I am currently a 3rd year doctoral student at the University of Pittsuburgh. I graduated from my undergraduate institution in 1995 and took a year and a half "off" to investigate graduate programs, pay off some bills, and be sure that a doctoral program was really what I wanted. It was the right decision for me because after 18 months I was absolutely confident that I wanted to earn my doctorate and I had the time to really investigate graduate programs, meet faculty, and explore the cities. This allowed me to make a very informed decision about the university and the program I would attend. During the interim period, I made sure that I worked in postions that would supplement my resume/application to my graduate program and made sure that I continued to stay "in touch" with my field. I continued to read relevant articles and books which actually aided me in narrowing/focusing my interests. I think deferring graduate school for a year or so can be very helpful in terms of revealing your true commitment to graduate study, giving you the opportunity to carefully explore your options to identify the best match, allowing you the time to narrow your interests, and possibly stash away some cash for those financially challenging years as a graduate student. Jennifer Post ____________________________________________________________________ Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com.
