Can you switch grad schools?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Still BLUTANG

is it really cheaper to pay tuition for a semester than it is to pay health insurance for the same amount of time? or does she have a scholarship or something that covers her expenses?

They already pay for her health insurance (I assume they don't have a sweetheart deal sort of thing - those are rare now) - the problem is she can't be covered under her parents' coverage if she isn't a student. ArmyWife - did you look into getting individual health insurance for her for the December - August period?

But I do agree with everyone who said let her graduate with her friends in May. Grad school is going to be stressful enough without graduating early and missing all the things that go with it.

[Army Wife'79]

Military insurance is trickier than say, Blue Cross etc. (and is extremely cheap) Once she is dropped from the system she cannot get back in. The military loves red tape and making us jump thru hoops for everything. When your ID card expires it takes major effort to reinstate it. When the kids turned 21 it was a huge goat rope to keep the ID card current.

I agree about the graduating in May thing. She has enough credits to grad this year but is stretching it out for next fall semester. And I already will be paying for an empty apartment for Jan - May unless she stays in HER school for a semester of grad school. (darn those 12 month leases!!!)

Alum you are brilliant. I never even thought of that.

[alum]

If she can graduate in 3 years, why not have her move on so she can start on the graduate degree in September? I realize it's not necessarily a good thing to do the graduate program where you earned the bachelor's, but perhaps that is the best solution overall.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Army Wife'79

Military insurance is trickier than say, Blue Cross etc. (and is extremely cheap) Once she is dropped from the system she cannot get back in. The military loves red tape and making us jump thru hoops for everything. When your ID card expires it takes major effort to reinstate it. When the kids turned 21 it was a huge goat rope to keep the ID card current.

ohhh, yeah.....ARMYWife'79. Duh. Never mind.

[deadbear80]

I had more than enough credits to graduate in December when I was in college. But I stayed for the full 4 years. Why? Because I got to take lots of 'fun' stuff with the extra time! I knew by the end of my junior year that I was more than fine credit wise so I gave myself a slightly easier senior year. I took some harder classes but also stuck in some more 'fun' things (like an Acting class) so that I could have a little break from straight studying.

If your daughter is taking lots of hard science courses (which it sounds like she is) encourage her to play with her schedule for senior year and find something she might have a small interest in, or some random class that just sounds cool and mix that in with the harder classes.

Even now there were even more classes I should've considered taking (but sadly didn't) and I regret that. I'm sure she can find more than enough to make her busy next year . As long as she can afford to be in school a full 4 years, it's better.

And as far as a January start thing. Some grad schools do not let you start in January due to when classes are offered. I got a Master's in Social Work and a Law Degree from the same school. The School of Social Work allows students to start in January (although I started in the Fall) because the core classes are always offered (partially too because some people only go part-time). The School of Law however has a very set schedule for 1L year and does not allow January matriculation for that reason. They don't even allow part-time students (except under incredibly extreme circumstances). So start times can vary not just by school but by program as well.

Good luck to your daughter in whatever she chooses to do!