beanman Posted April 10, 2013 Posted April 10, 2013 I seemed to have put myself in an awful position, and I would love any help and appreciate all of your feedback. I accepted an offer at one school, thinking that I was rejected from another (top choice) school. I got the email today that I was actually accepted to the other school, but that I had been waitlisted and they were just really bad at getting back to me. I need to decide what to do (and what I can do) between two schools. I want to go for my phd in humanities eventually, but do not have my MA yet. I really am in LOVE with the school I got accepted to today, not only for their program, but because they are considered the best in the country, where as the other school is ranked much lower. School 1 - M.A. Dream school. Very little funding. Will have to take out around $40K in loans. Amazing program with reputation for being able to set people up with good jobs/place them into good programs. Opportunity to get PhD at better ranked school thank School 2. School 2 - M.A./Ph.D. In love with my advisor at this school. Amazing funding (over $25K/yr stipend). Not well ranked. More tailored for my eventual interests. Since it is humanities, ivies matter and prestige matter, which this school doesn't have a ton of. Any help would be greatly appreciated! I'm freaking out. I already accepted the offer at School 2 and I will probably have to work with some of the scholars there, so I don't want to offend them. I also don't want to be a bad person and reject an offer that I already accepted. I know it's still before April 15, but I still don't know if that would be so offensive that I would have problems in the future getting jobs/working in the small field that I do work in. I also feel like I will be seen as a crazy person if I reject an offer from a top school like this, but this is such a hard situation.
fuzzylogician Posted April 10, 2013 Posted April 10, 2013 Taking out so much money in loans for a MA in the humanities is a poor decision. You have a great sounding funded offer, and I'm not exactly sure why you are so torn now. Seems like a no-brainer - go with the funded offer, especially since you say there is a great advisor and better fit for your interests. You can get your MA there and then go to a better ranked school for your PhD if you think that's so important. mogki81526 and annieca 2
beanman Posted April 10, 2013 Author Posted April 10, 2013 Fuzzylogician, I see your point. My perspective is that at my top 25 school I may not be able to get a job eventually, since jobs in academia are scarce, but with my debt, a top M.A. and eventually a top 10 PhD I would have a much greater chance. The M.A. program is awesome and with all that I learned this application process (not to sound cocky) but I think I could get into whatever program I wanted with it, if I went about applications better than I did this round. That's why I'm freaking out.
Trantorian Posted April 10, 2013 Posted April 10, 2013 Did you realistically calculate your chances of attending a top 10 program for your PhD? I mean, assuming you do well in your MA, assuming that funding is as shitty as it is now, assuming that there won't be a lot of high calibre candidates in your field when you apply, what are your chances of getting into a top 10 PhD program? I think it's crazy when people refuse funding for a possible "better" situation so that's my opinion.
misskira Posted April 10, 2013 Posted April 10, 2013 I'm kind of thinking we have to consider the financial future here... if you have a funded phd offer in the humanities now, you probably should take it. Things may turn around by the time you're ready to apply again for another phd program, but they are very likely to be worse, making it very difficult for you to get another funded offer. I also think you should consider what it will mean to take out debt right now and compare it to any future job market there is in your field. It's a difficult financial time all around.
Gauche Posted April 10, 2013 Posted April 10, 2013 Take the funded offer. The MA ranks don't matter so much. It's what you do in the program and how you tailor that into your application that will get you into a top PhD program.
Andean Pat Posted April 10, 2013 Posted April 10, 2013 (edited) Are you comparing little funding top-10 with lots of funding top-25? I don't see why top 25 is bad.... I agree with fuzzy about the topic of going into debt for an MA. Is it really worth it? On the other hand, $25k is an excellent offer and, from what you've said, it's an excellent fit. Now, going to the top-10 school is a bet, and you seem to know what you are betting. I'd say that if you, as trantorian said, realistically weighed your chances of entering at an Ivy school, then make your bet! Of course, I say this as an outsider. I am not that familiar with domestic rankings in US higher education. However, from what I have seen and read, a top-25 school is not bad at all. There's nothing wrong with rejecting a top-10 school offer. Bottom line, take into account the funding offer against the price for going into debt against the department fit against your job prospects. Good luck!!! Edited April 10, 2013 by Andean Pat
Sryahmay Posted April 10, 2013 Posted April 10, 2013 I think you need to take the funding. Where you get your MA honestly won't matter that much if your goal is to get a PhD. It sounds like the school you've accepted will offer you more support financially as well as academically and allow you to do the research and write publications etc that you would need to have on your CV to get into a top-10 PhD program. While the first school might be higher ranked the financial stress might not put you in the best position to be a competitive PhD applicant other than having that name on your paper. Plenty of people get into top ranked doctoral programs from Obscure University, and while its naive to think name recognition bears no importance, what you do at the school and your experience will matter significantly more. As others have pointed out doctoral funding is in rough shape and you may very well end up having to pay more money for that degree especially if you are so concerned with the ranking (not saying you aren't a great applicant but it will make it that more competitive and limit you that much more and great applicants get rejected every day). Having less debt will also allow you to have more options in employment should you decide to delay doctoral studies or should you not get in right off the bat.
lypiphera Posted April 11, 2013 Posted April 11, 2013 School 2 sounds like a no-brainer. You love the advisor, it's a better fit for your interests, the funding will make a huge difference, and you're already accepted to a PhD program. AND, it's the one that you already accepted. Withdrawing from an ofer after you agreed does not go over well, and may start you off with a bad reputation that could hurt more than a few higher ranks may help. If it was a difference between a top 10 school and a top 250 school, I might reconsider, but a difference in rankings of 25 is just not that big of a deal. Already being in a funded top 25 PhD program in a great school is just such a great offer I can't imagine risking that for a chance of a higher ranking (and possibly lower fit). You say you think you can get in anywhere, but it just doesn't work that way. Schools have so many great candidates that at the top tier, it ican be a crap shoot that is no guarantee, even for the best student.
L.E. Posted April 11, 2013 Posted April 11, 2013 Take the funding. Honestly you won't regret it. I would go into more detail but I agree with what has already been said.
juilletmercredi Posted April 12, 2013 Posted April 12, 2013 I'm agreeing with the above. First of all, top 25 is not "not well-ranked." That's a great program. You can get great jobs from a top 25 program. Second of all, you are already into a well-ranked PhD program with very good funding ($25,000 is livable in most places in the U.S.) You have an advisor that you are in love with and the program is tailored towards your individual interests. The only thing that this other program seems to have over your School 2 is prestige, which honestly it doesn't seem like it's that much better - top 10 isn't hugely different than top 25, especially depending on where in the top 10 and top 25 these two schools are (even #1 and #25 aren't that far apart, but if we're talking #7 vs. #15, this becomes a no-brainer - the funding). I tend to be a risk-averse person, so that usually colors my decisions in these cases, but a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, especially if it's a bird you were enthusiastic enough about to accept before hearing back from School 1. And funding is nearly always better than no funding. The only reason I would say not to take the funded offer is if it were at a program that's new/untested and/or doesn't have a good chance or track record of getting PhD graduates jobs after they graduate.
mp429 Posted April 12, 2013 Posted April 12, 2013 (edited) I think as others have said, when it comes to an MA, choose the money & the program that fits you better (school 2) - that way, you can have the financial freedom to focus on your work and publish & THEN get into a "more prestigious" PhD program if that is what matters to you (& if you can opt out of your MA/PhD for a terminal MA at school 2). Buuuuuuuut, regret is also a big thing. If School 1 really is your dream school, and you will regret not going there - maybe choose that. Maybe it's enough of a dream school that your debt upon completion won't matter. If your only concern about not choosing school 1 is based on University prestige (rather than your own interests), then it's not worth the freaking out over rejecting the offer. Especially for a MA. Good luck Edited April 12, 2013 by mp429
CarlieE Posted April 12, 2013 Posted April 12, 2013 I agree with everyone above who said go for school 2. If it helps here's an article from the chronicle of higher Ed that looks at jobs for graduates from two and three level tier universities compared to t1 phd grads.... Turns out (in some fields) that tier 1 ranks don't matter quite as much as we think in the job market... Take the article however you wish, but I think it's worth reading. http://chronicle.com/article/What-Are-Low-Ranked-Graduate/136823/ Also, top 25 in your field or top 25 overall? Ranks are funny things... All depends what parameters are being set. My school is #6 for my field but #20 overall for the grad programs.
danieleWrites Posted April 12, 2013 Posted April 12, 2013 It's not just the school. It's how you distinguish yourself. While an Ivy will give you high spot in the resume pile, your record will get you hired. Go with the funding and, while you're there, work at distinguishing yourself. Get published. Go to conferences. Do great research.
somethinbruin Posted April 14, 2013 Posted April 14, 2013 It's not just the school. It's how you distinguish yourself. While an Ivy will give you high spot in the resume pile, your record will get you hired. Go with the funding and, while you're there, work at distinguishing yourself. Get published. Go to conferences. Do great research. I agree with this entirely. Over the course of the last two years, my department (in a private, respected university with a graduate program) has hired two tenure-track faculty members. In each instance, we've brought in multiple candidates from the ivies. Both times, the school went with a non-ivy candidate because the students from ivy league schools had virtually no teaching experience. The students from other programs had extensive teaching records, examplary syllabi/reading lists, multiple presentations and publications, and the ability to teach as both a generalist and a specialist in a chosen field. Other things matter beyond rankings. If you go with the program where you won't incur debt and work yourself hard to build a stand-out CV, you'll be just as employable at the Ivy-leaguers, if not more so.
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