profhopes

Could you talk to someone at the local community college, who works there full-time, and see what kind of training they have? Maybe that would help you decide. Be honest with yourself about why you want the PHD. If your goal is a full-time job at a college (community college or otherwise), would you be happy paying for a PHD and potentially not obtaining that as the outcome? Would it still be worth it to you? Just some food for thought...

coffeelyf, how small is JHU's cohort (if you know). Many thanks in advance!

For those of you who have applied in the past, how do you deal with present cycles without getting bogged down by the past? I was chugging along with my work for this application cycle, but this past week, I've had this gnawing feeling. Last time, I applied to only two schools (for personal reasons). I was accepted to both (MA programs). One of the programs lost funding 2-3 months before sending out notices. The DGS told me, "We are not able to offer assistantships to fine students, such as yourself. We will be keeping your application for the next year in case funding materializes." (I

I don't think your GPA completely excludes you, but the rest of your application would need to be strong. A 3.4 from an Ivy League is still worth something (in my opinion). Make sure you get strong letters of recommendation and possess a strong statement of purpose and writing sample. The GRE is waived for most schools this cycle, but you should check with all of the schools you are seriously interested in to make certain of this.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/03/20/suit-alleges-ohio-u-sat-complaints-professors-sexual-misconduct-decade?utm_content=bufferba9dc&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=IHEbuffer (This is a link to more info from Inside Higher Ed about the charges being brought against the alleged harasser- Prof. Andrew Escobedo.) https://www.ohio.edu/cas/about/directories/profiles.cfm?profile=escobedo (This is a link to his profile on the OU site.) I would encourage grad students, particularly female grad students, to be wary of OU's English department in light of

Unconditional admit simply means you have been accepted to a program; it's not indicative of whether or not you're funded. I was unconditionally admitted to a program, but waitlisted for funding today. The term is really quite misleading as paying tuition would be considered a condition in the minds of most people... I am replying to your question (although I doubt you need a response this many years laters) to help anyone else confused by the term "unconditional admit."

I am also interested in teaching abroad in Europe, in particular. In my case, I have a Romanian background, but found out that I must be able to teach university level classes in both English and Romanian. (While my speaking skills are solid, I have no formal written training.) Given how few schools even offer Romanian language courses, this is particularly difficult. It's unfortunate, as conversationally I would get along quite well and have family there. I wonder if other European countries are the same way- requiring you to teach English and the native language at the university level

Thank you, everyone!

So, here's the deal. I asked for letters of recommendation Friday morning, December 23rd. I am strictly applying to 2 schools with later application deadlines in my home state for the MA only. (I decided to wait on adding details until I received a response from each potential recommender.) I then realized the application deadline I thought was February 15th is actually January 15th. I misread it; I know no excuses, just trying to decide what to do at this point. (The other deadline isn't until February 28th, so I'm okay as far as that one.) My options are as follows: 1. Ask profs. i

You said it yourself: cold and prestigious versus warm and vibrant... It sounds to me like your heart has already decided. Personally, I am from an area near CWRU, and am not a fan of the environment. (I have also visited the campus). It is definitely an urban setting. I had a good friend who went there for undergrad and law school. Though my friend loves the school, she said it is not the safest of environments. I remember her mentioning that campus safety alerts (e.g. reported violence and/or rape) occur with some frequency. It sounds like Alabama is "courting you" (flying out fo

Dear Emma, I have a friend that attended CU Boulder for philosophy. I'm hearing a lot of positives about the academic environment there. I may take you up on your private chat offer. Thanks @EmmaJava and @xolo for your helpful feedback!

Thank you all for your feedback! Just curious where (at what schools) you've gotten and/or are pursuing your MAs and/or PHDs...? Please respond if you get a chance.

Thanks for your reply. Hope to discuss more in the future!

Any thoughts/recommendations/advice about applying to graduate school 5 years post-undergraduate degree(s)? I would be applying to MA programs in literature; part of me wishes I were more interested in Rhetoric and Composition, but I don't think I should "force it." I suspect time spent away from my chosen field will hurt my chances, but if it helps, my desire to go to grad school hasn't diminished in 5 years. I am not sure if they will see my experience as relevant or just see me as a wildcard/potentially "rusty" candidate. A run-down of the past 5 years: (1) 2 years spent teachi

Thank you, Mocha. If I apply again, I will definitely apply at more schools.