Liesje

Declining Stonybrook and University of Washington Seattle (no 1st year funding), hopping off Northeastern and U Wisc Milwaukee funding waitlists Edit: I should say I'm finishing MA atm so these are PhD only

I'm finishing an MA right now, and were I to go through the application process again, I would email every program I'm thinking about applying to and ask if they have a preference for BAs, if they set aside a certain number of spots for each, etc. Very few programs say on their website "we don't take MAs", but some basically don't (BU, as mentioned above, took 1 MA this year). So, as to whether it helps or hurts, it depends on where you want to go - you should include the degree preferences of programs in your evaluative criteria.

i will probably be accepting a loyola offer very soon. you are on the waitlist (possibly high up) - same thing happened to me and i eventually received an offer. btw just to clarify, Loyola offers 5 years to both incoming BAs and incoming MAs, at a bit higher than 16k a year. the website is not updated, i believe.

i'm one of them, said same thing as above

this is a complicated issue. if your safety school is not a good fit, i would say don't go. if it is a good fit, some questions to consider: 1) do you have the resources to wait another year, and the motivation to improve your application dramatically? 2) how important to you is job placement? i'm in english, where the job prospects are not good no matter what school you come from, and i'm open to working outside the field, at least at this point. given that academia has been the defining orientation of my entire life, it would be difficult to suddenly adopt a different standard and value system without feeling like a failure. this is simply a psychological cost of trying to fulfill my goals. but i'm prepared to defer this problem in order to make sure that i'm comfortable financially, geographically, socially, and academically, in the process giving myself the best chance to finish the phd, rather than simply pursuing the shiniest degree with the best placement prospects.

CUNY, Wash Seattle, and I think Michigan are also absolutely brutal. not that they aren't very good schools, but they just get more applicants than they should based strictly on the program. not trying to scare you, you've obviously done your research and if the programs fit, by all means apply away - and yes, uwm is a great pick, competitive with a lot of the schools mentioned here in several senses but far less selective.

heh, i haven't heard anything from bc and i'm in victorian lit as well. dunno if that = rejection or waitlist.

while determining the quality of a program is a pretty complicated affair, i would guess that most big state schools get a disproportionately high number of applicants. i'm thankful i won't have to go through this process again, but if i did, i would avoid most of these programs unless they're a really outstanding fit. selectivity doesn't necessarily = quality also i would guess most of the programs on your list for next year fall into this category, just something to keep in mind

same deal here. has anyone received information concerning a) how long the list is, where they are on it, c) when decisions will be out? i would give loyola serious consideration if i got funding but this situation seems kind of muddled.

Silent =/= rejection! These forums can psyche an aspiring scholar out pretty easily because it seems like the process is almost over. It's not. If you haven't heard from 9 schools, you're potentially still being considered at 9 schools. You have a lot of chances left. Unfortunately, (at least for me) anxiety and dread are entirely immune to reasoning, but it's just simply not time to worry yet.

I applied to phd english (have an ma), haven't heard anything.

Given the incredibly late deadline, I'm not counting on hearing anything anytime soon.

I don't know whether some of this stuff is pro or con -ma in english from a small program -3.8 UG GPA, 4.0 grad GPA -710V 740A 4.5AW -670 (89%) lit subject test -no publications -ontology/metaphysics in 19th c brit lit -LORs no clue

Heard from 2/12, 1 acceptance (mail) 1 rejection (online status page); PhD English coming in with an MA

I was absolutely fine, mainly just focusing on finishing up my English MA program, until I got an acceptance from Loyola, and since I've been really nervous and haven't really heard anything from my other 11 schools. Application psychology is pretty bizarre, I was initially thinking that I just want to get into 1 program early so I can relax, but now my expectations are shifting upwards. 11 no's would make me feel absolutely awful, and the possibility is already starting to sap the elation I should be experiencing.

So far I've received a rejection from U Oregon according to the online status update and a mail acceptance from the Loyola graduate school. Does that mean I'm in? I can't imagine they'd be malicious enough to send a graduate school acceptance and then reject people from the English department, but I haven't heard anything from the department. No response thus far from 10 additional schools.

This is a fairly common situation in programs that use a separate application for graduate assistantships (i think, or at least i've heard of it). i can't imagine that many schools want a LOR from a tutee for the general application.

I dealt with the same issue - applying to PhD programs now, and am using my GRE score from a few years ago on my MA applications. I know I could've done much better on the V and AW if I had retaken, but there's no way I could even come close to my previous Q score without significant studying. AFAIK some schools use the overall number for incoming funding offers. My overall was almost certain to decrease, and my V should already be good enough, though it may be a wash at top schools instead of the highlight it could be if I had taken it again. Oh well, if I don't get any offers I like it's time to redo the whole package for next year. I should say, I'm applying in English, so the Q score is only relevant to certain funding packages at certain schools, I think

Every school will allow some flexibility on LOR deadlines. Don't despair, but with that said, keep up the pressure. Schools understand that LoRs are to some extent out of your hands, as long as the pieces you control are in place you should be okay.

My guess is that for most schools, it's completely arbitrary and if your stuff is there when they get around to looking at it, you'll be fine.

yes. edit: do u really want to go to a school that holds that against you? i know, yes, yes you do, but really fuck them if they care

540 really isn't that bad. it's something like 140/230 raw score? think about that, this is a test cover the entire history of english literature. with the deduction for wrong answers you still ended up at like 60% - that's a considerable knowledge base.

The "Due to my focus in X, I like your program cuz of reasons XYZ" can go near the beginning, and then be elaborated later. Obviously it doesn't work to go on at length about how your research interests align with the department when you haven't described them yet. But I do think it's a good idea to distribute the fit information as opposed to concentrating it in a transparently interchangeable paragraph at the end, and it's a good idea to mention the program early to get the adcom's attention.

I'm applying this year, but it seems you're asking about the least important aspects of the application? The relative priority for most schools seems to be something like Statement ~ Writing Sample > LoRs > GPA ~ Verbal GRE > Subject test

careful, some schools insist on a return address.