Reasons for doing engineering graduate school?

Graduate School
21

<p>Our son chose masters eng. grad school with criteria:
1 Wanted thesis/project work.
2. Depending on the program/professor
3. Wanted tuition waiver/TA/RA
4. Looking for even larger networking.
5. Enjoys school and adventure. </p>

<p>His BS background:
1. Well known national college.
2. Dual degree. Great scores.
3. Excellent recommendations
4. Has sufficient funds for grad school if he needed the option to pay tuition.
5. Has had work experience in 1st degree.
6. Could take a job if nothing resulted in grad school applications. </p>

<p>His BS ME and his projected MS CS will probably have little to do with his future job prospects other than prove to his future employers that he can work independently, creatively, on time, on budget. with the i's dotted and t's crossed. His BSME was a definite plus and necessary for his MSCS thesis. </p>

<p>He did find a program with full funding and money to spare. You just have to do your research.</p>

22

<p>
[quote]
Uh, well, there's such a thing as standard of living which varies by location. I did my undergrad at UCSB, most of them EEs move to the Silicon Valley. I have other friends at UC Davis and UCB who are closer to the Silicon Valley who wouldn't accept <75k. Literally, the base is 80k+. No joke. Living in NorCal >> Massachusetts

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Ha! Are you *really * going to try to tell me about the costs of living in Silicon Valley? Really? You're presuming that I don't know it all too well? </p>

<p>
[quote]
I have other friends at UC Davis and UCB who are closer to the Silicon Valley who wouldn't accept <75k. Literally, the base is 80k+. No joke. Living in NorCal >> Massachusetts</p>

<p>Cost of Living Indexes San Jose, CA; Boston, MA; United States
Overall 192.2;145.3; 100
Food 119.2; 110.3; 100
Housing 318.9; 200.7; 100
Utilities 128.4; 125.2; 100
Transportation 122.8; 113.4; 100
Health 155.1; 127.3; 100
Miscellaneous 109; 110; 100</p>

<p>MIT is special, but it ain't that special.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>MIT "ain't that special"? Is that right?</p>

<p>Allright, then let's take a look at the MSEE/CS Stanford salaries for 2006. I notice that they are entirely comparable to the salaries at MIT. In fact, if anything, the MIT Master's EECS grads are actually making more than the Stanford master's EE/CS grads. Note, MIT combines EE and CS into a single major, whereas Stanford separates them, hence, you have to mentally recombine those 2 salaries to compare them to MIT. </p>

<p><a href="http://cardinalcareers.stanford.edu/surveys/0506/engineering.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://cardinalcareers.stanford.edu/surveys/0506/engineering.html&lt;/a> </p>

<p>So, perhaps you could explain again how MIT is "not that special", or how exactly the difference in salaries can really be attributed to living costs? After all, I think we can agree that most Stanford grads are going to end up working in NorCal.</p>

23

<p>MIT cheerleader?</p>

24

<p>
[quote]
At the same time, I have heard that "everyone has a B.S."

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well, that's clearly B.S. (no pun intended).</p>

<p>"...in 2003, 27 percent of [American] adults age 25 and over had a college degree..."</p>

<p><a href="http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/001863.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/001863.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

25

<p>
[quote]
MIT cheerleader?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>UCSB cheerleader?</p>

26

<p>
[quote]
UCSB cheerleader?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Actually yes :). I personally think UCSB is a great school, especially in engineering.</p>

27

<p>Well, as for me, for the record, I doubt that I could be characterized as an MIT booster. I think I'm pretty neutral towards MIT. In fact, I have written a number of posts that are rather critical about MIT. </p>

<p>In short, I don't solely cheerlead for MIT nor do I solely damn it. MIT has its strengths and weaknesses just like any other school. </p>

<p>But what is undeniable is that the salaries of MIT grads do not seem to be overly constrained by cost-of-living considerations. Like I said, MIT and Stanford salaries are highly comparable.</p>