More than 90 percent of YU graduates were employed, in graduate school, or both within six months of graduation, finds survey.

As undergraduates, Yeshiva University students learn to balance a rich and vibrant range of academic, extracurricular and spiritual pursuits, dedicating themselves to rigorous Torah and secular study while discovering their passions, championing their beliefs and forming lasting friendships.

It is no surprise, then, that after commencement, they hit the ground running: more than 90 percent of YU graduates were employed, in graduate school, or both within 6 months of graduation, according to the most recent survey by YU’s Career Center.

“The fact that for the last six years, we’ve been at or above that 90 percent rate is impressive,” said Marc Goldman, executive director of the Career Center.

“In particular, full time employment has risen even higher than in past years, with more than 85 percent of those employed working in full time positions—that number rises to more than 90 percent when you look at those who aren’t also in graduate school.”

That number includes new graduates starting at prestigious accounting firms, investment banks and consulting groups, such as Deloitte, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), as well as high-profile companies in other fields ranging from the New York Mets to L’Oreal and top educational institutions.

Not only are YU alumni finding jobs, they’re finding the jobs they want: more than 86 percent reported that their new positions were strongly related to their fields of interest—a 10 percent increase since last year—and more than 71 percent reported a strong connection between their positions and their majors as undergraduates, an increase of eight percent.

“I am delighted at the continued growth of professional opportunities for our students,” said YU President Richard M. Joel.

“We are increasingly able to assist students to find significant placements, and what’s special about this is that they’re not only finding jobs but finding jobs in the areas they want to find jobs in. This is a tribute to the increasing professionalism and passion of our Career Center and a tribute to the quality of our students,” he added.

YU graduates continuing on in the academic world enjoyed the same remarkable success.

Ninety-seven percent of law school applicants in the 2013-14 application cycle reported being admitted to at least one law school, well above the national average of 77 percent, including top programs such as Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Chicago and YU’s own Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

While the national average of medical school acceptance rates is just 45 percent, 91 percent of applicants from Stern College for Women and 78 percent of applicants from Yeshiva College were accepted to at least one medical school last year. Graduates were accepted into highly competitive and prestigious programs, such as Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medical College, and YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In addition, 100 percent of Stern College dental school applicants and 73 percent of Yeshiva College applicants were accepted to dental school.

These outstanding placement rates—for graduates entering the professional or academic worlds alike—begin with the one-on-one mentoring by faculty and staff that each student’s unique ambitions and talents receive.

At YU’s Sy Syms School of Business, for example, students can bring their business ideas to Associate Dean and Entrepreneur-in-Residence Michael Strauss, who guides them through every step necessary to make their dream a reality: navigating patent law, identifying a management team, raising funding and more. Strauss is equally happy to work with alumni on their ideas. “I’ve had graduates come to me six or seven years out—we’re here for them,” he said.

In the Career Center, that emphasis on individual attention is also critical to student success.

“Students receive personalized, one-on-one assistance where we go over every job search tool available to them, from how to craft a resume to how to network, job search strategy, the interview process and social media, which is an important search tool now,” said Goldman. “We prepare them to better communicate their message, their personal pitch and their goals to employers wherever and whenever they may get the opportunity: chance meetings, social engagements, networking events, and actually on the job interview itself.”

The rigorous academic courses and challenging dual curriculum also give YU students a unique edge after graduation, according to Strauss.

“The whole dual curriculum, where they study and work 12-15 hours a day, is a tremendous plus for employers—the Morgan Stanleys and Goldman Sachses out there,” he said. “Our students graduate ready to roll up their sleeves and fit in with the work culture in these environments, with a tremendous work ethic.”