ProductiveJenna

Crucial, thank you very much for the advice. I know that there are many other factors involved in decisions, but do you think that getting an MA from a top 20 school vs top 30 would make me a much more competitive candidate for PhD applications? Thanks again.

I would be very happy to attend either university, but I'm a bit more interested in Northwestern. However, neither program is funded, and it would be much cheaper for me to go to Maryland. I live in Baltimore now, so if I choose UMD, I could keep my job part time, and I wouldn't need to bother moving. I plan on applying to PhD programs after getting my MA, so is it worth it to go Northwestern, which has a higher ranked English program? I would appreciate any advice you could give me. Thanks.