Hi, I’m Sami and I’m new to these forums. I’ve run across College Confidential a few times when I did some research on grad schools, but now I am the one posting. My issue, which is quite unoriginal I’m sure, is how much importance should I place in my higher education? Let me explain…
I am graduating this May with a BA in both English and Visual Arts, and my next step is to begin a master’s program in Arts Administration/Management. I have completed all my applications and have heard back from all but one school, IU Bloomington, which is my second choice. I was accepted to the University of Denver and Boston University (my first choice).
The thing is, I have a boyfriend where I live who will be here for another year before he goes to law school. I considered this when I was selecting my grad schools, which is why I applied to Denver because they offer the entire program online. But, this was my third choice school and Boston would be an incredible experience. On the other hand, Boston is insanely expensive and I wonder if the $60k price tag is worth it. And Denver is still a good school. The more I think about the expense and being away from the person I love most for nearly a year, the more terrified I get. And yet, Boston has the most appealing program and I should be proud of being accepted.
Will going to a great school be enough to keep me happy when I won’t get to be with my significant other (the term “boyfriend” isn’t really serious enough to describe who he is to me)? What sacrifice will be greater?
I don’t really know what sort of help I’m asking for; maybe just your thoughts or experiences with making these sorts of decisions.
As a graduate of Boston University, I can understand your enthusiasm.
That said, are you sure it’s worth $60k ?
What kind of income do you think you can earn upon graduating with this degree ?
I found it worth the money but I had a very field of study.
As far as your personal life, that is a judgment call only you can make.
Maybe he’ll get into Boston U law ? Is he applying there ?
IMO if you are really just going to a masters program for a year, the separation should be fine.
It’s not really a year, it’s two semesters with a long winter break, really a few months apart.
The financial/career issues should make the decision, not a few months apart.
Those are all questions I’m heavily considering, believe me. I did research on Boston’s program and the outlook for graduates is pretty great. Many have been hired at prominent museums across the country and even abroad.
And I know, it’s only a year plus a summer.
I think that I am ultimately waiting to hear from Indiana, which to me is looking more and more like the best option cost wise in addition to having a great program. The only downside is it’s in a suburb, and I am wishing to go somewhere that’s a bit less like where I live now.
It’s kind of like buying a house - you’re never going to get everything you want. Since it’s not a very long time period, I wouldn’t worry about it being in a suburb.
As for the boyfriend - it’s only a year. A year in graduate school will fly by fast, and if you’re in a strong relationship you can handle the long distance. Definitely think about it of course, but I wouldn’t let that be a significant factor.
I say this as someone who lived away from my long-term partner/now-husband for a total of 6 years - 4 years in grad school, and 2 after - although not consecutively. We had been together for 7 years the first time we were long distance, so we were pretty serious. And the reason was also grad school - I went to grad school in New York; he went to the military training in Texas. We are married and live together now and I have a great job and I definitely don’t regret any of it.
It’s not that the school will ‘keep you happy.’ It’s that sometimes delaying gratification can be worth it.
The big question is the price tag. Is arts administration/management a competitive field? Does where you get your degree matter? Look at the people who have the kinds of jobs you want - check them out on LinkedIn or look at the pages of the arts organizations that you dream about working at. Where did they get their degrees? What caliber of schools? My guess is that Boston U probably shows up a lot more than Denver. (And generally speaking, I tend to be skeptical of most online-only master’s programs. In most fields, a completely online program still can’t fully compete with a brick and mortar one.)
Then, what does your undergrad debt look like? Do you have no debt now? Would you be carrying $60K in debt from Boston U? How much can arts administrators who have just graduated make? If you don’t have ANY debt from undergrad and the program is only a year, I would say that $60K is not bad for someone with a master’s degree if the arts admin program is tops. But if you have significant debt already, or you can’t expect to make at least around $50-60K after earning your MA from this program, then ehhhh.
But before you attend Denver, find out what kinds of jobs the students from Denver get after graduation.
It seems to me that if @SamIamIam and boyfriend are meant to be, then the relationship will last a year at a distance. Also, there are lots of law schools in Boston and the surrounding area.
However, I really don’t think that a master’s degree in Arts Administration/Management is something that you want to take on with $60k in debt. Two things that I was missing in the original post: Does OP already have debt from undergrad? Also, is the master’s degree program one year or two? These two questions might not matter much since even $60k in debt to me looks like something that should terrify @SamIamIam. If it were twice this much debt for a two year master’s then this would seem to me to be a non-starter.
I am also not sure that $60k is quite enough to cover everything at BU for one academic year.
To clarify, no I do not have any debt as an undergraduate. And $60k is just tuition and fees at Boston, not including the cost of living.
As I said in my original post, I was waiting to hear back from IU Bloomington. I recently received an admissions offer from them and, quite frankly, I see them as my best option. They are a state school which means lower tuition and they also guarantee some tuition remission. Full price would be $50k+, not including housing. They have the number one program in the world for nonprofit management, which I would be taking a number of classes in. The program will take 16 months.