Isabelarch

Anyone hear anything?

Thanks everyone for all your extremely helpful replies! Just btw- it wasn't a seminar paper, it was a lecture paper in a class that is not in my area of interest...

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your answers- make me feel so much better! I felt really trapped in revising this paper that I had no interest in. But my worry is that I think that she really really didn't like my paper ... I mean she didn't even give me a grade! She wrote that it was too broad and unoriginal. It just seems like the A was conditional on the revising even though she didn't actually say it. Is that possible?

I'm in an English lit masters program. Last semester I took a lecture course. There were two assignments for grad students: a four page paper and a ten page paper. I got an A on the first one and participated a lot in class, had a good relationship with the professor, who is a senior top professor and seemed to really take a liking to me - especially appreciating the fact that I have three kids. When I got the final paper back, it was chock full of comments on almost every paragraph- which is the norm for her, but there was much more criticism than praise. She didn't give me a grade, but wrote at the end that she would like to work on revising it with me if I had the time; that she liked me and was willing to give me her time. I was feeling very burnt out and told her I needed a month or so to enjoy the summer and then I would get back to her. She said she'd be there when I was ready. Meanwhile, much to my suprise, she gave me an A in the course! I met with her in July ( I live an hour away) and had a confusing meeting. She was very sweet but instead of working directly with my paper she gave me a lot of vague general guidelines for writing a good paper. She said I could either revise it or write a new one. I left feeling very confused and not inspired. Anyways, I decided to come up with a new idea and emailed it to her... twice. It's been over a month and she hasn't answered. I think she might be away. I wrote a few pages but I really am not feeling it and I don't see the point in writing a new paper without her input. I'll just end up doing the same things wrong again. The whole point was to work on it together. I've also been dealing with kids being sick and a lot going on in my life and am finding it really hard to concentrate on this. Anyways, my question is: how important is it to revise or rewrite this paper? Will she lower my grade if I don't? Will it ruin my relationship with her? Doesn't it seem odd that she isn't answering after showing interest in working on it with me? please help!!!

Thanks everyone! I guess I'll be doing a little bit of both!

Hi! Starting my MA in English and Comparative Literature in the Fall, and wanted some suggestions for summer reading. I haven't been in school for a few years and I feel really unprepared. I'd like to read some books on literary theory, as well as some fiction. What do you think is really essential reading for the current literature graduate student?

I will at Columbia this fall doing an MA in English and comparative Literature! Very excited. Anyone else?

So in the end I decided on A. I wrote a nice email to B and the response was SOOOOOO nice it almost made me regret my decision. She said that she totally understands and respects my decision and that she knows I will do really well because I'm very talented. I was really blown away. Feel very relieved and happy.

Thanks so much Jay's brain! Was your situation after April 15th and did it involve funding? I feel like that makes my situation extra complicated... You only had to contact your POI to take back your acceptance, not the school itself? Should I send an email to the head of the dept, who I've spoke to and will remember me, or to the school itself? Since this involves funding it seems like I probably have to go through more official channels.

Ahhhh so hard!!! is there a way to email B and tell them the situation very honestly and ask them if they can allow me to make the decision without fear of breaking a commitment or causing hard feelings? I just feel like it's impossible to make a clear decision when I'm so worried about doing something ethically wrong. It could be that I will choose B in the end, but I don't want the main reason to be because I'm nervous about burning bridges.

I'm really really confused right now. Basically, I applied to two programs for an MA in English literature. (A is ranked number 4, B number 20) I got accepted end of February into B, with a 75 % scholarship. I attended the open house, met with faculty, and really was impressed with the program. I have certain special circumstances that I discussed with the head of the department, and she was very understanding and helpful. Meanwhile, I had heard basically nothing from A. I emailed them and was told that they hadn't yet made a decision, they were not offering any funding and they don't follow the April 15th deadline for unfunded offers. So I kind of gave up and accepted B's offer. Now, a week later, and I get the acceptance from A. I know that it's wrong to withdraw after April 15th, but how can I turn down such a highly ranked program at such a prestigious Ivy League school??? Also, I will be commuting and the location is much better for me, possibly saving me hours of traveling. I have small children and that makes a big difference in my life. The funding issue is obviously important but I can afford to pay tuition. Anyone have any advice? B made me feel wanted... But they also have their biggest class ever this year - something like 50 students! I doubt I'll be missed.... A kind of treated me like a last resort - but I don't know if that really matters. What do you think?

Totally agree. It shows that they don't have enough interest in us as candidates to give us a timely answer. If that's the case, then why should we should we be interested in going there?

I asked if being in the prospective group is the same thing as being wait listed and she said that there is an official waitlist with a more complicated procedure but they are not using it. Who even knows what that means!!! It's kind of odd that they would make decisions after April 15th, do they expect us to wait around for them and miss out on other schools? I don't get it.

Did anyone get an answer yet? I emailed them and was told that I'm part of the prospective group and will get an answer when they get answers from the first round of admissions? Is that the same thing as wait listed? Does that mean that outright rejections have been sent out already?

Anyone else? Was surprised to receive their 75% scholarship offer as I wasn't even aware that it was an option. They said in the email that this is the first year that they are offering it. Now just waiting to hear from Columbia... I don't see any answers from them on the results page so I'm still hoping, but I know chances are slim.