MA at NYU or CMU?

[WSG]

First of all, this is my first post on the site. I know there may be a couple of other boards a question like this can go on, but I really need the advice of the English grad folk.

So, I'm graduating from a decent state school in Texas - decent, but nothing to write home about - in May. I applied to seven different grad programs for American Lit / Cultural Studies (both PhD and MA), and received MA offers at NYU and Carnegie Mellon (I was rejected from UConn, WashU, and Vanderbilt-still waiting on Florida and LSU). I'm sure many of you know the funding situation at both: NYU = next to nothing, CMU = including 1/3 remission, small fellowship, and possible assistantship, about half of the full year's tuition.

Being that my BA is from a school that doesn't regularly place students in top-tier PhD programs, I was happy to be accepted to what I feel are two solid MA programs. My goal is to eventually land a great PhD position, but I don't think I'm going to get there without cutting my teeth in an upper-level MA program.

I have concerns about both schools: CMU's program is great, but it's only a year long - essentially, I'd be submitting PhD apps before my first semester was wrapped up, and that may not make for an application that is considerably stronger than it was last round. Also, I'm waiting to hear back from them on this, but it's my understanding that that CMU MA doesn't require a thesis, which to me seems like a missed opportunity to build on skills that would make me more competitive at top-tier PhD programs. Essentially, though the deal is financially better, I'm worried that the program won't be the thorough boost that I will need.

My main concern with NYU is money. Obviously, there aren't a lot of kick-ass MA programs that stuff your pockets with money (though U Conn may be an exception, and I was rejected from there, anyway), but there's no guarantee that my investment will land me in a great PhD program, or even if that great PhD program will land me in a tenure-track job. Additionally, I should add that I'm recently married and my wife will be working full time as a teacher while I'm in grad school, so I'm not entirely on my own financially. Still, any way you slice it, loans would be in order at both schools.

So help me out guys - what are your thoughts?

[teaganc]

You're right that the financial deal at CMU is better than you'd get at most places; you'll have to pay at least 16,500 (CMU costs about 33,000 per year) vs. 2 years at NYU paying around 32,000 each year. NYU is a larger program with a wider variety of things to focus on, which helps if you don't fit into the narrow area of CMU's strengths. I also agree with your assessments of the weaknesses of CMU's MA--the 1 year program, the lack of a thesis--for preparing you for PhD applications. But the atmosphere at NYU is not great (other people have commented at length about the pros and cons of the program, so I won't go into it), and you have to think whether the advantages of that program are worth the additional $48,000 you'll spend on it.

[Cherokee_red]

Yes, I have been accepted at another NYC school (not NYU) whose funding is really lousy when you factor the cost of living in.

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofli ... iving.html

You might want to test that out so you see what I mean. Pittsburgh is surprisingly SUPER cheap to live in. (I tested about 6 places, and it even beat out random places in rural Indiana.)

Also, Pittsburgh is an awesome and beautiful place to live. I live there, so I can vouch for it. My visits to other schools have given me a whole new appreciation for the 'burgh (*especially* after visiting NYC, actually). It's really safe, and very pretty with lots of parks. It was actually voted most liveable city in the U.S. last year.

You might want to talk to the CMU people about the support offered in the MA which would aid you in applying/getting into a Ph. D. program.