Inez90

I lived and went to school in Wichita for four years (I assume you're going to WSU?), and I agree with much of what aerin_sol has said. To me, Wichita has the intimate feel of a small town but still offers all of the cultural activities, socializing, industry, shopping, etc. typical of a larger city. It's relatively affordable and there are quite a few options for apartments/housing. Some apartments complexes that I recall that are within walking distance to campus are Tall Oaks, The Grove, University Place. And yes, you will be at a great disadvantage if you do not own a car, as the bus system is not very efficient, and the university is quite far from grocery stores, coffee shops, etc. That is one downside of WSU--because it is in an urban setting, it feels like a commuter campus. The community in and around the university isn't as tight-knit as it would be at more traditional schools. Also, WSU isn't located in the best part of town, so, yes, crime is an issue, but it shouldn't deter you from attending the school. I would just recommend avoiding housing on the south side of campus where the majority of the crime takes place. I actually lived in that part of the city and never had any issues, but I still wouldn't recommend it. Because Kansas is in the Bible Belt/uber-conservative part of the country, Wichita, naturally, is more conservative than most cities of a similar size, but I wouldn't consider it intolerant. In fact, the student political/social organizations of both parties are very vocal and active on campus and you can easily find people and groups of your niche. Overall, people there are generally kind and cordial. One of my favorite parts of Wichita is the variety of restaurants and cultural foods. You can find quality Thai, Indian, Mediterranean, French, Mexican restaurants, etc., you name it. Anyway, I just realized that this was posted almost a month ago. Hope things worked out and if you have any more questions about Wichita or WSU feel free to message me.

You sound bitter, selecttext. I highly doubt that my experience in grad school will be of "little consequence," but, um, thanks for the input.

Thank you for all of your thoughtful advice. I can't defer admission and still retain funding, and I should've clarified that the school I got accepted to is in another state, and my current job is in a small, rural town that isn't ideal or appealing to a young and curious person like me. If I were to stay here and attend a program part-time, I would be limited to the programs around where I live and would probably have to commute to class or do on-line courses. It's doable--I know people in my town who do this--but ultimately I don't think it would challenge me. Gauche, you posed some important questions, and I've considered them heavily. I ultimately don't want to settle or sell myself short, and I feel that's what I will be doing if I decide to stay and work full time. It's the "safe" choice and one motivated by fear and uncertainty about the future, and I don't like that. I also don't think I could remain satisfied with it for the next 10-20 years. Simply put, I want to grow, so I'm planning to go ahead and attend grad school this Fall. Maybe I'm being naive and maybe my reasons aren't sound, but it feels most natural. I personally believe an MA will ultimately open up more interesting and challenging professional opportunities than are available to me right now and will allow me to make more professional and personal connections, even if those opportunities and connections don't lead directly to my ideal teaching position (I agree that I need to widen my career interests beyond that), I think it's still worth it.

I'm surprised to be in this position, as I had a very set plan to pursue an MA in English with an emphasis in TESOL after graduating with my BA, but I took a part-time job at the local library to put money in my pocket and I've come to enjoy it. Now a full-time position with benefits has come available there, and my boss has encouraged me to move into that position. It's very tempting considering that, with a BA in Literature, I'm not exactly marketable in the current economy, and full-time jobs in my field (and that I would enjoy) are hard to come by; however, I was also accepted into a strong MA program with an assistantship, tuition waiver, and a generous monthly stipend. While an MA in English with a TESOL emphasis will give me more practical training and may open up more professional opportunities than an MA in Literature alone would, the job market for individuals like me who want to teach English to adults but do not have a teaching license is still fairly weak. Of course, I miss academia and the rich world of the mind, am passionate about the field and TESOL, and would probably feel I missed a wonderful opportunity to grow intellectually and personally if I decide not to go to graduate school. On the other hand, I know that I need to be practical, and my fear is that I won't be able to find steady employment in my field after going to graduate school for a humanities degree. This job, while not ideal but enjoyable and interesting nonetheless, would provide me with the stability I desire, and I could always pursue graduate school later on. Still, I'm afraid I'll be haunted by "What ifs" if I turn down this great opportunity to study now. And I could be exaggerating how bleak the market is. Ugh, I don't know. I know most of you are dealing with your own difficult decisions and dilemmas, but any insight or advice would be much appreciated.

Other funded MA English programs I didn't see on the list: Oklahoma State University, University of South Dakota

Thank you for the advice. I was definitely over-thinking this one. I do have to sign and return a form confirming my assistantship, but I wasn't sure how to go about accepting the entire admissions/assistantship offer. I ended up sending an email to the Graduate Coordinator similar to what ion_exchanger had described. Thanks again!

Also, how long should it be? I would REALLY appreciate some advice.

What initially seemed to be a straight-forward question now has me stumped. I'm struggling to find information on how to formally or properly accept an offer of admission. Is it acceptable to send an e-mail (professionally written of course) to the Graduate Coordinator or should I fax/mail a typed letter instead? I have an idea of what the content of the letter should be like, but any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

I was accepted for admission to an MA program at my top school last week, and in the email they sent me, they said I should be hearing from the department head regarding my assistantship application "soon." I looked on the school's website, and they said applicants should be notified of funding a week or two following notification of admission. Funding is crucial for me; if I don't get funding, I won't go to graduate school. It has been well over a week, and I haven't heard a single word from anyone regarding funding, and I'm getting a bit uneasy and becoming consumed by paranoid thoughts (Could they have misplaced or never even received my assistantship application? etc.), so I'm wondering if it would be acceptable for me to send the graduate coordinator an email asking if information regarding a funding decision will be included in my official acceptance packet ( I haven't even received that yet) or if it will be sent separately. I don't want to come across as desperate and pushy, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Obviously, I don't want to ask directly, "Did I get funding??", so I'm wondering it this is a better approach, or if I should even be asking this early and should wait it out awhile longer. Thank you.