<p>What a great post.</p>
<p>CalMom, TheMom's job is one of those "20 minutes to explain" things, because her job title gives almost no clue. Oddly enough, it has many of the same components that yours does.</p>
<p>Steel, I was responding to a question from a mother of an engineering student. As someone who has been involved in engineering for about 30 years I think my advice has helped many student through the years. Because of ABET and the nature of the engineering curriculum, graduates with a BS degree are fully prepared to enter the workforce. As a result, most practicing engineers in the USA do not hold graduate degrees and most employers place more value on experience.</p>
<p>Because the cited article in your OP focused on the adverse impacts which debt is having on college grads, I question the conventional wisdom of an engineering undergrad proceeding directly to graduate school for a MS degree if it will result in singnifcanly more debt at graduation 18 months down the road.</p>
<p>And also know that the employment situation can change significantly from year to year for a individual student. That highly prized $55,000 entry level job offer will not be there the following year and a comparable offer cannot be guaranteed either. My apartment mate was an aero engineer and had a number of job offers and among them were offers by GE and Pratt & Whitney in their jet propulsion divisions. While he was considering which one he preferred the DoD announced a big contract with P&W. Several days later he received word from GE rescinding their offer. That's how fickle job offers can be in the profession.</p>
<p>In addition, because engineering is an applied science, I find that most students are anxious to begin working and applying the knowledge they have acquired during 4 hard years of study. In addition, graduate school is focused on advanced learning in an engineering specialty. Many students aren't sure which area they are most interested in until they have acquired a few years of work experience. That was not the case with me; I knew that fluid mechanics was the specialty for me(thanks Prof Ricca!). But many are not as lucky as I was. Heck, as a frosh I was having trouble choosing between ME, CE or ChemE.</p>
<p>And yes it is easy for a senior engineering student to keep work vs grad school options open, usually until late spring semester. And for most, the issue of how to finance graduate school is an issue. You seem to pooh-pooh my advice but you were the one who posted the article on post graduate debt. To imply that it should not be a consideration for most students seems illogical and is foreign to most students I advise.</p>
<p>"You seem to pooh-pooh my advice but you were the one who posted the article on post graduate debt. To imply that it should not be a consideration for most students seems illogical and is foreign to most students I advise."</p>
<p>Hmnn, you've lost me here, how exactly have I done this??</p>