Hey everyone,
So here's the deal---it looks like I might receive a round of rejections this year. I think the only acceptances I'll have will be my home institution and another MS program, both of which will not have full funding. For my home institution, I would still have the option of working with my current research advisors, one of which would be paid research, and potentially have TA funding as well. This would PROBABLY cover the tuition entirely, but not leave me with much money left over, meaning I'd have to get a part-time job or take out more loans. The other MS program would probably be a similar situation, though I'm just not sure yet on that one.
I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on what to do in the next academic year. I know that at a few schools I did come close to receiving an offer, so with a good PGRE score I should do well in my application cycle next year. My primary concern is strengthening my application and getting more astro experience. Financially I have almost nothing left in savings, so it seems my options are limited. Is it worthwhile to enter a MS program that I'd have to "pay" for? Or should I just seek outside employment and work on my scores? Any advice is really appreciated. Thanks, everyone.