Most grad schools at U. see a jump in applications

Adrienne Adler spent her first two years out of college in a part-time, dead-end job. Unable to find "the kind of job [she] wanted," Adler decided to enter graduate school at the University last year, joining the growing ranks of students who are finding the job search difficult, and are in turn applying to the University. Most of the University's twelve graduate and professional schools are receiving more applications than ever before. The class that entered the University in September faced more competition in most cases and is somewhat larger than the class that entered in September 1990. The Nursing School, the graduate division of the School of Arts and Sciences, the Medical School, and the Graduate School of Fine Arts all had increases in applications ranging from approximately three percent in SAS to 16 percent in the Medical School. The Dental School, the School of Social Work and the Graduate School of Education received about 20 percent more applications for this year's incoming class than for last year's. While the number of students entering the Dental School is constant from year to year, enrollment in the School of Social Work increased by almost 40 percent, and enrollment in the Education School increased by over 11 percent over last year's figures. While Graduate School of Education Admissions Director Margaret Harkins partially attributes the increases to a "new interest in education," she said she sees the nation's current recession as a driving force behind the school's popularity this year. "[Students] used to be able to get a job right out of college," Harkins said last week. "All you needed was that diploma. [Now] there is lots of competition for every job." The graduate division of the Engineering School experienced a 15.4 percent jump in applications, coupled with an almost 42 percent increase in enrollment in degree programs. Graduate Engineering Admissions Administrative Assistant Mark Santillo also attributed the increased interest in his school to the poor economy. "It is pretty clear that in a recession the number of people who go back to school increases," Santillo said last week. "[Right now] it is a better investment to go back to school and increase their marketability." Wharton's graduate program has seen a 60 percent increase in applications during the last five years, according to Wharton Graduate Admissions Director John Enyart. "[Our] entering class is larger than it has ever been," Enyart said last week. Enyart said Wharton's situation is different from those of the University's other graduate schools in that increased interest in Wharton is "tied directly to geopolitics." "[Graduate school] could be seen as a safe harbor for a couple of years," he said of the overall trend. "Many offer answers but none of us really know. But many graduate students say the recession is not the main force drawing students back to school. "I find that hard to believe since the cost of education is so high [in the U.S.]," said James Abraham, a first-year Wharton graduate student from Ontario, Canada. "With recession, one of the first things that happens [in Canada, where the cost of education is low] is enrollment in graduate schools goes up." And some administrators agreed, saying that the jump in applications is not a result of the recession. School of Social Work Admissions Director Orneice Leslie cites a heightened national concern about social problems as a primary reason for her school's increased applications. "[There has been] a movement away from the 'I' generation," she said yesterday. "[There is] a young generation of people who want to make a difference." And many students said they simply needed advanced degrees to get the jobs they wanted. "I wanted to have choices . . . within the realm of education," said Alison Cook, a first-year graduate student in the Education School. "There are fields that all you need is a bachelor's degree," said Paul Penkalski, a first-year graduate student in the School of Arts and Sciences. "To get a job [in geology], you need an advanced degree." And Adler said the economy was only one factor, along with her general interest in elementary education, that led her to return to school. Only the Law School and the Veterinary School saw decreases in their applicant pools. Neither school was concerned about the drop in applications nor could they offer a reason for the decrease. Each school has the same number of students enrolled this year. The Admissions Director at the Annenberg School could not be reached for comment.

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