Full Ride vs. Potential Opportunities

[impatientlywaiting26]

I've been offered admission at a 3 of the 6 schools I applied to, and am still waiting to hear from another 3 - so I recognize I'm pretty fortunate to have lots of options, but I'd love to get some outsider takes on my situation. I'm looking at Masters of Public Administration programs, in case that's helpful context.

One school I applied to offered me 1 year of tuition, health insurance and fees covered, plus a $14,000 stipend and RA-ship. This is a school I applied to hoping to get a significant scholarship, which i would potentially be able to mention to other schools as I negotiate financial aid packages. The program seems like a good fit, though the school isn't ranked so highly grads seem to be finding work in related fields, which is great to see. My main hang-up is that from reading about the school and speaking with professors and students, the program is fairly regional. many students are in-state, and intend to stay in-state. The school is located in a place (and state) I don't see myself staying in long-term, and I'm a little concerned that I will have more trouble finding work following graduation in places I'd like to live.

My other options right now have offered me what amounts to about 1/3 of tuition for the full 2 year program. One seems like a better fit topic-wise, but doesn't have as great a national/international reputation, and the other doesn't hone in on my main interests as much, but has a good reputation.

I'm still waiting to hear from my dream school, where I don't anticipate much funding (if any), and another option that is less focused on my specific interests but has a good reputation and builds in significant experiential learning components that are important to me. A third school is pretty much out of the running, considering what I've been offered already.

Does it make sense to keep considering a school that gives me a lot of money, if I'm concerned about post-grad opportunities? Does a great financial package, which will give me flexibility to intern and take other opportunities without worrying much about money, mitigate concerns about what happens after grad school?

Thanks for your thoughts!

[thelionking]

Have you calculated the actual figures for each of these schools in terms of tuition fees and cost of living in each location? I think this will give you the true cost of your education at each school and it might help make your decision a little easier to make. I've heard many people on this website recommend not accumulating more debt than the annual salary that you expect to earn after you graduate. 

If your dream school ends up being too costly to afford (I hope not, but it it does), would you consider taking the first offer you mentioned with the best funding and working somewhere in state for a couple of years after you graduate (as you mentioned that most grads end up doing)? During that time, you can network with other professionals in the state you want to live in via LinkedIn, local workshops and conferences, research projects, etc...After you have a couple of years of experience, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to relocate. People move all the time for work. Some food for thought.... 

Edited March 3, 2017 by thelionking

[impatientlywaiting26]

@thelionking Thanks for the input! As I've heard details from more schools, the situation's even more complicated now. My real concern with staying where I go to grad school is a long-distance relationship. My boyfriend and I have been together almost four years. He's a few years older, and currently working in his dream job, and it would be challenging for him to relocate and find a similar position because of his field. We've done 2 years of long-distance already, and could do 2 more, but I don't really want to put us in a position where the expectation is another 4/5 years of long-distance - it's too much for me (and us).

Now that I've heard from more schools, I'm really deciding between Carnegie-Mellon's DC track program, which offered a really significant scholarship (not the one listed above) and would mean only 1 year of long distance, and NYU's MPA, with no funding, but where I'd be living with family is living costs would be covered. So now I'm looking at close-to-free, solid option vs. expensive dream school. I also have generous offers at UNC and Pitt, and smaller offers at American and GW -- but I think I'm pretty much down to NYU or CMU.

Sorry for the droning -- i probably should have waited on the original post until I had all this info, but I got antsy...

[thelionking]

Sounds like two great options on the table... only you can decide whether or not you want to go into debt. Congrats and best of luck!.

[rising_star]

MPA programs are two years, right? So I'm not sure where the 4-5 years of long distance comes in...FWIW, I would not go to the expensive program in NYC over the funded program in DC. It just doesn't make sense in the short or long term, unless there are some clear benefits you'll get by spending all that money on NYU tuition. I'm also not sure where your partner is but I will note that Pittsburgh is a decent town with an airport with flights to lots of places, so it may not be that bad as a place to be while in a LDR. Good luck with your decision!

[juilletmercredi]

What are the costs? What would your eventual debt be? Would your really significant scholarship at Carnegie Mellon make it cost less than only having to pay tuition and fees at Wagner? Also, you said you'd be living with family in New York, but what does that mean? Clearly your room/living costs are covered, but what about food and transportation and miscellaneous fees? Depending on what that family is willing to cover for you, you may be saving less than you think.

CMU is a great university and I think it's likely that the scholarship will bring the total costs down below what Wagner wold cost even with you living with family, so I'd choose there. And you've also got generous offers at UNC and Pitt, also both great schools. Frankly, I would take NYU off the table and decide between the places you have funding at.