Helpful links

As admitted students become more interested in statistics like job placement, internships, average starting salaries, etc., it is important to keep up-to-date with Notre Dame's information in these areas. Below are some links to help answer questions and guide your conversations with students.

Future Plans Data

Based on an annual survey of graduating seniors, The Career Center complies a profile for graduates of each individual college and also the University as a whole. The most recent numbers -- for the class of 2008 -- show that, at graduation, only 2% of graduates were still seeking employment (meaning 98% were placed in employment, graduate/professional school, service programs or the military).

A bit further down on that page is the average starting salary for students based on college.

Below that might be the most helpful information on the page. If you click on one of the majors, you will find a profile of future plans for students graduating in that academic area. For example, clicking Chemical Engineering will show you that 67% of Class of 2008 graduates had full-time employment plans, 25% planned on furthering their education, and 8% were going into service. The average starting salary of the 24 chemical engineers who reported a figure was $62,346, and the employers, graduate schools and service organizations are also listed.

This example would be a great opportunity to explain to a student that, although Notre Dame may not be known as an "engineering school", graduates from that college are still incredibly well prepared for their future endeavors.

Internship Survey Data

Students also want to know about internships -- they may not know what they are, but it's a question that is almost always asked as they search for the right college. The link above will take you to a page with more information than you could ever want about internships (broken down by college, year in school, geographic location, pay type, experience type, etc.).

This page, like the one for job placement, will also break down the information by major.

College Salary Report

Last summer, payscale.com conducted a survey to determine the "best investment" for an undergraduate education. 1.2 million users of the website reported their salaries and education credentials, and those without an advanced degree were considered in the final figures (to determine the value of the undergraduate education).

Notre Dame ranked eighth on the list, with a median mid-career salary of $121,000 and a starting median salary of $55,300.

If there are any other questions we can answer, or information we can provide, please do not hesitate to let me know!

Graduate wins Fullbright scholarship

Notre Dame graduate Jessica Nelson was recently awarded a Fullbright scholarship. Jessica, a 2008 graduate, will teach English in Spain.

The full (though very short) article is here. Congratulations to Jessica!

The "Gap Year"

I might say this because a student just e-mailed me about one this morning, but "gap years"--taking a year off between high school and college to do service or other related activities--
seem to be growing in popularity. Some students are finding they are not ready for college immediately after high school, and a number of these students choose to productively spend there time elsewhere, usually in some sort of international immersion program.

This New York Times article recounts the experiences of a student who completed a gap year which influenced her degree--and her life's direction.

Doing the right thing

It is not uncommon to find current or former Notre Dame students working hard to improve the lives of others. Thus, it is not surprising that the Notre Dame Concert Band's spring tour through China will raise money for those impacted by the earthquake in China last week.

Also of note is this story of some Notre Dame students who raised over $35,000 for a school in Uganda.

It is quite humbling when you realize that these are only two examples of what thousands of Notre Dame students are doing to help make the world a better place.