I just found out that I'm admitted into the New School for its Master in Psychology. They offer me a full tuition waiver with a stipend of $20,000 per academic year. It seems like this master program is connected with their PhD programs. After completing MA for the first two years, I can apply for its PhD program. The fellowship lasts for 7 years and the stipend is provided for 5 years.
I'm curious how current and past students evaluate their program, especially in terms of research opportunities and academic quality? I'm also curious what people think about their psychology department, e.g. faculty, research, support for grad students, flexibility with students' concentration etc. I'm mostly concerned with their academic quality, because a friend of mine said that although the school is associated with big names, their academics has been going downhill. However, that could totally be a biased opinion.
On one hand the program's ranking doesn't seem great, and there is a limited number of faculty members to work with. On the other hand, it's a good school that offers appealing financial supports and it's in NYC. (I know the stipend is not much, but I think it covers housing. I can afford other kinds of living expenses, which I think won't amount to more than a few thousands dollars per year.)
I only applied to three schools for PhD in Psychology and was not admitted into any, so I'm surprised with this offer. My other options are master programs at the University of Groningen, St. Andrews, Manchester and others, but all of them are in Europe, where I want to explore after staying in the States for college as an international student. However, none of the European programs offer scholarships. But I'm very interested in going to Netherlands for both studying and living there. I love exploring new cultures and places, and the expenses for going there is not that much - still more expensive than accepting the New School, though.
I'd appreciate any kind of advice, thought and help! Thanks so much!