Hi, everyone. I got into a bunch of master's programs that are focused on applied stats for social sciences/quantitative research methods. I either want to pursue a PhD in organizational behavior (I need research experience, which is why I applied to these master's programs) or work with data for social good.
The problem is that I have a ton of student debt and other debt (from prior schooling), and I'm experiencing paralyzing sticker shock. I have a full-time job now, and wanted to switch gears and become a full-time student. But I'm not sure that's a good decision. Should I wait until I have paid off more of my debt and saved up money before attending? Should I just bite the bullet? I haven't made any decisions, because I'm not sure what to do. I'd really hate to bother my letter-writers again if I re-apply, but maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.
Here are the programs I've narrowed my focus to:
- Columbia Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS) (con: expensive)
- NYU Applied Statistics for Social Science Research (A3SR) (con: expensive; classes mostly scheduled during the day so hard to attend part-time if I wanted to save money and continue working full-time instead of attending full-time)
- Columbia Teacher's College - Social-Organizational Psychology (con: expensive) [only dedicated OB program in the bunch]
- CUNY Hunter Graduate Program in Applied Social Research (GSR) (pro: least expensive program since I'm in-state; con: could be mistaken, but focus does not seem as rigorous or on new technology--also, I'm interested in micro-OB, and this is based out of a sociology department)
Any insight? Thanks.