@espnjunkie wrote:You could always go for a charge card as well. You should definitely be able to get approved for one and they help build a positive history with amex. This makes it easier to get approved for a revolver in the future.
I do hear what you are saying frugal in going for cards while younger, but it can also pay to have patience. Credit building is a marathon, not a sprint. Apply only for what you need can prevent alot of future problems and make it less likely you overspend.
At the end of the day you could apply now, an inquiry will not kill you. That being said, your chances will be even better with six months of gardening
One inquiry is nothing: better even to apply now, and even if denied, then wait the six months as you suggest. As FR points out, long term it doesn't matter whether it's opened now or in December, but short/mid term (call it 3 years) it does.
I won't bore you with math, but the simple fact is the OP wants the tradeline, and as such should open it as soon as possible. The whole wait six months to a year is for marginal approvals, which given the current credit market, he may well not be. I know most of the people on these forums have been broken (credit wise) at some point in their past, but the conventional "gardening wisdom" doesn't apply when you're short on tradelines when new to the credit world... it's better to go on the application spree at that point and get all the negatives out of the way at once and make them already a fading memory on your credit profile.
I'll also point out anyone who bothers to calculate his monthly expenditures to see if an AF is worthwhile or not, is way ahead of the curve. There are long term forum members here who blow that one, and in the credit world, this is a well educated population.
Anyway we were all young once, but the dude has a plan: that's pretty rare compared to the legions of recent college grads that walked through my interview closet as a hiring manager. Sure he may blow it, but I'd submit that not everyone is going to succomb to the same failings some or many of us here did.
Thank you everyone for your advice.
To be honest, I was originally going to apply sometime later in the year but after reading everyone's responses I decided to apply for the Amex BCE. After filling out the application, it told me that the decision was pending but I immediately checked the status and I was approved. I just called and found out that it will be for a 2k limit.
I am definitely set as far as credit cards go now, and I'm really happy about how things turned out. For my needs, I don't think there could be a better combo between the Venture One and the BCE and with applying right away, by the time I'm looking to buy a new car in about two years time my report should be clear of hard inquiries.
So, for me, the advice to not wait will probably pay off down the road.
Also....
Revelate wrote:
Anyway we were all young once, but the dude has a plan: that's pretty rare compared to the legions of recent college grads that walked through my interview closet as a hiring manager. Sure he may blow it, but I'd submit that not everyone is going to succomb to the same failings some or many of us here did.
I lol'ed at the "interview closet" line. Boy was I experiencing that last fall!
As for blowing it, it would be uncharacteristic but anything's possible.
(Oh, and just for posterity's sake, I'm female... 
)
Hey congrats Lucril! I'm constantly screwing up people's gender on this forum. 
My apologies to you on that one.
FR: am glad the advice came in handy! Agreed, it doesn't work in all cases and for all people, but both you and the OP here were in somewhat similar situations if I remember right.