Professional Documents
Culture Documents
To:
From:
Date:
10/8/2014
Re:
PURPOSE: Graduate school has been a complicated decision for several potential students.
Most see it as a money-sucker over a great source of post-secondary education.
However, This argument will explore and answer the following questions:
What is the average acceptance rate of graduate school?
What are the most significant benefits of a graduate degree?
What arguments are against extensive schooling?
BACKGROUND: As ambitious as I am, graduate school has always been an obvious option.
However, there may be reason why someone like me should reconsider. The only thing I
know about graduate school is that, especially for law school, it is difficult to be accepted
and even harder to finish. By the end of this line of research I plan on finding a personal
answer on whether law school is a good fit for the determined English major, and help
others struggling with this decision find clarity.
DESCRIPTION: The database sources from EBSCOHost are the most reliable that I found.
The authors are extremely credible (dean of students, college board, etc.), and provide a
significant amount of information to support the sustained argument. I will be using these
sources as my primary source.
I also plan on interviewing my high school senior English teacher. She has earned
several graduate degrees, and they have helped her pursue the goals she had set with an
English profession. This will be done via email.
I also plan on interviewing other students considering graduate schoolwhy they
are going, and what they hope to get out of it.
The rest of the cited sources will help explain the reason why graduate school can
give one an advantage, as well as addressing the opposite side.
memo
OUTLINE:
Introduction
Writer's
postition
Opposing
views
expensive
time consuming
difficult to be accepted
you earn a substantial amount more than with a general bachelor's degree
furthers education, allowing for greater occupational opportunity
Response to
opposition exapnds knowledge and experience
Graduate school has several benefits, when you are going for the right reasons.
Conclusion
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bridges, Frances. "Why You Shouldn't Go To Grad School." Forbes. n.p., 17 Feb. 2012.
Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
Frances Bridges gives multiple reasons why graduate school, in her
experience, was not a smart idea.
memo
Hines, Barbara B. "Why Graduate School?" Black Collegian 37.3 (2007): 48-50. EBSCO
Host. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
Barbara Hines describes valid reasons why graduate school is a wise choice
and some of the benefits that come from the extra schooling.
Jacobson, Jennifer. "Why So Many People Leave Graduate School Without a PH. D."
Chronicle of Higher Education 47.38 (2001): A10. EBSCO Host. Web. 2 Oct.
2014.
Jennifer Jacobson gives us a look at why there are graduate school dropouts.
It also can be seen as an example of what paths not to cross in school.
Maki, Amy O. "Why Include Graduate School?" Black Collegian 39.2 (2009): 62-63.
EBSCO Host. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
Amy Maki provides more reasons why graduate school is beneficial.
Martin, Don. "Ask 7 Questions Before Applying to Graduate School." US News. US
News, 20 Apr. 2012. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
This article provides valid questions to consider before paying for and
attending graduate school.
---. "6 Reasons Why Graduate School Pays Off." US News. US News, 29 June 2012.
Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
Dr. Don Martin also gives a list of reasons why, even though it can be quite
expensive, graduate school begins to pay for itself.
Rovaris, Dereck J., Sr. "Why Graduate School?" Black Collegian 37.1 (2006): 65-71.
EBSCO Host. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
This article provides several more reasons why graduate school is
constructive.
Stiffman, Eden. "Importance of grad school." The Hill. The Hill, 3 Aug. 2012. Web. 2
Oct. 2014.
Eden Stiffman provides the reason why most find graduate school important.
Day:
Oct 9
Oct 10
Oct 11
Time:
2:00-3:00 p.m.
TBD
Oct 17
10:00-10:30
a.m.
TBD
Oct 18-22
TBD
memo
-have it complete for
revisions
Start revisions of paper
-be thorough
-check the paper multiple
times
-use different colored ink
FINAL DRAFT DUE
Oct 23-25
TBD
Oct 27
9:00 a.m.