Hey guys.
This will be a bit long, but I really need some advice! I am a senior at a college ranked in the top ten. English/East Asian Studies double major, 3.9 major GPA. I applied to a bunch of really top English PhD programs, and unfortunately didn't get in anywhere (I haven't heard from NYU, Harvard, or Berkeley yet, but I'm assuming that if I haven't heard from them at this point, it's going to be a no...)
I did get offered a spot in the unfunded MA program at UVA though (my specialization is contemporary studies/Asian-American culture, so UVA is actually a pretty good fit from what I understand). Is it worth paying for an MA? I could also take a gap year and work some random job, but I'm worried that doing so won't increase my chances of getting into PhD programs the year after.
My worries hinge mainly on recommendation letters. Two out of my three rec letters are from my third year, so by the time I re-apply for PhD programs, these two letters will be two years old. And since my college doesn't have a strong focus in Asian-American studies in the English department (or anywhere), my current recommendations don't really speak to that specific subfield, and are from random classes on Psychoanalysis and Henry James...whereas if I got the MA, I'd be working with professors who actually do what I want to do.
Money is the main issue here (obviously). My parents are willing to cover some of the cost, but most of it would be loans.
What do you think I should do?
