WendyWonderland

Hey guys! Here I am again! Just submitted all of my applications (16!) to Comp. Lit. Anyone out there who is also applying to Comp. Lit? Anyone who is already in a Comp. Lit program right now? The waiting has started, I am feeling anxious again:) Wendy

I hope I am not starting this thread too early lol. In spring 2014, I got all my rejections for Ph.D in late February and early March. Realizing that my English was the problem, I applied for English MAs. I met lots of awesome ppl from this forom, even became peers with one of them. I am wondering, how are you guys doing now?) I accepted an unfunded MA program from a private school in Los Angeles. A lot of my friends told me not to go, since the costs and the risks were both huge. After living and studying one year in America, here I am again, luring on gradcafe. As an international student, I really learned a lot through my MA program, though I already had a MA from my home country. Learning how to compose a proper paper in English was the knowledge and skill I lacked last year. Also, once in the system, conference opportunities are huge. I learned how academic life runs here and I hope that I can manage my applications better this year. It is aways told in this forum that we can never start too early. So if you also want to apply to comp. lit this year, maybe we can work together and encourage each other. My language focuses are German, Chinese and English. I am interested in culture studies, women studies and reception theories. I am thinking to apply to schools in California and New York. I see there are many successful applicants this year. It will be appreciated if ppl who got in can share their experiences. Fight's on:)

Hey, Thank you! I have read this thread already, feeling anxious again.

Hi guys, congrats on the acceptances and big hugs for the rejections! Hang in there! I applied in 2014, currently enrolled in a MA program, thinking to apply again this year. Can the people who get accepted please give a general info about their academic backgrounds? Just trying to collect some info that might help me to decide where to apply this fall, still not 100% sure about the list of schools. Thanks!

Also, after rereading your post, I want to say that you should also consider East Asian Studies maybe. I don't know Japanese nor Korean, otherwise I would apply to EAS. I have the feeling that CL is sometimes more English based. Living in California is def. comfortable because of the GREAT weather, but also things are very expensive and you NEED a car. I visited New York this winter break, and I think I will mostly apply for NYC, simply because they have great subways. I used to live in Beijing for 5 years, so I love the subway. Another thing to put into consideration is to study the personality of the people from the place you want to apply. I have the feeling that I am more likely to have an east coast character. So my point is, while thinking about schools, it is also good to do research on the cities. As a Chinese international student, I know how hard financial burden could be, especially if you are not a native speaker, fellowships and jobs can be hard to get.

Hi Nahis, So glad to see you here! I am also going to apply this year for Comp. Lit. and I am living in LA now, doing a master program in English. I am also Chinese, so if you want to ask questions or visit, def. pm me. Are you living in the US now or living in China? It is very HARD for international students in literature, believe me. I applied fall 2013, and didn't get in anywhere. In order to be a qualified candidate, I am doing a MA in English right now. My advice for you, if you are still in China, work on your English and get super high GRE scores in the V part. I see that you already have high scores,so that is a relief. Sometimes funding and fellowships really depends on how good your English is. In your case I will say, you have def. great records. If I were you, I would work on my oral English, and present a GREAT writing sample. That is the most important after all. Good Luck and maybe we can study together.

Hey neighbor, nice to meet ya~ Thanks for the hospitality but I have not seen much yet, since I am new here and do not have a car. I have to say that without a car in LA I am almost footless... I see that you are applying to 7 schools that I am also interested to apply next year! Want to chat? Cheers, Wendy

This summer was all about moving. Quit my job, moved back to my hometown, moved abroad, came to LA and now trying to prepare for classes and a new life. Also worrying about my application next year. I am doing a MA in English, hope to improve my English and working for next year.

Check Erasmus Mundus, it is a great program. It requires 3-4 languages, but it is good funded. I would apply as well I think, their cultural studies program sounds terrific.

Check Erasmus Mundus, it is a great program. It requires 3-4 languages, but it is good funded. I would apply as well I think, their cultural studies program sounds terrific.

Hallo Community! I am moving to LA next month to start a MA program at LMU (Playa del Rey), and I am looking for a place to rent. I found one on the university's webpage, it is $850 all included for a guestroom and the lease is month to month. It has a private bath, but all of her other guests while visiting her would use mine, too, so not that private. It has only limited access to the kitchen and the dining room. The living room I am not allowed to use when the owner is at home...background check+2 months’ rent and 1 month deposit. It has limited guest policies and stuff. What do you guys think of it? I am really not familiar with the renting price in LA. The only plus is that it is 20 minutes walk for me to get to campus. As a newcomer without a car, I do not have plenty options but to live close. I am in China now so it is hard for me to find something through the internet. I use Craiglist, but hard to meet ppl with such a distance. Some advices and renting tips& information would be appreciated, thank you! Cheers, Wendy

Congrats! I am so jealous, I am still waiting for my official words from the program and the I-20 form. I hope 2 months would be enough!

I looked for graduate assistantship in other departments. It worked. It is not that well paid, but better than nothing. Maybe you can research your school homepage a little bit and try to find an opportunity? I would love to work in summer. But unfortunately I can not fly to the US before the semester starts. Good Luck!

Hey! I feel u guys! I quit my job but has to work for another month! I want to go to the US and start my new life sooooooonnnn~~~~~ I won't it won't be easy but it would be so exciting! A new chapter of my life!

Loyola Marymount MA I have 2 years to prepare for reapplying phd!

Oh, thank u so much! That's very helpful! I am leaned to go to NYC I think, but I did apply for GA and TA at Loyola. I think I would follow the money of they offer me something. I really appreciate your help!

City college of New York. I am not that sure what it is...

Dear lost leaf, Thank you so much for sharing your story! It is so great to find a Chinese student in this community because I am sure that u understand what I am going through. Graduated from a Com. Lit MA at PKU I worked for 2 years then I found out that I miss academia and want to go back to school. I am sure u know what a pretentious school PKU is, and how I kicked my ass off to get into it, so I was silly enough last year only to apply to top tier phd programs. Rejected through and through. I decided to retake a MA and give myself 2 years to prepare for it. So, what I really care about now is which school can help me into funded phd studies in a decent school. I know what I have to sacrifice for that decision, money from my parents, time and energy, and I know I have to work hard at school ( They are native speakers!!!!) and maybe work in Chinese restaurants to earn money, but no pain no gain, right? My future plan is staying there for academia and teach Chinese American Literature. ( my BA is in Chinese).Of course it is hard, very hard. I am very interested in Immigrant literature and I also dream to write novels lol. Identity studies and gender studies are also my big interests. Thank you for the information of the OPT year, I don't even know that this exists. I guess, once started, a lot of chances and opportunities would pour out of which I can't even imagine in Beijing. I appreciate your help and I hope that I can make my decision soon. Loyola or CUNY is all what I can think about now. It's driving me crazy. I compare programs professors money cities and the attitude they treat candidates. But still hard!!!!

Dear HJ, Thank you for your suggestions! To be honest, it made me reconsider the program in CUNY. I must go to Europe for an exchange semester, so do my classmates. I asked a professor at UCLA, she said she thinks that an exchange semester is a big plus for phd application. I guess that's because I am interested in comparative literature and according to big ivy leagues requirements, u should to able to speak 3 languages besides your mothertounge. I think I could improve my German or my French while doing that? Also you re right about fighting for profs attention. It's a hard choice. Loyola offers a good program, I am very into it too, and the school is really amazingly beautiful. But private schools are so expensive. I am still asking about funding possibilities in terms of GA or TA. You are right, I have a hard decision to make. There is something else, I am really afraid that community college GPA won't help me if I want to apply to pretentious schools again next year. Do you have experience in that field? The professors are all great and helpful in CUNY, but the administration office.....I already wrote many times to ask about if they got my Toefl scores or not, without that I won't get official admission. But no answers. I am frustrated and worried about time to get a F visa......Thanks again! I would PM u back!

Hey, thanks for your reply! My research interests are immigrant literature,identity studies and crosscultural studies. Yes, my intention is to apply for PhD programs during the second year of my M.A. If I go to NYC, the program is designed that everybody in the program has to do an exchange semester in Europe and probably also summer school in another country. It is an European Joint MA Degree, that is the reason. It is also the reason why I love that program so much. As a child I lived 5 years in Germany, I would love to go back and study for several months. I would apply for Com. lit. in 2015 fall again, so my plan is (if I go to NYC), 1 semester in the US, 2. semester in Germany, summer school somewhere in Europe, then come back to NY for 3.and 4. semester and prepare for Toefl, Gre,and applications. Of course do I have to write my MA Thesis as well. Actually I am not afraid with dealing with US professors. As far have I found them very nice and helpful.I speak German and English everyday in Beijing because of my job and my friends, so I guess the language barrior and the cultural misunderstandings might not that big for me. But I do worry about finding work off-campus and I do worry about my time managing between surviving and studying. One stupid thing I did last year was that I only applied to the very tippy-top pretentious programs. With an awful GRE Verbal score. My plan is to improve my English and my academic writing skills in the US. Both opportunities seem great, but with Loyola it would be easier because the school helps the students a lot, and there might be a possibility for a scholarship for the second year. If I study hard enough. Browsing the 2 websites I found Loyola more organized. But I love the program in CUNY......so hard to chose!!! I am not staying in China anymore, already quit my job.My job made my application process very difficult, because I always work till 21:00pm, sometimes even on weekends, not so much time left for anything else. Another matter, CUNY still did not give me the official admission. They say I have to wait till May.......I seriously have concerns about the time I need for a F Visa... Thank you again! Where are u going for graduate school?

Thanks for your reply! Yes, money, urghhh, it's killing me. I worked for 2 years in Beijing, the salary just made me be able to be independent, and believe me , my salary is pretty high since I graduated from a very pretentious school with a literature MA. Housing in Beijing is as expensive as in the US but the salary is maybe 1/3 or 1/4. I wanted to do a funded phd but I did not succeed this year, so I am doing a second MA in English in order to get familiar with the US teaching system and to improve my language. My parents are paying for my tuition, BUT, I am almost 28, it is a shame if I can't be self dependent. So I would work myself for my living cost. My parents would help me through the first year, I am paying for my second and for the phd plan. About finding a job on campus, I am pretty sure that in Loyola it would be very easy. The school has so many work study programs plus my Chinese friend studies there, she said she could help me out at the beginning to get into the Chinese community. Plus it's a catholic school, which means ppl are more helpful....And it is true, the DGS asked for my resume and I am waiting for possible opportunities. In NYC, well, I am pretty much on my own then. The city is so expensive, but the tuition of CCNY is cheaper than Loyola, so it makes no difference for the first year. For the second I would live one semester in Germany for exchange. I hope that I could find something like teaching or tutoring on campus or a paid internship. It is true that with a F visa u can only work on campus, 20 hours per week, 40 hours during summer vacation. Off compus jobs are only allowed if the work is related to your research. I am thinking of oral translation or Chinese tutoring. My BA is Chinese literature and I have lots of tutoring experience. Do u think it is possible? To be honest, all of my friends and colleagues I know who have been study abroad have experiences in working in a restaurant. Washing dishes and waitressing. I won't do that during the semester, but maybe during summer vacation. I am still comparing my 2 offers because one of my concern is if the living gets too stressful, it may affect my academic study. At the end, my goal is a phd, earning money is just for survival.

CCNY is in a mixed area. There are parts around it that are kind of sketchy - I would say mostly in the high 130s and the 140s east of St. Nicholas. But I had a couple of friends who lived there (one at 133rd and Lenox, and one at 141st and Lenox) and were just fine; both lived in really pretty newly renovated units. There are also close-by neighborhoods that I consider fine and would totally live or actually have lived in. I actually live relatively close to CCNY - it's two stops away on the train or a 10-minute bus ride from me - in a nice neighborhood. If you looked in the 130s and 140s along Broadway, or in the 120s between Broadway and like Amsterdam or St. Nicholas (that's Harlem) I think you'd be fine. You should also look at Washington Heights - which starts in the high 150s/early 160s. If you look around 165th to 175th St that's the area of NYP Hospital and the Columbia University Medical Center, so lots of students live around there and it's a very safe area. That's where I lived when I first moved here; it's called Washington Heights. If you share with people in any of those areas. you will probably pay anywhere from $700-1000 a month - with the most common amount being between $800-900. What information about budgets do you want? How easy it is to find a part-time job depends on your skills and degrees. I found it very easy to find a part-time job on campus, and after I earned my MA in my MA/PhD program, it was extremely easy to find part-time work in the city - lots of nonprofits and corporate firms want people with my skills and an MA (I do statistical analyses and know a couple of different packages). If you have any research experience you could work as a part-time research coordinator or project manager. It just depends. It also depends on when you're looking - when you move in August there will be tons of other students also looking for part-time jobs, but if if you're looking in the winter to early spring months there's less competition. When I first moved to New York I shared a two-bedroom apartment in Washington Heights. I paid $900 for my half of the rent; my half of the utilities (gas/electric) was usually around $30-60 depending on the time of year (more in the summer with the air conditioner running) and $15 for Internet. I think I spent about $250/month on groceries. The monthly unlimited MetroCard back then was $81 but I think it's like $112/month now. My cell phone bill was about $100/month, but you can definitely get something cheaper.

Oh thank u so much! I wrote to the professors today and asked about their program details and where their students head to after graduation. To be honest, I really want to do a phd after my MA, a funded good program. I spent so much money to follow my dream, so the program had to be awesome, otherwise it would be a tragedy. LMU seems quite nice to their students. They offer all kinds of work study and assistantship. I would apply and wait for the result first. On the other hand CCNY is a Joint MA degree in cooperation with Europe. I heard that an exchange semester in Europe is a big plus for Phd application. NYC is very expensive. I have to do multiple part time jobs.... LA is great, but I can't drive...lol, life is not easy. Can anybody please tell me with which school I have a better chance to a good phd program? I know that I have to work hard, I would do it anyway. I am do afraid that I would be rejected on 2016 again! Thanks! Any differences between public schools and private schools?

Oh thank for your apply! I am very confused right now. MA is only for 2 years, so I think most important would be be able to focus on academia and be able to get published and really learn something. Anybody know about the Emglish literature program in City College?

Hallo, I am thinking of attending a program at CCNY, and I need some suggestions at which areas I could possibly live. I am an international student, so I am in lack of information. I will do a MA program which is not funded, so I can not afford a high rent. I heard that the school is placed at a unsafety neighbourhood, so I am also thinking of living on campus. Can anybody share some information about budgets living in New York? Is it easy to find a part-time job to survive? How are they paid? Thanks a lot!