What's Up with The New School?

[bgt28]

I'm super curious about applying here, but it would be difficult for the following reasons: 

 

a) I'd have to go for a Masters in Liberal Studies, which is the closest thing there is to my interests. No PhD tracks whatsoever for me. 

What is with the financial aid horror stories? 

 

Thoughts/comments? I'd love to hear them! xx

[ἠφανισμένος]

by someone who went there for philosophy talks about the financial aid situation, though I don't know if things are the same for the program you're interested in.

[snyegurachka]

I started my M.A. there in Media Studies but am now completing my M.A. elsewhere for reasons of both fit and finances. I was awarded a 50% tuition merit scholarship (which is the highest the department will offer), and tuition is not as high per credit as some other institutions. I also had work study and had two pretty good jobs at Parsons (one paid $13 or $14 per hour, the other had a $2500 stipend per semester). Tuition came out to be about $5000 a semester with scholarship, and my work probably covered most of it. The scam is that living in New York is fuckass expensive, so even with a good deal, you are losing out. I paid at least $800/month in rent and utilities, and my apartments were all pretty shitty (loft space, low ceiling, no windows, crazy roommates, far from everything). Transit card was $150/month or something like that (New School did not provide metro passes). For a lot of the summer I was commuting 16 miles total to and from work on bicycle just to avoid paying for a transit card. Then of course groceries, housewares, etc etc are just pricier.

 

All that being said, going to school in New York was pretty awesome, and I miss a lot of things about it. The aid package I have right now is not as good—per credit tuition is higher and my scholarship is only about %25, maybe a little more. I also get paid a maximum of $12/hr for work study jobs, and my stipend for teaching an entire course was less than the one I received for being a research assistant at Parsons. Even so, my cost of living in Chicago is tremendously less, and I am eligible for SNAP benefits. 

 

I would say apply, see what happens, and try to get a real job (not work study). 

[bgt28]

I would say apply, see what happens, and try to get a real job (not work study). 

I totally would, except I'm not really certain there are faculty there with whom I'd fit well; in fact, I think there is only one, and the fit is better described as an approximation, which is simply not good enough atm...I just feel shitty since it's a good school, the people are great, and I started an application, for which I'm now receiving several tantalizing emails :/