2The Daily Tar HeelMonday, November 19, 1990
More people earning graduate degrees for competitive working edge
By GINGER MEEK
Staff Writer
Graduate school is becoming neces
sary to stay competitive, according to
students and graduate program admin
istrators. Myrna Bower, director of the UNC
Chapel Hill Graduate School, advhes
students to begin thinking about and
preparing for graduate school as early
as their sophomore year of under
graduate study.
"Students who succeed in graduate
school are those whose question is not
will I go?', but where will I go and
what will I study?" she said.
What students look for in a graduate
school varies according to their disci
pline, said Betsy Livak, director of
graduate admissions at the University
of California at Berkeley.
"Many are looking for a top institu
tion, others are interested in participat
ing in the research of a specific professor,
others choose a school solely out of
convenience," she said.
Susanne Michael, of Cologne, Ger
many, is working toward a master's
degree in German literature at UNC.
USt
from page 1
counts of possession with intent to sell
and deliver cocaine and was being held
on $75,000 bond Saturday in the Orange
County Jail.
Henry Lee Farrar, of 520 W. Rose
mary St., Chapel Hill, was charged with
possession with intent to sell and deliver
cocaine and was held on $10,000 bond
Saturday in the Orange County Jail.
James Lester Watson, of 209-B Sky
light Dr., Carrboro, was charged with
possession with intent to sell and deliver
cocaine and was released afterposting
$2,500 bond.
Kenneth Wilson Fearrington of A
73 Gomain Ave., Chapel Hill, was
charged with possession with intent to
sell and deliver cocaine and was re
leased on $1,000 unsecured bond.
Ernest Alston of 1 10 W. Stinson St.,
Chapel Hill, was charged with carrying
a concealed weapon, possession of a
stolen weapon, and possession of a
Schedule VI drug (marijuana) and was
released on $1,000 unsecured bond.
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She considered 10 universities in the
United States and Canada, comparing
their qualifications and her chances of
being admitted.
She said she chose UNC because of
the merit of its program, the cultural
benefits of Chapel Hill and her oppor
tunity to work as a teaching assistant.
Bower said that the reputation of the
school was a primary factor. "People
like to go to the UNC grad school be
cause the school is one of the best in the
United States," she said.
Tammy Ramsey of the graduate
records program of the School of En
gineering and Applied Science at the
University of Virginia (UVa) said fi
nancial circumstances were an impor
tant factor in students' choice of insti
tutions. "They (students) want to go to the
school that offers the research they want
for the highest dollar," she said.
Donna Giles, assistant dean of the
Graduate School at Duke University,
said that in addition to a host of other
considerations, smart students look at
faculty and research which school is
most productive and provides the most
Resident assistants give support, make dorm life easier for students
By STEPHANIE SPIEGEL
Staff Writer
They sponsor educational residence
hall programs, organize inter-floor
athletic contests and give troubled stu
dents a place to sound off.
Living by the motto "RAs ....Sup
porting Carolina, One Person at aTime,"
1 87 resident assistants help make life in
UNC residence halls a little easier and a
little more enjoyable.
Applications are being taken for RA
positions for the upcoming year. Both a
written application and interview are
necessary to be considered.
Regina Locke, a sixth-floor RA in
Craige Residence Hall, urges anyone
interested to apply.
"The interview process is great
preparation for future job interviews,"
she said. "It enables you to find things
out about yourself that you never really
thought about."
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stimulating research opportunities.
On the other hand, what do graduate
schools look for in applicants?
Nearly all schools expect at least a
3.0 cumulative grade point average for
undergraduate work. Letters of recom
mendation and admission test scores
are. basic requirements.
People seeking a master's in business
administration (MBA) must take the
Graduate Management Achievement
Test (GM AT). Those who wish to study
law must take the Law Scholastic Ap
titude Test (LSAT), and medicine
hopefuls are required to take the Medical
College Admissions Test (MCAT).
Other graduate programs require the
Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
The weight of these scores varies
with each school's admissions process.
Elizabeth Mann, co-chairwoman of the
admissions committee and rising asso
ciate dean of the UNC School of
Medicine, said that the graduate exams
were not necessarily the most important
factor in admissions.
"MCAT scores are solid predictors
of a student's capacity to handle the
workload, but are not a be-all or end-
According to L.D. Newman, assis
tant director of housing, roughly 85 to
100 RA positions will be vacant for the
1 99 1 year. Usually there are 230 to 250
applications turned in. Applications are
not pre-screened, and everyone who
applies is guaranteed two interviews
the first with a current RA and another
with a panel of area directors, assistant
area directors and RAs, she said.
Pete Corson, a fourth-floor RA in
Carmichael Residence Hall, views the
application process as very effective.
"As an applicant I thought it was a fair
process ... I never felt pressured."
Carson is currently involved with the
selection process of new RAs. "On the
other side, we do everything we can do
to get to know the person because the
job involves many personal skills."
After the first two interv ie ws, there is
a potential for as many as five interviews
serving as follow-up and designed to
gather further information about the
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all," she said.
Ramsey said UVa requires a score of
1250 on the GRE.
The main factor in selection, ac
cording to Anne Marie Summers, di
rector of MBA admissions at UNC-CH,
is the quality of full-time work experi
ence since the completion of under
graduate work.'
"We want real movers and shakers,
people who achieved substantial job
progression and promotions since
starting to work with a particular orga
nization," she said. Of the students
currently enrolled in the MBA program
at UNC-CH, 98 percent have had full
time work experience.
However, work experience is not
expected of applicants in all disciplines.
Mann said the medical school enrolled
students with and without work expe
rience since undergraduate school, but
the majority moved straight into medi
cal school after earning a bachelor of
science degree.
Livak said students in professional
fields such as business were more
competitive if they had some full-time
work experience, whereas students in
applicant, he said.
To apply for an RA position you
must reach upper class standing, main
tain at least a 2.3 grade point average,
have residence hall living experience
and be a full-time student.
"From our perspective you need to
be a person who has the potential for
leadership," Newman said. "Probably
the most common misinterpretation of
the RA selection process is that you
have to be this finished product."
Besides having potential, new RAs
need to be enthusiastic, she said. But
many hours of classes and other train
ing teach RAs what they need to know
to be an effective RA, she added.
Once students go through the process,
they are invited to evaluate the system.
"A major priority is that every individual
is treated fairly and with respect because
RAs are the lifeblood of the operation,"
Newman said, "and they are worth the
four-month investment to maintain very
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more academic fields have no problem
moving straight through.
Graduate admissions differ from
undergraduate admissions because ap
plications are generally first approved
through specific departments, and then
receive final approval from the gradu
ateschool of a irhiversity. .
Several admissions directors at
various institutions suggest that students
take a variety of courses during under
graduate study that will contribute to
the breadth and quality they will be able
to offer a graduate program.
Summers specifically suggested
courses in calculus, micromacro eco
nomics, and statistics while Mann sug
gested English electives. Both agreed
that students should consider the possi
bility of attending graduate school when
choosing courses.
Livak said that of 20,000 applicants
every year to Berkeley's 120 graduate
programs, 5,000 were admitted. Ap
proximately half of these actually reg
ister the following fall semester.
Some of Berkeley's more popular
graduate programs include electrical
high-quality RAs."
According to Locke, there is no
"model RA". Everyone is unique and
adds to the very diverse group.
The best advice for prospective RAs
is to be honest and open about your
self," said Vince Lai, a second-year RA
in Granville Towers South. The system
is very effective and allows RAs a lot of
freedom in their responsibilities, while
the extensive amount of training serves
as a base for the job, he said.
Nancy Brown, a senior sociology
major and RA in Avery Residence Hall,
cites her former RAs as an inspiration.
"My RAs were very outgoing, and I
admired them I wanted to have the
opportunity to make other people's
residence hall experience as positive as
mine."
The job also serves as good, practical
job experience, she said. "You have a
great deal of training you also gain a
lot of valuable social skills that could be
The DTH Campus Calendar is a daily listing of University-related activities sponsored by
academic departments student services and student organizations officially recognized by the
Division of Student Affairs. To appear in Campus Calendar, announcements must be submitted on
the Campus Calendar form by NOON one business day before the announcement is to run. Saturday
and Sunday events are printed in Friday's calendar and must be submitted on the Wednesday before
the announcement is to run. Forms and a drop box are located outside the DTH office, 104 Union.
Items of Interest lists ongoing events from the same campus organizations and follows the same
deadline schedule as Campus Calendar. Please
MONDAY
Noon: The Carolina Union Activities Board
announces that Fred Holmes will play sax in the Pit.
3:30 p.m.: The Curriculum in African and Afro
American Studies present "Non-racial Opposition in
South Africa in the 1980's." a lecture by Julie
Frederickse. Southern Africa correspondent for Na
tional Public Radio and the author of The Unbreak
able Thread: Non-racialism in South Africa, in the
Assembly Room of Wilson Library.
4 p.m.: The Big Buddy Program of the Campus
Y will have its last educational program. Listen and
discuss the problems of dc-emphasizing the dollar
and emphasizing the educational. Great speakers and
discussion of individual Big Buddy problems. Cam
pus Y lounge.
Career Planning and Placement Services will
hold Job Hunt 104: On-Sitc Interviewing Skills
Workshop for seniors and graduate students in 210
Hanes.
5 p.m.: The UNC American Advertising Fed
eration will meet in 203 Howell. Is that cool or what?
The Carolina Union Activities Board announces
that Jerry Smith will play sax in Lenoir.
The Investments Club will meet in New Carroll
T-7. Agenda: future plans.
5:30 p.m.: Duke-L'NC Center Research on
Women Management will meet in 2 Manning until
8 p.m.
6:30 p.m.: The Presbyterian Campus Ministry
will have a Thanksgiving dinner at the Presbyterian
Student Center. 1 10 Henderson Si.
7 p.m.: N.C. FellowsLeadership Development
will offcra public speaking workshop in 1 01 Greenlaw.
Call 966-4041 for more info.
The WritingCenterisconductinga workshop on
Incorporating Source Material in Research Papers in
222 Greenlaw until 8 p.m.
7:30 p.m.: The Carolina Indian Circle is proud
to present Dr. J.T. Garrett of the N.C. Commission of
Indian Affairs, who will address Native American
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Please return to Suite 1 04 of the Onion
engineering, computer science, busi
ness administration, English, history and
psychology.
UVa's engineering school enrolls 800
of 1,100 applicants, Ramsey said.
Valerie Brewer, admissions assistant at
the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn),
said the graduate school af UPenn (ex
cluding law and medical schoolsj gen
erally accepted 1,200 of 3,500 appli
cants, of which only 400 enroll.
Some of UPenn's more popular
graduate programs include economics,
English, biology, ecology, history and
chemistry. Brewer said.
Giles said Duke's arts and sciences
graduate program (excluding law and
medical schools) received 5,000 appli
cations every year, 1 ,650 of which were
accepted, and 660 students enrolled.
There is a rising interest in Soviet
studies at Duke, especially in conjunc
tion with economics and political sci
ence, she said. Also popular are religion,
medicine and English. The engineering
programs are rising in national ranking,
but are not yet at the top, she said.
useful in the future."
Closer to students' hearts, RAs get
paid. Each RA, excluding Granville
Towers RAs, gets $4.50 an hour for
seventeen hours of work each week,
receives reduced rates on single resi
dence hall rooms and gets $200 a se
mester added to their meal cards.
While RAs may spend a great deal of
time involved in the lives of their resi
dents, they all agree that being able to
become such an influence as a mentor
and confidant is worth the extra effort.
"You learn how to deal and interact
with social, political, and racial groups
a whole spectrum of people," Lai
said. "You really get to interact with
and make a difference in someone's
life."
Applications are available at every
residence area office and the Carr
Building. They are due December 1 9 at
4:30 and should be turned in at the Carr
Building.
use the same form.
issues in the Upendo Lounge (upstairs Chase).
8 p.m.: The Hinton James RAs present a self
defense workshop in the 7th floor lounge of Hinlon
James. This is a free class and pizza will be provided.
9 p.m.: The Carolina Union Activities Board
announces a mini-jazz festival featuring Group Sax
(Latin, jazz and blues), in the Great Hall. Tickets are
$1 for students and $2 for general public. Available at
Union desk.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
UCPPS announces a resume drop for employers
recruiting Jan. 14-18 to be held tomorrow, and em
ployers recruiting Jan. 22-Feb. 1 to be held on Tues
day, Dec. 4.
Tar Heel Recycling Project announces that the
mobile drop-off site for today is the loading dock at
Berryhill Hall.
The Bicentennial Class Committee wants you to
create an original design with an exciting theme for
the class of 1990 T-shirt! Turn all designs into the
Student Government Office in Suite Cof the Union by
Nov. 28. There will be a cash prize for the best design.
Call 933-5163 for details.
Carolina Week By Week Lovers: Please send in
the evaluation form at the back of the calendar to let
us know of any changes or additions you would like to
see made in the 1991-92 edition.
The Carolina Students Credit Union is ac
cepting applications for the credit committee. Please
come by the CSCU office to pick up an application
from 10-3, M-F, and from 12:30-2 on Saturdays.
PlayMakers Repertory Company will present
"The Nutcracker: A Play," Nov. 28- Dec. 22 at the
Paul Green Theatre.
The Carolina Union Activities Board Theatre
Arts Committee present William Shakespeare's
Twelfth Night in the Cabaret from Nov. 29 through
Dec. 2. The play is set in the 1920's. Admission is $3
for students and $5 for the public. Call 962-1 157 for
more info.
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