Someone with so many degrees should have been able to write a better help letter. It should have included info about the amount this person is paying on the debt each month (if any, since they appear to be still in school), along with the type of loan (govt. or private) and the interest rate. I’m working on a Ph.D. myself, but I have no debt, and do not plan on taking on any. I was advised that no one should pursue grad school if it means they have to take on debt. I’m questioning my decision to pursue the Ph.D., just because it’s taking longer than I had initially planned, and the job market is even worse than my initial research indicated. At least I don’t have 600k in debt, though. PS: The person who wrote the letter has a JD. Why are they not practicing law? It’s a glutted market like academia, but at least the salary would be able to pay off this level of debt. Could they not pass the Bar Exam? Were they disbarred? It says a lot about the rigorousness of the grad program they attend and the credibility of the educational institution where they work.