terminal MA: Ivy league vs. full funding (w/stipend)

[mmsw86]

Here are my options (at the moment) ... keep in mind that I have about 10k undergraduate debt remaining ...

1) terminal MA at an Ivy league school - the department does not offer funding - I could either work full-time at the university for tuition benefits or work part-time for a salary in the hopes of taking on lesser debt than the 75-80k the degree would otherwise cost (how much debt would be too much for this Ivy league MA considering I have 10k from undergrad?) - I'd be living with my parents, so I wouldn't have to worry about rent

2) terminal MA at a lower-tier institution - two such schools have offered me full tuition (one has offered a decent stipend as well) - I don't know if a "step down" like this would hurt me if I decided to apply for PhD programs afterward though

Opinions welcome! Thanks!

Edited March 17, 2010 by mmsw86

[mitzydoodle]

Here are my options (at the moment) ... keep in mind that I have about 10k undergraduate debt remaining ...

1) terminal MA at an Ivy league school - the department does not offer funding - I could either work full-time at the university for tuition benefits or work part-time for a salary in the hopes of taking on lesser debt than the 75-80k the degree would otherwise cost (how much debt would be too much for this Ivy league MA considering I have 10k from undergrad?) - I'd be living with my parents, so I wouldn't have to worry about rent

2) terminal MA at a lower-tier institution - two such schools have offered me full tuition (one has offered a decent stipend as well) - I don't know if a "step down" like this would hurt me if I decided to apply for PhD programs afterward though

Opinions welcome! Thanks!

I'd avoid taking on that much debt at all costs ;-)

Could you tell us a bit more about the "fits" at each program? You'll probably get more meaningful advice that way.

[ursprache]

take the funded offer.

i am assuming you want to eventually go on for a phd. if so, you do not want to take on anymore debt, especially not 80k worth. don't worry about the lack of prestige. as long as there are faculty who you jive with that can advise your research at this "lower tier" institution, you can go on to any phd program you want afterword. just make sure you produce stellar work. and it need to be truly stellar, because masters students are looked at more critically by phd admissions committees than those with just a ba.

best,.

ursprache

[oh_la_la]

yes, to echo everyone else, take the funded offer and don't look back. it is insane to take on debt for an advanced degree in the humanities if you do not have to. good luck. and remember, it's the quality of your work that matters above any other criteria in terms of your prospects for employment down the road.

[Summit_Bid]

Go for full funding. Later do the PhD at an Ivy if possible--it's more likely they'll pay you then. I'm in tons of debt and even with a good job it's hard to make ends meet after going to such an expensive school.

[mmsw86]

It looks like there's a consensus here... Honestly, I'd have a hard time passing up the full ride and stipend. I was just wondering if anyone could convince me to go for the unfunded Ivy. A few professors have hinted that reputation/ranking matters when choosing an MA program. I could work full-time and get tuition benefits to cover the tuition, but I think this would be very stressful. Not working full-time would leave me with a good amount of debt though, and I do hope to pursue the PhD (either to curate or to teach on the college level).

I'd love to work with one of the faculty at the Ivy. In general, the department is very warm. It also offers a greater variety of courses than the other programs. At the same time, there are faculty at the other institutions with whom I could work. The departments are smaller, so there is less choice. But I work very hard and would have time to really focus on my studies and hopefully produce some good work (something I might not have if I were to go to the Ivy and work full-time or even part-time).

I just want to make the best decision, all things considered.

Edited March 17, 2010 by mmsw86

[ursprache]

But I work very hard and would have time to really focus on my studies and hopefully produce some good work (something I might not have if I were to go to the Ivy and work full-time or even part-time).

to me, that's the crux of it. yes, reputation exists and it matter to an extent. but what *really* matters is your program of research. if it's innovative, exciting, well-crafted and supported by substantial and high-quality research, that is your best bet for getting into a good phd program, and really, for having a successful career as an art historian or curator. it's all about your research and don't' let anyone tell you that any other factor even comes close. i think on the phd level, reputation is more important, but it's still not something i would opt for if it meant sacrificing my ability to produce the highest possible quality work of which i knew myself capable.

my 2cents.

[georgica2]

It looks like there's a consensus here... Honestly, I'd have a hard time passing up the full ride and stipend. I was just wondering if anyone could convince me to go for the unfunded Ivy. A few professors have hinted that reputation/ranking matters when choosing an MA program. I could work full-time and get tuition benefits to cover the tuition, but I think this would be very stressful. Not working full-time would leave me with a good amount of debt though, and I do hope to pursue the PhD (either to curate or to teach on the college level).

I'd love to work with one of the faculty at the Ivy. In general, the department is very warm. It also offers a greater variety of courses than the other programs. At the same time, there are faculty at the other institutions with whom I could work. The departments are smaller, so there is less choice. But I work very hard and would have time to really focus on my studies and hopefully produce some good work (something I might not have if I were to go to the Ivy and work full-time or even part-time).

I just want to make the best decision, all things considered.

It's hard to really tell without knowing more about the institutions (though I can totally understand why you wouldn't want to give details) Reputation DOES matter, but how big of a gap in rep is there between the programs? If you're talking about a program at mediocre university with no-name professors, then that might hurt you; however, if it's a lower-ranked-but-still-pretty-well-regarded program with well-known faculty, I'd absolutely without a doubt go to the funded program. Since you want to do a PhD eventually, perhaps it's worth asking the funded programs where their students have gone on to get PhDs after getting the MA -- that might give you an indication of where the programs stand in terms of PhD admissions at top programs. And, as others have stated, the most important thing is the quality of work you produce. If you do well in your courses and produce an outstanding MA thesis, you shouldn't have a hard time getting into a good PhD program.

If you're totally in love with the Ivy program and would be devastated to turn down the offer, is there any outside funding you could apply for? Perhaps talk to the professor you want to work with and see if he/she has any ideas about ways you could make it work financially without departmental support.

[mmsw86]

It's hard to really tell without knowing more about the institutions (though I can totally understand why you wouldn't want to give details) Reputation DOES matter, but how big of a gap in rep is there between the programs? If you're talking about a program at mediocre university with no-name professors, then that might hurt you; however, if it's a lower-ranked-but-still-pretty-well-regarded program with well-known faculty, I'd absolutely without a doubt go to the funded program. Since you want to do a PhD eventually, perhaps it's worth asking the funded programs where their students have gone on to get PhDs after getting the MA -- that might give you an indication of where the programs stand in terms of PhD admissions at top programs. And, as others have stated, the most important thing is the quality of work you produce. If you do well in your courses and produce an outstanding MA thesis, you shouldn't have a hard time getting into a good PhD program.

If you're totally in love with the Ivy program and would be devastated to turn down the offer, is there any outside funding you could apply for? Perhaps talk to the professor you want to work with and see if he/she has any ideas about ways you could make it work financially without departmental support.

I'm hesitant to name the schools. I will say that, according to the most recent NRC rankings (from 1995, unfortunately), there is about a 25-school gap in the PhD program rankings of the Ivy and the school offering full tuition and stipend. The third school, which has offered me full tuition (no stipend), does not have a PhD program. While the university to which it belongs is highly ranked nationally, it is difficult to say how the art history program ranks.

I'm planning to consult some of my former and current professors regarding my particular situation. In the meantime, it may be worthwhile to ask the schools about the placement of their MA students. (Thanks for the suggestion!) I'm also still waiting to hear from a few schools on admissions and one on funding.

In answer to your last question, I think financing the Ivy degree would require my working full-time for tuition benefits or my taking out loans and getting a work-study job or a more time-and-energy-consuming part-time job.

Edited March 18, 2010 by mmsw86

[georgica2]

I'm hesitant to name the schools. I will say that, according to the most recent NRC rankings (from 1995, unfortunately), there is about a 25-school gap in the PhD program rankings of the Ivy and the school offering full tuition and stipend. The third school, which has offered me full tuition (no stipend), does not have a PhD program. While the university to which it belongs is highly ranked nationally, it is difficult to say how the art history program ranks.

I'm planning to consult some of my former and current professors regarding my particular situation. In the meantime, it may be worthwhile to ask the schools about the placement of their MA students. (Thanks for the suggestion!) I'm also still waiting to hear from a few schools on admissions and one on funding.

In answer to your last question, I think financing the Ivy degree would require my working full-time for tuition benefits or my taking out loans and getting a work-study job or a more time-and-energy-consuming part-time job.

I wouldn't worry too much about the rankings, especially if they're that old -- for one, I'm guessing that rankings are strongly correlated with the strength of faculty research, which has presumably changed considerably over the course of 15 years. Consider Berkeley, for instance -- always been regarded as a top program, but they're about to lose a bunch of big-name faculty and the university budget has been decimated. That's the sort of thing that would drastically alter a program's ranking from year to year. Base your decision on the current faculty (and success of their current and recently graduated students) -- if there are people doing interesting and important work in your area , the program will be respected.

[mmsw86]

I wouldn't worry too much about the rankings, especially if they're that old -- for one, I'm guessing that rankings are strongly correlated with the strength of faculty research, which has presumably changed considerably over the course of 15 years. Consider Berkeley, for instance -- always been regarded as a top program, but they're about to lose a bunch of big-name faculty and the university budget has been decimated. That's the sort of thing that would drastically alter a program's ranking from year to year. Base your decision on the current faculty (and success of their current and recently graduated students) -- if there are people doing interesting and important work in your area , the program will be respected.

Great points. Thanks!