Grad school financial planning with my daughter

[DooleyVT]

Well, she doesn't necessarily have to be a general practitioner. She could specialize in any number of ways, or she could work the pharmaceutical side. Specializing would require more training, time, and wouldn't be able to have the extra income to pay loans back faster. However, long term, would mean higher income.

If she's dead set on being a veterinarian, this is what she needs to do on her applications, as the profession and school, is mostly female: she needs to say that she's highly interested in large animal medicine, particularly in the food production aspect. She needs to make herself stand out and show that she's focused in the area that truly needs more veterinarians.

For instance, I had a 3.4 GPA leaving Clemson, but made straight A's my last 3 semesters (football freshman year goofed me bad). Marketed myself as having interest in all aspects, but predominantly poultry and mixed animal practice. Got the poultry bug out of me real quick, though that's another way to make a killing and not have to deal with high demand clients other than heads of Purdue, Tyson, etc.

I applied to 7 schools (Kansas State, Iowa State, Mississippi State, LSU, Auburn, NC State, and UGA). Only got into one and that's the one I could get in state tuition for.

I would imagine with the state of Vermont not having a vet school, they have contract seats with surrounding states that do. I would imagine Cornell in NY and Tufts in MA.

I would personally avoid the Island schools as well as the Lincoln Memorial, Arkansas State, Clemson and a handful of others, as they don't have 2 years of books and 2 years of clinicals. But that's just my 2 cents.

She has roughly 10 schools she’s applying to. Cornell and Tufts were on the top of her list as well as Arkansas. I had mentioned the pharmaceutical side to her yesterday but she didn’t look up from her computer. Really appreciate all of the info.

 

[arrow179]

She has roughly 10 schools she’s applying to. Cornell and Tufts were on the top of her list as well as Arkansas. I had mentioned the pharmaceutical side to her yesterday but she didn’t look up from her computer. Really appreciate all of the info.

According to a Google search no vet schools have a contract with Vermont for contract seats but I would do some additional digging.

 

[arrow179]

No TA positions in Vet school? Grad school was free for me, but it was mechanical engineering and I worked a few hours a week.

Not an option for vet med degree. This is not a grad degree but a doctoral degree FYI

 

[Bigred323]

She has talked about wanting to be a veterinarian since she was 10 years old so I sometimes feel bad trying to discourage her from that kind of passion but she has already struggled with criticism from managers, doctors she’s worked with and pet owners. The thin skin will likely become an issue for her. I’ve tried to convince her to get into human health care but she has zero interest unfortunately and her best friend is an RN who tries to drag her over to the human side too but no luck yet.

If she’s set on it, she’s set on it and I hope she gets in and makes a great career out of it. One of the beauties of vet med is the endless opportunities you can pursue whether it be general practice, speciality, government, military, research, industry, wildlife, etc. The pay varies drastically between the various avenues. As in any job, some people are ok with the lower pay in certain job roles because they’ve reached their life long dream.

If she plays her cards right, the job can absolutely be great and financially rewarding. I would not trade my current situation for anything as I’ve got a 4 day work week every week, no weekends, no on call, and make very good money. I could make more, but I value home and family time more than any paycheck and still have time and money to pursue some fun hunting trips. I haven’t been out of school too long compared to some but I made some really good decisions early out the gate to get me into the spot I’m at today.

One of our problems in vet med and the mental health problem is that the career attracts truly caring perfectionists. You don’t just get in to vet school by accident so when you’ve gone your entire life never really failing at much and then things start dying on you, miss a diagnosis by mistake, and/or people start bashing you, a lot of vets really can’t handle the thought and act of “failure”.

I also came into vet med from a very different path though. I worked as a paramedic and volunteer FF all through undergrad and even through vet school so I’m lucky that’s there’s not much any client can call me that a crackhead hasn’t already called me while fighting in the back of an ambulance

 

[Rich M]

I never even thought about her becoming a resident of that state before attending school there. She should know by January or February if she is accepted into any programs which would give her a little lead time to relocate. Good stuff so far!

That seems like the best route - maybe she could intern while gaining residency in a state.

I just googled it and says 1 yr to qualify for in state tuition. 6 months for instate taxes.

 

[mjh]

Getting a lot of good info to sort and think through. Make sure that your daughters school debt does not become your debt. I would not cosign any loans.

Had the grad school conversation with our son during his last visit home. He will graduate with a undergraduate degree with no debt. We had a 529 (will be zeroed out for last semester this fall), money from grandma (might be some left in that account), mom & dad's money, scholarship money, money and work credit he earned via summer jobs, jobs on campus, and a school work program he was part of.

I suggested to him that he needs to figure out how HE is going to pay for grad school. Mom and dad are able and happy to help him get set up, pay deposits on rent, help with vehicle expenses but the actual payments to the program I think he should cover himself. He is looking at multiple programs. A few would allow him to live at home an commute to classes. I don't think he knows what monies might be available from various other sources. An area he needs to research.

As parents we want to help where we can but we also want our son to be as financially independent as possible. There's a process and learning to all that. He's had good summer jobs and work opportunities in his area of interest and field of study. He's pretty level headed and making mostly good choices for a 21 year old.

But also as parents and adults we need to look out for our retirement and savings as well. We'll help and assist where we can.

 

[Mike Islander]

Not an option for vet med degree. This is not a grad degree but a doctoral degree FYI

PhD is a doctoral degree. ;-)

But I get what you are saying. It's a lucrative business for schools.

 

[ThorM465]

Talk her out of it! You're asking a bunch of men who are for the most part giving sound advice based on what worked best for them. However, we are not the same and a man's path is not the best path for a woman. America doesn't need more young healthy women in indentured servitude. Make no mistake that is exactly what 6 figure student loan debt is and she'll be in half a million in debt. She has a very limited amount of time to get married and have children. She has 40+ years to get another degree. If you're not running these numbers in the aforementioned sit down, you're doing her a disservice.
I have an 8 week old little girl and this would be my advice to her. I don't want her spending her best years for raising kids in grad school or fighting her way out of debt. In 40 years that vet degree will be nice. The kids she has or doesn't have will be everything.

 

[Bigred323]

Talk her out of it! You're asking a bunch of men who are for the most part giving sound advice based on what worked best for them. However, we are not the same and a man's path is not the best path for a woman. America doesn't need more young healthy women in indentured servitude. Make no mistake that is exactly what 6 figure student loan debt is and she'll be in half a million in debt. She has a very limited amount of time to get married and have children. She has 40+ years to get another degree. If you're not running these numbers in the aforementioned sit down, you're doing her a disservice.
I have an 8 week old little girl and this would be my advice to her. I don't want her spending her best years for raising kids in grad school or fighting her way out of debt. In 40 years that vet degree will be nice. The kids she has or doesn't have will be everything.

Based off of Dooley’s description of his daughter, I have a feeling that being told her Marital status and child bearing matters more than her life aspirations won’t go over well for Dad lol.

Times have changed man. Not everyone agrees with a woman’s worth being based on whether she’s married and has children.

 

[307]

Based off of Dooley’s description of his daughter, I have a feeling that being told her Marital status and child bearing matters more than her life aspirations won’t go over well for Dad lol.

Times have changed man. Not everyone agrees with a woman’s worth being based on whether she’s married and has children.

I think it may be chaning back a bit in recent years. "Worth" is obviously a loaded descriptive term but keeping in mind development of an overall meaningful life and what will matter most in the limited time here is important.

I wouldn't have stated it quite as aggressively as the previous poster did but keeping in mind that women still have to make the people and that it's a young woman's game (preferably, in biologic terms) is actually important. Having a ton of education debt limits some options, permanently, so at least consider the big picture when plotting the course through life.

I have 2 daughters, both very strong students, and we've had these conversations frequently. They both very much want to have kids and develop a family which is a big factor in determining education and career choices.

"You can be anything, but you can't be everything"

 

[180ls1]

This is why the plan NEEDS to be personalized.

I have a young daughter, wife in PhD program and just finished my masters. Grad school is certainly better for her than working when it comes to raising a child. Not as ideal (short term) as being stay at home (which she may do as long as she wants) but the PhD also has tremendous upside and will allow tremendous generational benefits for our family.

 

[Scoot]

PhD is a doctoral degree. ;-)

But I get what you are saying. It's a lucrative business for schools.

I assume she's not getting a PhD, but a DVM. But your comment applies equally to that degree. The post you responded to is definitely misleading- there are a ton of post graduate degrees that fall under the umbrella of graduate school.

 

[307]

Professional school is the term some of ya'll are looking for.

 

[ThorM465]

Based off of Dooley’s description of his daughter, I have a feeling that being told her Marital status and child bearing matters more than her life aspirations won’t go over well for Dad lol.

Times have changed man. Not everyone agrees with a woman’s worth being based on whether she’s married and has children.

And that propaganda is driving the most productive societies to extinction. My value, a man's value is based on my/his worth as a Husband and a Father. The idea that this isn't true for Women is asinine. The only difference is that our role includes provider.

Thankfully times are changing. My oldest just graduated kindergarten. The kids announced what they wanted to be when they grew up, at the ceremony. The most common selection for the little girls was Mother.

This is why the plan NEEDS to be personalized.

I have a young daughter, wife in PhD program and just finished my masters. Grad school is certainly better for her than working when it comes to raising a child. Not as ideal (short term) as being stay at home (which she may do as long as she wants) but the PhD also has tremendous upside and will allow tremendous generational benefits for our family.

I think that this is possibly the optimal path for women. Prioritize Marriage and Kids young. Complete or continue education concurrently and secondary to raising kids. Pursue a career once she's had all the kids she wants and they're all teenagers or older. It should be no surprise that placing women on the same life tract as men has been disastrous for them and society.

 

[307]

And that propaganda is driving the most productive societies to extinction. My value, a man's value is based on my/his worth as a Husband and a Father. The idea that this isn't true for Women is asinine. The only difference is that our role includes provider.

Thankfully times are changing. My oldest just graduated kindergarten. The kids announced what they wanted to be when they grew up, at the ceremony. The most common selection for the little girls was Mother.



I think that this is possibly the optimal path for women. Prioritize Marriage and Kids young. Complete or continue education concurrently and secondary to raising kids. Pursue a career once she's had all the kids she wants and they're all teenagers or older. It should be no surprise that placing women on the same life tract as men has been disastrous for them and society.

Citing kindergarten graduation as a source of evidence is a bold move.

 

[EdP]

Don't just look at tuition costs but consider the entire cost to live and attend school. Living expenses vary widely and she is going to be needing loan money for that too. For example, Auburn Univ has a vet school and the cost of living is below the national average.

 

[BigMiss]

Talk her out of it! You're asking a bunch of men who are for the most part giving sound advice based on what worked best for them. However, we are not the same and a man's path is not the best path for a woman. America doesn't need more young healthy women in indentured servitude. Make no mistake that is exactly what 6 figure student loan debt is and she'll be in half a million in debt. She has a very limited amount of time to get married and have children. She has 40+ years to get another degree. If you're not running these numbers in the aforementioned sit down, you're doing her a disservice.
I have an 8 week old little girl and this would be my advice to her. I don't want her spending her best years for raising kids in grad school or fighting her way out of debt. In 40 years that vet degree will be nice. The kids she has or doesn't have will be everything.

This is a big L take.

My wife went to grad school. Graduated with roughly 160k worth of student loan debt as a PA. In 2 years she's paid off about 70k of that debt, while contributing substantially to her (our) retirement savings. She graduated, worked for a year, then we had our first child. Went back to work after 12 weeks (unfortunately she couldn't get more time). We both work full time, and we share all home and child responsibilities. She is a damn good medical provider and an incredible mother. Being just one or the other would be wasting her talents as a human. Sure, she just took a new job where "full time" is 3 days per week so that she can spend more time at home, but she absolutely would not give up the value a career gives her. Stating that a woman's path in life is to raise the children of men, rather than following whichever life path they desire, is archaic and foolish.

 

[bowhuntercoop]

And that propaganda is driving the most productive societies to extinction. My value, a man's value is based on my/his worth as a Husband and a Father. The idea that this isn't true for Women is asinine. The only difference is that our role includes provider.

Thankfully times are changing. My oldest just graduated kindergarten. The kids announced what they wanted to be when they grew up, at the ceremony. The most common selection for the little girls was Mother.



I think that this is possibly the optimal path for women. Prioritize Marriage and Kids young. Complete or continue education concurrently and secondary to raising kids. Pursue a career once she's had all the kids she wants and they're all teenagers or older. It should be no surprise that placing women on the same life tract as men has been disastrous for them and society.

My wife and I agreed we wanted kids, once med school was over and we could provide them with a much better overall quality of life just from monetary amount of being an anesthesiologist.

We are in our late 30s, had our first at 33 years old and now have 3.

I couldn’t imagine having kinds in my early 20s, I was still a kid myself really fresh into the Marine Corps.

Kids are expensive, if she’s wants kids after vet school good on her. Much easier on a vet salary to raise kids compared to a vet tech…

And these days we switched roles. I retired from the Corps and stay home full time, while she can work 2-3 days a week and make more then 99 percent of the population.

Nothing wrong with getting a career and becoming established before having kids, prolly smarter for most Americans anyways.

 

[ThorM465]

Citing kindergarten graduation as a source of evidence is a bold move.

Indicators are the best source for predicting the future. Today's society is the result of the values taught to yesterday's children. Tomorrow's society is a function of the values taught to today's children. The response from those children are an indicator of the values they're being taught.

 

[DooleyVT]

Talk her out of it! You're asking a bunch of men who are for the most part giving sound advice based on what worked best for them. However, we are not the same and a man's path is not the best path for a woman. America doesn't need more young healthy women in indentured servitude. Make no mistake that is exactly what 6 figure student loan debt is and she'll be in half a million in debt. She has a very limited amount of time to get married and have children. She has 40+ years to get another degree. If you're not running these numbers in the aforementioned sit down, you're doing her a disservice.
I have an 8 week old little girl and this would be my advice to her. I don't want her spending her best years for raising kids in grad school or fighting her way out of debt. In 40 years that vet degree will be nice. The kids she has or doesn't have will be everything.

She has very little desire to have children or be married at the moment. "Boyfriends" usually get the back burner to school, work, and friends until they get sick of the back burner and move on which doesn't seem to phase her. She took me out to a Father's Day brunch and the table next to us had a couple very typical kids that were super talkative but she asked the waitress if we could please have another table because the kids drive her crazy. I don't think she will settle for an undergrad degree so this is way more of a financial decision I want to help her with than trying to convince her that she should be a good wife and mom instead of an education.