tortola23

I had to email twice to get any response, and with my second update email I CCed the chair of the department; that second time Prof Lesser responded to me. Hopefully they're just very busy, but I interpreted it as rude, too. We are students the committee has approved for admission, so I'd think they'd at least be polite to us. I have to admit that it did lower my opinion of the program a little, especially when I have offers from places that have been excessively kind and responsive to me. I don't want to work for a prima donna English department any more than they want prima donna students working for them. Apparently we'll be hearing during the first week of April (ie: next week). I'm really thinking that they'll hardly get any declines, though. LE SIGH. p.s.- I should add that a professor I met with previously at UT always responds very quickly to my emails. So it's not a department-wide thing.

I applied to Oxford and didn't get in. I haven't heard from Edinburgh yet.

Exactly. I'm considering the Professional Writing mostly because it would mean getting hired fairly easily and starting to make money very quickly. I wonder if I'd be happier in the long-run if I didn't need to worry about my career all of the time... Hopefully my visit to Pittsburgh will help me decide. It might sound weird to some people to have to choose between "struggling academic" and "successful businessperson", but it's difficult for me.

Nope. I'm definitely not expecting anything. My awesome PhD offer doesn't even have funding until the second year, so it's probably going to be a bad season for funding all around.

equinox & truc: Good advice. I would end up paying for about 50% of any of the MA programs and for only about 20% (tops) of UW's PhD program, as long as they did come through on second-year funding, which I pretty much trust them to do. I have family in Seattle and I like it there, and I don't think I'd find it more expensive than Austin, where I live now. Sad to say, I think the only reason I'm really considering the MA programs is that the prospect of moving away from my S.O. for 5 years is a lot more depressing than the prospect of moving away for 2 years. 5 years sounds more like a relationship-ender, and that's crappy. Which is why I'm really hoping for UT-Austin. Sometimes it's hard being an ambitious type, bleh. The MA program I'd most consider would be Carnegie Mellon's because it's Professional Writing, a whole different career path. But in my heart of hearts, I think I'm an academic. truc, what are your options?

I have admits at Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, and Claremont for partially-funded MA degrees, and an offer from UW-Seattle for a PhD program . . . with no funding for the first year. The UW program would be the obvious choice if it were fully funded. They're legally unable to guarantee second-year funding, but apparently only one student in their recent history has failed to secure it, and it was because he was failing his classes. So WHAT am I supposed to do here?! My undergrad advisor thinks UW would be best because considering my academic interests, I could launch a pretty bad-ass career from that school. However, going into debt--even just a year's worth--for my PhD was not originally part of my plan. I should add that I'm DEFINITELY waiting out two fully-funded PhD wait-lists UT-Austin and UF, since those schools are about equal to UW and they offer full funding. But should neither of them accept me, what would be my best choice? Just looking for other folks' thoughts here; help me make a list of pros and cons!

Prof Lesser responded to my update about my options for the Fall, saying that they're pushing admits to notify them right after this weekend's visit. We can expect to start hearing things from April 1st onward. If you're an Austin admit, please post your decision either here or on the Waitlister's Paradise thread! We'd love to know how many decline.

Maybe all of you UT-Austin admits can post your decisions after your visit this weekend? I'm on tenterhooks.

I spent a year as an undergraduate at UF, and transferred to another school when I decided that I wanted to study English. The whole Lib Arts college was in major debt, and I figured I'd have a better chance of a more stable education elsewhere. Not surprising that there were only six spots! But I'm still hoping for an admit off of the wait-list since all of my current offers are only partially funded.

Going into debt for a humanities MA does indeed seem like a bad idea. However, I'd be tempted with Georgetown simply because several people from my undergrad have done their MAs there and gone on to PhDs at very prestigious, very well-funded programs. They're all quite successful as professors now. It would be tough, though, and just a little disappointing not to be funded.

I just received an acceptance via email! I'm not holding my breath for funding since Georgetown doesn't have a great track record with it, but DAMN would it be awesome! I am almost unable to believe how much better this application season is for me than last year's. Last year: Eight rejections. This year: Four acceptances, two wait-lists, just two rejections so far. TRY, TRY AGAIN, guys.

I will be quite likely to turn down UW if they can't guarantee second-year funding. I'm definitely holding out for wait-lists, too. Fingers crossed!

Any UT-Austin turn-downs would be greatly appreciated!

The funding situation sounds VERY bleak at Washington. I am sort of juggling my wait-lists at UT and UF with my admits at UW and Carnegie Mellon right now. Even though Carnegie Mellon is only willing to do half-funding, they're still a better deal than UW, especially since UW probably can't even guarantee second-year funding. UF would be awesome, but their funding is low this year. UT would be the best: excellent funding, a well-funded program overall, and financially stable. SIGH.

I emailed Brian Reed and he responded very quickly, as did Jennifer Siembor. Maybe contact them?

No funding is available the first year. Very apologetic email from the DGS. Unfortunately, I have other offers that are at least partially funded. I really doubt I could afford to live in Seattle for a year without any money. Hmm. Definitely still holding out hope for those wait-lists.

Oof, the wait-lists really do make it feel like a game! Good luck to you, too.

Just got a follow-up email to my inquiry about MA funding. Apparently I've been accepted to the MA/PhD program, and they are assuring me that "the transition from MA to PhD is internal and non-competitive". So . . . I guess I just got into my first PhD program . . . ? I'm slightly confused, but apparently Brian Reed is going to follow up with more information, including about funding. If this offer is funded, it will easily become my best option. I'd still wait out UT's list, but . . . wow. p.s.- I also have a BA only, so I think that I'm kind of in the same boat as woolfie.

I'm also wait-listed at UT, and they told me in their letter that they do replace turn-downs with students in similar fields, to maintain the balance of their "cohesive" incoming class. UF apparently has some sort of ranked wait-list (whereas UT does not rank), so I'm not sure if they use this system or not, although it would stand to reason since they can't overload one POI or one reading group, etc. I guess we'll all find out soon!

Heh that would be awesome.

The only explanation I'm offering in my turn-down emails and letters is along the lines of "I'm accepting a better-funded offer", since I want the schools to know that 1) paying for a degree isn't in most potential students' game-plans, and 2) I'm not turning them down because of fit, location, any number of other considerations.

Thank you! Especially since I'm postcolonial, too!

I just got my acceptance letter to the MA program. The letter says that there was "an extremely competitive pool" of 465 applicants this year. This is the only school I reapplied to after being rejected last year, so it feels great! No word on funding, and I'm not really expecting any since it's a Master's. I think that the only way I'd take this offer over the one from Carnegie Mellon is if it were fully-funded, and I will definitely not take this offer over a potential one from UT or UF since those programs are PhD. Good luck to all!

Gotta say not until April 15th since I'm waiting on two wait-lists that I prefer to my two admits.

Mine wasn't a form letter, but it does seem to be a large wait-list; in fact, both wait-lists I'm on seem to be pretty long. I think that they expect about half of their first-wave acceptees to decline in favor of other schools. Makes sense.