DaasYochid: “Also, I’m curious; how long do you think the average stay in BMG kollel is?”
My guess is that the average stay in BMG is 5 years, which is after 4 or 5 years learning in beis medrash and/or in Eretz Yisroel, and before another 2 or 3 years learning in a smaller yeshiva in town.
What’s important is not exactly how long they spend in BMG, but that they start thinking about supporting a family when they are 28 or 29, making it extremely difficult to eventually enter a job market in something that requires more than minimal training. And so they are 35 with 7 children earning less than a starting salary for a college graduate at 23.
When I think of numerous friends that spent 3, 4, 5 years learning seriously in yeshiva, and then pursued an education (not at the same time of course), and are now serious talmidei chachamim that support their families with respectable incomes, are koveya itim latorah, give shiurim, give generously, are involved in chesed and in leadership roles in the local schools and shuls, I think, wow, these are the people that I find inspiring and that I believe will inspire my children.