs of available medical internships for those students eager to explore their interests through hands-on research.

The Yale Alumni in Medical School and the Yale-New Haven Hospital House Staff Referrals programs give students access to doctors and residents who can explain how they made their own decisions on schools and courses. The Health Professions Advisory Board provides students with advisors from the Yale Medical School to help with applying and interviewing. In addition, UCS compiles reports to inform students about how past medical school applicants have fared.

Law School

Although there isn't a pre-law major at Yale, students are advised to choose a well-rounded curriculum and to pursue a major that truly interests them. One of the most important parts of the law school application process is taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). UCS suggests taking it as early as possible so that it can be retaken if needed.

To help students learn about past law school applicants, the Law School Admissions Council releases the Action Report to demonstrate how applicants did according to their numbers, major, ethnicity, and state of residency. The Law School Data Assembly Service analyzes and summarizes biographical data for each applicant.

Graduate School

The best source of advice for potential graduate school applicants is the Yale faculty itself. It's a good idea to discuss your graduate plans with faculty in your intended academic field. They have connections and information on programs available around the world.

Early in junior year, applicants should use UCS's catalogues to become familiar with graduate fellowship and scholarship opportunities, and to compile a list of desirable schools. Also, don't forget to register to take the required Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

The Workforce

Post-graduate choices vary as widely as Yalies themselves. For those with dollar signs for eyes, careers in investment banking or management consulting are appealing. Firms like McKinsey and Co. and Goldman, Sachs and Co. regularly come to campus to recruit graudating seniors. Students interested in fields like journalism, publishing, advertising, or business have to climb the ladder to success. Yale also offers a Teacher Preparation program, which gives full Connecticut certification to individuals who are looking to teach in the future.

Many graduates opt to take a year off to travel, learn, and assess their futures; UCS offers plenty of information on programs like the Peace Corps and fellowships like the Fulbright which fund independent study abroad.

In the end, the key to success in the law school, med school, grad school, or job application process is researching and using all the facilities available at Yale. It's also important to remember that grad schools and employers are looking for interesting, well-rounded individuals, not status-oriented automatons. Don't get stressed in your pursuit to land a "dream job" or get into another "dream school"--all the answers and help you need are right at your fingertips.

Back to Head of the Class...