What are you doing while you apply to school?

Applying to graduate school? Law school? Business school? If you were laid off the past few months or graduated from undergrad without a job, getting an advanced degree is a good option. You'll spend the next two years studying, and be more employable when you graduate and are back in the workforce.

However, being a full-time applicant isn't a direct path to being a full-time student. If you're applying to start school in fall 2010, you'll have to wait a full year until you matriculate. And although that may not be enough time to make the most of a new job, it's still a good chunk of time. Schools don't like to see applicants who are sitting on their laurels, so you'd better be active, especially if you aren't working. So, how are you going to spend your time until you arrive on campus?

Vault readers, if you're applying to school right now, what else are you doing? Are you still applying to jobs? Are you abandoning finding employment for the next year and throwing yourself into volunteering and other extracurricular, resume-building activities? Are you travelling? We want to know! Leave us a comment, or e-mail us at Pinkslipped@vault.com.

--Posted by Carolyn Wise, Senior Education Editor