Having to cover the insurance during the summer suggests to me that she does not have an assistantship, or at least not one which will continue over the summer. That is something else which must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and will not necessarily be a factor for every student.
$1000/year is close to an upper bound for health coverage, given the range of subsidized rates provided by Maryland. Dental insurance is available for an additional amount of around $100/year. They offer both a DHMO and a DPPO, the latter of which can be used at any provider.
She is a 4th year PhD student in applied mathematics working with an established adviser who has plenty of grant money. She's just doing the standard thing... I see the same situation all over my own university's science departments.
PPO can be used at any provider and typically only get you a slight discount for any service beyond a basic cleaning. As a grad student, I've had to get a crown and 3 fillings (arising as complications from wisdom teeth, which I had removed while a full-time engineer prior to grad school). I realize my expense is at the far en...
My friend is looking for some advice on what he should do after graduating from Harvey Mudd College. Some relevant bits of information about him are that he
He's currently looking for a grad school where he could tackle interesting problems with possible high benefits in the future. I've made my own suggestions, but I'd like to get a (somewhat) independent set of opinions from the LW community.
So please suggest away!