Interest in Radcliffe Externships Jumps

The growing concern among undergraduates with finding a job after college has spurred more students this year to apply to a Radcliffe employment training program.

More than 100 students are seeking one of the 55 positions in the Radcliffe Externship Program, a 33--percent jump over last year. The most popular slots were for those careers which don't require a graduate degree--the one position in journalism drew almost 20 applicants.

The five-year-old program places women students with Radcliffe alumnae, who take the students to work and house them for a week over spring break.

Uncertain Future

"A program like this one gives women the opportunity to use graduates resources," said Stefaine Shoer '85, as applicant to the program." "I know a lot of seniors and I don't know where they're going to get jobs."

Margaret B. Touborg '65, coordinator for the program, said that the applications reflected "increasing professionalism on campus." She added that "the number of students going into jobs rather than on to graduate school obviously has had an effect on our program."

Other Areas See Increase

Martha P. Leape, director of the Office of Career Services and Off-Campus Learning, said that her office has also had more student using job resources "because is increasing number of seniors have decided that their want to work rather than going out to graduate schools."

But she noted that the number of Harvard seniors planning to attend graduate school at some point has remained constant over the past few years-at about 95 percent.

Leape said that the growing interest is the University's job training resources does not indicate growing professional ism, but an increased concern which is expressed in anxiety about 'will I be able to get a job?'"