hj2012

That's true. Honestly, I don't really know much about learning disorders -- was throwing it out there, just in case.

Not to be an armchair psychologist or anything, but have you ever been tested for ADD or other learning disorders? Particularly the difficulty in reading test questions and transposing digits is a common indicator of certain types of learning disorders; if we see this in our students at the secondary level, we're supposed to encourage them to see our school psychologist. That sounds unbelievably frustrating. However, I'm glad to hear that your advisor is so understanding of your situation, and he's 100% right: you are there for a reason! Keep it up!

If you plan on applying to PhD programs the fall semester of your second year, you will have one year to forge strong relationships with professors. I still contend that you will be doing yourself a disservice by studying abroad because you will then only have one semester (and your first semester, at that!) to secure the kinds of relationships that produce strong LORs that go beyond the generic, "She was in my class and did well" kinda thing. I understand the personal draw to study in Europe, but you should really think of the M.A. as a means to an end, rather than an opportunity to revisit childhood memories. If your purpose is to gain admission to a Lit program, I don't see this joint program helping you, unless you're heavily invested in crit theory, continental philosophy or another strongly European AOI. And if your proposed research project involves ethnic lit or Asian/Asian American lit -- one of my AOIs, incidentally -- time spent in Europe might be a detriment in that it makes you seem like a less focused candidate. That said, CUNY in general has some great people working in immigration and identity theory, particularly in ethnic literature. What a difficult decision you have ahead of you! I'll PM you where I'm going.

Wow, your research interests sound really interesting! Have you considered applying to MA programs in the UK? I imagine that there must be strong schools in your area of interest, and the fact that the MA is only one year will make it more affordable (though I hear funding is still hard to come by.) And yes, I agree, NYU is ridiculously expensive. Anyway, just wanted to wish you luck! Don't be discouraged, as many great applicants don't do too well their first time around. Best wishes

This may not be possible for your field, but some schools I applied to allowed for a fourth LOR. If that isn't an option, I would go with the PI in your field.

As an international applicant, a masters in the U.S. would likely be helpful to you -- ONLY IF it isn't a financial burden. (This is a BIG if! An unfunded MA at NYU will be incredibly expensive!) I'm just curious -- how did you get interested in Irish lit?

Hi there! What are your research interests again? I seem to recall that you applied to CompLit programs, but don't remember what your AOIs were. I'm going to give you some tough love because I've been in a similar position to you and I have lots of friends who've gone through what you're going to go through. I'm a U.S. citizen but Korean by birth...However, I just finished my PhD application season for 2014, so actual grad students might be able to chime in with more details. Do you plan on applying to PhD programs during the second year of your M.A.? If so, I strongly advise against studying abroad. Frankly speaking, international students (especially from Asia) face an uphill battle forging close relationships with professors because of language and cultural differences. You will want as much face time as possible in order to get those LORs. Furthermore, I don't really see the value of study abroad in Europe if your primary purpose is to gain admission to an American PhD program. It's nice as an undergrad to get away and develop cultural understanding, but as a M.A. level candidate, I see this as detrimental to your overall purpose (familiarizing yourself with the American system, improving your English, etc). Also, I'm afraid that it may also be more difficult than you think to find work off-campus. I have friends and relatives studying in NYC, and nearly all of them have had an incredibly difficult time securing off-campus work that also pays the bills. Many of my friends also went with lofty goals of finding jobs in translation, teaching, etc. The truth of the matter is that these jobs are nearly impossible to come by. Furthermore, CUNY is particularly notorious for not helping out their international students secure work-study on campus. I've also found that Korean international students have an incredibly difficult time when studying abroad in the U.S., particularly in the humanities. Not only are there language difficulties, but cultural expectations for studying and student behavior are quite different as well. Also, my understanding is that a mediocre M.A. GPA will totally tank your chances at gaining admission to top PhD programs. You want to be able to focus on your studies without constantly worrying about paying bills. And finally, I realize this wouldn't be what you want to hear right now, but you might want to consider deferring one of the schools and applying again to a mixture of MA and PhD programs. If I recall correctly, you only applied to the very tippy-top places; you may have better luck with funded programs if you apply more widely, especially since you already have a master's degree. Good luck!

Yeesh. That sucks that you haven't heard anything from any of those programs! I'm not in your position, but since the April 15th deadline is right around the corner, you might consider sending the DGS or admissions coordinator an email to see what happened to your apps.

I know CUNY is still accepting applications, and there are a number of other schools that have spring/summer admission as well (George Mason, UVA, Binghampton).

I'm not a huge fan of upstate NY in general (too cold and snowy for my taste). Looking at the History department history page shows that their placement is about what I would expect (a number of VAP/adjunct positions, and a few tenure-track positions at community colleges and regional colleges). I'm guessing you're an international student. If you're (1) looking to work as an academic in your home country and (2) have received a tuition remission and stipend, Buffalo seems like a good option. Among the international community, though, Buffalo has a reputation for offering unfunded acceptances to international students. If you didn't receive a full funding package, I definitely would NOT go. Just my $.02.

What are your plans after graduation? Do you want to work for the government, become an FSO, enter a think tank? If so, Georgetown has the immediate advantage. If you're interested in international NGOs or the private financial sector, NYC seems to be the better fit. If you're eventually thinking of going on to the PhD, my sense was that the Gtown regional studies programs are more geared toward professionals (I don't think you even need to do a thesis to graduate). If you have further study on your mind, Columbia seems like the better option. Good luck!

Oops! Poor wording. I mean that I've turned down all offers but one -- I'll PM you where I've decided to go. ^^

From the way you talk about the two schools, you sound much more interested in UIC than Loyola. The red flag is that there's only one person you're vaguely interested in working with at Loyola; based on that fact alone, I would be considering UIC's offer more strongly. Finally, while rankings really aren't that important, I feel that UIC is a more recognized institution than Loyola. Regardless of which you choose, those are great options to have. Congrats!

I think you mixed up UCSB and UCSC a number of times there, so I'm not quite sure if I 100 percent followed your train of thought. The salient points, if both programs seem like great fits: how much more is Santa Barbara offering you? I personally would follow the money if there's any significant amount of difference. Also, where would you like to spend the next 5 or 6 years of your life? Location is important, all other things equal.

I personally would let it go. I didn't receive a response to a sincere and heartfelt email I sent to decline an offer too, but I figured that the DGS is likely busy contacting the next applicant on the waitlist and wooing them, too. Regardless, congratulations on your acceptance and good luck!

Generally speaking, the prestige of your M.A. institution isn't as important. I would definitely check in with them to ask about how they prepare students for PhD programs and the kinds of schools their students are admitted to. Good luck!

^ I second the above. But in general, you'll want to be scoring a 165+ on the verbal section and a 150+ on the Q.

I've turned down all my offers and removed myself from all waitlists! Decision has been made.

Hey! It's you again. At this point, you know what the problem is. Those GRE scores are way low for the schools you applied to; at places like my undergrad institution, your application would be immediately thrown out. From what I remember from your past posts, another problem is likely your lack of focus. (What do you want? Philosophy? Lit? Crit theory? Narrow it down.) Make sure to really tailor your interests in your SOP. Did you only apply to Philosophy programs? If you already have a master's degree, I don't really see additional coursework benefiting you. Focus on creating a cohesive application package (everything from your writing sample to the SoP should be connected) and apply to a diverse set of schools with strengths in your AOIs. Good luck.

Yeesh. I think the more important question is, why would you want to work for 5+ years with someone who sounds as unstable as this woman? I would take this as a sign of things to come and decline the offer.

I keep getting emails from CUNY, American University and Kent State about applying to their MA programs. However, I imagine that the funding has more or less dried up at this point in time. Perhaps try googling "rolling admissions art history masters" or something along those lines? You might also consider looking abroad; if you're interested in European art, for example, European programs can be quite affordable.

I have a friend currently doing her M.A. at Loyola, albeit on the creative writing track. She really likes it there, although I don't know if her experience would transfer over to someone doing literary studies. I don't think the reputation of the program matters quite as much on the M.A. level. You may find yourself with more faculty attention and mentorship at a place like Loyola, which doesn't have a PhD program, in comparison to CUNY. Before making such a large financial commitment, however, be sure to ask all the programs for information on which PhD programs their students typically are admitted to. Congratulations on your admits!

I think the DGS would be appropriate to ask. You applied to some really competitive schools and only only submitted a few applicationa, so it could have unfortunately just come down to luck. Was your combined GRE higher than 310? If so, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm not in your field, so I wouldn't be able to give school recommendations, but just wanted to wish you luck! Don't give up!

I think the key to bargaining is to be as specific as possible, rather than a generic, "Give me more money." You can email and ask about summer teaching/research opportunities, collaboration opportunities with professors, etc. Also, you can't really bargain if you don't have anything to bargain with. Do you have any other offers that would give you more money? If so, you could email and explain that, although School A is your top choice, the only thing keeping you from immediately accepting was a more generous financial offer from School B. Ask if there were other opportunities available at School A in order to increase the stipend. Anecdote: During an informal Skype chat with a DGS, he asked what other offers I had. I told him, and he emailed me afterward and offered me about $3,000 more a year. I've heard of others raising their stipends in similar ways: by approaching departments with their other offers, and asking if they'd be able to match it. Not sure how successful you'd be without that bargaining chip in hand, though.

I'm curious as to why you're limiting yourself to just those two schools. From what I understand, there are great opportunities for your areas of interest at a host of other schools as well.