Ask E. Jean's Creep of the Week

Better Pour Yourself a Strong One

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How To Blow $100,000

Dear E. Jean:

I'm excited to say that over the last few weeks, I've been accepted to three different journalism schools in New York City—Columbia, NYU and The New School—and now I'm at a crossroads about what to do. Any of the three would put me in more than $100,000 of student loan debt.

Should I go? If I decide “Yes,” the degree I'd start in the fall would actually be my second M.A. in the field. I did just finish an M.A. in Fashion Journalism in December 2020, which I financed entirely with student loans. I also majored in journalism in college (my parents paid for my undergrad), and I've worked in the field for several years. Would it be stupid of me to go into more student loan debt to get another degree, even if it was at one of these top-notch schools? Or would it be stupid of me to turn down my spot at any of these schools? (I have to say, too, that Columbia in particular has been my dream sch…