Grad School VS Working, HELP

[iseng2]

I really need some advices.

I am in the middle of thinking whether to go for grad school or keep working.

I got accepted by Stanford for MS CS. I had been very enthusiastic to go there; and I know there are several great groups in the department that I want to join.

The problem is: I just got a into work with a great job and high end salary for fresh undergraduate in a trading company in Chicago.

I still like to go for the work, although a MS degree is still tempting. Particularly a MS degree can probably raise the chance to scale up salary as well as networks in industry.

thanks a lot ^^

[flit]

It sounds to me like you need an advisor - preferably someone in the industry you want to be in - to help you sort this one out.

Congratulations on getting in, though! Have you checked whether you might be able to defer?

[jasper.milvain]

Work!

[A Snappy Dresser]

If you can defer, it's the best of both worlds

[mo7aisen]

if your ultimate goal from academia is to have a master's degree only then i'd recommend you to keep working

[geekgirl87]

I agree with seeing if you can defer...if not, since both scenarios will advance your career in some way, maybe think about what you actually want to do. Keep in mind though, whichever one you choose is not absolutely final...I know that was comforting to me when I was making the grad school vs. get-a-job-like-everyone-else-I-know decision 8) Maybe your job will even pay for a M.S. down the road.

[juilletmercredi]

I vote work because if you want, in the future your job will probably pay for you to go back for an MS. And if your ultimate goal for getting an MS is job opportunities, well, here is one staring you in the face

[vannik]

I really need some advices.

I am in the middle of thinking whether to go for grad school or keep working.

I got accepted by Stanford for MS CS. I had been very enthusiastic to go there; and I know there are several great groups in the department that I want to join.

The problem is: I just got a into work with a great job and high end salary for fresh undergraduate in a trading company in Chicago.

I still like to go for the work, although a MS degree is still tempting. Particularly a MS degree can probably raise the chance to scale up salary as well as networks in industry.

thanks a lot ^^

In 2007 I turned down a job @ $75k to go to grad school, but my phd is fully funded. The main things you need to consider, in my mind, are:

1.) What you want to do. In my field it's hard getting a R&D job. If you don't get an advanced degree with it hinder your ability to get the type of job you want?

2.) Pay cap: bachelors will get you so far and you'll hit a ceiling. Graduate degrees get you over that.

3.) Chances are, if you're at a big company you'll always have to answer to someone with a PhD. PhD's get the harder problems, which may be more interesting.

My deciding factor: In 30 years, if I happen to come into money that can take care of my giant student loan debt, would I look back at my life and wonder "what would have happened if I went to graduate school?" This was coming from the mindset of working as an intern for 3 years with the same company and in the same state I was born in. I ventured out, and don't regret it. I do, however, still live like a poor kid. But I was poor growing up so it doesn't hurt too bad. Hopefully those 6 figures in 2 years will make up for everything

Whatever you do do not do it for money. If you really want to go to Stanford (and in a perfect world it's funded from them) then go for it. Getting a masters part time at night will probably suck hard. If you can get a job now you'll be able to get a better one in two years with that degree.

[continued]

Wonder which he decided on... ?