Jump to content

divinemg

Members
  • Posts

    30
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Female
  • Location
    Madison,WI
  • Interests
    Romanticism. Gender and sexuality. Aesthetics. History of science. Women writers.
  • Application Season
    Already Attending
  • Program
    English Literature

divinemg's Achievements

Caffeinated

Caffeinated (3/10)

8

Reputation

  1. FYI to all considering UW-Madison as an option for graduate study in English: I just posted a message regarding the political situation in Wisconsin and how this will affect grad students/workers. You can check it out at the link below and do not hesitate to ask me any questions. I am currently attending UW-M and *very* involved in the push against Governor Walker's proposed budget bill. I can hopefully answer most of your questions, if you have any.
  2. I am currently attending and wanted to jump in with some information. The bill has not yet passed. Each day that it is delayed, there is a better chance that it won't. This is, as someone else mentioned, happening in a number of states including Indiana, New Jersey and Ohio. Walker has made an unprecedented attempt to overhaul the right to unionize/collective bargaining by proposing a "budget repair bill" that is unnecessary. The issue is quite complicated but, basically, if there is a deficit of a certain size in a two year period, the state has to come up with a new budget that will repair this deficit. Our budget DOES NOT currently fall within the mandated percentage--Walker is proposing this bill as a way to force through other non-budgetary legislation, most importantly a revocation of the right to unionize. What does this mean for graduate students? It will be difficult to say until the budget passes. If it does pass, the most obvious bottom line is that cost of health insurance will rise. There are a number of plans one can opt for but, currently, if a student is on one of the three cooperative plans (this is the way most students choose to go), the cost for a single person will go from approximately $19 to about $43/month. As you can see, this is still QUITE affordable. Other than that, the greater concern here is that, if this bill is passed as is, unionization will be crippled (if not all together impossible). Because this is the way the TAA (UW's grad assistant union) voices concern about and bargains for wages, benefits and the quality of working conditions, it is obviously quite important that the right to unionize is retained. If it is not, Walker would have an unprecedented amount of control over the things just mentioned. My advice: Do not panic or write UW-M off as a lost cause. Our faculty is backing us and I think we are turning things our way. A number of the republican senators are wavering. This is huge--there are 19 repubs and 14 democrats in the state senate. If we can swing only THREE republicans, the bill will not pass. BUT, please voice your opinion on this issue if you oppose the bill. Just because you do not live here does not mean you cannot get involved or make a difference. Spread the word. Write your representatives, senators, governors, etc. Tell your family and friends. Comment on news stories and voice your support of union rights. Wisconsin is a "tester" for the rest of the nation, as far as I am aware. If this is successful, you can bet that similar legislation will be attempted throughout the country. Walker is one of a number of republican governors elected last fall--all can probably be classified as tea partiers and this is in no way coincidental. What is going on here is huge and is preparation for the coming 2012 presidential election. If anyone has any questions whatsoever, do not hesitate to ask. I could go on, but that would get quite lengthy. There are some other significant concerns if this passes, but these would not come into play until well into the future. There has also been a significant amount of misinformation circulated by the news media--if you have questions about the nature of the protests, the issues, anything, please ask! I have been at the Capitol protesting between classes everyday this week and I can tell you this: we are changing things. Each day that strong crowds turn out and unions mobilize, our cause becomes stronger. If you can help in any way shape or form, we need it! And if you are considering UW-Madison as an option for your graduate study, I'd suggest doing whatever you can. It will benefit everyone in the long run.
  3. I, like intextrovert, was accepted to UW-Madison last year (we know each other) and I'm currently attending. To help ease minds about funding, I can confirm that every incoming student eventually received first-year funds, mostly via PAships. On top of the university fellowships offered, two diversity fellowships were also given out. I cannot say what the outcome in terms of funding will be this year, but I can tell you that our DGS has been fantastic for the department--while top english programs across the country are still grappling with cuts, she has been expert at bringing money into the department. If anyone else has questions about UW-Madison, I'm sure either I or intextrovert can speak to the quality of the program. I am loving it! Good luck to all! I would bet you will hear very soon.
  4. Just to throw in my two cents: the fit paragraphs are critical to the success of your SOP. (Also, I'm not sure if I would confine the topic of "fit" to a single paragraph--it might be best to return to this repeatedly throughout your SOP.) I am currently attending a top-20 program and am on fellowship. When I received the phone call telling me I had been admitted, one of the first things mentioned by the DGS was my SOP's demonstration of what I, personally, might offer to the program and what, in return, the program could offer to me. I mentioned the strengths of the program in my particular area of study, one professor who has influenced my work & whom I would like to work with, the university's excellent special collections, etc. I cannot stress how important it is to demonstrate how you "fit" the program and how the program "fits" you. And, judging by the amount of good and yet conflicting advice being given, it's clear that the ideal SOP will vary from institution to institution. The best way to ensure a successful SOP, in my opinion, is to get a feel for the current scholarship produced by each department. This will help you to get a feel for which individual qualities you should market to a particular program. Hope that helps. Good luck to everyone!
  5. I would just like to add a few thoughts... 1. I, like a few others, do not find the level of hostility to be justified. I understand how the tone of certain posts might have been misunderstood but I think we should all be careful when interpreting each other's words (myself included!). One of the drawbacks to electronic communication is that most of us do not know one another intimately and it is extremely difficult to correctly analyze things like tone when we cannot actually speak to one another. That being said, I, like americana and many others, have been puzzled by how adcomms make their decisions. For this reason, I think americana's questions are perfectly valid. However.... 2....perhaps the question should not be whether "low ranked" programs will outright reject highly qualified applicants because of their likelihood to be accepted to "high ranked" programs. I applied to 8 programs for fall admission and I remember being asked about the other schools to which I was applying by the majority of these programs. I struggled with these questions--I wondered why an adcomm would ask for such information and what it would be used for. This discussion has caused me to wonder: is it possible that these questions are asked to gauge whether an applicant will have a much better "fit" at another program s/he is applying to and, therefore, should not be admitted to the program in question (or should be less prioritized for funding)? This, I think, makes better sense (at least when speaking of programs that request such information in their applications for admission). Like others, it has been my experience that faculty at my undergraduate institution are most knowledgeable about the specifics of different English programs' faculty members and the research being completed in various departments. Considering this (and assuming this, in general, is how professionals in the field of English evaluate other programs), it would make sense that adcomms might consider an applicant's research interests, how these interests "mesh" with faculty research at the other programs to which s/he applied, and whether there is a significantly better "fit" for the applicant on the provided list of programs. This is just some useless hypothesizing on my part. Obviously, admissions decisions are complicated and vary between programs. Rather than considering rankings and possible rejection as a result of "overqualification," I think an applicant might be better served to consider his/her research interests, those applications that asked for information regarding other graduate school applications, and whether this information and hypothesized "fit" might have had anything to do with an adcomm's decision to provide admission or funding. (And, no, I don't think a decision would be made based solely on this information. Admittedly, I have *no* idea what really goes on during the admissions process.) Hope this is clear....I'll be happy to clarify if what I have attempted to verbalize didn't quite make sense.
  6. Hi, all-- I just visited Madison for the second time. My mission: to secure an apartment. Mission successful! If anyone is wondering about housing, I might be able to help. I went to a number of showings on Friday and was able to find a place I loved. Somewhere else on this thread (I think), it was advised that Madison Property Management should be avoided at all costs. I wish I had listened to the giver of this advice, for it is SO TRUE. I have come away with the impression that MPM rents primarily to undergraduates that have never lived on their own. Their properties are in *horrible* condition and often do not include any utilities or parking. Laundry on site is also very unusual. Their rent prices are *extremely* high. If you take a drive around Madison, you will see MPM's signs EVERYWHERE. It seems that they own half the city and don't have the time to provide even the most basic maintenance. Example: I booked a showing for 2149 E. Washington (do not live here). The outside of the house was actually well maintained but the interior was downright scary. The carpet was the cheapest one could find, it was peeled back from the floor in many spots, and their were burn marks and holes all over the place. When I asked if the carpet would be replaced, I was told that this was still being decided. The paint was peeling throughout and I was told there were no plans to repaint. The kitchen was a mess and the linoleum floor was also raised/coming off. The rent on this place was insane and included no utilities. The other two properties I visited were in relatively the same condition and it was made clear that there were no immediate plans to fix anything. Basically...stay away from Madison Property Management. I did find a great apartment which I will be renting in the fall through Palisade Properties. From what I could see, their staff is very friendly and their properties are all very well maintained. The rent was extremely fair. Additionally, they allow their tenants to paint (personally, I hate white walls) and are *very* pet friendly. I have two small dogs and housing has proven a challenge--they had no problem with my puppies! Another reliable landlord I found was Dobson Property Management. It seems that they list their apartments on craigslist, rather than online (they don't even have a website, as far as I know). I would highly recommend checking them out. Their apartments were *very* nice and fair in price. Housing has been a major concern for me, especially since I have dogs, and I am so relieved to have it taken care of. If you can't visit and have to rent sight unseen, I would highly recommend having someone attend a showing and take pictures of the apartment for you. In Madison, it isn't safe to judge a property solely by how it looks from outside and in what neighborhood it is in. I hope this helps someone!
  7. Just to add my two cents: the university I attend is virtually unknown unless you live in the state, and within the state it is considered to be of lesser quality than at least two other instate universities (one public and well known, the other private). As a freshman, my expectations of the quality of faculty/teaching in English were admittedly low due to the fact that I was attending a smaller, unknown school. I was more than pleasantly surprised! The faculty of our English department is phenomenal and many come from top 20 programs. For example: Rutgers, Yale, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Iowa (creative writing). I would like to point out that the institution I attend is virtually unknown and, yet, a number of young and exciting scholars have chosen to teach here, as opposed to an R1 university. Also, I will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall and the common practice in the department is to teach for 4 years. Additionally, students are encouraged to teach at a variety of levels, including freshman composition and sophomore introductory surveys. I am particularly excited to be attending UW because not only will I reap the benefits of an outstanding faculty and a highly ranked program, but I will also gain a considerable amount of teaching experience at a wide range of levels and be encouraged to teach composition, literature, and creative writing. While I think some good points have been made, I (like Branwen and others) would like to point out that my experience of professors trained in top 20 programs has been very positive. (My experience of professors from lower ranked programs has also been great.) I have been more than impressed with their teaching methods, the course design, etc. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule; it should be acknowledged that all programs will turn out the occasional graduate that is inept in the classroom. I disagree with the notion that top 20 programs, in general, produce graduates focused solely on research and/or career gain. The professors at my institution are an example. As for myself, I began my undergraduate career as an education major and, while my career goals have changed, my commitment to teaching remains just as strong. I am looking forward both to my future research and the opportunity to inspire students to enjoy, and be passionate about, literature. (That probably sounded corny, but that is the truth.) Lastly, I am bothered by the suggestion that English is a field in which "most everything has already been said." Taking Romanticism into account, new ground is broken in research everyday. The significance of women writers has only recently come to be identified; aural sublimity (which I explored in my writing sample) is virtually untouched; the connections between literature and the history of science, as well as the signifance of natural philosophy in Romantic poetry, has just begun to be explored; etc. I am sure that many others on this forum, from a variety of fields, would support the idea that there are always new things to be said. Otherwise, what would be the point? Why teach students about literature if all has been said and there is nothing left to contribute? English is such an exciting field *precisely* because much of the surface has yet to be scratched.
  8. Got my official acceptance today. I wasn't awarded any funding/a TAship. I will be declining my offer very soon, so whoever is on the waitlist can be notified before April 15 (I would hope) and compare with their other offers!
  9. Robert: I have no clue on money. I've heard that Colorado is pretty sketchy, in general, when it comes to funding. I think everybody's best shot is a TAship...? BrandiGrad: I, also, am 99% positive I will be turning down my offer as well. Like hadunc, I have another offer from a school that includes a fellowship and is a much better fit. I applied for the M.A. program, so I'm not sure if this would help you or not. Do they have a combined waitlist for the M.A. and Ph.D. programs? Good luck to you! I would guess that I should have my letter by Saturday if they really sent them on Wednesday. Otherwise, I'll be out of town all weekend and it will have to wait until Tuesday when I get back. Boo.
  10. Me too!! I think this is particularly hysterical considering our conversations about the disorganization of the website and their very rude secretary/assistant. I also think it's hilarious that, assuming we are accepted, the person couldn't just say congratulations--like we haven't figured it out already! I suppose I might have just counted a chicken before it hatched, but I can't imagine why they'd be sending this information to rejected applicants... Congrats hadunc!
  11. Wholeheartedly agreed! Ranting definitely helps...
  12. Thanks, BrandiGrad, for this information! I can't believe you were confronted with such rudeness. Unbelievable. I applied to CU-Boulder and just reading this was a *major* turn off for me. I had a similar experience with someone in their department (probably the same woman) this past November. I found their website to be unclear and sent a quick email to double-check whether my GRE should be sent to the graduate school, the department or both. It was a pretty straightforward question and I wasn't obnoxious--lots of thank yous and all. The response I received gave me the answer in a very abrupt, curt manner and then the woman who wrote it felt that it was necessary to inform me that if I had just perused the website "correctly" the answer to this question would have been obvious; the response was, overall, extremely rude and distasteful....I mean, seriously, I'm so sorry for double-checking because each school handles things differently, the website was convoluted, and I didn't want my application fee/all the work I've put in to go to waste. I am completely turned off by CU-Boulder right now. Ugh.
  13. Hi, everybody! I'm so excited for GASP, too! Is anyone staying with a grad student? I am, and I know that there are two other girls in the same house as me...the host's name is Leah. I will be arriving Sunday afternoon and leaving midday on Tuesday afternoon. I think intextrovert's idea is a great one...we should PM one another and get names!! So excited--congrats to everyone!
  14. I, too, have major senioritis and it is awful. Like you, all of my classes this semester are non-literature/gen-ed requirements. I thought it would be an easy last semester....and it is, but these classes are boring and full of busy work. Yick. I have been accepted to the UW-Madison M.A./Ph.D. program with a fellowship and will be going to grad school straight from undergrad--I'm still waiting on six of my eight schools, but I am 99.9% certain that I'll be going to UW in the fall. Good luck to everyone! It's good to hear from some other "babies" applying straight from undergrad!
  15. Last year, before I began the application process, I was planning to specialize in 18th C. lit...and then it suddenly hit me that I am a Romanticist. That being said, my original list of schools was geared toward those with strengths in 18th C. My adviser, who specializes in 18th. C. lit/science, helped me craft a list of programs. I'm not sure about colonial literature, specifically, but I do know that Rutgers has one of the strongest programs in 18th century literature. Michael McKeon is there--he was my mentor's dissertation adviser. Additionally, there are a number of other well known scholars at Rutgers. Also, University of Texas has a reputation for strengths in 18th century lit, as does Vanderbilt. You should *definitely* look into UVA. And possibly U of Maryland? Neil Freistadt is there. Just a thought--while 18th C. is definitely "underrepresented"(there are less candidates applying in this area), I wouldn't count on it being easier to get into a grad program if you choose this as your concentration. Like Medieval, the numbers are smaller but (at least from my experience) the quality of undergraduate scholarship/applicants in this area is generally good. As a result, there is a high level of competition for spots concentrated in 18th C. lit at institutions like Rutgers and UVA. Definitely go for it, but don't assume that smaller numbers mean less competition! Hope this helps! Good luck!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use