WSG

First of all, this is my first post on the site. I know there may be a couple of other boards a question like this can go on, but I really need the advice of the English grad folk. So, I'm graduating from a decent state school in Texas - decent, but nothing to write home about - in May. I applied to seven different grad programs for American Lit / Cultural Studies (both PhD and MA), and received MA offers at NYU and Carnegie Mellon (I was rejected from UConn, WashU, and Vanderbilt-still waiting on Florida and LSU). I'm sure many of you know the funding situation at both: NYU = next to nothing, CMU = including 1/3 remission, small fellowship, and possible assistantship, about half of the full year's tuition. Being that my BA is from a school that doesn't regularly place students in top-tier PhD programs, I was happy to be accepted to what I feel are two solid MA programs. My goal is to eventually land a great PhD position, but I don't think I'm going to get there without cutting my teeth in an upper-level MA program. I have concerns about both schools: CMU's program is great, but it's only a year long - essentially, I'd be submitting PhD apps before my first semester was wrapped up, and that may not make for an application that is considerably stronger than it was last round. Also, I'm waiting to hear back from them on this, but it's my understanding that that CMU MA doesn't require a thesis, which to me seems like a missed opportunity to build on skills that would make me more competitive at top-tier PhD programs. Essentially, though the deal is financially better, I'm worried that the program won't be the thorough boost that I will need. My main concern with NYU is money. Obviously, there aren't a lot of kick-ass MA programs that stuff your pockets with money (though U Conn may be an exception, and I was rejected from there, anyway), but there's no guarantee that my investment will land me in a great PhD program, or even if that great PhD program will land me in a tenure-track job. Additionally, I should add that I'm recently married and my wife will be working full time as a teacher while I'm in grad school, so I'm not entirely on my own financially. Still, any way you slice it, loans would be in order at both schools. So help me out guys - what are your thoughts?