We've heard it's a great way to position yourself to come out ahead of the recession. Yesterday, Young Real Estate Professionals meeting for lunch at DePaul, discussed the merits of grad school. Third Street LLC's Jeffrey Smith, Chase's Sujal Parikh, and UGL Equis' Zach Pruitt tell us their weighing their options on DePaul?s 16-course, two to four year program. Zach said he's enjoyed tenant rep at UGL because it puts him on the right side of the equation in this market, but he'd like to do anything he can to boost his game now.

Aries Capital's Jeff Bucaro graduated from DePaul in 2007. He met his employer there, he says, and the networking opportunities during his two classes per quarter allowed him to meet many students working for big-name companies. You can choose from an MBA, which is less real estate intensive, or an M.S. in real estate. We hear there may still be spaces open for the fall, even though the July 1 deadline has passed.