elenad97

Hi everybody! I'm coming from an undergrad institution without a linguistics program to speak of, so I don't really have too many resources for practical advice in this area. So, I'm going for an MA in linguistics next year, as I want to eventually pursue a PhD, but I don't feel like I know enough about the field to pick a doctorate program (or get into it, for that matter). Like, I don't know if I'd want to do applied or theoretical or how to pick between socio and syntax and whatever else. I applied to a few just straight MAs and a few MAs with TESOL, because I'm terrible at making decisions. My options right now are Georgetown (MA in sociolinguistics, no funding), Pittsburgh (MA with TESOL, no funding), CUNY (MA in linguistics, no funding), Kansas (MA in linguistics, no funding), Ball State (MA with TESOL, partially funded), and University of Alabama (MA with TESOL, fully funded). The three that I'm more seriously choosing between are Pittsburgh, CUNY, and Alabama. Georgetown unbelievably expensive, Kansas is underwhelming, and Ball State is just so close to home. Pittsburgh and CUNY, as far as I can tell, have more respected linguistics programs. Technically, Alabama's TESOL is actually through the English department. However, at Pittsburgh I'd have no real opportunity for assistantships, and CUNY wouldn't give me that marketable TESOL aspect. I could manage any of the three, money-wise, but I don't want to spend a ton of money on something that's not going to be useful. I know Alabama's program isn't academically that elite or anything, but I'd graduate with two more years of experience in research and teaching. To me, that seems like it would be more important to future doctoral programs than whether I went to a super high-ranking institution. It's also not as much classwork in linguistics itself as the other two schools would be, but since an MA isn't necessarily the norm for doctoral applicants in linguistics, I kind of think that's okay. My big concern is learning more about the field, understanding what the life of an academic is actually like, and staying open to career options in case I discover that I don't want to get a doctorate at all. Am I wrong about any of that? How important is the elite-ness of a program? How important are assistantships? What's going to give me a leg up for future applications? Will I be able to get a handle on the field in a more general sense, even if I'm at a less-linguisticsy program? I'm sure there are other questions I should be asking? I know this was a super long post, but any advice that anyone can offer would be so helpful. I'm basically in a permanent state of existential crisis, as you do in your senior year of college. Thanks so much!!