MS in MechE -- Where to Go?

[MTJC]

Hi,

I'm having a pretty tough decision deciding where to go next year. I only applied to MS programs and I've been fortunate enough to get accepted by Berkeley. The big issue is that there is no funding guaranteed though I've been told it is possible to secure funding after accepting their offer. Does anyone have any numbers or any ideas about how easy it is to secure funding in the form on an RA/TAship for the first year?

I'm having trouble deciding whether I want to go to Berkeley or stay at my school (ranked mid-40s MechE), which is not ranked as highly, for a funded MS. What makes this decision more difficult is that Berkeley has some research areas that I would be very interested in whereas my current school does not have professors whose research interests align as well with mine. Were I to stay at my school, I might actually contemplating switching to a different subfield of engineering. Any ideas or suggestions?

I posted this in the Engineering forum as well, but figured there are two questions that apply more to one subforum than the other.

[Owlie]

Sounds to me that the only thing that's stopping you going to Berkeley is the money thing.

Can you call someone there and see what the situation is, regarding the likelihood of being funded were you to accept? You may or may not get a useful answer.

[MTJC]

Sounds to me that the only thing that's stopping you going to Berkeley is the money thing.

Can you call someone there and see what the situation is, regarding the likelihood of being funded were you to accept? You may or may not get a useful answer.

Well, I would love to attend Berkeley given the chance, but the money is going to play a pretty big role. I don't feel comfortable taking out a loan that won't materialize into immediate returns. As I understand the MS in engineering, it'll pay for itself over a long time span, but doesn't have much immediate impact. Moreover, I may choose to do a Ph.D afterward, but I was hesitant in applying immediately to Ph.D programs since I wasn't sure if they were for me. If I go that route, I'll feel that I wasted money on an MS considering Ph.D programs are generally funded.

I have emailed some professors but most were unresponsive. The two that responded told me that their funding situation was up in the air and they wouldn't know until later this spring or in the summer, which is after the decision deadline, April 15th. I emailed one of the professors (the one I'd be more interested in working with between the two) back asking what my chances were of getting funding on Thursday morning, but I have yet to receive a response.

=(