GRAD school questions...

Im doin some research on taking out a second private school loan. The first is practically paid off, i didnt take out that much. Now, however, though, i will need to start taking out the full amount for tuition yearly, which is 25000$ a year. BankOne student loans allow for a max of 30,000 a year which is perfect and a lifetime of 130,000.

This is where my question comes, lets say i spend 60-70grand yet in undergrad. school that leaves me with another 60-70grand left for grad schoool. Im not sure if this is enough, and I do not want to screw myself before i even get to grad school.

On average, how much is tuition costing some of you grads for full time public uni's?
How many years on average is full time grad school?

I dont know if it matters, but my options for grad school majors are a law degree, my MBA, or possibly engineering.

Thanks for the help,

-ost

Depends on what you want to take. For professional programs that is not enough. However you could defineitely get a Masters in most places with that amount of $$.

MBA depending on school could be from 12,000 - 25,000 at a reasonably priced school. 2 years if you are doing it full time.

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Originally Posted by OSTIE

On average, how much is tuition costing some of you grads for full time public uni's

How many years on average is full time grad school?

I dont know if it matters, but my options for grad school majors are a law degree, my MBA, or possibly engineering.

Thanks for the help,

-ost

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Look at all the schools in your state... if they offer a graduate program then its well worth the money, go to the cheapest school. When looking at graduate programs, it really doesnt matter where you go unless you plan on working on wall street. Find the best school for the money and go from there.


I know 3 people that got their MBA in a year and a half as full time students. An MBA is pretty reasonable, roughly around 60 hours (give or take). The norm is 2 years for an MBA.

I'm not real sure about engineering?

Attending Law School as a full time student will take you 3 years. I strongly recommend researching several law schools. There are several affordable law schools... once again, unless you plan on working Wall Street, I dont think the school is important. A law degree speaks for itself, I know I've never asked a lawyer where he atteneded.

In my home state, the cheapest law school at 18,000 a year. That was way too far out of my budget... I found a Tier 2 law school in another state that was only 5,000 a year for instate, and 12,000 for out of state. I applied and they give me an in-state rate because they didnt have any students enrolled from my State. Graduate schools, especially law schools pride themselves in the diverstiy of their students. You'll actually have a better chance of getting accepted to schools outside of your home state.



Good Luck brother....

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Originally Posted by EastCoaster

Look at all the schools in your state... if they offer a graduate program then its well worth the money, go to the cheapest school. When looking at graduate programs, it really doesnt matter where you go unless you plan on working on wall street. Find the best school for the money and go from there.


I know 3 people that got their MBA in a year and a half as full time students. An MBA is pretty reasonable, roughly around 60 hours (give or take). The norm is 2 years for an MBA.

I'm not real sure about engineering?

Attending Law School as a full time student will take you 3 years. I strongly recommend researching several law schools. There are several affordable law schools... once again, unless you plan on working Wall Street, I dont think the school is important. A law degree speaks for itself, I know I've never asked a lawyer where he atteneded.

In my home state, the cheapest law school at 18,000 a year. That was way too far out of my budget... I found a Tier 2 law school in another state that was only 5,000 a year for instate, and 12,000 for out of state. I applied and they give me an in-state rate because they didnt have any students enrolled from my State. Graduate schools, especially law schools pride themselves in the diverstiy of their students. You'll actually have a better chance of getting accepted to schools outside of your home state.



Good Luck brother....

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hey man.......................dont get banned bro!! :wg:

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Originally Posted by hung-solo

hey man.......................dont get banned bro!! :wg:

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:lol: i dont plan on it

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Originally Posted by OSTIE

Im doin some research on taking out a second private school loan. The first is practically paid off, i didnt take out that much. Now, however, though, i will need to start taking out the full amount for tuition yearly, which is 25000$ a year. BankOne student loans allow for a max of 30,000 a year which is perfect and a lifetime of 130,000.

This is where my question comes, lets say i spend 60-70grand yet in undergrad. school that leaves me with another 60-70grand left for grad schoool. Im not sure if this is enough, and I do not want to screw myself before i even get to grad school.

On average, how much is tuition costing some of you grads for full time public uni's?
How many years on average is full time grad school?

I dont know if it matters, but my options for grad school majors are a law degree, my MBA, or possibly engineering.

Thanks for the help,

-ost

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Well, for engineering grad school, it typically takes 2 years full time for a masters if you're continuing in the same major as your undergraduate degree. Otherwise if you are switching, they will make you supplement your grad courses with 4-5 extra undergrad courses to catch you up to speed. Can I ask you what your undergrad major is and when you are going to graduate with your undergrad degree?

You must be at a private university or out of state, thats a hell of a debt. In engineering, most of the grad students are TAs or graders, etc, and they have a program here where they basically you give you 22 free credit hrs per year, some small health care, and your wages look something like

TIME Monthly Salary
1/4 591-681
1/2 1182-1362
3/4 1774-2042

Obviously if you are new, then you start at the lower range, and after 2 years as an assistant you will be at the upper range.

If you are engineering, you should strongly consider what field you want to be in as this will dicate to what schools you apply, it seems you are still unsure as to what you are doing, but if you know what specific field you're interested in, we can help more.

(FYI- A PhD student is generally able to apply for more scholarships and such than a masters student, full-time PhD usually takes 4 years.)

It sucks taking classes in the evenings while working, but my employer pays 100% of my tuition for my MBA. Can't beat that.

I have a couple of thousand $ on student loans from undergrad and they bother me. I can't imagine having 50-100,000 as a liability when I was looking at my networth.

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Originally Posted by scottp999

It sucks taking classes in the evenings while working, but my employer pays 100% of my tuition for my MBA. Can't beat that.

I have a couple of thousand $ on student loans from undergrad and they bother me. I can't imagine having 50-100,000 as a liability when I was looking at my networth.

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I thought about getting a job and going to school at the same time, but thats pretty rough. I have a bro-in-law who is doing that for his engineering masters, and he puts in the usual 40 hrs per week at his job, and about 20 hrs every 2 weeks of studying for school. I think it will take him 3 years for his masters going to school year round. But as you said, the benefit is that most employers pay for grad school, but thats still a lot of work to keep up with.

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Originally Posted by saboudian

I thought about getting a job and going to school at the same time, but thats pretty rough. I have a bro-in-law who is doing that for his engineering masters, and he puts in the usual 40 hrs per week at his job, and about 20 hrs every 2 weeks of studying for school. I think it will take him 3 years for his masters going to school year round. But as you said, the benefit is that most employers pay for grad school, but thats still a lot of work to keep up with.

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Right on. I have done all of my college part time while working and it has been a struggle. Community College -> Transfered to 4 year state school -> Took 10 days off before starting grad school.

It is rough but an alternative if you don't have family or other resources to help out. If I could do it all over I would have gone to college right after high school, instead I became an engineering assistant for 1 1/2 years, then family went bad and I was on my own. Oh well. Live and learn!

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Originally Posted by scottp999

Right on. I have done all of my college part time while working and it has been a struggle. Community College -> Transfered to 4 year state school -> Took 10 days off before starting grad school.

It is rough but an alternative if you don't have family or other resources to help out. If I could do it all over I would have gone to college right after high school, instead I became an engineering assistant for 1 1/2 years, then family went bad and I was on my own. Oh well. Live and learn!

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Phew, I would not have wanted to go down that road. Luckily, my parents are helping out quite a bit with undergrad, but so far it seems like I'll be all on my own come grad school. I'm in a similar situation as Ostie, where I very sure that I'll continue to go to school full time after my undergrad, I will probably still continue in Chem. Eng., but law school and MBA are very intriguing, and it would be nice to try something different, still got a year to figure things out though. Been going to school year round for the last 4 years, so whats a few more years, right? lol

Ostie keep us posted on what you decide.

I am paying $6500 a semester for out-of-state at Auburn University in Alabama.

fhjk

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Originally Posted by sin

most programs in the sciences give stipends. i get all my classes paid for, my health insurance paid for, and i get $20,000/year to pay bills with.

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Yeah, I have a similar deal. But you have to be in a science and the school has to be somewhat decent (Top 50).

How you're funded can vary as well.
Fellowship: they just write you a montly check for a set number of years
TAship: you're expected to teach part time during graduate school
RAship: you'll be working for a professor nearly full time

RAships are very common but differ substantially between different sciences. For example bio RA's are basically paid slaves. RA's in computer science at a good school give you a lot more freedom.

It must suck to have to pay for grad school. I was a TA then I had an NSF fellowship, then I was a TA again. I took 6 years to get my Ph.D but that is the norm for my field. If you can be a TA do it, there is always some desperate and stupid 20 yr old hot chick that is willing to trade sexual favors for test answers. I was a bad TA but it's worth the risk.
Also if you want a master's but don't want to pay for it, enter as a Ph.D student then leave with a master's when you have enough work done. Alot of Chinese grad students do that .... ancient chinese secret, huh?

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Originally Posted by Powrlftr

Also if you want a master's but don't want to pay for it, enter as a Ph.D student then leave with a master's when you have enough work done. Alot of Chinese grad students do that .... ancient chinese secret, huh?

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Haven't they tried to stop people from doing that by calling a master's in pursuit of a PhD an M.Phil as opposed to an MA or MS, that way those 'in the know' are aware that you got your master's while bailing on a PhD commitment? I'd heard that was their dirty way of hitting people who'd attempt that with a nasty little stigma for trying to screw them.

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Originally Posted by MMC78

Yeah, I have a similar deal. But you have to be in a science and the school has to be somewhat decent (Top 50).

How you're funded can vary as well.
Fellowship: they just write you a montly check for a set number of years
TAship: you're expected to teach part time during graduate school
RAship: you'll be working for a professor nearly full time

RAships are very common but differ substantially between different sciences. For example bio RA's are basically paid slaves. RA's in computer science at a good school give you a lot more freedom.

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oh yeah, i did forget to mention that im a slave. :frown: