>> Unfortunately, I think that to some extent, it signals that “I’m interested, but not committed enough to get a full degree.”

Commitment is rarely the barrier to a full degree. More likely barriers:

- Person wants grad degree but does not want to risk getting off career track and losing momentum (e.g., consulting, banking, etc)

- Person wants grad degree but cannot afford it

- Person wants grad degree but cannot afford child care

- Person wants grad degree but needs salary to support family

- Person wants grad degree and can afford it, but has competing time commitments such as children

- Person wants grad degree but has visa issues locking them into an inflexible job

- Person wants grad degree but work hours do not allow it

- Person wants grad degree but cannot afford to downgrade healthcare plan (in the US)

Speaking from personal experience, i did my graduate degree 15yrs after my undergrad. I finally semi-retired from Wall Street and was doing a personally co-founded startup which allowed me the flexibility to do a graduate degree in the evenings. My wife had to focus intensely on taking care of the kids in evenings and late evenings while I studied.