Grev

That is a tricky, and unfortunately sort of invasive discussion. Maybe ask current graduate students what they know about family leave and the program, at least to start? Alternatively, you might be more comfortable talking to a female professor in the department (even if they're not the graduate chair) about this. I imagine the kind of response you get to your question might tell you a lot.

I haven't had someone react negatively to this question, but I can see what the fear would be. A lot of programs in my field are the "We issue MAs on the way to the PhD", so while transfering in with an MA in hand isn't unheard of, it isn't the only way to do things. Usually I ask "As you know, I already have my MA. Can you talk to me about how this affects the graduation timeline and credit requirements?" At that point they usually volunteer the transfer info. In one case it turned out to be a good thing because they'd made a mistake filing my application and thought I was looking for a (second) terminal MA. Of course, YMMV.

I'll own up to having made a spreadsheet to compare the cost of attending each of my schools with and without likely levels of financial aid/TA-ships. It's nice to have all the info right in front of you.

Horse Pill

If you've already got an email rapport going with the department, don't be afraid to be excited and friendly. Something like: Dear Professor Impressive, I'm very excited and pleased to officially accept the offer of admissions to University X. I'm looking forward to arriving on campus in August/September. Thank you very much, -Student Awesome J. Exceptional This is also a great time to ask for a hook up with a current grad student who can give you advice on the mechanics of relocating, or any other questions you've got. Congrats and good luck!

That list of questions is amazing. Here are a couple I will also be asking. They're a little specific to my situation, but may help others as well: - Already have an MA. How/what credits can be transfered, and how does this affect projected graduation time? - Moving from trimesters (BA, MA) to semesters. What do I need to know about pacing myself through the term? How does this affect course transfer? - Are there opportunities for research/study abroad? Is there funding for this? - Will I be able to teach mid or upper division courses in my field (~300 level)? - What is the support (financial and prep) for attending/presenting at conferences?

Guinea Pig

Dog Person

That's sort of a huge topic... Are you looking for readings tied to (post-)colonialism, the US civil rights movement, something else? And are you looking for theory reading, or literature where this is a major topic?

I don't think it's strange at all, especially when you have one school putting pressure on you the way you do. Are you looking at Masters or PhD programs? And are the schools in the US? I know most US schools can't demand a decision from you before April 15, so you may have a little wiggle room to push back on the program who wants a deposit.

As said above, your university will have a placement or proficiency exam you can take to show your level of French. I think the standard minimum is the equivalent of completing the 2nd year language series. If your immersion school was sufficiently intensive, this should be a cake walk for you. In the US you can take the CLEP exam for about $80 and receive credit for those two years if you need something more official. As for the Greek/Latin question, I'd do option 1. Which language will depend on your particular area of interest. I personally feel Latin is a little more useful, but my time period is solidly medieval to early modern (and I'm in RL anyway) so ymmv. Definitely talk to your POI, and then get started if you can.

I see that the OP ranks his schools as #3 and #7 in her or his field, which at a glance looks fairly close to me as both are top-10. Of course, that's different if there's only 10 programs overall... But basically, I'd take a look at what School A is doing in their lab before making the call. Then, if there's a project or two at School A that sounds really interesting, get in touch with the POI there and the POI at School B. Personally, I would then go with the school where I have the best rapport with the POI/am most excited about the research. The emails you're getting aren't so much a push to make a decision as an invitation for you to start talking with their departments and get questions answered. You could even ask School A what projects they're particularly excited about, and start getting a feel for School B's POI as a person and mentor, all from the comfort of your own computer

Hi Marie-Luise, I think you've made a compelling argument for why you would benefit from a second PhD, or at least some serious post-doctoral studies. When/if you re-apply to programs next year, I would definitely make sure that the points listed above are clear in your Statement of Purpose. I'll mention that, (and the rest of the forum can peer-review the statement), Comparative Literature in the US is a highly competitive field. Additionally, in any given year you're not just "competing" against other applicants, but against the department itself being interested in hiring a student with your interests and area of specialization. As you seem to have a pretty clear idea of what you want to study, that makes things tricky. I know that you're very interested in working with a particular professor at Harvard, but I'd recommend applying to several US programs in the next cycle if it comes to that. There's a very good chance you'd be able to collaborate with this professor even if you are not at his school- many programs encourage their students to have someone on their dissertation committee who is not part of the department faculty. And I don't think it is completely unheard of for people to make a shift from one literature to comparative literature in their professional careers provided they have the background for it. Again, the comp lit docs can confirm or deny that statement In all cases, I do wish you the very best of luck and hope you find a good path to your future goals.

I finished all the course work for two majors in 3 years, and then opted to do a year of "post-undergrad" because at 20 I didn't feel mentally or emotionally ready to be done with undergrad. This was possible due to insane good luck. I walked in with nearly two years of college credit through a combo of AP testing and splitting my last two years of high school between that and classes at the state university in town. I also double majored across the Sciences/Humanities divide (Math and Spanish) which let me count some in-major classes towards the university's general ed requirements. Additionally, I took a full course load year round (no summers off), and was able to do homework at my campus job. Having been That Kid, I'll say I don't think it is at all necessary to push so hard and so fast to get through undergrad, or even your Masters. Though I'll admit I have no idea what people do during the summer if they're not in class

I don't have much advice to add on the topic of the lab work (though the idea of writing up tasks is a good one), but on the topic of the racist jokes I really, really recommend you report the offender. It doesn't have to be to your department, but it may be possible you can file a complaint with the Graduate School in some way. You may even be able to retain a some anonymity. Behavior like that is unacceptable, and it really shouldn't be your responsibility to jump in and correct it. That should be the University/Department's job, but they can't/won't move on it until a complaint is filed *sigh*. If you're not sure who you can talk to, your university's Center for Multicultural Affairs and/or Black Student Union are great places to start. In either case, I sincerely wish you the best of luck getting the whole thing sorted out with your project and your data.

Sign Post

Here's my situation, though I have a feeling I'm not totally alone in this (?): I got accepted to my top choice school a couple weeks ago. The school (or at least my department) doesn't have an open house or official visit day, so I contacted my POI to see about setting up a visit to the campus. My POI has been very enthusiastic, and friendly (part of why this is my top choice), and she suggested I come out to attend a seminar the department is hosting in my field. The seminar sounded generally interesting, and I tentatively agreed to the dates. Turns out a few of the big names in my field are going to be there, and she's invited me to also join an informal dinner with the presenters (and a few faculty and grad students) at her home afterwords as well. I'm genuinely excited and flattered to be included in this, but every time I try and write a "Thank you OF COURSE I WILL COME OH MY GOSH!" email I feel like a total fangirling dork Anyone have any tips on how to show you're excited and very positive without coming off totally uncool? Or is it already a lost cause? PS: Also, what does one WEAR to something like this? Business casual, or a little dressier?

I once had a math professor tell our class that "No one cares what you dress like as long as your proofs are elegant." For your visit, I'd recommend letting a little bit of your ink show. You've already been accepted, and if it's going to be a problem I think it'd be better to know sooner rather than later. If they're going to be uncomfortable with it, just imagine how uncomfortable you'd be at that school after X-many years. Of course, I'm living in Portland and did my BA/MA in Eugene. If the 1" gauges and full facial tattoos don't phase us out here, nothing will.

Is this an English-majors only party, or can other literatures join?

Hi World-Refusal, One trick in your situation might be to "prompt" your LoR writers and try and get them each to showcase something different about you. For example, have your Biology professor speak to your work ethic, critical thinking/problem solving skills, and whatever else you see as an overlap between bio and math (even and especially if it's an abstract thing like analytical thinking or process). Have whichever of your two current math teachers know you best maybe speak to your ability in the field. If you've taken an applied math course at the University, that person might be even better that's where you're thinking of researching. The community college teacher is the weakest link because he's going to be an unknown to the Ad Com. I'd recommend thinking very hard about what there is about you he can speak to that the others can't. Since he knows you well, he's probably a good LoR, but you want to make sure his letter is filling in the gaps between the math teacher who doesn't know you well, and the bio teacher who's not in your field. With a little luck, the three letters will support each other and paint a strong picture of you as an applicant. Good luck!

I'd say your chances are still pretty good, even with a low science grade on your transcript. I was a very confused undergrad and finished a very strong-in major GPA for Spanish (4.0+), and a mediocre in-major GPA for Math (~2.5). No-one has ever asked about my math grades, or seemed to hold them against me since my grades were other wise fine and very strong in my specialization. I'd say it hasn't seemed to affect my getting into MA or PhD programs nearly as much as research fit does. I would, however, recommend getting a tutor if you can to help you take some of the stress out of passing the course.

Open Sesame

Hi Roxy, My advice to you would be to very carefully consider what you're hoping to get out of the History MA. If you just like history and want to learn more, consider doing reading/research on your own time and you can focus on the areas that interest you. If you want to teach history at a high school, then you might look into doing a MaT and getting licensed. If you want the MA just to have an MA, I would recommend not applying at all because the program will demand a LOT of time and effort from you that you could be using to do something you truly love. As Katzenmusik says, there will be a LOT of theory and dense reading at the MA level for history (or any other discipline). I would seriously recommend seeing if you can look up the reading lists for a few graduate level history courses at your alma mater and then trying to pick up some of the texts from your local library or bookstore. If they seem boring to you, and you can't push through the theory, then it's unlikely you'll be happy or successful in the MA program.

Hey Beajae, While visiting definitely helps, especially with getting a vibe for the area you're going to be in, I think there's a few things you can look at remotely. Caveat: I'm on the academic side of the fence, so some advice might not apply directly to professional schools. For the suggestions below, I'm assuming all the schools have roughly the same prestige and funding packages, but if they don't those are certainly thins to keep in mind. - What is your relationship to the faculty/POI you've talked to on line? Do they seem excited about your projects and mentoring you? Are you excited about their areas of specialization? - Talk to current students in the program. Even if it's just by email or Skype, they can give you some insight into what things are like back stage. They're also great people to ask about places to live, good food on campus, what there is to do on a Saturday night (besides prep for next week), etc. - Look at the physical location of the schools. Look up the weather/daylight in the area. If you really hate snow, or if short days in the winter zap all your energy, then it will make getting through a program in Michigan a lot harder than one in Florida. - Finally, consider the pros and cons of living in each of the cities, including amenities and cost of living. Also how well does the area mesh with you personally and/or politically? Ways to find out about the area the schools are in would be to look up the local news paper online, look at their Craigslist, and try to find blogs by people in the area. It's also worth googling "[your favorite hobby] in [university city]" and see what comes up. And, of course, talking to current students.

High Street