tvethiopia

there's a SUNY Buffalo up now too!

whatever the reasons may be, when you scrutinize the results board history there is a definite pattern of acceptances notifying first, then waitlists, then rejections. it's not an absolute rule, but it's certainly a trend.

just got this from the library and whooooaaaaa i'm definitely going to have to buy a copy of my own! the appendix of sample professional documents alone is totally worth it. this book seems to cover a lot of ground in a pretty approachable way, i'm super excited to dig into it! thanks so much for the recommendation!

this advice is perfect, i 100% agree. an MFA is very specifically geared toward writers, not so much teachers and academics. you'll spend a lot of time in writing groups and workshops, developing your own writing (though NOT generally the peer-reviewed-research kind of writing you'll be expected to do in a PhD program or tenure-track lit job). if that appeals to you, great, but know that it is a very different kind of path than the one you describe. as for the MAT, it's probably got a bit more overlap with the PhD track than an MFA, but it's definitely focused on teaching at a secondary education level. personally, i found this to be really advantageous; my MAT program taught me so much about learning and pedagogy that i would not have gotten with just an MA, and much of it is applicable to higher ed teaching. however, my program was a combined MA/MAT, so i also had the opportunity to do more typical MA work, which really is designed to prepare you for a PhD. as much as i think the MAT was valuable for me, i don't know that it would have been enough on it's own to prepare me for a professional higher ed academic career. obviously i don't know your personal situation and i'm sure there are plenty of other variables involved, but i think it would be a serious mistake to get a degree that you don't really want just because you missed a few deadlines this year. there are still some deadlines that haven't passed, if your location is flexible, and waiting another year is probably preferable to wasting your time and energy in the wrong program.

what specifically are you looking to do in the PhD program, when you get to that stage? what is your area of interest/specialization? the MAT and the MFA are vastly different degrees, in my experience (i just completed a dual MA/MAT program).

is it? how so? i'm such a total sucker for that kind of stuff; even when it's not actually useful, it's always an interesting read. anyone know of any good books about grad life that are specific to humanities? i find way too often when i flip through books about grad school they are mostly focused on sciences, and not always relevant to the humanities grad experience.

i've just recently started using babbel to work on my french; i took french classes as an undergrad (enough to satisfy my MA language requirement), but i retained very little. this past summer i went to paris for the first time and was completely blown away by how much i loved it, so i'm trying to use this time to improve my conversational skills for when i get back there eventually! i haven't used babbel long enough to give much of a review of it, but it's definitely well-suited to true beginners. i'm still kind of cruising through the basics i already know, hoping it will refresh my memory and prepare me for when it starts ramping up.

40. Obsessively research apartments and neighborhoods in the cities you may be relocating to 41. Prep for CCCC (anyone else going???) 42. Crush your own high score in Tetris

i totally feel this! i started off with a looooong list that i planned to cut down to about 15 schools to actually apply for. as the dates grew closer, realistic time limits set in, and i did more research into schools, faculty, and programs, i eventually wound up applying to just five. i honestly don't think i would be happy in a lot of the programs that were on my original list; they're great programs of course, just not particularly well-suited for me. while applying to more places would give me a better shot at getting in SOMEWHERE, i really don't want to go just SOMEWHERE. i'm happy with my choices, but i won't say i don't occasionally have a brief flash of panic that i'm not playing it a little safer!

are there other surrounding areas you can recommend?

haha i've been doing this too! when did they notify last year, the year before, when did acceptances/waitlists/rejections come out, etc etc etc...... research is my coping mechanism, this stuff actually keeps me (slightly more) calm. i guess it's just the illusion of control?

there's a comp/rhet acceptance from michigan state on the board.... *freaking out intensifies*

one of my primary mentors has always emphasized the fact that rhet/comp is an easier field to get hired in (although easier =/= easy), but only because a lot of grad students in our english program seem somewhat unaware of this. in fact, she was absolutely horrified when a grad assistant who has repeatedly stated he has no interest in teaching writing at all and considers himself exclusively a "lit person" said he's thinking about going into rhet/comp JUST for the job market advantage. that is, frankly, bananas. if all other things are equal, the job market is a factor worth considering, but it is certainly NOT a reason to go into r/c alone. it's really a different field with different kinds of work going on. i personally think one of the best ways to get a feeling for a discipline is attending conferences; you can hear about some of the most current work being done with opportunities to ask questions, socialize, and network. it might be helpful to see which ones are coming up in your area.

Thanks so much for this update!

I can see your point IF the issue is just a professor being kind of hands-off with their grad students and not getting very involved. They are not necessarily required to be the supportive mentors we'd all like, and many choose not to be and still have great success based on their research. However, to take on an obligation and not follow through--even when that obligation is to a mere grad student--is always going to reflect badly on them as a professional. If a professor simply said "I have substantial professional obligations and I don't believe I can provide you a letter of recommendation by the deadline you've requested", then certainly no one would fault them for it. But to agree to provide a letter and then knowingly neglect it simply because they prioritized other things more highly suggests that they are incapable of managing their time appropriately, and they are making others suffer the consequences of their own irresponsibility. I really can't imagine an institution that wouldn't take that seriously.

yes yes this. fit is about more than just POIs. it MAY be in your best interest to do some thorough research, but that's entirely dependent on your particular interests and what you're looking for in a program. personally, i've spent more time reading about events, workshops, writing groups, etc at the various schools i'm looking at because a community atmosphere that embraces collaboration is really important to me. fit means different things for everyone.

This is something I've struggled with as well, not because it's necessary, but because I really WANT to read a lot of their work! For entirely practical reasons (still working on the last semester of my MA while applying for PhD), I can really only do a brief overview of some of their work. However, I do expect to spend a good amount of time this winter--while I wait for those anxiety-inducing rejections and/or acceptances--doing a little more in-depth reading to prep for possible meetings or interviews.