"Is N.Y.U. for you?"

I've begun to question whether or not I really desire/require to study at NYU. There is no denying that the the school is offering the program of my DREAMS: specifically the school of Journalism's Cultural Reporting & Criticism program; however a number of other factors have recently shaken my resolve to study there.

First is the cost issue: Tuition alone for the 2005-2006 school year, in which a student would complete 24 credit "points", was $24,576.00 USD's. As a Master's student I would be required to complete 32-40 points to gain my degree. The per-point rate (not including the other administrative, application and miscellaneous fees) is roughly calculated at $1,024.00 per point. Bear in mind that none of the figures I just mentioned include the cost of actually living in New York City, which puts a further damper on the whole grandiose idea of studying abroad.
I'm not saying that the tuition fees in Canada are anything to laugh at, but they're certainly more manageable from the perspective of paying off school-related loans in the future.

Second, I must be hard on myself and ask: if your dream is to work as a journalist in Canada, and you have absolutely no desire to be the next CNN bimbo, why do you need to educate yourself outside of your own country? Is there some profound journalistic wellspring located in downtown Manhattan that cannot be tapped north of the 49th parallel? And could you not make your own efforts to become enlightened in the specific cultural and critical domains being discussed "down South"? And if you were to study in New York, wouldn't you be unlikely to make many connections within the Canadian broadcasting community? Wouldn't it therefore be more difficult to "break into" the northern scene? And if you were offered a sweet position working in New York after you'd finished your studies would you be able to turn it down (considering your financial depravity)? And should you really be squandering your sweet skills "down South" when the country you truly love and respect is your hypothermic homeland?

The third factor to consider is it the questionable quality of American journalism at this point in time. With the media acting as the uncritical, unquestioning, uninformative minion of the country's HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE government, I cannot help but wonder if studying there would be a benefit or a detriment to the development of my own journalistic skills. Can I be educated by those for whom I have little respect and even less faith? With every major media network in the country owned and operated by only 5 wealthy conglomerates who have the power to pick and choose what news suits them and their affiliates, is this an environment in which I can gain journalistic integrity, abide by the ethics of the trade, and perhaps even critique some of the institutions that have made "America the Great" the America we hate? And will I feel comfortable learning in an environment where sentiments are remarkably "right-wing", whereas I am quite the opposite?

Fourth is the annoyance of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE's): having to take and study for them here, in South Korea, while I am working 55 hours a week, testing for my Black Belt in Taekwondo, and trying to enjoy the limited time I have left (when I am not sleeping or eating, that is). Honestly, I was excited when I first started looking into the whole process but now it's turning into a nightmare. When was the last time I even thought about an "integer", let alone solved a quadratic equation?!?!? The whole thing just seems like a big headache that I'd rather do without, thankyouverymuch.

So this is my conundrum. I would welcome any ideas and opinions, be they negative, positive, or merely neutral. I am really having a hard time with this one. There isn't really anyone in Mokpo with whom I can talk to about it, so I'm putting it up to you. There's no rush. Applications aren't due until December 15th, 2006, so we've got some time... What says you?