<p>I'm currently attending a small graduate college in Alabama, but I would like to get into a graduate school in the North or even an international school in order to really stand out in my field, but I'm kind of wondering if I'm just dreaming. My undergraduate cumulative GPA was just under a 3.0, and my major GPA was probably just a little higher than a 3.0. Plus, I would need a hefty amount of financial aid or federal student loans. My family would not be able to contribute at all, and I'm attending on loans as it is. I'm sure places like the top tier--Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Stadford, NYU, etc., are out of the question, but is there some alternative? </p>
<p>If the top tier isn't out of the question, necessarily, how would I get in? I've heard that sometimes ivies favor creative students. I want to go for a master's in Education, art, or a related field, but my experience is pretty average--I've done tutoring and some substitute teaching. The only special thing is what I want to do and what I think I could do if I found the right training, the right group of people, and the right teacher. What are my chances, and what should I do to make the best impression?</p>
<p>If you want a master’s in education and art to go into teaching, you need to spend as little as possible. Those are not high-paying fields. Nor do you need a big, prestigious name on your diploma.</p>
<p>Going to “a graduate school in the north or even an international school” is not going to make you stand out in your field. Doing quality work is going to make you stand out in your field, and within reason, you can do quality work at your “small graduate college.”</p>
<p>First of all, education and art are pretty far apart from each other (unless you mean art education), so I’m not sure what you mean by “education, art, or a related field.” If you don’t know what you want to do, then you shouldn’t go to graduate school. Graduate school is education for a very specific career, not just something to do when you’re not really sure what to do next.</p>
<p>When you are in graduate school, you can borrow federal loans for the entire cost of attendance (federal Direct loans + Graduate PLUS loans, the graduate equivalent of Parent PLUS loans except that you borrow them yourself). HOWEVER, there’s no point in racking up a lot of debt for a career that doesn’t require a prestigious degree and doesn’t pay much. If you want to be an art teacher (or any other kind of teacher, or an artist) then you want to minimize your debt as much as possible because the salaries are lower. The best bet is probably get an M.Ed at a public university in your home state. The salary differentials are the same since teachers are typically paid on a publicly available scale that is only affected by degree, not pedigree.</p>
<p>If you want to live in a “really great place” for a few years, then just go live in a “really great place.” Apply for jobs in New York, in CA, or internationally. Don’t use graduate school as a vehicle to just go live where you want to live for a few years, because that’s an unnecessarily expensive way to do that.</p>
<p>Behind that, your questions are virtually impossible to answer without knowing what field you actually plan to apply to and more information. Your undergrad GPA’s importance diminishes as you put more distance between yourself and your degree (in years).</p>
<p>I was asked for chances from the OP with respect to TESOL MA programs. According to the description she gave, she’d likely aim for NYU Steinhardt or BC Lynch as her reaches (as Columbia was unreachable). But I think she’d probably be better off going to City College.</p>