backtoschool13 Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Hi! I am looking for any advice on two options...I applied to MS programs in the Ecology area and had just a few offers to choose from. My best original offer is school A, which is a Conservation Ecology program through their School of Natural Resources/Environment. I did accept online right before the 15th, but yesterday another school B informed me that full funding is available. I need to make a decision very soon about where to go... Here are some pros/cons: School A: (large, public research university) Pros -Very good academic reputation -Large department that has many professors and courses in what I am interested in (gen. ecology, behavioral ecology, invasives, conservation) -High job placement rate in conservation ecology Cons -Funding only guaranteed for a semester (the best option is to potentially get a TA position to fund the rest. I have been told I have a good chance of getting one. However, this is not guaranteed by any means and could vary from semester to semester) -Very expensive school School B: (mid-size, private university) Pros -Fully funded with tuition, stipend, health care -Smaller department, so seems like students receive a lot of attention and there are many opportunities for research Cons -Rank is pretty low (at about 100 in graduate bio programs) -Smaller department means there are fewer ecologists (about 4/17 faculty members) Obviously the main draw of school B is the funding situation. I have heard many people say it is not a good idea to complete a non-funded science master's, and after having some big undergrad debts I would agree. Based on programs alone, I do like A much more, but it is also a huge financial risk if I were not able to secure a TA position for every semester. Additionally, I do not see myself going on to get my Phd, so I am not sure how important the rank of a MS university would be anyway... Thanks for any advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarrman Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 How long is the masters program? And what's the price at A for a year? The funding at school A doesn't seem that bad. While it's nice that it's guaranteed at B, I wouldn't be too concerned about it at A, especially since you've already been offered funding for the first semester. You ought to try and get in contact with grad students at A who are doing masters and ask what the funding situation is for them. It might be difficult finding a job with a degree from a university that employers haven't heard of (I'm just speculating here since you haven't given that much information.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backtoschool13 Posted April 18, 2013 Author Share Posted April 18, 2013 Thanks for taking the time to respond. Both MS programs are 2 years. Tuition is $19,000 per semester at A. I forgot to mention that this is where I went for undergrad, not that it should matter too much. I think school B is a pretty well-known school, at least in the Midwest. I feel they are just more well known for social sciences and areas outside bio. Getting in touch with current students is a good idea. I've tried to pester some people in charge of appointing TAships, but I don't feel I have gotten an honest answer of how likely receiving a position would be in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backtoschool13 Posted April 18, 2013 Author Share Posted April 18, 2013 After emailing a couple students at school A, it seems the TA positions are extremely competitive. Each of them said they had one semester when they had a position, and followed by a semester without receiving one. Overall, they say just under half the students in the program have a TAship at any one time. While I think I should have a decent shot at getting one (taken many of the intro science classes at this university and have teaching experience), I think at best I could hope to have 2 out of 3 semesters funded this way. At the end of the day, it's either choose option A, which is financially very safe, or option B, which could end up being just fine financially or $60,000 in debt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selecttext Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 (edited) There is absolutely no point in accruing debt for the MSc. I am presently at a low ranked university for MSc and will be starting a PhD at a very well ranked university for PhD in ecology. No one questioned my credentials or ability and I got into every school that I applied to. My only complaint has been that the departmental seminars aren't very interesting. It's only an MSc. If you want an ecology job afterwards, your skill set will be far more valuable than where you studied Edited April 19, 2013 by selecttext Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msocean Posted April 20, 2013 Share Posted April 20, 2013 I agree with selecttext. In either case, stop after masters or go on for PhD, I see no reason to accept an unfunded program. The current economy is not rigged in our favor to pay off student debt. You can never discharge that debt, even through bankruptcy. If you can't afford to pay as you go (in the sciences) then you should look elsewhere. I intend to stop after a masters as well. I am going to aim for doing the best I can in the program, attend conferences/seminars to network, make the most of some volunteer opportunities in the city I will be living in (career related), and get the most out of the grad school experiene. All too soon we will have much greater responsibilities without the umbrella of school. Ihave no intentin of sabotaging my future goals and limiting future choices with debt dictating my direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backtoschool13 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 Thanks for taking the time to respond. I am going with school B. After learning more about the research my future advisor is doing and speaking with him, I am excited for the opportunity and looking forward to being debt free! Good luck to both of you in your work this year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backtoschool13 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 harlesla, that's what someone else suggested. I did contact several students who gave me lots of feedback. They all echoed the same sentiments saying it is incredibly competitive getting a TAship (because the program is in the school of natural resources, you end up having to compete for positions with other grad students in the bio, chem, etc. programs). Each student said they have experienced semesters without funding and one to two where they were able to receive a TAship; sounds like about half of the students in the program receive a TAship for any given semester. At the end of the day, it sounded too risky to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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