ahembree

Jonathan Culler's Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction, is quite useful for a quick overview to theory as well. I read it before getting to my MA and it turned out to be my first assigned reading in my theory class.

Likewise! Only substitute "West Phoenix" for Detroit and "Upstate-New York" for San Jose. Time for a little reverse culture shock.

Same here. Luckily, my last day is next Friday (my apologies). I'm working at a summer camp this summer though, so not much rest or reading time ahead. Bills bills bills.

I wouldn't fret too much. I have time and time again been disappointed by standardized writing scores (SAT/ACt/AP etc.). I was very happy with mine on the GRE, even though I thought my second essay was garbage. I'm betting you'll be fine.

Some schools have a means for finding roommates. Check your program's residence life/housing website. My school has a board to post contact info to look for other grad roommates (from all departments). Also, ask your program director if he/she can put you in touch with a current grad student, as they have great info about the best areas to live, transportation concerns, etc. Also, I recommend http://www.city-data.com/ for learning more about your area in terms of neighborhoods and tons of statistical/demographic info. It's especially good for larger cities, but plenty of smaller ones are in the database. Also, I'd peruse Craigslist for apartment complex names, people with rooms for rent. If nothing else, it will give you an idea for budgeting.

Both Anaphora and Cataphora make more sense poetically or in small excerpts of prose rather than drawn out over a long plot. If I had to pin the tail on this donkey with words I already knew before I Wiki-ed Cataphora, though, I'd call it foreshadowing, though that doesn't quite assume the reader knows anything yet.

Thanks for your help, diehtc0ke! I'll be visiting campus this weekend and I'm looking forward to exploring. I'll get to check out the rails on the way in from the airport. I'm leaning more toward living in Bryn Mawr/Ardmore or somewhere close to campus these days, but I'm glad to know the West Philly commute isn't too bad.

Ultimately your experience will be what you make of it. [\cliche] At the same time, however, if i were you I would probably choose UNC. My opinion is uninformed, as I know little about Iowa (other than their great writing program). I just know that UNC's resources and the relative availability/proximity to conferences will likely be better (and for lit crit, it's a pretty legit). I'm also obsessed with that area of the country weather-wise. It's up to you. Play against me for a post and pretend Iowa is your favorite by a mile, then try to explain why. I've found this helps me figure out what's most important to me.

Ditto! I just got a grad assistantship at my school after a few weeks of sweating. Sending good waitlist vibes!

I began this process thinking only about Ph.D. programs. I started with a list of great schools based loosely on "rankings" from a variety of sources. I checked to see if the funding packages were good first, then read as much as I could on faculty members and haunted JSTOR. As I moved further along I started to consider job placement as a factor as well, though there is only so much one can predict about the market in 5-6 years. The more I read around here, the more I also started to consider department affiliations with things like the Folger library or the availability of conferences in the school's area. As the new year rolled around, however, I discovered that a shimmering chimera known as the "funded MA" actually exists. If any of you 2013-ers are coming out of your BA immediately or after even a few years off, I would strongly advise you add a few of these programs to your list of grad schools. When I started, I just assumed that basically no MA's were funded, but this is not the case (and there are several threads hiding about here dedicated to them). I was fortunate enough to stumble upon several of these programs and am very happy with the results. If I were to do this all over again (pleasegodno) I would increase the number of funded MA's on my list and prioritize Ph.D. placement and funding the highest.

Villanova (MA). Ready to get my Cheesesteak on.

I will most likely be attending Villanova this August. I've seen a few posts on the area in this thread. I know it is a bit early to be worried about the specifics of housing, but I would really appreciate any advice on a few things. Are there any apartment complexes/rental companies in the campus area to be wary of? I remember at my ug school certain companies were notorious. Likewise, has anyone had fantastic experiences with certain places (first hand or otherwise)? Villanova students: have any of you used the roommate finder service the website offers? I haven't accepted my offer officially yet, so I haven't checked it out. I'm a pretty social person, plus it would save money. I currently have a car, and I'm told that the campus area really lends itself to owning one. I've also been told that some students live in the city and take the train in. I would love to hear both perspectives. I love my car, but selling it would provide a nice cushion and get rid of a major monthly expense. My last question is this: how much of a biker's city is Philly? I'm definitely bringing mine regardless of where I live in the area, but I'm just curious.

I'm glad to hear there are people doing this for programs. Kudos! I'm sure you remember what it was like to look for housing, but I have a few issues that are of particular concern for me that might help you craft your list of apartments: Prioritize apartment complexes that have websites and disclose rent prices up front. In some areas I'm sure that's easier than others, but I really appreciate it when I don't have to call/email a landlord to find out the cost was prohibitive anyway. Is there a system for grad students to seek a fellow grad student roommate? (I know that can seem a bit sketchy, but bills is bills) Also, a few other miscellaneous thoughts: Are there any campus events/seminars/gatherings that occur before the first week of classes (optional or otherwise)? It's helpful to mark the calendar as early as possible when deciding when to start a lease/buy a plane ticket. Are there extracurricular clubs/activities available to grad students on campus? I know plenty of programs aren't exactly "free time heavy," but it's worth knowing. For those who may not be fully-funded or provided a stipend: links to part-time jobs available on/near campus would be useful. What days/weeks are summer classes in session? If a student was unable to visit before summer due to work/school, it would be beneficial to visit a summer class in the field while apartment hunting. Are tours given during the summer? Do any local storage facilities offer discounts to students? Some cross country movers may have stuff to ship out before classes start. I'm sure there are plenty of other things to mention, and that some of the above are inapplicable to your program or overly-based on my own current needs.

Add Villanova to the list. They offer Tuition Fellowships and Grad Assistantships with stipends. Great Ph.D placements the last few years. Also, we need to bump this thread close to next app season. Wish I had seen it last August.

Thank you for all of your responses! In response to a few specifics, Chicago's program is a one-year program, so while it would be in excess of 50k, it would not be 6 figure debt. That being said, I completely agree that that much debt would still be tremendous. Chicago has also informed me that they don't shift the few scholarships they provide around when people decline their offers, so I won't be able to get one. Since my OP I've had a good deal of contact with faculty members and current students at Villanova, and I'm feeling much informed about recent Ph.D. placements and the general situation. I appreciate all of your advice and the multiple perspectives. I'm on the waitlist for a graduate assitantship at Villanova. Here's hoping one comes my way!