Post-Grad Plans?

Okay, okay, so I know that most of you are more concerned at the moment with what you're going to do after high school, that thinking about your plans over four years from now seems like quite a stretch. However, during your college search it's important to at least have this in mind, especially when you're checking out the resources that various schools offer their students with regard to post-graduation planning. Great questions to ask your Admission Counselor, Tour Guide, or another representative of the schools you're considering are:

• Does your school offer career counseling, including job fairs, mock interviews, and resume workshops?
• What is your graduate placement data, including the percentage of students who have received job offers or been accepted to graduate schools within six months after graduation?
• Are there opportunities for internships, or other forms of hands-on, experiential learning?
• What employers regularly visit campus to recruit?
• What sort of advising is available for students who plan to go on to graduate school?

Of course, many recent graduates have had to work extremely hard to secure jobs in our current economic climate. Here at Valpo, we are very proud to report our Graduate Report for the class of 2009 (click here to view the report), including an overall placement rate for our students of 90.4%.

So, the moral of the story is that it's never too early to start thinking about what you might like to do after college, or to merely explore schools that support and assist their students in this next phase of their lives. Keep working hard on your college search, especially to all of the seniors who are nearing the end of their high school careers and in the midst of making some very challenging decisions about where they'll be headed off to this fall. Just relax, weigh your options, and trust your gut! The school that feels "just right" when you step on campus is probably a great place for you to spend the next four years... Best of luck!

-Laura@Valpo