AS SLUMP DRAGS ON, GRADS STAY IN CLASS APPLICANT NUMBERS SPIKE AT LAW SCHOOLS.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

NORTHRIDGE - Kevork Jorokian's education won't be finished once he graduates from California State University, Northridge.

The 21-year-old business major from North Hollywood plans to head straight to law school. He's willing to put in the time and rack up the debt because he doesn't think he can land a high-paying job with only a bachelor's degree.

``The money that you make starting with a bachelor's degree is not enough to have a normal, decent life,'' Jorokian said. ``I'm guessing that would be about $35,000 in Southern California. Other places, you can live happily with that kind of money, but not here.''

Also looking for an an edge in the tight job market, Angelina Melitonyan is mulling the idea of going for an M.B.A. or a law degree after she graduates from CSUN.

``The better educated you are, the better off you are,'' said the 21-year-old business major from Glendale. ``The economy changes. It goes up and down. You can't always rely on it.''

Experts say Melitonyan and Jorokian are not alone, especially when it comes to considering law school.

Some 100,000 students had applied to U.S. law schools for fall 2003, the largest number in more than a decade, said Justin Serrano, executive director of Kaplan Test Prep.

Kaplan, which provides graduate school preparation services, has seen an increase in applications to law school every year since 1998.

In a good economy, Serrano said, many people delay grad school so they can hop right into the hot job market, where companies pay a premium for their skills. But in a sluggish economy, jobs dry up, salaries fall and students opt for grad school right away.

``Having that advanced degree is going to help you be more competitive,'' Serrano said. ``To a large extent, an advanced degree is going to become the new standard.''

But the surge in grad school applications has made it tougher for students to be accepted.

For fall 2003, UCLA's School of Law had the highest number of applicants it's had since 1991. Nearly 7,300 students applied for just 305 slots, meaning just one in 24 applicants was accepted, officials said.

The University of Southern California's law school got more than 7,000 applications for 200 openings, compared with 5,700 applications for the same number of openings last year.

The weak economy isn't the only reason law school admissions offices are being swamped with applications.

Andrea Sossin-Bergman, assistant dean of admissions at UCLA, said part of the reason for the increase is Tidal Wave II, the term used to describe the swelling ranks of baby boomers' children who are now of college age. Also boosting admissions are returning students seeking career changes following the dot-com bust.

But the trend toward higher grad school enrollment is not as pronounced with M.B.A. and medical school programs, officials said. In fact, M.B.A. programs across the country have seen applications slump because of corporate scandals and a weak economy, said Linda Baldwin, director of admissions for the Anderson School at the University of California, Los Angeles. Applications for the school's full-time program fell to about 3,500 this year from about 4,600 last year, Baldwin said.

CSUN offers only an evening M.B.A. program for working professionals, which has about 300 students every year. But officials said current trends could mean an increase in applicants.

``We have seen how the current economy has influenced the ability of some firms to maintain or even expand tuition reimbursement programs,'' said Kristen Walker, interim co-director of graduate programs for CSUN's College of Business and Economics. ``Although our admissions have remained stable, this could have an impact on future applications.''

If companies cut back on tuition reimbursement programs, applications to CSUN may increase as students seek out a more affordable M.B.A. program, she said.

Applications at USC's Keck School of Medicine have been holding steady for several years at roughly 4,000 applications for 160 openings, said Erin Quinn, associate dean for admissions.

``Medical school is very expensive and while the return on investment is still very good, if you're wanting to make a lot of money, you don't usually choose medical school,'' Quinn said, noting it also takes about twice as long to become a doctor as it does to earn a law degree. ``We get the people who really want to go into medicine.''

Albert E. Aubin, senior associate director for counseling and campus relations at UCLA, said he's seeing a lot more student interest in the career center's workshops on graduate schools.

Aubin strongly advised against choosing graduate school for a lack of anything better to do.

``We have always had students do what I call postponing decision-making in terms of a career,'' Aubin said.