rising_star

Can you take more art history courses to try to get to know those profs better? Can you take some French/Italian/German (or whatever else might be appropriate) before you apply? Also, can you convincingly demonstrate/articulate the reasons behind your switch? Definitely apply to a mix of MA and PhD programs, you never know what might happen!

You can easily wait until September to start contacting professors. There are several advantages to waiting: 1) your research interests will likely be better formulated; 2) they will have a better idea of how many students they have; 3) you'll be contacting closer to applying so they may be more likely to remember your name; 4) more likely to know what the funding situation might be. Also, many American profs are paid for working 9 months a year, not 12, so I consider it somewhat unfair to ask them to do school duties when they aren't getting paid (but that's just me). Personally, I didn't contact any profs until September or October and it worked out just fine for me.

Gethsamane, you're blowing it way out of proportion. faculty know that people's interests change.

Are you sure you want to drive in Ithaca? Driving in the snow and on snow and ice is a different beast altogether.

I would give them at least two weeks with the materials. Isn't it like mid-quarter anyways? Could be a busy time for them...

a lot of programs don't do spring admission, esp not with funding.

There are still taxes and association fees to consider. Not to mention homeowner's insurance and the need to find good maintenance folks that you can trust. And the tax deduction won't help most likely... On a $100K loan with 6.25% interest, you'd pay $5966.59 in interest in one year, which isn't actually much more than the standard deduction, which is $5150 if you're single. So the difference is ~$800 which probably isn't enough to shift your tax bracket...

Oh, they're competitive I think. But they're definitely expensive. MAPSS offers some tuition waivers but no stipends. MA programs in general are notoriously difficult to get funding for.

The only problem I foresee is difficulty getting funding.

I definitely wouldn't shell out the money if you don't think these programs want you. The thing you have to decide is how badly you want the advanced degree. Are you willing to live your life without it? If so, take your third option. If not, your second option of taking more classes and applying again is the best.

You won't be able to live extravagantly but you will definitely be able to survive. I have friends who live on less than that and some who live on barely more.

leavinmyheart, I don't think the school is trying to stiff you. Often these things take time because of University bureaucracy. You fill out the stuff, the department has to process and collect signatures, then their accountant has to process, then the Univ has to process. At my current school, even travel reimbursements for current students take about 6 weeks, and that's with direct deposit. If they have to mail a check, you can imagine how much longer it takes! So I'm not sure what repeatedly calling can do, other than annoy the office staff who often have lots on their plate at the end of the year between finals, graduation, summer paperwork, etc. They know you need the money but they can't exactly hurry up the process that the university requires.

My sister attended one of those top 14 law schools. She says that figure is definitely inflated.

If you're looking for utilities included, make sure it includes the entire City of Tallahassee bill. I didn't realize it included that but, if so, then it's reasonable. For those of you unaware, you'll be lucky to ever get a bill under $90 from the City. Granted the bill covers water, sewer, trash, electricity, and fire, it's rarely under $100 because Tallahassee generates electricity from a natural gas plant.

ammar, you went to Bullwinkle's, huh? As a side note, I think $625 is a LOT to pay for a one bedroom in Tallahassee. My friends rent a two bedroom in a duplex that looks like a house for $675.

Undrafted, Smith actually has an outstanding reputation in social work! Have they offered you funding and, if so, can I pretend to be you?

You've said everything that matters. 1) Better fit with faculty in terms of personality and interests. 2) it'd be harder to do the work you're interested in at NYU than at UW. I don't think it will be stultifying to be in a place where people are doing what you're into. I think it'd be pretty cool. Think about the collaborative possibilities and the interactions with other students where you can learn from one another. P.S. Geography is not a small field. It is far bigger than you think. Not as big as MLA but it's certainly a big discipline in the US and the UK.

I mean, I think both are great options. Can you really pin down why you're unhappy with your decision?

Press your case. You have nothing to lose. Does the university recognize all of Passover as a holiday?

Application quality will decline once you get above 12, I think. It's a competitive field (English Lit) so I'd make every application as great as you can. Plus there's the expense. Each application will cost you $50-100 once you add in transcripts, GRE scores, mailing things, and the application fees. How much can you reasonably afford to spend?

It can take a while for checks to arrive. I just got a check last week for a visit the first weekend in March.

Contact the department and ask them what's up.

you can always get a MA in soc, take poli sci classes, and then apply to poli sci PhDs. i just don't think a second BS is going to make a huge difference in your application. maybe you need a better writing sample, better letters, or a more focused SOP. Again, I don't think a second bachelor's will really give you those things. i'd take the offer that you've got and do what you can to make yourself more attractive to programs. then again, maybe you should take a year off, take grad courses in poli sci and soc, and use that to figure out which you really want to pursue.

I imagine that Brown would be a good place to look. Try these links for more ideas: http://community.livejournal.com/who_got_in/80937.html ; http://community.livejournal.com/who_got_in/7405.html ; http://community.livejournal.com/who_got_in/31621.html . I really don't know much about American Studies PhD programs but it seemed like it could be a good fit for you.

You actually probably don't need to get a MA in lit, particularly since you already have one. If you want the PhD, apply directly to PhD programs. English literature programs do take students without MAs and accept them into PhD programs. Another thing you may want to consider depending on your interests is applying to American Studies PhD programs...