Dr. Old Bill

Yeah, with a 1/2 TAship at UMD, even M.A. students can get the faculty health care plan for something like $30 per month. I don't think it's that uncommon overall. ETA: Oops...didn't see that ProfLorax posted pretty much the same thing.

Yup -- I agree with Ramus and Rising_star. I think you send MSU an email on Monday or Tuesday to see where they're at, then depending on how (or if) they respond, you pull the trigger on the 15th.

I'm sad we won't be together at UMD, but congrats on making the tough decision!

Congrats to you both! Greenmt -- you're going to love it at UMD. I'm thrilled to be attending, and it will be great to have another GCer in the cohort! Feel free to PM me.

Just chiming in to say that I have a good friend who was able to transfer from a Ph.D. program at Boston College to an equivalent Ph.D. program at Ohio University. Granted, it is more in the realm of a business Ph.D. than the humanities, but if you would like me to find out more information on how it worked, feel free to PM me. As to the rest, the spousal component does complicate things, and my wife and I were facing a similar dilemma had I gotten in to a Ph.D. program elsewhere. One X-factor is that New York and Boston are relatively close -- about a 2 - 2.5 hour drive, no? In theory, you could just rent a room near campus for three or four days per week, then return to New York on weekends. Option 3 is also quite viable, in my view, if your wife is amenable to living in Boston. Personally, my wife and I were willing to live apart for the five years if we had to. She would have looked for work in her field wherever I was located, but we were prepared for the possibility of "summers and weekends." There are some people who could never do that, and with damn good reason, I might add. Since my wife and I have had to live apart by necessity for months and years in the past (I immigrated to the U.S. to be with her), we knew we could do it...but it's certainly not the ideal, and not for everyone. In our decision-making process about Ph.D. programs, we decided that me getting a Ph.D. would be the best for both of us in the long run. "Short term pain for long term gain," as the saying goes. So I would be going for the Brandeis option, myself, with the hope that your wife can get licensed in the state in the next year or two. It's truly a balance of personal and professional in your case, and there's no great solution. But you did apply to Brandeis for a reason, and it's a great program with a very good funding package. I just think that, if your ultimate plan is to get a Ph.D. regardless, you may wind up regretting a decision to reject a guaranteed offer now when you have NO guarantee of an offer in a couple of years...especially in a shrinking discipline. Either way, you have my empathy. It's a tough one, and I wish you the best of luck in making your decision! As mentioned, feel free to PM me.

That sounds very interesting! I mentioned elsewhere on GC a few months ago that I see some strong parallels between Flannery O'Connor's short stories and Stephen King's. It sounds crazy, but I see a lot of stylistic similarities, despite one being largely canonical, and the other decidedly not. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for a lot of 20th century American literature. I'll never be an Americanist, but Steinbeck, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, James, O'Connor etc. have long made inroads on my intellectual life.

I agree with Fancypants09. If you're just finishing up your sophomore year, generally now is when your peers are thinking about what they want to major in, rather than where they'll be going with that major. Then again, I knew what my plans were right from the first day of my first freshman classes...though I am a non-traditional student, for what it's worth. Having said all of that, I don't think it's a bad thing to be thinking about grad school at this point -- just don't beat yourself up for not having done more thinking about it up to this point. My biggest suggestion is this: try to make a conscious effort to diversify in terms of literary time periods, if you are interested in the literary track. I made a point of trying to cover as many bases as I could, which is why I'm currently taking a couple of 20th century poetry courses...even though I generally dislike Modernist and Contemporary poetry. I also took a literary theory course, even though I don't particularly like theory...simply because I recognized its importance. It also can't hurt to take a course in the classics (Greco-Roman mythology, or even classical philosophy) given how much influence the Hellenic and HRE eras had on Renaissance literature (and trickled down through the centuries from there). As an undergraduate, however, there's just no way you'll be able to plug all of your knowledge gaps. You'll have to fulfill general requirements that will prevent you from taking courses you might otherwise take. So again, don't beat yourself up over it! If you're a sophomore, then you've got up to twenty courses (or depending on where you're at with your general reqs, possibly ten or fifteen) to diversify as much as you can. If you do find an area you become particularly smitten with, then definitely take another course or three in that area (i.e., somewhat disregard my above advice). For for the time being, I think the best objective is to get as broad a sense of your options as possible, and narrow down from there. Good luck!

Congrats!

I say the "debt" issue is more YMMV. Certainly paying for an M.A. (or heaven forfend, a Ph.D.) outright through loans is NOT particularly wise, there are circumstances in which taking out student loans to help pay for part of a program isn't inherently evil. I also think the "don't go straight out of undergrad" advice is very subjective as well. If you're older, like me, then going straight out of undergrad makes perfect sense. If you're twenty-two, then it depends on your level of maturity and focus etc. A lot of people find going straight through from high school to B.A. to M.A. to Ph.D. works well. Had I had the encouragement and support when I was in my mid-teens, I strongly believe that I could have gone down that path.

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Congratulations, my friend! Such awesome news!!!

You've got OPTIONS!!!! Congrats!!

Congrats!! I've heard some things lately that have made me think that I won't apply to Harvard next time around. UCLA should be a fabulous option for you and, drought aside, L.A. itself is a pretty awesome place, in my opinion...

Why on earth would you lie?

Welcome! Others may very well disagree with me on this, but I think you should just be straight up with the DGS. If you have other offers, the DGS may be able to convince his higher-ups that you're someone in demand, and that they should make funding available so that their program will have you instead of another program. But even if you don't have other offers, letting the DGS know that fact might convince him/her to take you since you have potential as a future scholar etc. Either way, I've never been very good at politics, personally, but even if I were, in a situation like this -- in April, no less -- I suspect that honesty and openness are key. I doubt the DGS is asking for any nefarious reason -- it's probably to try to make all the pieces in front of him/her fit together. Good luck!

A Nick Cave fan AND an East of Eden avatar! Yep, you're definitely welcome here.

Me! Yup, I'll be starting a two-year M.A. at UMD in the fall. I have partial funding guaranteed at the moment (which will have be teaching freshman comp in three consecutive semesters starting next spring), and a couple of other fully funded opportunities on the table, but I'm trying to assess how manageable the workload would be to juggle TAships / GAships / coursework / teaching etc. I really like UMD's 1/2 TAship option, thanks to its emphasis on early teaching, but if I have a fully funded GAship option, do I go with that? Hrm. The one X-factor is that the 1/2 TAship is two years of guaranteed funding, whereas the other options I have on the table are both one-year options, meaning I would have to find something else in year two. These are things I'll need to figure out on my own, of course. I recognize that it's a boon to have funding options at all at M.A. level. ToldAgain's second paragraph is one I could have written myself. I felt extremely welcome at UMD's open house last week, and Ph.D. students, M.A. students, faculty and administrators alike were all incredibly supportive. In other words, doing an M.A. at UMD has gone from being a "consolation prize" to being an "alternate plan A" to being something I really want to do. Truly, at this point if I got a call from a Ph.D. program accepting me in, there is a strong possibility that I would turn it down...and I mean that sincerely. Congrats to the three of you for getting your acceptances!

Just chiming in to say that your whole post is one of the best I've read on GC in weeks. I'm out of upvotes, but seriously -- thanks for sharing.

Oh, that's fantastic, Jhefflol! So happy for you!

Perhaps a touch off-topic, but at UMD's open house yesterday, it was made very clear that they are thirsty for more rhet/comp folks, and are actively trying to build that section of the department. I had a couple of people try to coax me in that direction, in fact, based on my interest in writing and pedagogy etc. I'm sure that ProfLorax can tell you more details on that front if you're interested, but despite the fact that I've heard of a recent slowdown elsewhere in comp/rhet, that's definitely not the case at Maryland.

Oh, it was fantastic! Met a couple of GCers early on -- I felt kind of dumb because both came up to me and said "Wyatt's Torch?" and I probably had a blank look on my face for a moment trying to process how they knew me...before I realized I've PMed with both of them and they knew my first name...which was on my name badge. Anyhow, for me, events started at 9:00, as I met with Dr. Leigh Ryan about potentially working in the Writing Center. She actually wrote the book (literally) on tutoring in a Writing Center. After that, I had a few one-on-ones with professors, and they were all fantastic...legitimately interested in my research goals, extremely amiable etc. Professor Donawerth even gave me a copy of A Winter's Tale. After that, there was an hour-long luncheon which was great for socializing. I chatted more with Ramus and Hunterjumper, but it was a true mingle-fest. There were many current grad students there (I'd guess at least twenty-five), and they were all outgoing, striking up conversations, giving out their email addresses, and just being generally kind, enthusiastic, and helpful. Funnily enough, I got into a long conversation with a couple of them, and happened to mention Grad Cafe and ProfLorax's excellent advice etc. They had no idea she moonlights here, so...ProfLorax, I apologize for blowing your cover! One interesting nugget is that the DGS, Ralph Bauer, was very involved in socializing...but not in an oppressive or obsequious kind of way. He would sometimes just quietly stand to the side of a group and listen to a conversation, occasionally chiming in with a quip or two...but I get a very strong sense that he is an extremely genuine human being, which makes me very happy. He legitimately cares about his students and the programs -- M.A. as well as Ph.D. There were some panels with professors, but even more enlightening was a panel with eight or so current grad students, with no professors / administrators in the room. Basically an hour of "real talk." Cost of living issues (Greater D.C. is notoriously expensive for housing), general funding crises at the state level in Maryland, juggling GAships / TAships with coursework etc. were all discussed at length. The main takeaway, however, is that ALL of the students on the panel are very happy at UMD. There was no reason for them to be cagey about this in such a context, and one of the grad students basically summed it up by saying how academic rigor is a given in any graduate program, but UMD is different in that the people they bring in -- professors and grad students alike -- all tend to be genial. And I really got that sense beyond mere words (because anyone can say that, and in a way, a day for admitted students is all about that, but it feels legitimate here). There was another panel on funding options for M.A. students which was quite helpful. I also learned that receiving a TAship / GAship automatically qualifies the bulk of your tuition as "in-state" which is particularly great for anyone getting a 1/2 TAship 1/2 GAship etc. that only covers part of tuition. Personally, it broadens the housing area options for my wife and I -- we're not tethered to living in the Maryland side of the Greater D.C. area, so we may look at Alexandria again, or Arlington etc. (still a bit of a hike for me, but I'm used to a much longer commute regardless). There was then a campus tour that I opted out of -- I planned on using the time to fire off a few emails, though discovered there was no visitor wifi, so wound up just reading the graduate handbook and exploring the English building (Tawes Hall) myself. I should point out that the building is big and beautiful. Much larger than what I'm used to, and I'm really quite impressed by it. It's a smoke-free campus, which is probably a good thing overall, though I can't deny that as I was looking out at the courtyard on the third floor, I was thinking "wow, it would be lovely to have a cigar out here on a nice summer day" before my eyes spotted the large "No Smoking" sign. The day ended with another casual social mixer with wine, cheese, and snacks. I was there for a couple of hours. Actually, I think I was the last admitted M.A. to leave. The DGS was again very much involved in general socializing, and we chatted quite a bit. I felt particularly bad for one young woman there who is waitlisted. The DGS, a current Ph.D. student and I chatted with her for about an hour, and her enthusiasm for her research and her general personality were fabulous. Such an engaging individual, and UMD is her only grad school option at this point. My heart goes out to her, and I hope she manages to get in off the waitlist... So while I may be a bit biased, since I already committed to UMD a few weeks ago, my takeaway of the program is extremely positive. One thing I didn't touch on above is that there are MANY teaching opportunities for Ph.D. and M.A. students alike -- even Lecturer positions. Teaching is very much at the heart of the UMD experience, and I couldn't be happier about that. It does, of course, mean that the program isn't for everyone. I know there are many out there who (understandably) see teaching as just a necessary evil involved in the course of graduate research, but for anyone like me who is looking forward to the instructional portion (not to mention the experience to list on my C.V. etc.), I don't think I've come across any major programs more dedicated to that side of things. Apologies if this post is a bit exhaustive, but it was a long and enjoyable day. Again, since I've already committed to the place, I might be a bit biased. I think Ramus still has another option on the table, so he might be able to give a more objective view if he's so inclined. But yes...for me, at least, I was happy before, but that happiness was definitely justified and cemented with yesterday's events. I'm just sorry you couldn't be there, ProfLorax!

For me, the end goal of all of this has been to teach at college level. I enjoy research, writing, academic challenges, and long walks on the beach, but ultimately I look most forward to teaching the discipline to undergraduates. The primary (but by no means the only) reason I am going down this path is to give me the best opportunity to do that at the highest level. Having said that, I'm utterly open to other possibilities post-Ph.D., whether that is consulting, working for a non-profit arts organization, working for a publishing house, a library...there are SO many alt-ac options out there for English majors! I would probably adjunct for a course or two per year while doing whatever alternate-plan-A it is I wind up working at, but having an ideal is rarely a bad thing, so long as you are able to see past it. Case in point: had you asked me a mere two months ago if I would consider a Master's program, my response would have ranged from a "probably not" to a flat out "no." Guess what? Tomorrow I'm going to the open house of the M.A. program that accepted me, and I'm downright excited about it. I would almost go so far as to say "thrilled." Adaptation to change is a core component of our natures, and being able to roll with the changes (apologies to REO Speedwagon) is a valuable life skill in any industry. I don't think anyone here is saying anything to the contrary, but it is worth restating that there are MANY valid reasons to pursuing graduate English, even if the ultimate dream of snagging a TT job at an R1 proves too elusive. The fast food analogy is positively inapt. We're all critical thinkers here. We should know better than to dive for the low-hanging fruit of the "bottom barrel" scenario. It's a wide world out there, and people with our particular sets of skills that we have acquired over a very long career (apologies to Liam Neeson) can make the most of the abundant alt-ac opportunities.

I will likely be working. If that winds up being part-time, then my plan is to start Rosetta Stone's Level 1 Italian course. I know there are likely better resources out there for learning Italian for translation purposes, but since I have a copy of the Rosetta Stone software on hand, I figure it can't hurt as a primer. I will also be moving this summer. Hopefully around the beginning of July, but possibly for August 1st. I've always disliked moving, but I'm actually rather looking forward to it this time around... Getting back into civilization will be a godsend!

Spot-on as usual, Unraed. It would require a gross level of ignorance and/or naivete to be unaware of the sheer difficulty of getting a TT job in academia, or the relative difficulty of getting a job in academia at all. It is the ideal for many, but the bottom line is that getting an M.A. or a Ph.D. in English doesn't pigeonhole you into one career possibility. There are many, many possibilities for alternate career paths with an M.A. or Ph.D. in hand -- some of which are listed in Emily.Rose's link. That's why I always get a tiny bit snarky when I see threads like these. In theory, we're all smart people here. I suspect that most of us have at least a partial understanding of how difficult this path is. Telling us how difficult it is is tantamount to putting grotesque pictures of diseased lungs on cigarette packages.