Horb

Hi! I applied last year for an MA at Leicester University (US to UK) and was a finalist, though I wasn't selected, so take my advise however you wish. Question 1: I recommend starting the application process as soon as possible. The first component I tackled was the LOR, which I asked for the January before the application cycle. This is rather early, but I planned on studying abroad spring semester and my program did not end until August 1st, so I wanted to have everything lined up. Make sure you line up your letter of affiliation by the end of June. At this point, you should have a rough draft of your resume and statement of purpose to send to possible affiliates (for example, I sent these to the professor who was writing my letter of affiliation for Leicester so that she could get a better picture of what I hoped to do in the MA program). First drafts and securing people should be completed by July, IMO. So...start early! Question 2: For US applicants, funding is given if granted the award. My advice for the SOP is to express yourself in a clear and concise manner. Demonstrate how you prepared for the MA, what you hope to do, how this will better the US-UK relationship and the importance of your research/program in bettering the world. This is a broad statement, but basically, if you are hoping to something, you should be able to discuss its impacts in a specific and broad sense and why it is important. Question 3: You can apply on your own. You never "have" to go through a university. However, they might be really helpful or they could be like my university and lose half of your materials and tell you that you don't have to apply to a UK university separately for the Fulbright and then March comes and you're like: wait, why is one of the possible interview questions: have you been accepted yet? So advice for this is: go through your uni, but approach it as if you aren't.

I'm actually really happy this thread appeared. One of my biggest problems with reading scholarly work is that I often don't think to contradict it or look for contradictions. I took a graduate course in anthropology as an undergrad that was theory based and the grad students were always arguing with different theorists. This motivated conversation but it also brought up some good points -- just because an article is written by a famous critic or authority does not mean it is correct, without failings, etc. My goal is to be able to start arguing with these critical essays so I can begin reading not to just find sources that agree with my point of view, but find ones that don't so I can make my argument stronger. This pursuit, I feel, is one way for excel at literature, but it is perhaps the hardest path.

This goes with close reading but: familiarize yourself with secondary sources/experts in your field/current discourse and read as much of it as you can. Your arguments need to be fresh and relevant to what is happening in the field. The best way is to read as many papers as you can. It is good to start by reading a bunch of abstracts, determining which interest you, and then reading those. It is also good to start by reading the intro and the conclusion (or last few paragraphs) to get an idea for their main points and then go through and read the paper.

$450? That'd be awesome if it was that cheap. I'm definitely going to see an accountant or tax specialist about this. I read about having to pay "estimated" tax each quarter or risk a penalty, but I'd like to get an idea of how much I should save for that.

It depends on for what and how you need the money. For example, could you take out a loan from a bank and pay it off monthly? Or would you need to wait to repay until after you graduate? If the latter, you'll need a private loan. I'll assume that if you didn't need a loan, you wouldn't be taking it out and that it is your only option. I have loans with Sallie Mae. All private loans are dreadful and it isn't so much about having a "good" experience as having a "better" experience. I've never had major issues with SM. They have three repayment options. I'm currently doing the $25 per month per loan plan (it helps reduce interest a little bit) and the pay the monthly interest plans. The third plan is to pay nothing. Interest accrues each month on all their loan repayment options and is compounded (i.e. if you loan balance was $1000 and the interest for the month was $45, the next month your interest will be on $1045, not the original $1000). When I've called them with a minor issue or for information, I have had it resolved. Know that you can't change your repayment plan while in deferment, but that they have a variety of repayment options once your grace period (6 months after graduation) occurs. You'll have to call them if the automatic repayment is too much -- they have forebearance options and plans based on how much you make but you really have to dig for it. Also, calling them is a process. You have to keep shouting at the automated service to get someone, but they are knowledgeable once you get to an actual person. Also, and this is kind of morbid, if you die, the loans are forgiven and not passed on to family (like some other loan providers demand) even if you had a co-signer. I think I covered the basics of my SM experience. Yours may vary if you go with them and while I hate the fact that I had to take out loans to begin with, it has been pretty smooth so far, though I'm not in the full repayment period yet.

I imagine with my state's rent deduction and my student loan deductions I probably wouldn't have to pay much anyway for state. I'll see about federal! Thank you!

I'm going to be a first semester MA/PhD student this fall and was curious about how taxation works. My first year is a fellowship, meaning I do not teach, I just get paid to go to classes. I looked up the tax code online, but it is pretty confusing about whether or not a fellowship is actually taxed. I know TA positions are, but as this isn't that, I wasn't sure. I emailed one of the people in the program currently and they said the first year isn't taxed, but I'm worried that if I don't put money away, I'll get a bill from the IRS and be in trouble. Has anyone had any experience with this?

I would also estimate about 3000. My apartment was 1470 for security and fist and last month's rent. I also spent a few hundred on furniture (YEAH IKEA!!!) and anticipate about 200 for installation of internet fees (I have roommates, so I figure it won't be more than that). I am lucky, however, that my program pays us on Sept 1st, so I am not too worried about getting my check for the next months rent.

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned UMass Amherst as a potential school. I did my undergrad there and I have one friend doing her MA/PhD in Rhet/Comp there now. It is a great school and they have a certificate in women's studies you could take in addition to the MA/PhD work if you wanted more qualifications. As for funding, you get accepted and then you apply for it. It seems most people are successful and funding is for 7 years, which is pretty decent. It is by no means a safety school as I have heard it is ranked highly in this specialty, but it might be an option as they accept students from all types of schools.

Hey! So I applied for a Fulbright this past year and I would recommend not applying for a Fulbright unless you really want to go abroad and be a Fulbrighter. The purpose of the Fulbright is to promote cross-cultural experiences. They want to know that what you are doing with the Fulbright relates to what you'll do back in the US and also that you will continue to promote US-UK relations. If you're up for that, go for it. A high GPA is not that important. Most people applying will have that. What you really need are extra-cirricular activities and experiences that make you stand out, while also demonstrating that you won't be only studying while abroad: you'll be volunteering, joining clubs, etc. References and relevant coursework, as well as that letter from your intended Uni also matter. You may also wish to look at the Gates Cambridge Scholarship as well as the Churchill (which I think is just for STEM programs). Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have questions.

Hey Mcarroll, I applied to a UK MA program last year. For your statement of purpose, you need to indicate what program you are doing, why you want to do it, how it will help you achieve your goals, how your goals and/or this program will translate to when you're back in the US, as well as what activities you plan to do outside of the program. For instance, I was doing an MA in Victorian Studies. I mentioned what I wanted to study in particular and explored how I was prepared due to my undergrad studies as well as how the program would benefit me (professors, resources, conferences, etc.) I then mentioned the importance of my work and how the MA related to my personal and career goals (becoming a specialist in the field and teaching). For what I would do outside of the program, I discussed volunteer work I wanted to do and clubs I was interested in joining. This part is pretty crucial because they want to know you'll actually do more than just study. Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you have further questions and good luck!

Hey all! I applied in the last cycle to the UK and got to the final round as an undergraduate (apparently that is a big deal). If anyone has questions, feel free to PM. I may not have been selected, but I can help with writing tips, interview prep, etc.

Can someone define what top tier and mid-tier are in terms of ranking? My school is in the late 40s/early 50s depending on ranking and I'm not sure if that puts me in a mid-tier or low-tier. I don't really care, because I know the program is well known as is the university, but I'm curious.

Hi Mozartgirl! First off: you are just the most awesome and sweetest person I have met on here. Second: It was a UK one, which is already competitive, but perhaps I would have applied slightly differently had I known they cut the grant from 2 to 1. I was accepted into graduate school for a PhD, so I'm going to do that next year and then later in the program, reapply. I'm actually viewing my rejection as a blessing because I found another program at York Uni in the UK that is a much better fit that I did not know about, and I feel like it'll be better for my research and future studies.

So I checked the Fulbright page to see how many people applied for my grant since I did not receive it and was curious. Apparently the grants given to this cycle were cut from 2 to 1 AND they had double the amount of people apply. I guess I can feel a bit better.

Really? I had to pay to hold my spot. It is a very common practice, from my understanding, as it tells the university that you are invested in going there the next year.

Hi all! I just wanted to pop in and say good luck to the rest of you waiting! I hope you find out soon!

I've heard that some professors are mainly lecture only people (Butler and Spivak, for example) so other than course work people don't interact with them as much as the other professors.

I really thought studying abroad twice would help me, but I really don't think it mattered. Then again, this was on the undergrad level.

I know that the S. Department has the power to reject someone. The school and foreign committee could love you, but then for w/e reason, the S. Dept says no, and you don't get the award.

Thanks guys! My freshman year I got a professor a gift card to a book store she liked and put it in the thank you note for her. She actually mailed it back to me and said that it was too much and I didn't have to do that, it is her job. I felt horrible.

My undergrad uni and from my understanding, my soon to be PhD uni has the School A version. My advisor at my undergrad said she doesn't recommend it beforehand because waiting to hear back from job apps creates a complete mental burnout as it absorbs all your energy. She likened it to applying to grad schools, only worse. I know personally I did not do much during the app process, even when I was just waiting, because I constantly thought about it. My PhD uni, while not necessarily discussing that burnout, pushes for a wide range of teaching opportunities, both in terms of subject matter and style (I make my own syllabus, I help a professor, etc). If one year is going to impact how stale your thesis is, be concerned. I mean, this is potentially something you'll publish and should be original. Perhaps if a position opens up that you really want, then go for it, but idk. I'd think the be finished approach works best.

Over the past few years, my advisor has been extraordinarily helpful, going above and beyond. She has written me countless LoR, edited thousands of drafts for fellowships and scholarships, and she has stood up for me on numerous occasions when my applications (and quite frankly me as well) were being mishandled by other faculty. I am going to write her the longest thank you letter ever, but I'm wondering if it would be inappropriate to get her a gift. I'm graduating from a BA, so I've never really had to do this before. I don't want to be disrespectful and put her in an awkward position (she is teaching a course I'm taking my last semester so grades might not be finalized before I leave). Any thoughts on if it is appropriate and if so, what I could possibly get her?

bhr, do you already have some acceptances or are you waiting to hear back still? If you already are accepted, you could just ask the program. If you are applying for next round, then I would seriously talk to your advisor and way the pros and cons. You don't want your GPA to take hit for no reason.

I just know I was warned about it by my advisor and that it may appear as a red flag. She mentioned I would need to address it somehow if I withdrew because it may impact how they view my ability to handle a heavy workload. I personally believe a C looks better than a W, but that is just me.