Horb

The UK masters is also only a year because they don't emphasize teaching, which most programs in the US include as a means of reducing your tuition costs. They also don't require as many classes or language reqs.

If you park in the North garage, the Austin building is fairly simple to find. Depending on where you exit you either take hillside road to N. Eagleville road, walk for a bit, then cross the street to the Chemistry building (which is right on the road and hard to miss). Follow the path along the Chem building. It'll take you up past the pond. You'll end up being on Glenbrook road, which you follow left and the Austin building is RIGHT there, next to Mansfield way. It is a 20 minute walk if you don't get lost, so make sure you budget a bit of time. The building itself is easy to navigate.

I am assuming you mean that you've been accepted into an MA program. If that is the case, look at what their offer is contingent upon. How much will your GPA actually drop? Is this an elective related to your field? If you do a W, will you get a certificate? Is it possible to turn this course into a pass/fail option (some schools have this)? Is it possible to ace any assignments left and pull off a B? I suggest talking to your academic advisor. A C is not the worst grade ever and most grad schools will assume a W means you were failing. If you decide to withdraw, check your school's policy. Mine has two deadlines. The first results in a W, the second in a W with the grade you had at the time of withdrawing. Just make sure to cover your bases.

I had a really weird year. Last year, my friend applied to the FB and only that. No grad schools. No jobs. Nothing. She just kept saying: I'm going to get it. And she did. This year I applied to grad school, the Rhodes, the Marshall, and the FB. I only got into graduate school, which felt at the time like a failure. But then I realized that this prepares me for even better chances at the M and the FB when I need to research later in my PhD. The moral of my story is that it is torture waiting for these amazing opportunities and the fear that dwells within each of us during the wait is terrible. But if you get it or don't get, there are things beyond it to look forward to. And in the mean time, while you're waiting, just try to take in how amazing it feels to have gotten this far and don't compare yourself to others -- not saying anyone is doing that but I sure was. I wish to luck to those who are still waiting. Sorries for those who didn't get it. Bittersweet congrats to those alternates still waiting. And congrats to those who have gotten it. It was awesome being in the community and I'm sure I'll be back (though in the new thread, I imagine).

I'm sure most ppl answered this but: if the fellowship would be what the Fulbright is, take it. If you get the Fulbright, you can always say you were awarded it but declined, which still looks good on a resume and then you could apply again if it is still something you want. Don't give up a sure thing for a maybe.

I would be fairly certain it was the scholar grant. I think professors can only apply for those.

I'm starting to wonder about the program I applied to in terms of grants. I went to the Uni site where it lists grantees and even though Fulbright lists 2 grants for that school, there has only ever been 1 per year. Unless they just posted one of their two grantees? Weirdness with Fulbright funding.

What ended up happening?

So...I didn't get the award this year, but later in my PhD I would have an opportunity. How many times is it appropriate to apply? Technically, I could apply twice more, but I'm also concerned because I'm looking at changing what I would study if accepted. Originally it was literature based, but I found some programs in conflict studies and since I hope to look at conflict in literature, I was thinking it might be nice to get a degree in conflict studies as a background. But I don't know if that is a stretch. For those still waiting: I am so sorry! But hey, dream a little longer!

Some countries have a code in the subject line that tells you the results before you open it. P = Principal Candidate, congrats you got the award! A= Alternate. Still amazing, but I imagine bittersweet. NS = Not Selected. I still think you're awesome. Apply again and here is a cookie. That's how I viewed them, anyway.

This is weird question but does anyone know any resources on loan repayment or budgeting techniques? I'm trying to figure out how to budget best so that when I get out of my PhD program and have a grace period I am not panicking about my loans (I'm sure I will anyway). I'm also trying to figure out the requirements to release a cosigner (which I know is subject to Sallie Mae rules) but if anyone has advice, please pm me or just reply here.

You can apply for it during your PhD (because they allow it for grad students under the student program). You should check with the school to see if it possible though. If you apply after (I think 5 years after) then you become a scholar/professional and it is a different type of grant. I believe. I remember reading this somewhere.

Thank you! Now just to find a place to live. I'm checking Craigslist and panicking that I won't be able to find a place.

My program was pretty much: find your own outside sources, which was nice because we all learned how to figure out which sources were good and which weren't. But we never read heavy on critical theory, but then again, this was just my BA program, since I haven't done a MA yet. However, I've personally read a bunch because I like critical theory.

All PhDs in English will include theory, but whether it will expand beyond literary theory is the difference (from my understanding). For instance, you might not read Foucault or Zizek or Galtung, but you'll read Armstrong or Gubar or some other people.

Officially going to be a Tufts Elephant! That sounds so silly, but YEAH!!!!!

I'm not so sure about an equalizer for education. Maybe for English proficiency, only because this may imply that US schools teach for this test or that it tests what we learn in school, which it doesn't. It is to allow one method of comparing you to other applicants and can also be used to justify funding. I think you just need to make sure your personal statement and writing sample are spot on. No mistakes and very thorough in emphasizing why you are the best candidate for the program based on fit.

I'm finalizing some questions with Tufts, but I will probably be turning UConn down by early next week.

I think with international students there are more hurtles (think visa regulations and what not), which I think is why a lot of the time, funding may be different for international students than for US students. It may also be the unfamiliarity with overseas schools and therefore they may choose someone from a school they actually know about.

The thing with that test is some schools LOVE it and most hate it, but if you want in at Harvard, for example, they actually care. I got into Tufts with a very low score and they are decently ranked (28 nationally, but for English 52). Idk if that counts as mid-tier or not, but they have an excellent program. Now, when I mentioned I may have to reapply bc of a fellowship I might have gotten for research abroad, they said I should look into retaking it to strengthen my application. So, though I got in the first time, each committee is different. The moral of this convoluted tale is to study (don't kill yourself) and then just let it be. I find it ridiculous they only offer it three times a year, but oh well. Isn't worth the cost anyway.

Your best bet is to buy the Princeton Review and see which authors it suggests reading. They break it down into three categories. The first is whole works you need to read (i.e. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales or Milton's Paradise Lost or a sampling of Shakespeare and definitely Greek myths); the second is a series of authors whose style you should be familiar with (Shakespeare, Spencer, etc.), and the third is a list of things that could be on there, but probably not something you want to spend all your time on. My understanding when I was studying it was that it is mostly British literature, with a huge chunk being 1800-early 20th century. That was not true at all for my test. I had A LOT of theory, medieval literature, and world literature. So don't pay attention to the percentages that much. I would say start with reading the anthology summaries of time periods and authors. Then take a practice test. Look at the time periods or authors you missed (so if you missed all of the medievalists, buy the Norton anthology for medieval lit). Study. Repeat. This is something that should be done over time, not crammed into a week or two of studying.

Nice!

Miker86: are you going to UConn tomorrow? If so, I'll see you there.

This is literally the most confusing ranking system ever. I love it.

AH! I'm coming in with a BA so there we go!