Search found 921 matches

by cheapskate
Thu Mar 30, 2023 10:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College bound son for CS [Computer Science]
Replies: 205
Views: 16780

Re: College bound son for CS [Computer Science]

In general, you'd need a lot of data points to do a rigorous analysis of varying outcomes of different programs, and I'm not aware of a solid source of good, clean data to do this, so we're left with guesswork. And, my GUESS is that a Harvard-admitted (or MIT) kid who chose Purdue for whatever reasons *could* achieve broadly similar post-college outcomes coming out of Purdue vs. Harvard or MIT. There'd probably be some gap attributable solely to some combination of better education, peers, and connections at the elite school, but it'd probably be on the order of ~25-50% of the raw gap between average outcome of Harvard/MIT kids vs. Purdue kids. (This is presuming the kid went after the same job market, geographically etc., either way). The...
by cheapskate
Thu Mar 30, 2023 10:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College bound son for CS [Computer Science]
Replies: 205
Views: 16780

Re: College bound son for CS [Computer Science]

Reading all the back and forth, almost feels as though Purdue is some backwater college in the boondocks, where "boondocks" = anywhere more than 100 miles from the northeast or west coasts. :twisted: Yup, it gets old. With a high-achieving student such as OP's son, they'll likely do just fine no matter where they decide to go. It doesn't get old for Ivy League type Grads and Parents :D. After all, what is the point of an Ivy type degree (for oneself or one's offspring), if one doesn't take the opportunity at every cocktail party and on every internet forum to brag about how superior such a college is, and how superior therefore one is. College has stopped being a place where you go to learn some skills for career and life and lea...
by cheapskate
Thu Mar 30, 2023 1:58 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College bound son for CS [Computer Science]
Replies: 205
Views: 16780

Re: College bound son for CS [Computer Science]

Reading all the back and forth, almost feels as though Purdue is some backwater college in the boondocks, when in reality it is a top notch, rigorous engineering school. It is far from established that a given CS/engineering graduate from a top flight public university is at a severe disadvantage compared to one from an elite private college. Silicon Valley is filled with leaders who got their undergraduate degree from this flagship public college or that. Also it isn’t clear if it is meaningful comparing the CS research spend between a public flagship and Harvard when the mandate of the public flagship is to educate as many kids as possible, while the mandate of the elite private is to educate just a few. For the OP, what his kid wants to ...
by cheapskate
Sat Feb 25, 2023 11:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Seeking vehicle advice - 2014 Nissan Sentra replace or not
Replies: 37
Views: 3025

Re: Seeking vehicle advice - 2014 Nissan Sentra replace or not

Keep the Sentra for at least till the end of the calendar year. Both the used car and new car markets are crazy right now (price wise). Things have got to settle in 12 months, thanks to rising auto loan delinquencies, the economy softening significantly and such. If your DD starts driving, and absolutely needs a car, buy something relatively inexpensive at that point. I was in a similar situation. I gave my car to my daughter, and was looking at buying a new RAV4. Prices were/are truly crazy, so I bought a used Civic from a co-worker to tide me over for a year or so. When car prices normalize, I plan to give the Civic to one of my other kids and buy a new RAV4. Look at the Mannheim used car price index. It ticked up in January and is contin...
by cheapskate
Mon Jan 16, 2023 11:53 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I drop collision and comprehensive insurance?
Replies: 14
Views: 1702

Re: Should I drop collision and comprehensive insurance?

Keep the comp and collision for a few reasons :

- If you are involved in a not-at-fault accident, then your insurance will only help you collect (from the other insurance) if you have comp and collision. If you don't then your insurance will ask that you work directly with the other insurance company. This happened to me.
- If you are involved in an accident, you will not be eligible for rental car coverage from your insurance if you only have liability coverage.
- Others mentioned a not-at-fault accident where the other driver was un/under-insured. Comp and collision can potentially help there as well.

You can try and up the deductible to shave off some of the premiums.
by cheapskate
Mon Oct 10, 2022 5:14 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Are DFA Funds Worth Paying 1% to an Advisor?
Replies: 83
Views: 15797

Re: Are DFA Funds Worth Paying 1% to an Advisor?

It isn't worth paying 1% to an advisor for *anything*, when investors can buy into Vanguard Target Retirement or LifeStrategy or just market index funds.
by cheapskate
Thu Oct 06, 2022 7:15 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fed to FAANG [Employment]?
Replies: 45
Views: 5304

Re: Fed to FAANG?

squirrel1963 wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 6:58 pm As to the counter you can probably counter a little bit with no consequence. Usually they will not rescind the offer, they will just say no in the worst case. As others have said though, FAANG like companies are pretty good at giving you what they think you are worth, so unless they desperately want you there is little wiggle room.
Agree. On the counter, you could ask for 400K in Total Comp. Worst case they will say No. Best case they will give it to you (or give you another 10K). They will not rescind the offer.
by cheapskate
Thu Oct 06, 2022 6:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fed to FAANG [Employment]?
Replies: 45
Views: 5304

Re: Fed to FAANG?

Have worked in multiple FAANGs. So first hand experience.

1) First of all relax. You are going to be fine.
2) Each FAANG is very different, with a very different internal culture.
3) But in general, with exceptions, you don't need to work more than 40 hours a week. You do need to prioritize tasks well.

It is going to be a good experience. Worst case, you don't like it and can leverage the experience to jump to another tech company.

You certainly don't need to plan on a "layoff" fund or anything, unless it is the one FAANGM that look like it is prepping significant layoffs :D

Good luck and Relax !
by cheapskate
Thu Sep 29, 2022 11:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?
Replies: 110
Views: 9927

Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Zpizza and Patxis. The former is good and the latter is very good.
by cheapskate
Wed Sep 21, 2022 7:36 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
Replies: 422
Views: 35045

Re: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost

The interview process at almost every silicon valley company is incredibly meritocratic Of course, you have to first get the interview. (certainly at FAANGMs and FAANG like public companies and startups). FAANGs may think they are all that - but they aren't. DS found a FAANG internship interview disappointingly trivial. And the pay is middling. https://www.levels.fyi/internships/ Going to (say) Purdue for CS or Comp Engg won't deliver bragging rights for the parents, but it could be the financially astute move. It could. Or it could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars your first year after graduation. https://www.efinancialcareers.com/news/2022/04/highest-paying-developer-jobs You. just. don't. know. It's a bet either way. With no wa...
by cheapskate
Sun Sep 18, 2022 10:20 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
Replies: 422
Views: 35045

Re: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost

There are a lot of comments about medical field in this thread. Any Bogleheads with hands-on experience in computer science or computer engineering? My daughter is interested in these fields and looking for helpful information. (As an engineer in Silicon Valley who has done many interviews of fresh college grads at multiple companies over the years) - Specifically for CS and Computer Engg, the correct answer in most states in the US is the local flagship. For a CS grad, *targeting Silicon Valley companies*, there is zero advantage gained by going to an elite private university over going to (say) Purdue/Wisconsin/Illinois/Michigan/Minnesota/UMassAmherst/StonyBrook/UTexas/UWashington... The interview process at almost every silicon valley c...
by cheapskate
Thu Sep 01, 2022 1:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?
Replies: 22
Views: 2740

Re: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?

TravelGeek wrote: Thu Sep 01, 2022 12:54 am
cheapskate wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:36 pm This is a very good deal. With the 16GB DRAM and 512GB SSD, you are future proof for 7+ years !!
I am typing this message on a 13" MBP Retina (late 2013) with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. I am thinking of finally upgrading later this year, but would likely want a boost in both RAM and storage compared to the 9-year-old machine it will replace.
I am on a 2014 Mac Mini with 8GB RAM and a 1TB SSD (I replaced my HDD with the SSD). The only issue with the machine is that the Fans are on most of the time (I keep the Mac Mini Standing on it's side on a stand to improve airflow too). But that is a minor issue. I have not experienced significant swapping issues or anything. But I mostly use this for Mail, browsing and such.
by cheapskate
Thu Sep 01, 2022 12:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?
Replies: 22
Views: 2740

Re: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?

Fremdon Ferndock wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:48 pm
cheapskate wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:39 pm The only thing I'd add (in case you haven't picked it up) is that Costco has it for the same price. And Costco has a Mac trade-in offer going on - in case you have another Apple device you could trade-in...

https://www.costco.com/macbook-pro-(14- ... 13178.html
I don't see anything about the trade-in offer.
I see the link below in the Costco page above. It is a 3rd party doing the tradein, but the tradein is a Costco card.

https://phobio.com/tradein/costco/
by cheapskate
Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?
Replies: 22
Views: 2740

Re: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?

The only thing I'd add (in case you haven't picked it up) is that Costco has it for the same price. And Costco has a Mac trade-in offer going on - in case you have another Apple device you could trade-in...

https://www.costco.com/macbook-pro-(14- ... 13178.html
by cheapskate
Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?
Replies: 22
Views: 2740

Re: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?

Fremdon Ferndock wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:05 pm Was selling for $200 off and now $400 off at Bestbuy. I decided to jump.
This is a very good deal. With the 16GB DRAM and 512GB SSD, you are future proof for 7+ years !!
by cheapskate
Wed Aug 24, 2022 1:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?
Replies: 22
Views: 2740

Re: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?

I've been coveting a new Apple Macbook. There are some discounts running now primarily for the upcoming school year I'm guessing. I'm wondering whether to buy now or wait for possibly better deals during Black Friday. I'm not that familiar with Apple discounts during Blank Friday and whether they would be deeper than the current deals. Perhaps there are some knowledgeable Apple fans out there who could provide some advice? I don't know the current running deals, but there are excellent discounts on Macbooks around Black Friday - at Best Buy, B&H (they pay sales tax if you apply and charge on their store card), Costco and others. I usually wait for Black Friday sales on Macbooks. Thanks. Current deals are $200 - $300 off. $200-$300 off ...
by cheapskate
Wed Aug 24, 2022 12:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?
Replies: 22
Views: 2740

Re: Apple Macbook - buy discounts now or wait for Black Friday?

Fremdon Ferndock wrote: Wed Aug 24, 2022 12:08 pm I've been coveting a new Apple Macbook. There are some discounts running now primarily for the upcoming school year I'm guessing. I'm wondering whether to buy now or wait for possibly better deals during Black Friday. I'm not that familiar with Apple discounts during Blank Friday and whether they would be deeper than the current deals. Perhaps there are some knowledgeable Apple fans out there who could provide some advice?
I don't know the current running deals, but there are excellent discounts on Macbooks around Black Friday - at Best Buy, B&H (they pay sales tax if you apply and charge on their store card), Costco and others. I usually wait for Black Friday sales on Macbooks.
by cheapskate
Sun Aug 07, 2022 1:21 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: “Never take financial advice from Jim Cramer“
Replies: 35
Views: 4490

Re: “Never take financial advice from Jim Cramer“

I remember (like it was yesterday), Cramer writing in TheStreet.com during the dotcom bubble that Buffett was old and past it. Because he eschewed tech.

More recently, Cramer said Buffett and Munger were "out of touch" about the RobinHood generation.

Even more recently, Cramer said Buffett and Munger are completely wrong on Crypto.

How can someone so completely wrong and so completely clueless and so completely dangerous (to normal people's financial wellbeing) still have a TV show ?
by cheapskate
Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Failing
Replies: 103
Views: 15834

Re: Failing

Very sorry to hear about your situation. You have already gotten many suggestions about selling one of your 3 cars. This is good advice. I think you can still get good prices for used cars.

Beyond that, do either your or your spouse have 401K's ? You can borrow from your 401K. There are many advantages to doing this (the interest charged on the loan goes right into your 401K account, not the bank, and you can repay the loan with future 401K deductions, I think, but do check the details on that).
by cheapskate
Mon Jul 18, 2022 12:59 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Direct Indexing
Replies: 31
Views: 3204

Re: Direct Indexing

On the question of TLH partners, they say it clearly cannot be perfect, but are unwilling/unable to provide data on how the portfolio skews over time from the baseline. Or what happens if you get locked out of a large company (say Apple), and the TLH partners plod along (no TLH opportunities) without getting into active stock analysis and picking. One of those ideas that sound good in theory. I do think there are valid scenarios for this, but not for most people. Agreed. These are the top 10 companies in the S&P500, accounting for nearly 30% of the Index. None of them has a TLH partner. If you sell AAPL for a loss, wait out 31 days, and AAPL rallies 10% while you wait, you are out of something like 0.7%-0.8% of return, just on that tra...
by cheapskate
Mon Jul 18, 2022 12:47 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Direct Indexing
Replies: 31
Views: 3204

Re: Direct Indexing

Beyond the complexity and the fee hurdle, any direct indexing algorithm will, by design, not own some percentage of stocks in the Index at all times (ones that have been sold for TLH, with the 31 day wait to buy it back). What's the guarantee these stocks won't viciously rally back when the portfolio is out of them, causing direct indexing to lag the index ? In many market rallies, a small portion of stocks account for the lions share of an index's gains. The reason no direct indexing provider is willing to share multi-decade performance numbers publicly is likely because the results aren't all that great, compared to vanilla indexing with rock bottom costs and tax-impact. If the results were rosy, these guys would be jumping up and down to...
by cheapskate
Fri Jul 08, 2022 1:46 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Laid off from tech startup - should I exercise my ISOs?
Replies: 49
Views: 5887

Re: Laid off from tech startup - should I exercise my ISOs?

Was laid off this week from my early stage tech startup. I have 90 days to exercise my vested ISOs. It would cost $100k out of pocket to exercise all the options, plus roughly $50k in AMT. I am on the fence about whether to put up the money to do this. The company has two years of cash runway left (post layoff) but the unit economics and CAC metrics are not great. They are also far behind the market leaders in the space in terms of market share. On the other hand, who knows, they could always be acquired by an adjacent company wanting to expand their offerings. My household net worth is $2M but most of that is tied up in retirement accounts and home equity. What factors should I consider? Has anyone tried using any of the fintechs that len...
by cheapskate
Sun Jun 19, 2022 3:37 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: It may be a good time to buy TQQQ
Replies: 21
Views: 3207

Re: It may be a good time to buy TQQQ

AlohaBill wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 3:32 pm Maybe it’s a good time to buy Janus Mercury, too. :D
What's the thrill in that ? It isn't triple leveraged...
by cheapskate
Sun Jun 19, 2022 3:21 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: It may be a good time to buy TQQQ
Replies: 21
Views: 3207

Re: It may be a good time to buy TQQQ

Since we are timing and trading anyway, could wait until the Fed nears the end of the hiking cycle ((early Fall), as there is still a lot of excess among the profitless tech to flush out. Either way, could lose it all... Early fall? 2022 or 2023? Everything I've heard the fed announce is that rate hikes will likely continue into next year. Are you assuming because they're moving more aggressively they'll complete the hikes sooner thsn previously announced? Doesn't mean that can't change between now and then especially if inflation starts to come down. Unknowable. Even Jerome Powell can't answer these questions. The only thing we know is, if one must speculate in TQQQ, today is a better day to buy it than November of 2021. Will November of ...
by cheapskate
Sun Jun 19, 2022 2:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: It may be a good time to buy TQQQ
Replies: 21
Views: 3207

Re: It may be a good time to buy TQQQ

$10k invested in tqqq 12/31/11 would be worth $467k 5/31/22, and would have been slightly over a million 8/31/21 so $10k is enough of an amount to be significant although unlikely to repeat this amazing performance. To the original poster if you want to try it (and realizing you could lose all your money) personally I’d invest $500 once or twice a month to spread the $10k over 1-2 years as you never know when the bottom is, and even doing that you could still lose all your money if the market is sideways for several years. This ! It is not a terrible idea to put a small amount of play money into it. Since we are timing and trading anyway, could wait until the Fed nears the end of the hiking cycle ((early Fall), as there is still a lot of e...
by cheapskate
Mon Jun 13, 2022 1:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Refacing kitchen/bathroom cabinets - Costco services...
Replies: 9
Views: 2453

Re: Refacing kitchen/bathroom cabinets - Costco services...

Had our kitchen floor replaced through Costco. They usually just use a local flooring company to do the work and there is some connection to a national company like Shaw Flooring for materials . There was a 10% Costco gift card in the deal. We got a couple of estimates with other local flooring people and not much if any difference in price (but no Gift card). We were happy with the job. In my neck of the woods, all the cabinet guys are booked up 6-12 months. Costco also runs similar deals on AC/Heat pumps as well as other home improvements. Thanks for this input ! Availability of contractors in my area is my concern (which is why I have never approached anyone about this or any other home improvement project in a while). Where I am (Bay A...
by cheapskate
Mon Jun 13, 2022 10:46 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Refacing kitchen/bathroom cabinets - Costco services...
Replies: 9
Views: 2453

Re: Refacing kitchen/bathroom cabinets - Costco services...

We had our kitchen cabinets refaced about a year ago and as you might expect, this was much more affordable than replacing the cabinets. It took only 4 days. We're very happy with the results because we replaced builder grade oak cabinets with maple. However, we did not purchase these at Costco but instead from a local dealer. There were many choices of door styles, wood choices and hardware options, so we were satisfied with the purchase. Our friends have painted their cabinets and also we have other friends who have paid for professionals to paint the cabinets and the refacing looks much nicer. Thanks for your inputs ! I located 2 local shops that do refacing. I will be able to get quotes from at least one of them + the Costco service an...
by cheapskate
Sat Jun 11, 2022 3:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Refacing kitchen/bathroom cabinets - Costco services...
Replies: 9
Views: 2453

Re: Refacing kitchen/bathroom cabinets - Costco services...

No. I did not mean that in a pejorative sense. Would like to hear if anyone on the forum has experience with this.

The only negative so far is they seem a bit pushy, which is surprising since you can’t hire good people to work on any home improvement projects of any kind right now.
by cheapskate
Sat Jun 11, 2022 1:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Refacing kitchen/bathroom cabinets - Costco services...
Replies: 9
Views: 2453

Refacing kitchen/bathroom cabinets - Costco services...

On my most recent Costco trip, I was approached by a sales person offering Cabinet refacing services. While the service is Costco branded, the work is done by a third party (called Reborn, located in Anaheim, CA). The Costco discount is 10% off (12% for Costco executive members). It will involve complete replacement of the cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and replacing (with new matching veneer) any other areas not covered. I have yet to schedule a free consultation and quote. But wanted to ask if anyone here has had experience with this Costco service. Any input would be highly appreciated. I've always wanted to switch out the exterior of our cabinets, but never had the time or energy to shop around for this, and the Costco salesperson that a...
by cheapskate
Thu Jun 02, 2022 7:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Why credit cards with points?
Replies: 103
Views: 11534

Re: Why credit cards with points?

In determining which credit cards to get, I've always chosen ones with cash back, as it is easy to determine what I get back. But with points, there's not really a way to easily determine the redemption value of a point and compare it to cash back. If the redemption value of a point is less than 2-5%, then aren't the points cards useless? It depends on the offer. I used 2% cashback cards for many many years. But recently I switched to the X1 card. + If you spend >= $15,000 in a year, you get 3% points on every purchase (retroactively). + They have bonus categories for higher point %ages in the App. You can simply select the bonus right before you charge the card. For example 5% points on gas. + The App is quite excellent. + Points can be r...
by cheapskate
Wed May 18, 2022 2:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: COVID-19 test in London for travel to the US
Replies: 10
Views: 1024

Re: COVID-19 test in London for travel to the US

My daughter returned from London recently. She got tested at Heathrow the previous evening (of her US flight). Her flight was early in the AM so she booked a hotel near heathrow For the night so this was convenient.
by cheapskate
Tue May 03, 2022 10:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore - update Final choice Rice
Replies: 312
Views: 30265

Re: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore - update Final choice Rice

ag1 wrote: Tue May 03, 2022 10:21 pm Thank you you everyone who responded for their help and collective wisdom.
My daughter has decided to go to Rice

Regards
AG
Congratulations !! Fantastic choice !!!
by cheapskate
Mon May 02, 2022 1:52 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: After College Admission, next steps for Bogleheads
Replies: 56
Views: 6029

Re: After College Admission, next steps for Bogleheads

And the immediate thing (this week) is for the student to do as well as possible in the AP exams, so (s)he can get AP credits transferred.
by cheapskate
Mon May 02, 2022 8:46 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: After College Admission, next steps for Bogleheads
Replies: 56
Views: 6029

Re: After College Admission, next steps for Bogleheads

Student health plan : if parent has a PPO plan, the student can continue to be covered on it. Important to waive the college offered plan in that case in the summer (big $$ savings).

Bank, credit card account for the student.

Encourage student to get a summer job and start earning money.

If attending a public college, it is a good idea to look at courses offered at the local community college(s) that will transfer seamlessly over for credits. Especially courses needed to satisfy distribution requirements. Public universities are very open with transfer credit. Private colleges much less so (they want to extract $$). There are free websites where one can lookup the course equivalency, and transferability.
by cheapskate
Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore - update Final choice Rice
Replies: 312
Views: 30265

Re: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore for Engineering

The student has almost certainly made her decision, since we are just a few days away from the deadline to commit to a college. It might be interesting to hear from the student (her decision and her thinking leading up to the decision) :D
by cheapskate
Tue Apr 26, 2022 5:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Applying to CS colleges the Boglehead way
Replies: 163
Views: 14560

Re: Applying to CS colleges the Boglehead way

The unfortunate thing, and this may be fairly new, is that you can't choose any of the CSes as your second choice . "Majors unavailable as a second choice include Computer Engineering, Computer Science (including all Computer Science + X majors), Mechanical Engineering, Information Sciences, and all Music majors except Music BA, which doesn't require an audition." So he'll have to choose between his preference (straight CS) and an alternate that he's more likely to get into (Math & CS/Stats & CS). Sigh, this makes it harder. Based on the data from the counselor about CS-Engg, applying for CS+Statistics as the first choice major (and maybe Statistics as the second choice) and then having some good backups (where he could a...
by cheapskate
Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Applying to CS colleges the Boglehead way
Replies: 163
Views: 14560

Re: Applying to CS colleges the Boglehead way

My son's a HS junior in Illinois, definitely chosen CS as his college major, good student but probably not competitive to get into the tippy-top CS programs (3.7 unweighted GPA, albeit it with 9 AP/dual enrollment courses so far; 35 ACT; a couple decent math extracurriculars). UIUC's a great CS school, and for a time we were assuming that's where he'd end up. But then I heard that the straight CS admission rate for UIUC is in the single digits, and then his school counselor showed us (anonymized, only weighted GPAs and ACT/SAT) the results from his HS for the 2020-21 class for UIUC CS and it was...disheartening. (She said that 2021-22 was even worse, but she didn't have the results compiled yet.) * Purdue, a little above $40k a year, but h...
by cheapskate
Tue Apr 26, 2022 2:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Applying to CS colleges the Boglehead way
Replies: 163
Views: 14560

Re: Applying to CS colleges the Boglehead way

RPI is a good school, although a tad bit expensive. In terms of quality of education, internship and full-time job opportunities RPI is good for CS. Back when I was there, the big-tech names like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple used to come for recruiting every year. Apart from RPI, your son can also consider UMass Amherst. It is a good school for AI and ranked in top-20 for AI programs. (No connection of any sort to UMass but,) UMass Amherst is actually top 10 for AI, ML research (csrankings.org). It was and continues to be one of the leading institutions for research in Reinforcement Learning (RL). The seminal text on RL is written by 2 Professors from UMass Amherst, one of who moved to the U of Alberta (IIRC), and made that university ...
by cheapskate
Mon Apr 18, 2022 7:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore - update Final choice Rice
Replies: 312
Views: 30265

Re: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore for Engineering

afan wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 5:57 pm I don't mind cold weather, so neither Swarthmore nor Cornell would be a problem. I could never spend a week in Houston, let alone go to school there.
A very personal thing. I was in Houston in late-June, the weather didn't bother me (the hot and muggy reminded me of the city I was born and grew up in). The tropical rainstorm I experienced in Houston reminded me of the monsoon rains of Asia, and had a very nice cooling effect in the afternoon. Houston is much more temperate than Singapore, for instance :D. OTOH, I could not survive one winter in upstate NY (when I was much younger, I lived for 2 years in a town slightly further west on the I-90 and it was the most miserable 2 years of my life. I escaped to CA the first chance I got).
by cheapskate
Mon Apr 11, 2022 9:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore - update Final choice Rice
Replies: 312
Views: 30265

Re: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore for Enginnering

I am so grateful for all your comments and thoughts. In response to some questions, she did not get into MIT/Princeton. Her other choices are University of Michigan Ann Arbor and Rice university. Between the four it seemed to us that Swarthmore/Cornell are the better choices. But clearly they are very different schools and made decision harder. AG Curious, but why did she strike Rice off the list ? It appears (to me at least), that Rice combines the best aspects of both Cornell and Swarthmore ! Rice was very high on my son's list of colleges (though he decided to go elsewhere). He did visit the campus and did the interview (when he was in TX for some unrelated trip). He came away with a very +ve impression of the students/academics/culture...
by cheapskate
Fri Apr 08, 2022 2:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College Selection - Which one
Replies: 79
Views: 7479

Re: College Selection - Which one

my d’s ex-bf spent all his spare time on leetcode. he thinks a lot of hiring is based on whether you’ve encountered a conpany’s interview questions on leet. seems crazy, i assumed everyone from a top school could code, i was more interested in candidates thought processes. anyhow, worked for him, $250k in first job… The paid subscription of Leetcode has "company" sections - problems commonly asked by prominent companies. Candidates will often study that section before interviews. Almost any candidate can do the Leetcode Easy problems. Very few candidates can successfully tackle a Leetcode Hard problem unless they have seen it before in some form. Leetcode Medium falls in the middle. Interview slots often can be one Easy and one M...
by cheapskate
Thu Apr 07, 2022 2:21 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College Selection - Which one
Replies: 79
Views: 7479

Re: College Selection - Which one

The student has decided and put down the deposit at UCF. Good choice and Good luck to her ! By far the dominant factor in success is drive and motivation, which this student has in abundance. She is one of those students who will do very well whichever college she attends... (Since the student is interested in Computer Engineering), I would add that tech firms (at least in Silicon Valley) have democratized internship and fresh college grad hiring quite a lot in recent years (the pandemic has been a real catalyst). Candidates have to do an online assessment (regardless of which college they attend or graduated from), successful candidates move onto a Zoom screening interview (single interview) as the next stage, candidates who clear that the...
by cheapskate
Tue Apr 05, 2022 11:56 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College Selection - Which one
Replies: 79
Views: 7479

Re: College Selection - Which one

OP - Your daughter seems exceptionally driven and hard working who will do very well anywhere.

UCF seems like the correct choice here. Not just because of the cost or the weather but because of a point you mentioned - “access to year round internships”. She seems like a student who will be in the top decile at UCF and should have no problems getting internships of her liking.

Do not underestimate the importance of internships and actual work experience ! Employers value this very greatly !!
by cheapskate
Mon Apr 04, 2022 1:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: CarMax offered 16K for Honda Element
Replies: 32
Views: 4245

Re: CarMax offered 10K for Honda Element

Before selling it, get quotes from Carvana and Vroom as well.

When I sold my Subaru last June, the prices offered were thus Carvana > Vroom >> CarMax

The additional advantage of Carvana is that they picked up the car at my residence. They gave me the check on the spot.
by cheapskate
Mon Feb 07, 2022 11:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is the Eiffel tower worth a visit?
Replies: 79
Views: 8151

Re: Is the Eiffel tower worth a visit?

And in Europe, download and use an App like Trainline to purchase train tickets. Don’t have to stand in line and no need to speak a word of French 😀.
by cheapskate
Mon Feb 07, 2022 11:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is the Eiffel tower worth a visit?
Replies: 79
Views: 8151

Re: Is the Eiffel tower worth a visit?

Skip the elevators and take the stairs at the Eiffel Tower. Much quicker and more memorable. Go late in the evening, so you can enjoy the tower lit up. The suggestions to skip the Louvre and visit the Musee D' Orsay are spot on. Teens and tweens don't have much tolerance for museums.

The most memorable trip I took (with my daughter who was 18 at the time) was a trip to Monet's estate at Giverny. Unforgettable and highly recommended if you are with kids. You can take an early morning train out of Paris, be back before 4 PM, get dinner and then go see the Eiffel Tower in the evening.
by cheapskate
Sun Feb 06, 2022 1:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car repairs for Subaru, dealing with dealership, and/or manufacturer
Replies: 70
Views: 5724

Re: Car repairs for Subaru, dealing with dealership, and/or manufacturer

The used car market is still robust, so you can get a very good price for your Subaru (on something like Carvana). The best thing to do is to dump it and buy a Toyota, If you are seeing problems at 13K miles and 26K miles (unacceptable), you are going to continue to see long term issues with the vehicle and it will turn into a money pit.

I dumped my Outback in June last year (to Carvana), after seeing experiencing problems I should not have seen (the car was less than 2 years new). My sense (after reading about Subaru's on various forums), is that they use sub-standard parts and have chronic issues. I am going to stick to Toyotas or Hondas. Paying a little more is worth it to get a quality, hassle free vehicle.
by cheapskate
Thu Jan 27, 2022 11:06 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Building a House -- Advice
Replies: 37
Views: 4521

Re: Building a House -- Advice

I hear (from people in the market for remodel/rebuild in the SF Bay Area) that $/SF for rebuild/remodel is in the $500-$600 range now - for mid-tier materials/finishes. Anyone trying to remodel a ~2K SF home is looking at at least $1 Million, likely $1.2-$1.3M, with the customary 20-25% price overruns.
by cheapskate
Sun Jan 16, 2022 1:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone feeling "bored-out" with work?
Replies: 105
Views: 15187

Re: Anyone feeling "bored-out" with work?

I don't think I have burnout but after about 20 years of work behind a computer, I'm getting bored/tired with it. Part of the reason is because the project I'm working on isn't feasible with the team that's in place and it's crawling along. I could look to switch jobs but currently feeling that any job 40+ hours a week behind a computer isn't what I want as I get closer to financial independence. I typically feel happiest with people and/or outdoors, pushing myself physically and mentally. I don't think I'm ready to leave a lot of money on the table, but part of me is thinking about semi-FIREing to something part-time like a Park Ranger or some physical work. I also realize this is exacerbated with the pandemic and we've been hunkering dow...
by cheapskate
Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Seattleites: Where should we buy a single family home?
Replies: 84
Views: 8666

Re: Seattleites: Where should we buy a single family home?

Just amazed at how much Seattle home prices have jumped since I last looked (maybe 10 years ago). Prices in a few areas that I randomly looked at (Queen Anne, Bellevue) seem comparable (maybe even higher) that South Bay (Area) cities !

This likely kills the Bay Area->Seattle migration ?