I’ve decided that the main program of interest to me is a Liberal Arts Master’s degree. It seems like I always go for the things that are hardest to find/obtain. There are very few schools that have a Master’s program in Liberal Arts & Sciences. Thankfully, San Diego State University has a program and they’re only 90 miles from here. Ninety miles?! Did I just say I was thankful for that? Well, yeah…the next closest program I’d found was at my alma mater, The University of Michigan-Flint. Considering that I now live in Orange County, California, SDSU will be much closer.
I have plenty of time to get prepared for this venture – SDSU is accepting applications for the program but Fall of 2008 is the earliest I could start. And then they only accept about 20 students per year. I’d have to take the GRE exam, write a 500 word (minimum) essay explaining my career goals and interest in the program, and – if accepted – drive 180 miles per week to get to classes.
I’ve been in Master’s programs before and I can already see a difference between those programs and this one. Those were run by a sister school of my employer. I was pretty much guaranteed admission to the program. I didn’t have to take a test to get in, and had to write a 100-word essay on my career goals. It was so easy to get in, I didn’t really take it seriously. Plus, the school is run by a bunch of clowns: they lost my transcripts and instructors quit before turning in grades (which it was then my responsibility to track down). I would never have paid to attend the school.
Not that SDSU is necessarily perfect, but it’s more of an honor to get in. I know my personality and I definitely work harder when things that aren’t just handed to me. My employer will pay for 75% of my tuition costs but even if they didn’t…it’s only $1300 per semester. Not that I’m made of money but that’s really not too bad. Actually, I think that’s about what the cost of my undergrad was before scholarships were applied. SDSU, here I come!
