despejado

just returning the favor.

Up vote x 100,000 So happy for you!!!

No idea what Bigby is, so I guess I fall on the Dunkin side of that debate.

I just think it's hilarious when I order a mocha frappuccino LIGHT and they pour drizzle all over the top. No! That is the opposite of light, and unpleasant to boot. I feel your pain, Katia_Chan. Funny, I actually drink Caribou K-Cups. I had no idea it was a coffee chain.

Ain't nobody judgin. I get the medium size and don't split it with anyone under any circumstances. Mine. I'll disagree with you on the drizzle though. Ever just get a mouthful of syrup come through your straw? Gross.

Thanks! If it ends up being necessary, I'll talk to my advisers and get a general consensus from them. I do know that one of them had a former student recently go through Nova and end up at Penn, so I think I know which school he'll vouch for haha. But yes, thank you for the advice

I'm Scottish, but you can find a variation of my last name in Ireland. I'm also dark, but that's because I'm Scottish-Mexican. Long-lost family is a possibility. I'll claim it.

It matters, but it's only two years, so maybe it doesn't matter as much as it would if it was five or six. I think my problem is that I've been to Philly and LOVED it, and I've heard the same less-than-positive things you just said about Syracuse before. I think you're right, though. If Syracuse ends up coming through with funding, I think I'll have to take it. Of all things to binge eat, popcorn is a good choice. Not going to make you feel as guilty as say... ice cream (which I have plenty of experience with this week). And YES, the "I have a chance?!" range of emotion is much more wide and brutal than the defeatist perspective. Holding onto hope is never really ideal, but I suppose we have to deal with it

Dude I seriously get mocha frappuccinos with added hazelnut. I SERIOUSLY DO. You just blew my mind.

Is this (placement) something I could find out from their websites, or would it be a question for the DGS? Off I go to scour some English Department placement statistics... From Nova's website: "In recent years, recipients of the Master’s degree in English from Villanova have been admitted to highly competitive Ph.D. programs, including those at Harvard, Rutgers, Princeton, Penn State, UCLA, Tufts, and the Universities of Kansas, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Others have elected to use the degree to pursue teaching positions at the excellent secondary schools adjacent to the university. Still others have chosen to pursue careers in publishing, university administration, marketing, non-profit work, library science, and other fields that demand the verbal acumen and analytical rigor our program cultivates." Well. That sounds promising.

Thank you guys! If it comes down to pizza, then it's Nova for sure. PHILLY! Hopefully I end up with decisions to make, and if I do, I'll pm with both you, Bowties, and Proflorax (if you don't mind) for some insights and help in decision-making. As of now, I have zero decisions to make, though, so back to my hazelnut coffee.

I did the crying thing last night, and honestly, it helped. I feel much more relaxed about the whole thing, but then again, I tend to get all of my feelings about things out at once and then move on. If it turns out they actually do fund us, then YAY US and we will throw a dance party (together) with a strong emphasis on eating afterward. If they don't, then it wasn't the right program for us anyway, and we will find the one that is. In it together, AC

That is SO good to hear. I'm guarding my optimism all the same, but that's so relieving! I emailed her back last night to let her know that they were my only offer and I would very much be interested in knowing if and when funding does become available. Hopefully the DGS knowing I won't turn the assistantship down will help me slightly in the long haul, as well. I did ask this question in a different forum, but I want all of your opinions as well... Hypothetically, if I end up with funding and am accepted to Nova with equal funding, which would be the better choice? Is one program better than the other? Nova isn't ranked because they don't have a PhD program to rank, but I've been told by several professors that it is a good school and looked upon favorably. Also, since they don't have a PhD program, they are likely to spend more time and focus on their MA students than at Syracuse, where they have to tend to both MA and PhD students. This situation is totally hypothetical, as I could end up with funding from neither, but I do think it's an interesting question/situation.

Holy cow! July... how does that even happen? I'm hoping since she said that I'm "ranked very near the top" on the wait list, and she said "there is still a very good chance we will be able to offer you an assistantship this year," that people on my position on the wait list have been accepted with funding there before. I already got into the program, so it's just a matter of money now. They've used optimistic language like this with me before, so hopefully it turns out for the better (whatever that is). Thank you, Purpleperson

Whew. Sorry about being so negative earlier, last night was a little rough... But YES, you are so right. If Syracuse is the right program, funding will come. If it's not, hopefully someone else will throw all the money in their department at me to make up for it

Oh my! Well, it never hurts to visit, especially if you have the money. Might turn out to be a nice little road trip and accepting a visit isn't accepting an offer, so you're still in the clear there too. Who knows! You might even visit the school and absolutely love it! Try not to see it as a hard spot, but as an opportunity

Just hypothetically speaking, if I were to have to end up choosing between an MA at Syr. and an MA at Villanova, how would I know which program is more prestigious? Nova isn't ranked because they don't have a PhD program, but I've been consistently told by professors that it's a good school and viewed favorably. Also, it's a terminal MA with no PhD, so I imagine the faculty there spends more time with the MA students than the faculty at Cuse would. Thoughts?

I definitely won't take it if there's not funding. They said I'm high on the wait list for funding and said there was a "very good chance" they could offer me an assistantship this year based on previous years. Still, I was expecting an acceptance with funding. More waiting feels like eternity. I'm still waiting to hear back from Nova as well, so hopefully I won't have to reapply. No matter what, I won't be taking on debt this year.

I'm glad there's still hope but they've had me clinging to hope for a long time now. This really did just break part of me. Fingers crossed there are people who turn down the MA offer there, but this felt a lot like rejection.

Good advice. I was just really excited for about 4 hours, and not so much anymore.

Syracuse just emailed me to let me know they don't have funding for me yet, but I'm very near the top of the funding wait list. Wtf, Cuse? They made it sound like they fund all students that attend. I am beyond tired of being taken on a roller coaster ride.

Well that sounds great to me

I'm glad I was able to be helpful! I was browsing Cuse's website earlier to refresh my memory on the program, and they're actually really big on cultural and media studies... Maybe check it out if you do decide to apply again next round?

Thank you! I seriously appreciate that Since I know which school you're talking about, I would advise against spending five years there unless you REALLY loved it... which I know you don't. I think it might be a better idea to do UEA (if you can afford to after all) and re-apply for PhDs next year. You'll be more competitive and you'll know what the weaknesses in your apps were. In my logic, this will get you into both a higher ranked school, and one that is in a more desirable location. Does that make sense? Don't make yourself miserable for 5 years if you know that's what you will be. Edit: I realize my tone is strong here.. that's not intentional. I have serious respect and love for Kamisha, and this is what I would do/think in this situation.

Holy poop I hope so. Edit: I just looked. Looks like they've done wait lists in past years, so this is a viable possibility.