NYU vs. UT San Antonio vs. Hunter

[abs]

I got accepted to three MA programs so far, and really need help in deciding! UT San Antonio offered a scholarship and seems excellent, but the program is very focused in one area. Hunter doesn't have a faculty member for what I will be studying, and NYU is great but didn't offer any funding. Please send me feedback on what you think.

[fullofpink]

I got accepted to three MA programs so far, and really need help in deciding! UT San Antonio offered a scholarship and seems excellent, but the program is very focused in one area. Hunter doesn't have a faculty member for what I will be studying, and NYU is great but didn't offer any funding. Please send me feedback on what you think.

How many places did you apply? Are you only interested in MA programs at this point?

Were any of these your top picks?

How in love are you with your topic? Will you be willing to consider switching them? My friend went to a school for her MA where the professor didn't align exactly with her topic. She ended up writing a thesis she wasn't in love with on a topic no one cares about (simply because it was her professor's passion and this person wanted someone to do it). Would you be willing to do that at Hunter?

Are you independently wealthy? Can you afford going to NYU plus paying a steep living costs for two years while you pursue a MA? You will need to find a job during the program. You will also be vying with at least 20 others MA students at the same time, who knows how many students your professor will have nor do you know how much time they will give you over their PhD students AND their own research interests?

UT SA -- was it a top choice? Was it a bottom choice? Is it only lucrative because they are the only one offering you funding? Does UTSA have any other departments that you can reach out and receive help with your other areas of interest (including museum institutions)?

[Venus_of_Urbino]

I got accepted to three MA programs so far, and really need help in deciding! UT San Antonio offered a scholarship and seems excellent, but the program is very focused in one area. Hunter doesn't have a faculty member for what I will be studying, and NYU is great but didn't offer any funding. Please send me feedback on what you think.

I don't know what it's worth, but I am at UT-Austin, a mere hour away from UTSA and I had absolutely NO idea that UTSA had an art history program. UT is a top PhD for Latin American and we have no students from UTSA, though that doesn't mean anything. I have heard of the MA programs at Texas Tech and Texas Christian, but nothing about UTSA. Where do their students go for PhDs? That would be a relevant question to ask.

[abs]

Thank you so much for responding, these questions are really helpful and put things into perspective. I applied to 3 Ph.D. programs: NYU (got into MA not Ph.D.), Rutgers (waitlisted), CUNY Grad Center (rejected) and 3 M.A.s: Hunter (accepted), UT Austin (rejected; called and they said that they only took ONE Latin Americanist this year because one of the professors left), and UT San Antonio (accepted with funding).

I want to pursue a Ph.D. eventually, but I am fine doing an MA and re-applying.

I am in love with my topic and your friend's experience is a good lesson, and I guess I can cross Hunter off the list.

I am not independently wealthy nor did I save up enough money to attend an expensive program. NYU is a dream because of its amazing faculty, but it is true that I may not even be able to take seminars and meet with professors because of the amount of students and the preference given to Ph.D. students.

UT San Antonio's faculty was very helpful and the staff is professional. My only worry is that it only focuses on Latin American Art, and I don't know if that it will be a detriment when I apply for Ph.D. programs. At this point, I want to attend a program that will benefit my Ph.D. application. The Art History department is combined with the Studio Art department, so it would be great to study both with art historians and artists. I think there are a lot of other opportunities there too. Most of their students don't move on to Ph.Ds, so that may be hinting to something as well.

[abs]

That's true. Are you doing your Ph.D. or MA at UTA? How do you like it? I am planning on applying there for my Ph.D...

I don't know what it's worth, but I am at UT-Austin, a mere hour away from UTSA and I had absolutely NO idea that UTSA had an art history program. UT is a top PhD for Latin American and we have no students from UTSA, though that doesn't mean anything. I have heard of the MA programs at Texas Tech and Texas Christian, but nothing about UTSA. Where do their students go for PhDs? That would be a relevant question to ask.

[fullofpink]

Thank you so much for responding, these questions are really helpful and put things into perspective. I applied to 3 Ph.D. programs: NYU (got into MA not Ph.D.), Rutgers (waitlisted), CUNY Grad Center (rejected) and 3 M.A.s: Hunter (accepted), UT Austin (rejected; called and they said that they only took ONE Latin Americanist this year because one of the professors left), and UT San Antonio (accepted with funding).

I want to pursue a Ph.D. eventually, but I am fine doing an MA and re-applying.

I am in love with my topic and your friend's experience is a good lesson, and I guess I can cross Hunter off the list.

I am not independently wealthy nor did I save up enough money to attend an expensive program. NYU is a dream because of its amazing faculty, but it is true that I may not even be able to take seminars and meet with professors because of the amount of students and the preference given to Ph.D. students.

UT San Antonio's faculty was very helpful and the staff is professional. My only worry is that it only focuses on Latin American Art, and I don't know if that it will be a detriment when I apply for Ph.D. programs. At this point, I want to attend a program that will benefit my Ph.D. application. The Art History department is combined with the Studio Art department, so it would be great to study both with art historians and artists. I think there are a lot of other opportunities there too. Most of their students don't move on to Ph.Ds, so that may be hinting to something as well.

You seem pleased with UTSA. If it's a program that you think you would excel in, personally and professional, why not try it? They are funding you and since their concentration IS Latin American, it will only help. However, if you are on the fence and don't think you can commit, have you thought about strengthening your application and trying again next year? If so, you might be able to defer your acceptance with UTSA for one year (though it may not hold your financial package in place).

The whole "what do people do after they get their MA here" is hard to put into account. Every student is so different in their personal goals, research interests, writing and (even) maturity. Then again, you may find that you don't want to go after your PhD once you get your MA! So, I wouldn't really take that as a major factor in your decision. If you are a stellar candidate for a PhD program, then you will be

[lilacpear]

[...] and UT San Antonio (accepted with funding).

Ah, no contest here. Take the funded offer. UTSA is a good place to pursue a Latin American specialization. So is UT Austin, but maybe not this year...

I want to pursue a Ph.D. eventually, but I am fine doing an MA and re-applying.

Will you be committing to Latin American art for your PhD as well? If you're not (or you're not sure yet), then that's an even better reason to NOT get into debt by choosing an unfunded program. If you are still somewhat undecided about your specialization, then choosing a funded offer will allow you the (rare!) luxury of experimenting with a topic at a graduate level without placing a major financial burden on yourself. Funding at the MA level will give you a certain amount of financial freedom and independence when choosing a doctoral program in the future, even if you choose a different specialization for the PhD.

My only worry is that it only focuses on Latin American Art, and I don't know if that it will be a detriment when I apply for Ph.D. programs. At this point, I want to attend a program that will benefit my Ph.D. application.

It might only be a detriment if ALL their classes are in Latin American art (which I find hard to believe). Have you looked at their course offerings for the past few years? As long as you balance out your courses and produce graduate-level work in a variety of fields, there is no reason why attending a super specialized program will hurt your chances, especially one that considered you to be a promising applicant and decided to fund you based on your potential as a scholar.

Good luck with your choice!

lp

[Venus_of_Urbino]

Thank you so much for responding, these questions are really helpful and put things into perspective. I applied to 3 Ph.D. programs: NYU (got into MA not Ph.D.), Rutgers (waitlisted), CUNY Grad Center (rejected) and 3 M.A.s: Hunter (accepted), UT Austin (rejected; called and they said that they only took ONE Latin Americanist this year because one of the professors left), and UT San Antonio (accepted with funding).

I want to pursue a Ph.D. eventually, but I am fine doing an MA and re-applying.

I am in love with my topic and your friend's experience is a good lesson, and I guess I can cross Hunter off the list.

I am not independently wealthy nor did I save up enough money to attend an expensive program. NYU is a dream because of its amazing faculty, but it is true that I may not even be able to take seminars and meet with professors because of the amount of students and the preference given to Ph.D. students.

UT San Antonio's faculty was very helpful and the staff is professional. My only worry is that it only focuses on Latin American Art, and I don't know if that it will be a detriment when I apply for Ph.D. programs. At this point, I want to attend a program that will benefit my Ph.D. application. The Art History department is combined with the Studio Art department, so it would be great to study both with art historians and artists. I think there are a lot of other opportunities there too. Most of their students don't move on to Ph.Ds, so that may be hinting to something as well.

If UT called you, it means you were on a shortlist and the grad directed wanted you to know you weren't rejected because of merit. This means you are on their radar. If you apply with an MA to UT from UTSA, you will definitely have a good chance of getting in. They know you.