With all you’ve experienced and learned, it wouldn’t be surprising to find that your life goals have shifted, expanded or completely changed. Maybe you want to find a way to continue to travel, or maybe you’ve discovered a passion for Spanish literature and want to change your major.

Take some time to think seriously about what you want and where you see yourself in the future. While you shouldn’t feel too much pressure to plan your entire life at this time, you do need to think about plans for the next year. Deadlines for entry exams like the MCAT (for medical school), LSAT (for law school), the GMAT (for business school), and the GRE (for general graduate programs), as well as scholarships, fellowships, and graduate school applications can come up quickly.

The Career Development Center is very important in planning your next steps. In addition to helping you develop your résumé, they have a huge variety of resources available to you in your quest to maintain your international connections. They have many books and magazines in their office along with very knowledgeable staff. They also have broad connections to great Internet sites through their web page. Make stopping in the Career Development Center a priority!!!

Graduate School—At Home or Abroad?

Is the continuation of your academic career the next step? If you’re thinking about going to graduate school, your first two steps should be to talk to your academic advisor and pay a visit to the Career Development Center. They will help you to identify programs that match your interests and goals and get you started in the application process.

If you’re thinking about going to graduate school abroad, there are several things to consider in the application process. Pinpoint what you want to study. Next, determine which schools offer the best programs. (This is where your faculty advisor may be of particular assistance.) How will you finance your program? U.S. Federal Aid and loans may not be available.

Whatever you decide, you’ll have to deal with taking the entry exams which are offered every few months. These tests may not be required by schools overseas, but it is still a good idea to take them now, while your schooling is fresh, just in case your plans change to include a school in the U.S. To find out when your particular test is being offered, stop by the Career Development Center.  Also, the Princeton Review keeps an excellent Web site with all the information you need.

Funding for Graduate Study Abroad

The following is a partial list of scholarships, fellowships, and grants that will provide funding for graduate study abroad. (Pay attention to the deadlines; they tend to sneak up on you!)

• The Marshall Scholarship—For graduate study in the United Kingdom. Contact Marla Melito in the Office of Academic Advising at Skidmore for assistance.
• The Mitchell Scholars Program—For graduate study in Ireland. Contact Marla Melito in the Office of Academic Advising at Skidmore for assistance.
• Fulbright Grants—For graduate study abroad. Contact Skidmore's Fulbright Advisor for assistance: Matthew Hockenos, History Department.
• The Luce Scholarship—For a year in Asia in a career-related activity.
• The Rhodes Scholarship—For two years of graduate study at Oxford University in England.
• The Truman Scholarship—For graduate study for students intending to pursue a career in government.
• Boren Fellowship—Supports international language study to graduate education in Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin American, and Middle East countries.