eff

The subject pretty much says it all. I applied to a few design/technology master's programs and got accepted to three, and now I really don't know what to do. I blame the financial situation, actually - I was really planning on getting at least partial funding from most schools, which would've made my decision way easier. So NYU's ITP is where I'd like to go, but at a full price of $40K (per year) it seems completely insane. Also, from what I gathered from this forum and others I understand the consensus is to avoid debt at any cost (no pun intended). Since I'm not a U.S. citizen, I'm ineligible for federal aid, so my situation is even worse than the usual. Still, there's a little voice in my head saying "try to look at it as an investment... it's gonna be so much fun and there are so many opportunities for networking that you're bound to land a good job when you're done." I know, I know... I'm going to regret it if I do this. The second, more viable option is Parsons MFA Design + Technology. They've given me a partial scholarship, which brings the tuition down to about $23K - way better than NYU. But... they simply don't have the reputation of NYU. I'd be happy to hear evidence to the contrary, of course, it's just that I see ITP alumni all over the place, and hardly any DT alumni. Anyhow, when I compare the two I sometimes forget even the so called "more viable option" still amounts to tons of money. When I remember that I think maybe I should give this thing up altogether, or at least wait another year, save more money, and try again. Several things about me that make my situation somewhat different: my bachelor's degree is in Psychology, so it's not an option for me to "just start working in the field". Even if I could do that, I'm currently situated in a less-fortunate part of the world, where it's far from easy... so the opportunities for global networking are priceless in my case. Also, I do have savings that might pay for one year of studies. So, what say you? Right now I'm kind of leaning towards trying again next year, but the idea of passing up on these acceptances is killing me.