momorenae

This late in the game, I don't expect acceptances. (UCR and UCI) I was accepted to CalArts with a $20k scholarship, so I was debating on going and dealing with the extra debt or decline and reapply for more funding. (Currently, have 50k in debt and basically homeless). Now, I'm debating on CalArts or a possible 1-year contract as a game copywriter. Go down the path where I know what I'll be doing for at least two years, or pick the one pinned on a maybe? I feel like if I jump the gun or wait too long, I might lose a good opportunity. And all might be moot if the MRI comes back positive. Gah! This is all so confusing. Have any vets advice? I want to aim for full-funding and I want that MFA, but eating and having a roof over my head would be nice.

USC has a lot of what you need around the campus and a straight shot to downtown LA via the metro. I did my undergrad at SC and went the whole time without a car. Took a bus and the metro to my internship an hour away. I had to budget an extra 10-15 mins just in case the bus or train ran late, but it's doable. With the University Villiage project finishing up, you'll have access to loads of food and entertainment options within walking distance. I'd advise keeping your Tap card on you at all times, wear comfortable walking shoes, and look at your maps! Downside, all housing is expensive and there are a lot of scammers. I had to drop a semester because I got scammed into a house with so much mold that it took me months to recover.

It's more like I have chronic bad luck. I graduated with a badly torn-up shoulder from an accident, then when that started to get better I got poisoned with a bad medication interaction that gave me heart palpitations, and once they figured that out and I recovered, I unknowingly dislocated my knee, which leads to me walking on it for a month and a half before getting treated. I'm also getting tested for MS which is a chronic health condition, so I really don't know. I'm already over 50k in debt from undergrad. I know what it's like to worry about money while I'm in school (see +50k debt) I think it's one reason I'm so sickly now. I'd go weeks without food or sleep and end up with what appeared to be seizures. I even had to go part-time one semester because I became so ill my professors begged me to drop their class. (Ambulances disrupt workshops) Somehow I still graduated magna cum laude with two BAs. I can do it because I've done it before, but it won't be pretty. It's also likely that a full-time job will put the same stress on my body. And that's the main problem. I don't have a long track record of doing anything full-time without major consequences. Professors, friends, and family are all worried that just looking at 40hrs of work will break me. Practically, I might hold off until it's confirmed that I don't have anything seriously wrong with me before I pursue an MFA. I don't want a repeat of undergrad. Lots of crying, lots of clinic and ER visits, and lots of debt.

I got accepted into the Creative Writing MFA at CalArts with partial funding and am not expecting any other offers. I'm debating if I should decline and try again, or take the offer and run. Background: During my last semester of undergrad, I had a bad accident that abruptly cut off my career as I had to move back in with my parent's for treatment because I couldn't work.The doctors finally gave me the all clear last year right before application season and I applied to 5 programs. (Kind of, I was still using a cane when I started) Since then, I had to move twice and rents are so high in my area that I can no longer support myself with the freelance/part-time pr job that I did while I was bedridden. I'm basically couch-surfing now. All of my meager savings went to hospital bills. So right now my choices are: go to the expensive school and take on a lot more debt as I figure out how to support myself, OR, continue couch-surfing/move to a new town as I look for a higher paying job that is by no means guaranteed and reapply to programs will more funding. Classic rock/hard place. Any advice?

No status updates in the app portal (says I'd receive an email with the decision) but the Fin Aid portal goes through and says I'm being considered for priority funding. I'm not willing to get my hopes up because they'd crash terribly if this was some mistake!

I got an odd email and was wondering if anyone else had encountered this situation. I've gotten no indication that I've been accepted to this school but received an email from Financial Aid with a student ID and login credentials. I'm inclined to think that it's a mistake but would like a second opinion. What do you think?