Son home from Peace Corps, now wants to go to grad school? When does adulthood start?

[Anonymous]

Peace Corps is a job.

[Anonymous]

Wasn’t the peace core a full time job?

[Anonymous]

I’d like to see YOU do the Peace Corps, OP

[Anonymous]

I'm sure the OP is a troll.

Peace Corps is a job. You're not just sitting around doing nothing.

I'm sure most people who went through the Peace Corps went on to grad school too. This is very normal. The Peace Corps, as valuable as it is itself, isn't necessarily something that translates well into myriad of opportunities afterwards, especially outside the NGO sector. But even the NGO sector is demanding graduate degrees for advanced roles.

What did the OP (if he's real) expect, that his son finish the Peace Corps and then go home and working in a marketing role (if he could find one)? Or some generic job? Or as a barista?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure the OP is a troll.

Peace Corps is a job. You're not just sitting around doing nothing.

I'm sure most people who went through the Peace Corps went on to grad school too. This is very normal. The Peace Corps, as valuable as it is itself, isn't necessarily something that translates well into myriad of opportunities afterwards, especially outside the NGO sector. But even the NGO sector is demanding graduate degrees for advanced roles.

What did the OP (if he's real) expect, that his son finish the Peace Corps and then go home and working in a marketing role (if he could find one)? Or some generic job? Or as a barista?

I have to say, my kid did the Corps then came back to DC and landed a great job with a nonprofit right away and now makes a very good living. Doing good and doing well.

[Anonymous]

Peace corps is a job. Tell him grad school is on him, but saying he’s not an adult is stupid and mean.

I hope he goes somewhere far, far from you. You’re ignorant and a jerk.

[Anonymous]

Unless I’m mistaken, Peace Corps folks have access to great scholarships to help pay for whatever useless graduate degree they want to get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I only wish my son would have interests like that! Give him kudos and Grad School, if you can afford it.

The military pays for grad school and is a wonderful way to teach an adult child to grow up and become a self sufficient adult.

[Anonymous]

I did the Peace Corps and rolled into a graduate program in international public health. My peers either went into internships or other graduate programs. It's not uncommon.

I'd look at it this way. One path to success is undergrad --> internship/job --> grad school.

Another is undergrad --> Peace Corps --> grad school.

Both are totally normal and fine, because he's put two to three years of work experience in between undergrad and graduate work.

[Anonymous]

What does he want to study?

[Anonymous]

"grad school" ... as in top 10 MBA or top 14 law school? if so, not a bad idea.

or "grad school" ... as in some bullsh*t non-selective cash grab program that won't help him get a $$$$ career? awful idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless I’m mistaken, Peace Corps folks have access to great scholarships to help pay for whatever useless graduate degree they want to get.

How much are we talking and specific grad programs or any grad program? Grad school ain't cheap.

Peace Corps to elite MBA or T14 law school would be a slick move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"grad school" ... as in top 10 MBA or top 14 law school? if so, not a bad idea.

or "grad school" ... as in some bullsh*t non-selective cash grab program that won't help him get a $$$$ career? awful idea.

Fortunately, most people who do the Peace Corps have enough good sense not to get an MBA or go to law school afterwards. God I can’t imagine a worse fate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does he want to study?

+1 I think this is an important question

[Anonymous]

What does he want to go to grad school for? For many of the professions that returned PCVs go into (public health, for example), a graduate degree is essentially required for any job, so the normal trajectory is undergrad-Peace Corps-grad school-paid employeement.

P.S. As a returned Peace Corps volunteer (and a manager who has hired many returned volunteers based on the skills and personal qualities they develop during service), I am sad for your child that you don’t consider his service either a job or an “adult” activity.