Runks

So I've been having a crisis of a sort. I'm going to accept my offer to study for an MA at Syracuse University, but I didn't get any TA-ships, and I'm not sure the scholarship numbers are going to be good either. I'm a little disappointed, as my last semester of undergrad has been my best yet; I've received and number of honors (a German writing prize, and was nominated to present my senior research at the end of the year), and I'm also finishing up a senior thesis involving theory. None of this really made it onto my initial application, so perhaps had I waited a year with a internship or two in tow, I could have been a MUCH stronger applicant. Coming from a small institution, I'm somehow sure an MA would be beneficial to me; though I do have a good deal of student loan debt I'm concerned about. Yet, even without much scholarship Syracuse is a great deal less expensive than other, more "top-tier" schools that I probably would have been financially doomed at (even if I got in, I doubt I would be well funded). Should I attempt to talk to the school about better scholarships, defer admission (I dread beginning loan payments without a better guarantee of a decent job- I doubt a BA will get me much) or re-apply to different schools next year? I mean, 96th percentile in analytic writing on my GRE has to count for something... I know I may be up against students from larger schools and bigger cities with more opportunities for internships and a wider range of courses, or professionals looking to go back to school, but I would like to think I'm not pursuing this for a "hobby" or anything. I also do know that there's not a good guarantee of money in an academic profession, but I suppose I'm frustrated and worried that using this MA to get my PHD won't get me anywhere. I was really and truly excited to know I got into a program that looks decent, yet I suppose I'm having one of those "what if" moments. I know it was long, but I'm wordy and can't help myself. What say you, more seasoned graduates? I would love input

That's good to know about Syracuse, I heard something similar about their MFA program, oddly enough. I'm getting the picture that their program seems to be what you make of it, which is fine with me. It also sounds like they're making improvements and adding to their program, so I suppose I'll see how it turns out. Funny that I also went to a small undergrad school and also wanted a terminal MA! Thanks. Perhaps contacting the school about funding issues could help. Although it wasn't for an Art History M.A., a close friend of mine tried that, and because of his stellar qualifications he was able to get a little more aid.

Hey, is anyone going to be studying in Syracuse in the fall? I want to know more about their individualized M.A. to see if it's a decent program since I'm now accepted. It's less expensive than living in a big city (like NYC), and since I want to pursue a PhD I'd rather not waste money during my M.A....Not to mention I'm only just graduating from undergrad and don't have a lot of internship or work experience under my belt. Also, I never heard back from American University. I wasn't that impressed with them, but it would still be nice to know. Did anyone happen to apply to them as well?