Search found 287 matches

by physiorol
Thu Jun 01, 2023 9:56 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: New versus used car (cargo van) 2023
Replies: 2
Views: 279

New versus used car (cargo van) 2023

I have had a surf van (ford transit, mb sprinter, or ram promaster) on my list of wants for at least 10 years. I have made do without, but am getting to the point where I am about to pull the trigger mostly based on getting some inheritance, generally feeling more financially secure (one kid out of college etc), and not sure how much longer I will walk the face of this earth. Are people currently feeling that the financial hit of buying new is still less than it used to be pre-pandemic? My experience so far is consistent with this thread. https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=379841 5 year old promaster van (low miles, clean but out of warranty) on dealer lot is maybe 25% less than msrp of new van, but new promasters on lot are s...
by physiorol
Mon May 01, 2023 6:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Value of MIT/Great Learning Applied Data Science 12 week Online Program?
Replies: 11
Views: 2266

Re: Value of MIT/Great Learning Applied Data Science 12 week Online Program?

I have a similar educational background and have done a couple of these certificates as professional development (not the MIT program, however). Data science is more modeling than programming and you have most of the modeling under your belt. I’m honestly not sure you’ll get more out off it compared to a free coursera. I’ve done the IBM data science certificate on coursera and it’s fine. If you are still a student, can you do an internship somewhere? Or just try applying for jobs and see what happens. The job market in the field has cooled considerably but there are still opportunities out there. Having a clinical background is seen as a big positive. SQL and Python are where I would invest my programming development time. R and Python are...
by physiorol
Mon May 01, 2023 3:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Value of MIT/Great Learning Applied Data Science 12 week Online Program?
Replies: 11
Views: 2266

Value of MIT/Great Learning Applied Data Science 12 week Online Program?

Background * Tired 50 something healthcare provider with an interest in statistics, modelling and programming. * Recent Masters Degree in Public Health/Epidemiology with focus on Biostatisics (reseach methods, SPSS, SAS, R, multiple regression, survival analysis, decision trees etc no python) * Considering transition to some kind of non-clinical/analytics role but feel I need more programming experience * Generally need some kind of structured learning to build a base that I can expand on with self-study Questions * Are data analytics/applied data science certificate/boot camp courses of any professional value? Eg: https://professional-education-gl.mit.edu/mit-data-science-program/? utm_source=aemail&utm_medium=adsp_a2eautomation&ut...
by physiorol
Sun Mar 28, 2021 2:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Woah! Thanks people I have made some pretty big parenting mistakes and the sliding scale/skin in the game/debt "allowingness" does not even come close in comparison. However, I value all of your comments. This is response is mostly a "this is what we were thinking" post. I am sure there were many other options we could have come up with and I don't want to come across defensive. The problem with being wrong is that you often think you are right. The American college system is a very interesting beast. Multiple "styles" of college (lib art, tech col, instate v out of state public, CC etc) with the perception of different experiences and very different price points. Then add a completely subjective, labor intensi...
by physiorol
Sat Mar 27, 2021 10:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Mr-et-Mrs-R wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 3:25 pm
physiorol wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 10:35 am Thanks the thread has gotten pretty long. My kid only read the first part of the first page, and the message they got was "they want me to take the cheapest option". :D The message I got was quite different, though. I will pass on your comments.

Currently, WPI is at the top of the kid's list and it seems to be breaking away from the runners up (purdue, mines). In-state is not looking too likely but chico is probably at the top of the instate list. Planning on visiting woosta in April.
If you and your family are interested in the nickle tour of Boston, PM us, we'd be delighted to play guide.
Will do thanks
by physiorol
Sat Mar 27, 2021 12:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

No way. They only have $1k in the bank.

We are paying for it, with the agreement the kid will return a portion to us after graduation. It's a sliding scale but the agreed repayment for college expenses of 45K would be 20K per year

This is the sliding scale
Annual Expense/yearly repayment amount:
upto 10K kid owes 0K
11K to 20K kid owes 5K
21K to 30K kid owe 10K
31K to 40K kid owe 15K
41K to 50K kid owe 20K
51K to 60K kid owe 30K
61K to 70K kid owe 40K
by physiorol
Sat Mar 27, 2021 11:46 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Thanks the thread has gotten pretty long. My kid only read the first part of the first page, and the message they got was "they want me to take the cheapest option". :D The message I got was quite different, though. I will pass on your comments. physiorol, Have your kids work at any job? My kids work at minimum wages job and work at the restaurant during summer while they were in high school. They know exactly how much it takes to earn and save those extra 10K to 20K per year. It is one of the best summer learning experience that they have. They had the choice to spend their own 20K to 30K savings and go to more expensive schools. They chose not to. They know having that extra 20K to 30K savings/investment in their 20s would make...
by physiorol
Sat Mar 27, 2021 10:35 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Re-read the entire thread this morning- I'll now toss in my two cents. I think the location & school matter little for undergrads, (if they wish to) go for their Masters & PhD, the schools look to see if you can do the work. Tons of little engineering colleges no-one but the locals know of exist across the nation, and frankly the majority of them rock. Visit and experience not only the campus, but the region. I believe this is just as an important experience as the classes are. WPI is a excellent college, as is Olin College of Engineering in Needham, and Ford in Michigan. If you want to look outside of America, Montreal (Mechanical),Toronto (Civil), and Waterloo (CS) all have outstanding schools as well. Some direct advice to your ...
by physiorol
Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/worcester-polytechnic-institute-02083 OP, It is ranked #89 nationally. I do not see a reason why it is worth 45K per year. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/purdue-university-main-campus-02057 Purdue is ranked #7. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/rochester-institute-of-technology-02250 RIT is ranked #72. As far as I can tell, those are not better choices than what you get in California. Other than Purdue. The top 20 list. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-computer KlangFool +1. Also, what’s the yearly cost of all the schools that are options? If one of the schools cost...
by physiorol
Tue Mar 23, 2021 12:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

WPI is a good school. It has an excellent reputation within the industry at a regional level. But I would be cautious about its recognition nationally. It cracked the top 50 Nationally around 20 years ago when I was college aged. Since, Northeastern has grown in reputation tremendously and overtaken WPI for sure. WPI has always had trouble with national rankings because their programs outside engineering/technical degrees are quite weak. But the income surveys speak louder in terms of the education and career prospects with a degree from there - again, regionally. It sort of reminds me of a law degree from BU or BC. The local big firms will recruit heavily from there but outside the northeast, they don't carry as much recognition. Kid got ...
by physiorol
Tue Mar 23, 2021 12:13 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/worcester-polytechnic-institute-02083 OP, It is ranked #89 nationally. I do not see a reason why it is worth 45K per year. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/purdue-university-main-campus-02057 Purdue is ranked #7. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/rochester-institute-of-technology-02250 RIT is ranked #72. As far as I can tell, those are not better choices than what you get in California. Other than Purdue. The top 20 list. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-computer KlangFool +1. Also, what’s the yearly cost of all the schools that are options? If one of the schools cost...
by physiorol
Tue Mar 23, 2021 11:46 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Does anyone want to comment on the relative pros and cons of a kid going across the country for college, for the kid specifically? Obviously from my perspective I see a lot of negatives: increased travel costs, seeing my kid infrequently, starting their professional life across the country? But I imagine there most be some benefits to this migration of college kids. Leaving home for college is not something students tended to do in my home country, unless they grew up in a sparsely populated area without tertiary institutions. I sent both of my two kids cross country for college and it was a fantastic experience. Highly recommended if you can afford it. The youngest went to college in Boston from SoCal. Weather thing is over blown IMO. Kid...
by physiorol
Tue Mar 23, 2021 11:05 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Does anyone want to comment on the relative pros and cons of a kid going across the country for college, for the kid specifically? Obviously from my perspective I see a lot of negatives: increased travel costs, seeing my kid infrequently, starting their professional life across the country? But I imagine there most be some benefits to this migration of college kids. Leaving home for college is not something students tended to do in my home country, unless they grew up in a sparsely populated area without tertiary institutions. I sent both of my two kids cross country for college and it was a fantastic experience. Highly recommended if you can afford it. The youngest went to college in Boston from SoCal. Weather thing is over blown IMO. Kid...
by physiorol
Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Does anyone want to comment on the relative pros and cons of a kid going across the country for college, for the kid specifically?

Obviously from my perspective I see a lot of negatives: increased travel costs, seeing my kid infrequently, starting their professional life across the country? But I imagine there most be some benefits to this migration of college kids.

Leaving home for college is not something students tended to do in my home country, unless they grew up in a sparsely populated area without tertiary institutions.
by physiorol
Sun Mar 21, 2021 12:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

This thread keeps on giving. Thanks everyone. The whole graduation rate thing is interesting: on one hand higher graduation rates probably mean a more supportive environment and less impacted majors so less weeder classes. On the other hand there is a group that values the difficulty of engineering school thinking that if things are taught "correctly" some students will need longer than 4 years and others will drop out effectively culling the herd. 4 years is a long time and I want my kid to enjoy those years. I am not an engineer, but I get the feeling engineering is difficult no matter where you go so a lower stress option sounds good to me. I find it hard to believe that someone graduating from a school with more "support...
by physiorol
Sat Mar 20, 2021 11:06 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

This thread keeps on giving. Thanks everyone. The whole graduation rate thing is interesting: on one hand higher graduation rates probably mean a more supportive environment and less impacted majors so less weeder classes. On the other hand there is a group that values the difficulty of engineering school thinking that if things are taught "correctly" some students will need longer than 4 years and others will drop out effectively culling the herd. 4 years is a long time and I want my kid to enjoy those years. I am not an engineer, but I get the feeling engineering is difficult no matter where you go so a lower stress option sounds good to me. I find it hard to believe that someone graduating from a school with more "support&...
by physiorol
Fri Mar 19, 2021 10:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Worth visiting wpi if the school is in your kids top 5. National reputation means little to nothing. $45k is not a bad rate given the salary potential. CA to MA is an adjustment, but your kid may love it - you can't get perspective without change. Fwiw, 1 of my 4 kids went there, loved it, and is now starting career on west coast working for a faang -summer internships are key - but also remember most of these companies have a significant presence on the east coast now as well. Lastly, and ironically, I've lived in Chicago, LA, NYC, London, Boston and have recently settled in..... Worcester MA! Mainly due to all of our parental visits here over 4 years. No, it is definitely not a global city, and the college grads probably can't wait to fl...
by physiorol
Fri Mar 19, 2021 4:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Arabesque wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:23 pm Do check out graduation rates. There is a lot of controversy about how to count them. For example, engineering heavy schools have longer time to degree because the courses are hard. Even so, it can be a problem to go to a school that only graduates 60% if its students in 6 years.
numbers seem pretty good for a primarily stem school

https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges ... nFirstFull
by physiorol
Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Captain_Video wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 2:26 pm A good way to rate engineering colleges is by their "Return on Investment". WPI is ranked #12 in this regard.
Here is the complete list of value colleges: https://www.payscale.com/college-roi/sc ... ngineering
And colorado school of mines is 7th. But as one poster said it could depend on which major you study at said institution.
by physiorol
Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:09 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

I think the primary goal for my kid is graduating as some type of engineer, flexibility in choice of engineering major, more hands-on/lab work versus only book work, and experiencing something other than California. physiorol, 1) My daughter started thinking seriously about her career in high school. She interned in her area during high school and continuing through her college years. 2) My son did not started internship until his college junior year. 3) I worked at the university computing center while I earned my BSEE and MSEE. I graduated with 5 years of working experience. I was never an engineering fresh graduate with no working experience. <<I think the primary goal for my kid is graduating as some type of engineer, flexibility in ch...
by physiorol
Fri Mar 19, 2021 12:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Size of the school. If the student seems to love large state schools or RIT (also large) ... they may not like WPI. If the students favorite tours have all been small schools, WPI maybe a great fit. In my mind, the school most often compared to WPI is RPI in Troy New York. Unfortunately because of covid there have been no tours. Some are offering in person tours, and some will start offering in person tours to accepted applicants, but no one is exactly chomping at the bit to get on a plane. Seems like visiting at least WPI in person is on the cards, and maybe mines/purdue. The size of Purdue with that traditional big college experience certainly appeals to the kid, but it sounds like it is a secondary factor relative to education style. Ah...
by physiorol
Thu Mar 18, 2021 4:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Thanks again for all the replies. In conclusion, costs/debt matters but so does fit, and in this case WPI looks like a pretty good fit academically, weather wise remains to be seen. The relevance of institutional reputation seems debatable and although important to some, it probably should not be considered so important to choose a school that fits less because it is more well known. The whole point of college is to get a job, so picking the college that gives you the best job opportunities is important. Whether it's WPI or Purdue it's up to you to decide. I have to say hearing things about WPI on this thread it sounds like WPI grads do great. I never really understood fit. Nobody talks about fit for a high school, so I don't know why they...
by physiorol
Thu Mar 18, 2021 4:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Size of the school. If the student seems to love large state schools or RIT (also large) ... they may not like WPI. If the students favorite tours have all been small schools, WPI maybe a great fit. In my mind, the school most often compared to WPI is RPI in Troy New York. Unfortunately because of covid there have been no tours. Some are offering in person tours, and some will start offering in person tours to accepted applicants, but no one is exactly chomping at the bit to get on a plane. Seems like visiting at least WPI in person is on the cards, and maybe mines/purdue. The size of Purdue with that traditional big college experience certainly appeals to the kid, but it sounds like it is a secondary factor relative to education style.
by physiorol
Thu Mar 18, 2021 3:44 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Thanks again for all the replies.

In conclusion, costs/debt matters but so does fit, and in this case WPI looks like a pretty good fit academically, weather wise remains to be seen.

The relevance of institutional reputation seems debatable and although important to some, it probably should not be considered so important to choose a school that fits less because it is more well known.
by physiorol
Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Thanks again for all the replies. Not sure if we have heard back from Cal Poly but we think highly of it. The interest in WPI is mostly around the collaborative/problem based method of teaching which appeals to the kid and also the quantity of STEM related engineering extra curriculars that are on offer and the ability to change majors. I think the kid is also hoping that WPI is not as academically competitive internally as some schools, Purdue for example has a gpa cutoff to transfer from first year engineering into the mechanical engineering major and at least on reddit it is not uncommon for Purdue engineering students to have to redo some first year classes to try and increase their gpa. The whole idea of first year engineering at purdu...
by physiorol
Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

steve r wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:10 pm I am from the area (CT) and familiar with the school. It is smaller than most other larger schools known for engineering. Very much hands on learning.

The best way to view it is an engineering school with very much a liberal arts feel with helpful faculty.

If the student wants smaller, this may be a good fit. Otherwise I would say no. IMHO, an engineering degree has legs. So, the reputation issue shouldn't be much of an issue (but not zero).
If you did say no, would it be because you could not justify the additional cost or some other reason?
by physiorol
Wed Mar 17, 2021 4:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Thanks everyone for your input. very helpful Update: the two UCs we know of are Riverside and Merced both for Mech Eng I believe. Waitlisted at UCSC rejected at UCSB. Others still pending. SDSU is $30k if you live on campus, Chico is better at $25k, on campus cost for UC Merced is >$35k. The kid is not going to live at home and go to San Jose State University at a cost of $8k/yr, so a real cheap option is out. A realistic comparison would be chico at 25k (kid owes us about 10k/yr) versus wpi at 45k (kid owes us about 20k/yr) We use a sliding scale re parents paying versus kid paying. The more it costs the more the kid needs to pay us back but of course we are sensitive to them putting themselves in an unnecessary hole. Incidentally, they a...
by physiorol
Wed Mar 17, 2021 3:41 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Thanks everyone for your input. very helpful Update: the two UCs we know of are Riverside and Merced both for Mech Eng I believe. Waitlisted at UCSC rejected at UCSB. Others still pending. SDSU is $30k if you live on campus, Chico is better at $25k, on campus cost for UC Merced is >$35k. The kid is not going to live at home and go to San Jose State University at a cost of $8k/yr, so a real cheap option is out. A realistic comparison would be chico at 25k (kid owes us about 10k/yr) versus wpi at 45k (kid owes us about 20k/yr) We use a sliding scale re parents paying versus kid paying. The more it costs the more the kid needs to pay us back but of course we are sensitive to them putting themselves in an unnecessary hole. Incidentally, they al...
by physiorol
Wed Mar 17, 2021 1:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

Re: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

Beachey wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 1:41 pm Has he ever spent anytime in the Northeast? You would just want to make sure he understands the weather, cultural differences before he commits.
Just a few weeks in DC in Feb, but a change in weather is one thing that appeals to them. I spent two years in Chicago and I personally would never consider a Northeast or midwest school over a California one, but people have to make their own mistakes I guess.

Thanks for the other advice.
by physiorol
Wed Mar 17, 2021 1:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too
Replies: 211
Views: 20985

National Reputation of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)? other input welcome too

I have a high senior that is strongly considering enrolling at WPI for engineering and possibly CS. They were awarded quite a bit of aid so total costs (living and tuition) would be around $45k/year. WPI appeals to kid because it seems like WPI is heavily project based, it is relatively easy to switch majors, and apparently students are able to fail up to three classes and not have it affect your gpa.... One concern kid is having is that WPI may not be that well known outside of the northeast? And if true would this affect ability to get internships/jobs on the west coast/Cali. So the question I am primarily asking is, if people (bogleheads) outside of the Northeast are familiar with WPI and if there is any validity to the name recognition ...
by physiorol
Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Complete beginner--good time to move money from money market to index funds?
Replies: 11
Views: 1349

Re: Complete beginner--good time to move money from money market to index funds?

Being someone that has had lump sums in cash/money market (which beyond an emergency fund was the first mistake) and having A) missed big gains because I was trying to time the market so stayed in cash/MM and B) suffered emotional defeat after seeing my values plummet soon after transferring to stocks/bonds, my suggestion would be to dollar-cost-average in.

I believe that mathematically it is better to pick and asset allocation that you are comfortable with and move the money over all at once. Dollar cost averaging in a lump sum is mostly to help with the fear of mis-timing things so you don't keep waiting and miss gains and so that if things do crash it is emotionally less painful.
by physiorol
Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:58 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pay extra principal on house you do not plan on staying in?
Replies: 19
Views: 2509

Re: Pay extra principal on house you do not plan on staying in?

How do people feel about paying mortgages on rental properties?
by physiorol
Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:50 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: returning PPP loan
Replies: 45
Views: 2992

Re: returning PPP loan

What do you mean double dip?
by physiorol
Mon Jul 06, 2020 11:04 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Which College degrees are worthwhile?
Replies: 248
Views: 21315

Re: Which College degrees are worthwhile?

Yes, I agree, or OT/PT/SLP in either a medical or educational setting. What is "OT/PT/SLP"? Occupational therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech Language Pathologist I would be cautious here. The schooling takes 7 years and debt can be quite high. Salaries are fairly low in most of the US ~70K and there is not much salary growth with experience unless you go into hospital administration. Physician Assistant or pharmacy might be the better call from a numerical standpoint or nursing followed by nurse practitioner training. Yes, the schooling can be quite expensive (my daughter and I are both SLPs in a a school setting), but we both have a good life/work balance and have a state pension (IPERS), great health care through work, access...
by physiorol
Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Which College degrees are worthwhile?
Replies: 248
Views: 21315

Re: Which College degrees are worthwhile?

Here are some benefits to a health care career. 1) COVID-19 shutdowns aside, medicine is recession proof. 2) Not up or out. A lot of high paying careers in finance, management consulting, or big law are notorious for aggressively weeding people out early in the career. The compensation can be astronomical for the partners, but how many new hires get the brass ring? 3) With an aging population, demand will continue to grow for medical services. 4) Compared to tech, less age discrimination, real or perceived. Here's the downsides - Ridiculously long training times and extremely large tuition loans - I'm 50/50 on the aging population story as tech will render healthcare obsolete eventually. With tech advances we will replace many of the low l...
by physiorol
Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:13 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Which College degrees are worthwhile?
Replies: 248
Views: 21315

Re: Which College degrees are worthwhile?

IowaFarmWife wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 10:51 am
X528 wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 10:50 am
IowaFarmWife wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 10:46 am
fusspot wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2020 9:21 am If it's teaching, Intervention Specialist (special education) is the way to go.
Yes, I agree, or OT/PT/SLP in either a medical or educational setting.
What is "OT/PT/SLP"?
Occupational therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech Language Pathologist
I would be cautious here. The schooling takes 7 years and debt can be quite high. Salaries are fairly low in most of the US ~70K and there is not much salary growth with experience unless you go into hospital administration. Physician Assistant or pharmacy might be the better call from a numerical standpoint or nursing followed by nurse practitioner training.
by physiorol
Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:03 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why is the stock market up? [thread multi-merge]
Replies: 521
Views: 31915

Re: Market makes no sense

OP read my mind. Good thread
by physiorol
Wed Feb 26, 2020 9:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

atikovi wrote: Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:19 am
physiorol wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2020 11:28 am
Confession: although we (SO + me) have the cash, this purchase would have to come out of my monthly allowance (~1000$), so it is highly likely that there would be financing of some kind.
What do you mean you're on an allowance? Someone living off $1,000 a month can't afford a $40K van.
It's a strategy to deal with differing views on spending between my spouse and I. All our family exprenses are paid out of a joint account but each person gets 1000$/month in their own account to spend as they see fit without input from the other half. Currently, mine has about 3k and my wife's has about 25k, so that tells you something about our spending habits.
by physiorol
Mon Feb 24, 2020 6:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

phxjcc wrote: Mon Feb 24, 2020 3:46 pm Here is a good one...

https://www.truecar.com/used-cars-for-s ... cargo-van/

:beer
Haha nice. Do you think I could use it to moonlight for Uber?
by physiorol
Mon Feb 24, 2020 3:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

phxjcc wrote: Mon Feb 24, 2020 12:40 pm 1. Check for a Car and Driver comparison test between cargo vans about 4 years ago.
IIRC, the Sprinter was the best driving.

2. My plumber drives a sprinter, it has much more USABLE space than a ProMaster.

if you want old school with good MPG, an E3500 class with a diesel will likely last forever.
Good tip regarding the E350, but I thought the Promaster had the largest cargo volume due to be front wheel drive. I will double check though.
by physiorol
Mon Feb 24, 2020 3:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

Not sure why this is framed as "new vs carmax"... If you are okay with buying an ex-rental, have you considered buying directly from the rental car company? Hertz has a program where you can rent a vehicle for a few days and get it inspected; if you like it and decide to buy it, the rental is free. Many of these are still under warranty. Lots of cargo vans show up on their site (although I hope you like white). All Carmax is doing here is buying the van from the rental agency, parking it on their lot and increasing the price. There's always a lot of discussion here about "abuse" when it comes to rental cars ... but always a shortage of actual stories of people who bought rental cars and found them to have hidden damage....
by physiorol
Mon Feb 24, 2020 12:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

bloom2708 wrote: Mon Feb 24, 2020 11:39 am Check out Promaster kits by Wayfarer Vans. Some pretty cool kits.

https://youtu.be/FwhVNQMpmgM

https://youtu.be/wzpYXbIxc_w
Will do thanks.
by physiorol
Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

TallBoy29er wrote: Mon Feb 24, 2020 7:45 am I just built you out a sweet Sprinter van, with all of your bells and whistles (rotating seats, etc), great acoustic package, and full safety features, for $45k. I'd take this any day over a Dodge. You can thank me later. :D
I'll trake another look at the sprinter, but I heard maintenance costs (oil changes etc) are pretty high on the Mercedes.
by physiorol
Sun Feb 23, 2020 6:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

While the stingy boglehead in me says to go used, it sounds like you're not overly concerned about finances at this point, buying a $40k toy... I would at least shop used but if you don't find anything you love, go with new and throw in those extras. What good is it to have money if you don't enjoy it on things you enjoy right? Confession: although we (SO + me) have the cash, this purchase would have to come out of my monthly allowance (~1000$), so it is highly likely that there would be financing of some kind. Probably not a wise financial decision but at this stage of my life I am harboring some resentment towards the amount of my life that i focused on work and establishing financial security.... I'd say go for it then. Finance rates ar...
by physiorol
Sun Feb 23, 2020 6:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2020 4:05 pm Do the upgrades yourself. Captain's chairs with swivels? I bought them for my van at a Truck In somewhere in Connecticut in the late 70's from some random vendor who happened to have the right color to match and the price was right. I was very big in the van scene in the mid to late 70's.
The 70s. The original #vanlife
by physiorol
Sun Feb 23, 2020 6:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

hudson wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2020 12:04 pm physiorol,

Consider buying a used one to try out...or find one to rent. Try it out, then if it makes sense, go for the new model.
Maybe you would learn enough from the used/rental to make a better choice later?
Yes thanks. I do plan to rent one for at least a few days prior to making a purchase. Mostly to see how it drives and see if it fits in the places I need to go.
by physiorol
Sun Feb 23, 2020 6:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

How much do you plan to use this? Are we talking short to medium weekend drives? Or daily use and/or long trips where it sees at least 10,000+ miles per year of use? For lighter use scenarios, I lean towards used. The downside is since these mainly get bought as work vehicles, as you've found, most tend to be fairly heavily used when they are put up for sale. Either way, new or used, you're likely to get way more features and a nicer overall vehicle than your old Chevy cargo van. It has potentoal to become the daily driver and do probably 12k miles/year. If I kept my other car my guess the van would at least do 8k/year, because my commute is short (most of my driving is to get out on the water) and 2 days a week plus weekends I usually hav...
by physiorol
Sun Feb 23, 2020 11:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

Guess I could call a few dealers, would you recommend doing the costco auto program (I think its fixed pricing below msrp) or going in and haggling? Neither. If you are buying new here is a post that I did about my online new car buying experience. https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=239526&p=3746230 There is also a years long thread about buying new cars online. https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=124638 One of the keys is to do try this when you know what you want and are ready to buy. It will vary but in my experience only about a third of dealerships will be willing to really deal online so it helps if you are within a reasonable distance from a large city with lots of dealerships. You can get you...
by physiorol
Sun Feb 23, 2020 11:39 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

somber wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:49 am
johnnyQA wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:18 am I would buy new as cargo vans tend to take a lot of abuse from their previous owners. Also, I would pick the Ford Transit over the Promaster (I would never buy something with a Fiat engine), just my opinion.
Promaster has a 3.6L Pentastar, which in my opinion, is the best V6 made. I have it on 3 vehicles: 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, 2015 Dodge Charger, and 2017 Chrysler 300C. The oldest 2 are approaching 150K miles, the 2017 only has 60K. No problems with any of them. Mopar or no car.
Good to know thanks
by physiorol
Sun Feb 23, 2020 11:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...
Replies: 43
Views: 3422

Re: Assuming you were going to buy a cargo van (new vs carmax)...

What is the approximate daily/weekly cost to rent a suitable van when you want to use one? With anticipated usage in an average year, how does that compare to annual costs of owning (including depreciation, maintenance, repairs, insurance, etc.)? Not sure how to answer this other than saying, the cheapest thing would be to just continue to use my current vehicle (toyota matrix). A potential surf van is not the sort of thing you rent, as they tend to have a custom build-out to store gear and a bunk (eg http://www.redsurfbus.com/2013/08/windsurf-van-and-camper-van-self.html) and they tend to store your gear year round so even if you are not going on a road trip you take that van to your local spot. Part of the enjoyment is the customization ...