Accepted! Eureka! Now what?

[rmo_3000]

Greetings everyone,

 

I was recently accepted to two masters programs (I'm 2-for-2 out of 6 so far!). 'School A' is a public school that offers a 'standard' Masters Program in Biology (one might say, 'garden variety' courses in genetics, molecular, developmental, cell, immunology, etc.); whereas 'school B' is a private school, ~ 4x's more expensive than school A, but offers a concentration in molecular immunology and also a concentration in cancer biology (I'd like to work in one of these areas). School B is actually an Masters in Biomedical Sciences.  

 

3 other points worth mentioning:

1) Neither school is listed in the (almighty) US News and Report Ranking System for Biological / Biomedical Sciences, so there's no clear-cut 'pecking order' between these two schools.

2) I'm not sure whether I want to continue with a PhD upon completion of the Masters program.

3) I'm (probably) not eligible for a scholarship or other largesse of 'unconditional funding', although I did apply for FAFSA.

 

I'm at a loss for what to do now. On the one hand, the private school tuition is irrelevant if I become employable in my field of study, while I do not upon graduating from the public school. If this is the case, the decision is quite simple. I guess another question I have is whether having a Masters degree in Biology w/o a distinct concentration leads to employable skills? Or is in primarily intended as a 'steppingstone' to a PhD degree?

 

Are there any websites anyone knows of that provides the 'skinny' on employment statistics for various graduate schools and graduate programs (the type of data not generally published on the schools website)?  

 

Thanks for reading my post. Any help would be greatly appreciated,

 

[BeakerBreaker]

I don't know about the website bit, but here is what I've seen:

 

The 'concentration' for the Master's doesn't really matter for employability/future PhD programs if you go that route.  I had a chemistry B.A. and was employed in a cell biology lab for a few years, then worked in oncolology using proteomics.  Biology labs in academia don't really care so much for specific concentrations at the bachelor's/master's levels, and just want to make sure you have the broadly-applicable skills of work ethic and interest/ability to learn.  Industry pays more attention to what specific techniques you know, which could be influenced by your program if there is a thesis/lab component.  Employable skills come from lab work and not course work in my experience.

 

Where do you want to work?  What kind of position do you want to have?

 

If you think you want to go to a PhD program, the Master's doesn't save you any time, and costs you a lot of money.  Several people leave PhD programs after two years with a master's, too. If you have competitive stats I would just reapply for PhD programs, but that depends on how much you value the time/money investment, and how sure you are about where you're going in the future.

[Vene]

Here's a question, how much debt would you have to take and what can you expect for a paycheck afterwards? Can you bear the burden from the more expensive university? If you can't, it's a really easy decision.

[sciguy]

Are you an undergraduate right now?  I don't think a masters in a hard science is an outstanding idea.  If you're unsure if you'd like to pursue a PhD, it might be worth it to be a lab tech for a few years.  I was a tech for close to five years before applying to PhD programs, and it worked out really really well for me.  I obtained a half dozen publications, and I was able to audit several graduate level courses at my university.  It's highly unlikely that a masters will give you an increase in salary that will make up for the amount of debt you will be in post-school.  I also have hired several other technicians in my lab, and often times we preferred those right out of college with little to no experience.  We always found it to be easier to train people "our" way when they weren't already set in their own way.

[GeneyGenie]

If you're considering stopping at a Masters degree, don't get yourself into any debt with an expensive program.  Masters degrees can be detrimental for hiring, so they can get you in trouble in general, and having one that cost you a lot of money will only make you more desperate to get a paying job.. You may give up on the field just to get your loans/rent/etc. paid.

If you do commit now to pursuing PhD programs, the Masters concentration won't matter much.  

Basically, what I'm saying is *I would* do the garden variety Masters program and with the skills you learn there, such as reading literature, networking, etc., teach yourself the foundation in immunology/oncology so you can end up in your preferred field without paying for it.

[rmo_3000]

Thanks for everyone's insight! Really, really appreciated!

 

Beaker Breaker, I may have (somewhat) competitive stats (SUNY Binghamton Undergrad...Science GPA 3.7, Overall 3.15, GRE: 159 (Verb), 158 (Math), 4.5 AWA). However, I have virtually no lab experience, except as required by Intro Bio, Cell Bio, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, which, btw, were taken in the late '90's -- when I was an undergrad! 

 

Also, I should point out the schools I am referring to... They are: 

Queens College (Public School)

LIU Post   (Private School) 

 

VERY IMPORTANT: I've just been accepted to NYU, which I'm thrilled about! From my understanding, their program seems geared toward lab experience (there is a required Molecular Bio I, II, III, and IV Lab as well as thesis research). From what you've mentioned -- that industry pays more attention to technique -- I would think that this masters program would be intended for those going into industry? NYU is probably more expensive than both LIU and Queens College combined! However, as Vene points out, it's really a question of 'What can I expect for a Paycheck afterwards? At the expense of sounding like an accountant, what is the Return on Investment? Will it pay dividends in the long run? These questions I know not. 

 

thanks again for everyone's help.

[kimmibeans]

Thanks for everyone's insight! Really, really appreciated!

 

Beaker Breaker, I may have (somewhat) competitive stats (SUNY Binghamton Undergrad...Science GPA 3.7, Overall 3.15, GRE: 159 (Verb), 158 (Math), 4.5 AWA). However, I have virtually no lab experience, except as required by Intro Bio, Cell Bio, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, which, btw, were taken in the late '90's -- when I was an undergrad! 

 

Also, I should point out the schools I am referring to... They are: 

Queens College (Public School)

LIU Post   (Private School) 

 

VERY IMPORTANT: I've just been accepted to NYU, which I'm thrilled about! From my understanding, their program seems geared toward lab experience (there is a required Molecular Bio I, II, III, and IV Lab as well as thesis research). From what you've mentioned -- that industry pays more attention to technique -- I would think that this masters program would be intended for those going into industry? NYU is probably more expensive than both LIU and Queens College combined! However, as Vene points out, it's really a question of 'What can I expect for a Paycheck afterwards? At the expense of sounding like an accountant, what is the Return on Investment? Will it pay dividends in the long run? These questions I know not. 

 

thanks again for everyone's help.

Hey, I graduated from Binghamton, too! Class of 2013 . My advice is that NYU is definitely going to be way more expensive than Queens, but a Master's from NYU will carry more weight than one from Queens College, especially since you will be doing more lab experience. Also, is the program a thesis-based Master's or a non-thesis Masters? If you decide to go on to a PhD, the thesis-based Master's may give you a bit more of a leg up as it will have you doing academic research.

[rmo_3000]

Kimmibeans, congratulations on your acceptance to Einstein! My cousin went their and now he's a surgeon performing organ transplants (he also went to Binghamton!). Thanks also for your advice. NYU does have a thesis-based option, which I'll pursue. 

I just hope that the NYU's recognition (vs. Queens) justified the expense!