EDUCATION
popular destinations for the grad- want to devote significant time and ized tests, the LSAT is also a skill that
school bound: law, business, and nurs- attention to your application essays. you can get better at through practice.
ing schools. It’s critical to form a consistent narra- The more sample problems and prac-
tive that shows you are prepared for tice tests you take, the better your score
Business School business school and are ready to con- will be.
How valuable is a business degree? tribute to an MBA program. Make sure
In the Graduate Admissions Council’s they understand exactly who you are. Nursing schools
2008 MBA Alumni Perspectives Sur- Your work experience is another Unlike finance and law, the health-
vey, eighty percent of MBA holders in extremely important component of care industry continues to grow—the
the workforce say they couldn’t have your application. Business schools gen- nursing segment in particular. Regis-
obtained their first post-business- erally prefer applicants with at least tered Nurses (RNs) are the largest
school job without their degree. On three years of relevant job experience. group of health care workers in the
average, a member of the MBA class of There have been thousands of excep- United States, with more than 2.6 mil-
2008 received 2.7 job offers. This num- tions to this rule, but overall, the data lion practicing. Even this number isn’t
ber may dip slightly as the economy show that you have a better chance of sufficient to meet the demand. As the
suffers, but the survey confirms the getting into business school if you have Baby Boomers age, it’s expected that
value of an MBA generally. a few years’ experience under your the demand for healthcare workers
The problem is that more and more belt. Taking the time to hone your will only continue to swell.
people are hoping to benefit from the GMAT skills and build your resume To be licensed as a nurse, you need
MBA advantage. As more people apply could make all the difference in your to have a nursing school degree, and to
to business schools, acceptance rates applications. pass the National Council Licensure
are falling and the admissions process Examination, or NCLEX, in the state
is becoming more competitive than you want to work in. In addition to
ever before. Even for professionals Law Schools general nursing, you can study in a
with several years in the workforce, the Law firms are hiring fewer associ- specialized area like mental health,
prospect of suddenly being out of a job ates than they were a few years ago. pediatric, or post-operatory nursing. A
or having their salaries slashed makes Still, the industry has not been bludg- masters-level degree is necessary to
further credentialing look more attrac- eoned as badly as the finance world become an advanced-practice nurse—a
tive. Since the number of applicants is has. The legal field hasn’t been so role similar to a doctor—or to get a
at an all-time high, admissions depart- much devastated as forcibly adjusted. managerial position supervising other
ments have a larger pool to choose There might be fewer mergers and nurses. A masters-level degree is also a
from and that much less time to con- acquisitions in the near future, but prerequisite for doctorate-level nursing
sider each application. there is an ever-growing market for education.
A major gatekeeper to business attorneys who specialize in, say, mort- In addition to hospital work, regis-
school is the Graduate Management gage restructurings. tered nurses also work in patients’
Admissions Test. The GMAT is the Law school admissions officers are homes, schools, community centers,
fastest way to differentiate between often formulaic in their approach to and other sites. Patients in hospitals
applicants, so it takes on increased assessing applicants. For better or and nursing care facilities require 24-
weight when the applicant pool is big- worse, they tend to focus almost exclu- hour care; consequently, nurses in
ger. The GMAT itself has become more sively on your LSAT score and your these institutions may work nights,
competitive, too. Test-taker volume undergraduate grade-point average. weekends, and holidays. RNs may also
was up more than ten percent in 2008 Inside the industry it’s commonly be expected to work on-call—be avail-
alone. Also, the applicant pool is trend- believed that the LSAT is the most able on short notice. Office, occupa-
ing slightly younger. The number of weighted factor of all. In some cases, tional health, and public health nurses
test-takers under twenty-four has risen your score might count for sixty per- are more likely to work regular busi-
almost fifty percent in the last three cent of your overall portfolio. As with ness hours.
years. the GMAT, you should invest a lot of As you can see the choices are
Given all these statistics, you need time and effort preparing for the test. numerous and the decisions are mani-
to study extra hard in order to master The LSAT is a decent predictor of fold. Regardless, whether you decide
the GMAT. Your scores are valid for how someone will perform in law to seek a degree or to stay in the work-
five years. Start studying early: there is school, but that doesn’t mean it’s an force, we wish you way more than
no reason to be unprepared. You also intelligence test. Like other standard- luck. PWM
58 PROFESSIONAL WOMAN’S MULTICULTURAL MAGAZINE
www.professionalwomanmag.com
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