this_is_a_wug

bowling pin

In case you haven't already seen, WALS has a great chapter on this: http://wals.info/chapter/107

You pretty much hit the nail on the head. Ph.D programs are pretty hard to get into, and as it stands, you don't have very much to show that you're qualified for a Ph.D program. You don't have to know exactly what you want to do going into a program, but most programs need to know that you a) understand what linguistics is and have potential in succeeding as a scholar. Although many people come to linguistics from a variety of disciplines (math, computer science, foreign languages), they usually have to have some demonstrated familiarity with the field before getting into the field. What classwork have you taken so far in linguistics proper? In fact, how certain are you that linguistics (rather than "applied" linguistics/TESOL/SLA) is right for you? Do you know what kind of direction you want to go in, for example, what subfield you want to study or what questions you want to answer? If you can't answer this, then you almost certainly need to take more coursework, but from what I can tell from your post, your interests seem bent towards L2 acquisition. If that's the case, SLA programs would be better for your interests than linguistics programs (which tend to focus on L1's). Here are a couple of SLA programs I know: Arizona: http://slat.arizona.edu/prospective-students Indiana: http://www.indiana.edu/~dsls/ Maryland: http://www.sllc.umd.edu/sla Contrast these programs with linguistics programs at the same schools: Arizona: http://linguistics.arizona.edu/node/541 Indiana: http://www.indiana.edu/~lingdept/ Maryland: http://ling.umd.edu/about/ Also, you didn't mention research. One of the best ways to increase your chances of getting into a program is getting experience with research and many skills are transferrable. If you haven't already, ask the linguistics faculty (if there are any in your school!) if they know of any research opportunities.

Here's my story: I applied to 5 schools. After all is said and done, I realize now I applied to too many schools. I have a very narrow topic within my subfield that I want to investigate and looking back, there are really only two or three schools where I could do my research. I didn't feel comfortable only applying to three schools (especially knowing how competitive ling programs are!), so I also added two schools from a larger pool on my list that I knew were less than ideal, but where I felt there was a vague match in terms of research interests. I was rightfully rejected from these schools, and I realized soon after I just wasted the adcoms' time and my own money by applying. That being said, ymmv. There isn't a set number of schools you should apply to and in your case, five might be OK. However, one of the researchers in my subfield basically told me NOT to treat grad school applications like undergrad applications and encouraged me to apply to less schools (my list then was 8 or 9). I'm glad I took his advice. Long story short: Don't feel bad about applying to a small number of grad schools. Especially on here, you get the sense that you should apply to eight or ten schools, when three might just be perfect. PS: I also had a list of "definites" and "maybes" at this stage and I ended up not even applying to some on my definite list. If you're anything like me, there is a possibility your list may change as well.

social butterfly

No one can really tell your chances with just your GPA, GRE and TOEFL scores; these are really given very little weight in the admissions process and your research, your statement of purpose and your letters of recommendation generally play a much larger role when it comes to admissions. Perhaps you could tell us more (e.g. undergraduate research opportunities, etc.) With that said, nobody can really predict what'll happen; you should probably just wait and see what happens! Did you apply to the MA program in linguistics there? The only thing I can say is that MA programs tend to be less competitive than Ph.D programs because generally they're not funded (and thus, less people apply!)

I sent you a PM, CawingKro.

Unfortunately, I don't think so. In fact, for linguistics Ph.D programs, this would be a bit silly. You can get residency after two years if you're an American citizen and then start "paying" in-state tuition. Many of the UC's (Cal, UCLA, UCSB, etc.) have top linguistics programs, and they are well-funded. In spite of all of the debt, I couldn't imagine them NOT doing what every other top program does, public or private, especially knowing it's only 2 years out of 5 (or 6 or 7 or...) of "extra" money. The budget shortfall would have to be really bad before they start having a "strong" preference for CA residents. That being said, I can imagine them doing what a lot of public schools do: seeing in-state residents as an extra bonus, but I doubt it really tips the scale in anyone's favor. I know rejections are hard, mylime, but all of the schools you applied to are very competitive. Most of the schools you applied to probably get over 100 applications for around 6 spots. Your rejections say more about how competitive these programs are rather than your abilities as a grad student.

I agree, though there might be some small preference for Canadian citizens. I think it might be cheaper when it comes to tuition reimbursement, so the department saves money that way. It seems fairly reasonable; I know Arizona also has a slight preference for Arizona residents. But, that being said, they probably want you to attend McGill, Phonolog, because you're a good match and a dedicated student.

I think it means that you've been shortlisted. I would wait another week and if you still haven't heard anything, then contact the graduate coordinator and ask about your application status. (Penn did seem to have a lot of rejections a while ago....)

I second this, but I would also add that a strong writing sample would also be good. I feel like linguistics is one of those fields where, if you have access to a decent university library and some public data, there's a lot of potential for some kind of project, whether that's a lit review with criticism or even investigating something new. If you don't have a linguistics background and/or the money to take more courses, then I would certainly say a writing sample about a linguistics topic would be an excellent addition. It would show adcoms you know what linguistics is and definitely enough about the field to devote a significant part of your life to it.

I would absolutely say that prestige of your advisor is important when you are trying to get a job in academia. Employers look at your record, see where you went to school, who you worked with, and can (and will!) make a base judgement off that. There are, however, a lot of companies/non-profits that hire graduates in applied linguistics, so if you don't limit yourself to academia, then, IMO, you can go really go anywhere. That being said, I don't think that the rankings really matter very much when it comes to linguistics. For example, two of the schools I applied to are in the middle/towards the bottom of the rankings for linguistics as a whole but, within my specialization, there are only very well-known professors. The only thing I would say is that a very low NRC ranking usually means less funding is available, but this isn't always the case. In general, it's best to choose a school based off who you want to work with rather than some arbitrary ranking.

I will preface my answer with this: I never lived in Tucson. I'm from Phoenix and went to Tucson twice when I was younger (i.e. middle school). I liked the little bit of time that I spent in Tucson, but I never visited the campus and most of what I know is based off what my friends from high school who went to U of A said. What I can tell you is this: The public transportation system is marginally better than the one in Phoenix (and the Phoenix one isn't that good.) My friends who went to U of A all said they got around fine around the university without a car, but that was for undergraduate. I would almost certainly say that as a graduate student, you will probably want to get a car if you want to do any of the cool cultural stuff like going to the movies, shopping, museums, etc. outside of the area around the university. There's a ton of stuff to do if you get a car, not so much if you don't. There might not be as much stuff to do like like say, NYC, but there's definitely enough to tide you over for two years. Yes, there's a TON of hiking, but because it's Tucson, it's unbearably hot in the summer, so no going outside then except in the very wee hours of the morning. My bet is that you can go biking too because hiking and mountain biking pretty much go together and there are TONS of mountains. However, I probably wouldn't rely on biking everywhere; Tucson, like Phoenix, is pretty spread out. Also, in case it's not obvious, if you decide to go to Arizona, make sure that wherever you live, you have AC. It's not a luxury; it's a necessity. In the summer, it gets over 110 degrees Fahrenheit in Tucson (about 45+ degrees Celsius); during those days, it's best to stay inside.

I can't help you from an academic perspective (I studied French in college), but you should definitely search the City Guide forum and you will find tons of information about all of the cities you asked about. If you decide to post there, It might also be helpful to ask more specific questions rather than whether or not they are "good" places to live. For example, I am from Arizona and could tell you a little bit about Tucson, but not whether it is a "good" place to live. It's all about whether it would fit you in terms of your lifestyle (e.g. public transportation, things to do, etc.)

Third wheel