Advice for picking English Lit MA program?

[cloudbabies10]

So I'm a recent college grad with a BA in English. While my eventual goal is to continue on to a PhD program, I decided to apply to (terminal) MA programs instead for Fall 2020--my undergraduate GPA was good, but not amazing (just under a 3.6), I did no internships, I really worked on only one larger research project, etc. etc. etc., and I decided that I'd have a higher chance of getting into a top-tier PhD program (like Columbia or UCLA) if I took the time to work my a** off in a Masters and take advantage of every research opportunity available.

I've received offers from all three English Lit MA programs I've applied to (which is both exciting and pretty stressful in terms of making a decision!); of the three, two (School A and B ) are offering me partial funding, and of those two, School A is offering me a TAship. School A doesn't have as high an academic reputation as School B, however, and though I could apply for a TAship at School B for my second year, it would not be guaranteed I'd get it. Both schools offer about the same type of research grants/opportunities for independent studies, and both are in cities I like (so location doesn't really factor into this for me), and both are within my range of affordability.

My question is this: if I want to get into a really, really good English Literature PhD program, do you think it's better to get my Masters at a university with a more well-known rep, potentially with not as high of a GPA and potentially without a TAship under my belt, or would a slightly "easier" school probably give me just as much of an edge?

[WildeThing]

I wouldn't assume your grades would differ in the different schools, other than because you have less time to work because you need TA/work to cover expenses. If your main concern is admissions into a PhD (so the experience of a TAship is less important, though it could be useful in the future on the job market) then I guess school B sounds better? Prestige is probably not a huge concern for MAs but if the funding is equal and you'll have more time to work (and perhaps can apply for more funding through a non-guaranteed TA) on top of possibly more name-recognition and whatever comes with it, I guess that makes more sense. Funding would be my main concern with an MA.