Graduate schools recruit at CSULB

By Michael Watanabe
Daily Forty-Niner

Students were offered information on graduate schools and various professions offered information by the Speaker's Platform Monday, when the Educational Equity Services sponsored its 13th annual Graduate and Professional School Day.

"The purpose of this program is to give the students the opportunity to know that there is something beyond an undergraduate degree, there is something beyond Cal State Long Beach," said Bobbie Rodgers, the Educational Opportunity Program representative who headed the event.

In her experience, students also find it refreshing to find that the different colleges are open and willing to share information, Rodgers said.

"That's better that just sending an application," she said. "When you can send it to a representative Ö in care of that representative. It's like networking."

Various students can get use of this fair, Rodgers said, although freshmen enrolled in EOP 100 are required to show up.

The EOP class requires students to go out and talk to the schools in their field, said freshman business major Maria Vega.

Everyone can benefit from the event, including sophomores who are looking to transfer, juniors who are looking to apply ahead, and seniors who will apply to the schools soon and graduate students who are pursuing doctorial degrees, Rodgers said.

"It's a great opportunity to get exposure to a bunch of different schools around the country, and see what they have to offer," said Hugo Rios, a junior liberal studies major.

Cindy Lee, a senior biology major, is about to graduate this year, and is planning to apply to medical school.

"It's a good opportunity for me to walk around and get applications and find some information," Lee said.

"People are shopping," said Dan Jimenez, a social work professor at CSULB. "You shop here, you shop there, you stop here and pick up flyers, and ultimately [the students] have to decide which program is best for them."

Tom Smith Jr., associate vice president of Enrollment Services at La Sierra University agrees.

This program allows people to "see what's out there in the marketplace Ö do some matching with your own skills and interest with what people have to offer," he said.