How much is too much? Graduate debt!

[kuniklos]

This is a question I have asked both my advisors and I can't get a helpful answer. I'm a debt-a-phobe. I don't even own a credit card. I save for emergencies and I never buy what I can't afford. But there is one thing I can't afford: graduate school. And I need to resolve my issues about loan debt. I'm lucky I get to leave undergrad with only

Comments

[idealforcolors]

are you looking into phd programs, or only ma? i decided that given the relatively low salaries in archaeology i should just go for the phd and less debt, even though i wasn't sure when applying that i wanted a phd rather than an ma...the costs of going into a phd rather than ma program are very low compared to the sort of debt you're taling about. (btw, is the program you're looking at in NYC CUNY? if it's not, add that to your list! it's internationally known for viking archaeology, and the grad students there are pretty cool people too.)

[jennesy]

yeah CUNY! (sociology PhD here...)
The OP is probably referring to NYU/Columbia, though, since they mentioned that they would probably end up $50-100K in debt.

[kuniklos]

I love Tom McGovern from CUNY, he helped me figure out what I want to do and hooked me up with great field schools. As much as I love him, I hate the school itself. I'm applying there as a last shot option to be honest. I want to stay out of NYC if I can, but there is one program there that is so entirely freaking amazing that I would suffer the city for it.

And that's the Bard Graduate Center! I can work in both art history, archaeology and museum studies in one. Not to mention the class listings make a mess in my pants. Seriously I got the class listings and about cried with joy.

[jennesy]

That's how I feel about CUNY Soc... :)
One of the best things about going to grad school in NYC is the consortium - you can take classes at Columbia, NYU, CUNY, etc. I haven't done it (I've been really happy w/the classes at the GC) but I've had lots of people from other schools in my classes.

[awug]

"I hate the school itself"

Kind of off-topic, but I'm nervous about CUNY, tons of people in this community and academics_anon frequently complain about it (particularly teaching loads for grad students). Unfortunately the biggest people in my subfield of philosophy work there, and I'm definitely going to apply and see how it goes...

[kuniklos]

My complain is that the building I would be were old, really old. Falling apart old. They are very confusing, very, very confusing to meneauver, not to mention the elevators don't go to all floors. For example you take elevator A to get to the 8th floor, take elevator B to get to the 3rd floor. Then take elevator C to get to a floor close to yours. Then take the stairs. Oh yes, by the way there are no room numbers on some floors.

Getting from one place to another felt like mission impossible. And for what you'd pay to be there you'd think they wouldn't have plaster coming off the walls, rust and broken brick as well as temperatures that are too hot and too cold.

Great programs and professors, absolutely. Shitty school building itself.

[jennesy]

Hunter? :)
On the upside the Grad Center is a pretty nice building with good resources.

[jennesy]

That is probably THE major complaint about being a grad student at CUNY. Even if you have a comparatively "easy" teaching assignment (e.g., being a TA for a lecture course) you still have to deal with the fact that you're teaching at a campus that could be over an hour away from the GC, limited access to office space, sub-par health insurance (but we finally have insurance, yay!), low pay compared to other institutions in cities that have a lower cost of living, etc.

If you can come in with outside funding like an NSF GRF or something you don't have to worry, though! :)

[kuniklos]

Listed below CUNY isn't one of the ones I'm refering to but it's on the list of the few I am replying to. Tom McGovern is awesome. He hooked me up with a field school the last two years that helped me make my choice for what I want to do.