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I'll be turning down my funded M.A. offer from University of Delaware and taking myself off the wait list for a funded PhD at University at Albany. I hope this helps someone! Feel free to message me if you have any questions about Delaware-- it's an EXCELLENT program and I'm sad to have turned it down.

Just accepted my offer from Stony Brook University

Me but you already know that!

This is my predicament exactly! (See my post above)

Does anyone have an opinion on University of Delaware vs. SUNY Stony Brook? U. Del is a funded MA and 90% move onto the PhD, but I would still have to go through application process again, and it would be a two year MA and another 5 year PhD. Stony Brook is a straight to PhD, "5" years.

Does anyone have an opinion on commuting from right outside of Bridgeport, CT? I'm currently from CT and my boyfriend will be working in CT about 30 mins from the Bridgeport area. He has a good job-- and with my stipend, affording the monthly ferry pass isn't a problem. As far as I can tell, it would be about a 10 minute drive to the ferry, an hour and fifteen minute ferry ride, and then roughly 10 minutes from Port Jefferson to SBU (is that accurate?) I would bring a car on so I would have transportation to and from the university and the ferry. Does this sound far fetched? I would be an English PhD student-- so for the first two years I may try to leave around SBU because I'll be on campus a lot. The last three years I'll be teaching and ABD, so I was thinking that's when I'd try commuting from CT (I'll be going to campus less often, most likely). The only reason I even considered it is because I heard/read that most students commute from NYC (2 hours by train?) anyways. The commute from CT doesn't seem as far fetched as I thought considering that most people commute from Brooklyn anyways. Thoughts??

It was really awesome. I think you're right, there is a lot less pressure in a group, but I also think you get a lot more attention if you go on your own. That was one thing I felt like my visit lacked-- I didn't get as much personal time with the DGS or professors as I would have liked. So, that's definitely a benefit for you! I'm finding that it's best to just relax and be yourself-- they accepted you for a reason. I could tell that the program I visited (and I would hope this is very similar across the boards) genuinely wanted me there, and the whole purpose of the weekend was for them to sell the program to me! It was a nice feeling. I haven't yet decided because I still need to visit one more program. They have an official "visit day," but I'm not sure I can attend it so I might have to go on my own.

I just had my first visit last weekend and it was amazing. The university coordinated everything-- got us hotels and transportation to and from the school and the hotel. On the first day, we had three "panels," one of professors (including the DGS), one of professors/students from the writing program/center, and one of current graduate students. We were able to ask tons of questions, and there was some downtime where we were able to speak with the DGS and some professors in a casual, more personal setting. They also had a dinner at the university just for admitted students and current graduate students, which was awesome. The next day they had a current graduate student take us on a tour of the campus. I was really nervous for the visit, but it turned out being really awesome and made me love the school. It was nice to be able to meet other admitted students as well, because I feel like if I choose that school, I'll at least know most of the students who will be in my cohort. Good luck with your visit!

I'm still waiting to hear back from an MA program, and I know they notified their PhD students a month ago. I've e-mailed the admin. assistant in the English department, but she never got back to me. Do you think it's accetable to e-mail the GPD to ask him when I can expect to hear back? The reason I need to know so urgently is because I have a few other funded offers, and I'm trying to figure out whether or not this school needs to be on my list to go visit. April 15th is coming soon, and I'm trying to coordinate all of these visits around my work/undergraduate course schedule. Thoughts?

Has anyone applied to UConn's MA program? Their PhD students heard back over a month ago, and I still have no word from them on my MA application.

I was one of the Stony Brook acceptances, and heard via email on 3/7. I talked to the director today, and he told me they are only taking 5 people this year. I don't think they've put out wait list notifications yet, though, so there's still hope for that! The director is very nice, too, so don't be afraid to contact him and ask.

I agree. Being pretty much the only undergraduate in my program that's applying for MA or PhD in English programs, I've only had my professors to consult. While they've given me great advice, it's nice to be able to connect with people more on my level. Fiz, I'm so glad you decided to be honest with this.. It makes me feel better to know I'm not even close to being the only one with these feelings.

This makes me feel a lot better. Thank you so much for your advice-- and seriously, congratulations to you too! You're right, we should be more proud of ourselves, and I should take my own advice, but it is awesome to be chosen. I was just talking to a professor yesterday who was saying that one of the biggest battles is getting in, and not a lot of people are doing that these days. I had the same feeling you did when I was applying, all I wanted was one program and I knew I could prove myself once I was there.. but I ended up getting two (so far) and have a choice to make.

Thank you so much for your input. I really do feel at this point that its just fear getting in the way of me being excited about this (after all, I spent all of last semester dying over these applications, and once they were submitted, spent my time waiting to hear back). Now that I'm actually into a PhD program (and I was SURE I wouldn't be getting in) I'm scared. My professors have told me the same thing you're saying, though, and I think it just helps to keep hearing it. It's overwhelming to commit to these programs coming right out of undergrad-- everything just seems very new and daunting and I'm constantly second-guessing my abilities. The undergraduate program I came from was really awesome, but it's not a huge-name school and I'm probably the only person in my entire program who is applying to graduate programs in English. So, at times, I wonder if I'm cut out for it. But, you are right, and I know that they wouldn't have accepted me unless they really wanted me. If you don't mind me asking, are there other students in your program that entered with a BA or do most have MA degrees already?

Well I see how you feel when you started the thread... how are you feeling now?? Any better?

Is anyone from this thread going into a PhD program with just a BA? Or has anyone experienced that before? I'm having these second thoughts/ cold feet really bad lately because I feel like I'm not ready to enter a PhD program straight out of undergrad and I keep thinking I was accepted as a fluke...

Does anyone have any advice or info. on the program or the area?

All good points. And yes, I was talking about Delaware.. they do have the tendency to favor their M.A. students for the PhD program. I'm going to be visiting both schools (the other is Stony Brook) in the next few weeks, so hopefully that will give me a good sense of fit. My mentor got his PhD from Delaware, so he's strongly swaying me toward that program..

Does anyone have an opinion on MA vs. MA/PhD programs? I was accepted to one MA that I was told had a 90% chance of going directly to a PhD at the same program, and I was also accepted to a MA to PhD program. There are a lot of factors I'm considering between the two, but I've been thinking a lot about the advantages/disadvantages of going straight to a PhD or being able to get that terminal M.A. first.. Any advice??

No

Have you heard anything yet?

I applied to two MA programs and two MA/PhD programs. So far I've been admitted to one MA program with full funding and I haven't heard from anywhere else. Although I have an implied rejection from one PhD..

Officially feeling the agony of an implied rejection..

Yeah that's a good point... I hope they don't do that, though.. I want to know soon

Totally been there.