BunnyWantsaPhD

Some places want a combined minimum GRE score for funding purposes. I know of one school that will give people who don't have the combined score around $13,000 and those who do have the score around $19,000. So, it matters...to some schools at least.

Glad I'm not the only one feeling this way, though you have a much bigger move! Looks like we're both going to SUNY Buffalo!!! Let's chat!

Anyone else feeling mixed feelings because of having to leave family? I feel so great that I got in somewhere, but I really don't want to leave those who are close to me. And, I haven't even visited the school that I accepted, so I feel like I don't know what I got myself into--I know it's a great school, and I fit the program, etc., it's just a lot to handle at the moment.

Thanks!!! I prepared myself for the worse and got the best. Beyond happy. Thanks for the support along the way!

I can finally join the cool acceptance club. I've been accepted to SUNY Buffalo. Woot woot.

Got accepted to SUNY Buffalo off of the wait list! So incredibly happy!

I'm not sure if this has been addressed or not, and maybe it's just my perspective, but in my experience there aren't many jobs you can get with this degree. I think a lot of people are making it sound better than it really is. Sure, you can get a job editing, but what I've found is that there are few editing positions out there and they tend to be mind-numbingly awful (as in editing direction manuals for how to use a vacuum for some random company). And, sure you can get hired at some places to teach--but it's usually as an adjunct where you get paid next to nothing and you have no job stability. I was always told that an MA in English was a stepping stone to other degrees, not something that would really get you a great job. So, I kept that in mind and knew that I was going to go on to the PhD (though, yes, I know the job market sucks there too). So many of my fellow friends who got MAs were shocked that it didn't get them some great job afterwards. They have no plans on getting a PhD and are now upset that they wasted their time getting MAs. Maybe this is just the case where I live (which is the midwest), but I have a feeling it's not. I wouldn't advise anyone to get an MA if they weren't planning on getting a PhD. (my apologies if this has already been addressed in this forum. I didn't read the whole thing).

Thanks, I'll PM you both!

I'm high on the wait list for SUNY Buffalo, and was just wondering if anyone plans to turn down their offer. I know I already asked this question on a few other forums, so my apologies for being neurotic/annoying. This is pretty much my only hope for a PhD program at this point, and I reallly, really want to go there. If you have turned down your offer, or plan to, please let me know. Also, I'm trying not to get too excited about the possibility of going there, but if anyone has any insight into the program or the city, I'd love any info.

Thanks for the information!

How did you get this information--did you call the department? I wanna know my status! This process is the worst.

Thanks for letting me know. This is such a frustrating process but hopefully something good comes out of it! Serendipity, I can't remember if I asked this already, but are you an international application too?

So, your acceptance letter didn't come with any funding at all--no teaching assistantship or tuition wavers? Did they indicate that the "down the road funding" would occur before your first year or were they saying in subsequent years? When I talked to them on the phone in the fall they made it sound like they funding all their students, just in varying degrees. What's the deal with schools sending out acceptances when they can't fund their students? This is just super aggravating because I'm hoping to go there, but I definitely can't if they don't offer some sort of funding. sadface times a million.

Exactly. The thing that made me the most mad was that they have this whole spiel on their website about how they don't prioritize numbers and scores, etc, and then at the very bottom it says that funding will be based on the GRE. I even called them back during the application process and they told me that if you don't have the right combined score you can still get funding but that it would be much lower. They said that someone without the score would likely be awarded $13,000 a year versus someone with the score would be given $19,000 a year. A $6000 difference because of a test? Ridiculous. I just looked at their website to find quotes to share what I'm talking about, but I can't find it. It looks like they significantly changed their website (as in redesigned the whole thing). I don't actually see on their website where they talked about the minimum score anymore, so maybe that means the got rid of it? I know it was this school because I scoured their website in the past. That, or this whole process has made me crazy, which is highly likely. Either way, I know this isn't the only school that does this. Another school (which is ranked way lower, btw) said that they base funding on GRE scores as well. They said that it's an easy way to make decisions when you're choosing between great candidates and can't fund them all. : /

Thanks for letting me know, Serendipity! I hope this works out in my favor, but I am worried about the unfunded part. Did they give you any sort of indication that funding could be a possibility? I know on their website they say that they determine funding by a certain combined GRE score--do you think that has something to do with it? If so, that's not good because I know I don't have the combined score that they want (I have a pretty good verbal score, but horrendous math one. damn it).

Dang, semicolon, looks like you're accepted to a lot of programs that I'm wait listed at! Go you! And too bad that you're not a Victorianist so that I could scoop up all your rejected schools.

Anyone turning down offers from SUNY Buffalo? Please say yes! Also, if you are, are you a Victorianist?

Wait listed at SUNY Buffalo!! Someone turn down their offer so I can get in, please. Kthxbye.

An A- isn't a kiss of death. I had two. But, if you emailed him and he said it was an error, then I think it's fine to ask for it to be changed--more than fine. I would totally get it changed. You earned that A, so go get it.

Thanks for letting us know! Did you by chance go to the perspective student weekend thing? I'm just wondering what it was like...

It would be nice to say that I didn't care about getting a tenure-track job, but that would totally be a lie. I've been adjuncting for the past two years, and while I've really enjoyed the teaching aspect, it's way to hard to live off of this type of life. For one of the classes I taught I only made $2000. If you teach four classes a year on that salary, you wouldn't be able to support yourself. Now, obviously it's different if you have a spouse who has a great job or another part-time job yourself, but I can't imagine having to rely on someone else or wanting a part time job. All I want is stability, a decent salary, some literature classes to teach, and the chance to do research. It doesn't have to be at a big name university, but it has to be more than adjuncting. Adjuncting just doesn't seem like a real job to me--it feels like grad school without the classes. : /

I think their perspective student visitation thing is this weekend or was this past weekend. So, maybe people will turn down their acceptances soon and we'll all get in? ...just trying to be hopeful!

Thanks, Algernon! I hope that I moved up into your position, though there's no way to know : ( ...I'll keep you posted! If something good happens, I owe my life to you!

I certainly understand the reasoning behind a lot of information in this post, but I find myself thinking that a lot of this is really idealistic--or maybe, what I mean is that all of these standards are not going to be easily met. With how competitive PhD programs are to say that you're not going to attend one unless you're sure you can be happy there seems a little silly to me. Or, maybe I've just become really cynical. For me, a PhD is a personal goal that I would feel incomplete without. Would I love to go to a place that is highly ranked, with great resources, a lot of support, and good placement rates? Of course. But, it doesn't look like that is going to be a reality for me considering the rejections I've received so far. So, does that mean that I should just never get a PhD? That doesn't seem like the right answer either. I've been teaching at the college level for the past 4 years and I absolutely love it, and I couldn't give it up. I also don't want to be stuck in adjunct hell, but as others have said the job market sucks for a lot of people in every field. BTW, I should add that I don't find your post bad timing--I think it's always important to have a discussion about whether we're doing things for the right reasons. I guess I just can't get on board with this "all or nothing" thought process--that things either have to be the best possible opportunities (best ranked programs, knowing that you're fully happy in all aspects at the institution, etc) or that it's not worth it at all. I know that one of the options I have isn't particularly exciting. But, I also know that I'll be able to study literature and teach at the same time, which is all I've ever wanted.

Yes, that's true that it is not specific to CC students. I've just had a significantly different experience teaching at a good university compared to a CC. Though, that isn't to say that I didn't have inspiring students at both types of places.