Reply to DD wants to take a year off before graduate school... anyone BTDT?

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[quote=Anonymous]OP, this educational track zero sense to me.  It feels like I must be missing something. I see where she might have the background for a journalism masters if she has a communications degree. But journalism and CS?  What in the world do you do with a journalism and CS double masters?

Does your DC has a CS background?  Did she major in CS in college?  Has she interned or researched in CS? It seems like we are missing part of the story here.  I have a risin g high school senior who is applying to college CS programs and interning this summer, FFS.   You can’t just decide to get a masters in CS without the math and CS BS undergrad.   If she has the background to go on for a masters in CS, why in the world is she not spending the gap year in a real world CS job?

CS is a field where actual, on the job experience is much more important than an MS.  My DH is the chief software architect for a company without having ever been to grad school. Stopped at a BS and has never been limited by not having a grad degree in CS.  Many of his best hires don’t have more than a BS either.  Unless you are going to teach, you need good, practical experience much more than an advanced degree.   For that matter, actual experience in journalism will probably get your DC further than an MS in journalism.

So step 1:  what is the end goal?

Also, I agree with PPs. A 2.7 GPA is going to make getting into a good grad school hard.  And communications is a super easy major in many schools. A 3.4 in communications is underwhelming.  If she was making Cs or Ds in physics, that is not going to help her get into a good CS program.  Those are super competitive.

PP is right. You have a lot of excuses.  She only has a low GPA because...  She only has low GREs because...  She can’t get a real job in her major because...  She never interned or got work experience in her field in college because...  saying But she worked for the school paper is not the same as real world, summer and school year internships.

But If this is my kid, once they graduate from college, they support themselves.  If they live in my house, they pay me fair market rent, and I put it in a savings account to give back to them to help them set up their first apartment or a cushion when they go out on their own. Everything else, they pay for.

I would not pay for grad school just because their 529 still has money in it.  I’m sure some school will take your money. But no good program is going to take a kid who says she wants CS and journalism, but does not have a CS major, and has not done a CS internship or worked in CS, and has no journalism experience, except a school paper.  And has a weak GPA. And meh GREs.

Make your DD go the time honored route of working two jobs that suck to make ends meet.  And when she pulls it together enough to develop a resume that will get her into a top grad program— and she has a career goal that really requires the education, then revisit. Right now, she sounds aimless.  And that the plan is to put off the real world for 4-5 years while she lives at home and works PT and then gets two grad degrees she might not need. [/quote]

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