Postgraduate Plans - Class of 2007

Middlebury students express interest in many areas and tend to excel in all of them. Below is an early snapshot of the plans of the class of 2007. Please note that, as is common at most liberal-arts colleges, an accurate picture of the future of the entire class is not available at the time of graduation. The information below is culled from a sampling of seniors' responses to a survey conducted in May, just prior to graduation.

Senior Survey  

A total of 412 seniors responded to the 2007 Career Services Senior Survey regarding their immediate post-graduation plans. This represents 60% of the class. Here is the breakdown:

· Accepted full-time employment: 33%

· Waiting to confirm offers or still looking: 35%

· Headed to graduate school: 11%

· Awaiting school acceptance: 7%

· Internships or fellowships: 5%

· Planning to travel: 4%

· No plans: 5%

Thus, in the fall of 2007, over 90% of the respondents will either be beginning a new job or graduate school program, participating in an internship or fellowship, continuing a job search, or waiting on graduate school acceptances.

Employment Information

The top hiring industries of the class of 2007 were Education and Finance, followed closely by Consulting. Teach for America tied for first place followed by Lehman Brothers with 6 hires a piece, and Goldman Sachs and Company with 5 hires. These top employers serve to demonstrate the breadth of student career interests. Since these are the two industries that participate the most assertively in campus recruiting and who make the earliest offers, it is understandable that they would account for the most students with plans at the time of the survey. In fact, many students return to campus after junior summer internships in these industries with accepted offers in hand. It is important to keep in mind that many Middlebury graduates do not begin their search until after graduation and 40% of the Middlebury '07 grads have yet to complete the survey. Thus, the most accurate picture of the future pursuits of a graduating class is usually obtained about one year after graduation.

Of those reporting employment, the top industries are:

· Finance and Banking, including the firms of Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, CIBC World Markets, Bear Stearns, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Piper Jaffray, and Morgan Stanley.

· Education and Academia, including JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program, Oxford Academy, Emma Willard School. The Delbarton School, Teach for America, and Middlebury College.

· Consulting, including Charles River Associates, Cannondale Associates, Deloitte, Touche, and Tohmatsu, Kaiser Associates, NERA, Synapse Group, and The Beacon Group.

· Healthcare, including Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Alta Medical Clinic, and Baylor College of Medicine.

· Communications and Media, including Modem Media, and TBWA\Chiat\Day.

· Environmental, including the D & R International, Industrial Economics, Inc., and Massachusetts Audubon.

· Other industries reported were arts and entertainment, biotechnology, energy, government, non-profit organizations, pharmaceutical, public affairs, real estate, research, technology, travel and tourism, and social/human services agencies.

Graduate/Professional School Information

Nationwide surveys show graduate and professional school applications greatly increased over the past few years. Historically, less than 10% of Middlebury's graduating class immediately pursues additional education in fields such as law or medicine. For instance, in 2001, of all Middlebury applicants to medical school (including medical, dental, veterinary, and osteopathy), alumni applicants outnumbered graduating student applicants 3 to 1. There were four times as many alumni applicants to law schools. In 2007—as in 2006—a slightly larger number of students are seeking MAs and PhDs in academic disciplines immediately after graduation.

Geographic Preference

Given the diversity of countries and U.S. states that make up any Middlebury class, it is no surprise that after leaving Middlebury, students relocate to all corners of the globe. The class of 2007 follows in the footsteps of previous classes by pursuing their interests in domestic locations such as New York City, Boston, Washington DC, and several California cities. Internationally, members of the class will be heading to Argentina, Canada, Europe, the Galapagos Islands, and the Pacific Rim.

Research Sources

It is widely known that networking is the best way to find preferred opportunities. Likewise, the majority of survey respondents found their job or school through Middlebury alumni, family, friends, or a previous employer/internship sponsor. Faculty also play an important role in helping students connect with opportunities, particularly as related to graduate schools.