MA at Columbia Teachers College instead?

[salt612]

I applied to clinical PhD programs this year (including TC), had 3 interviews and 1 acceptance to a school I wasn't thrilled about, which I turned down.

I was offered acceptance to the MA program at Teachers College and can't decide if it would be helpful to go (and worth the steep price tag).

I already have a couple of years of research experience and some publications, but the weakest part of my application is definitely my GPA. If that were not the case, I would not even consider a Master's program, but I have heard that a high Master's GPA can help compensate for a low undergrad GPA.

Any thoughts? Has anyone else attended the TC Master's program? I have heard mixed things about it. Any opinions about the helpfulness of Masters programs for low GPA applicants?

I'm planning to apply to PhD programs again in the fall regardless of what I decide. I just feel like I need to do SOMETHING different or I'm committing application suicide, which is why the TC Master's holds some appeal if it could actually help improve my chances of acceptance...

Thanks!

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[Jon4PsyD]

Well....here's a warning. You will probably hear some negatve posts after this one. For such a great school, TC seems to get a bad reputation (at least by posters on these boards and by those who have applied to the program).

Unless these credits will go toward your Ph.D. I wouldn't bother attending. It will be very expensive.

What made you choose against attending the Ph.D. program you were accepted at?

Jon

 

[ny1020]

Well, I'm pretty new to all this...but taking into account what I've read on this board - with 3 interviews and 1 acceptance, you might not be as undesirable a candidate as you think. Maybe it was just a matter of not applying to enough schools or not having the perfect fit? If you are worried about your GPA, maybe it's just a matter of taking some classes over again as a post-bac?

I'd imagine that there are other things you can do besides an expensive program. Unless you do research with a faculty at the masters program that exactly matches what you want to do in the future?

 

[clearcolor]

Well....here's a warning. You will probably hear some negatve posts after this one. For such a great school, TC seems to get a bad reputation (at least by posters on these boards and by those who have applied to the program).

Jon

Take every post on SDN with a grain of salt. People often comment based on what they have heard vs what they know first-hand.

 

[salt612]

Thanks for the advice so far.

I agree about people posting based just on what they've heard, so it would be great to hear from someone who has first-hand experience with the program.

I turned down the acceptance I got because it was at a professional school across the country that would have been extremely expensive and not very research-oriented or based on a mentor model.