Unimpressed3D

Starting an MA program come fall... I'm still debating what to do with the summer, but right now, I'm strongly leaning toward getting the hell out of here ASAP (as in, shortly after I get my BA, mid-May-ish), and just getting myself settled where I'm going. I'm 90% sure of which school I want to go to now, so I figure I might as well get established in my new environment. I absolutely have to work, and soon, to get through the summer until classes start. (I haven't been, due to a very heavy course load.) But I figure it's best just to use the funds I do have to move and get a steady job in the new city, rather than go through a string of headaches finding shorter-term jobs in both places. I'm hoping I can get a position with my soon-to-be professors, or else some kind of summer student position in another department. I might start emailing them about this soon, come to think of it. I'm a little surprised that my coordinator didn't direct me toward these kinds of departmental resources when he learned I'm looking, but I don't know if that's normal or what. I'm very excited to get started with this new chapter of my life, and even more excited that it's so much closer within reach than the August move date I'd originally planned on. I see no reason to bake here through another summer if I don't need to.

How did you fund it? I got into Exeter and King's College London (so far), but my funding seems much better for the US schools I was accepted into. (This is for MA programs.) I'm still weighing my options, but I'd like to at least see if the UK schools are financially feasible options. I'm probably going to pass on King's just because London is so damn expensive, but I also applied to Southampton, Kent, and East Anglia, and I want to make sure I consider each program carefully before making such an important decision.

Yes, I'm going to try, though it would be huge stretch for them (a difference of about $23K, I think, since the $10K they're offering is just toward tuition, which would require me to take out more in loans). At the least, I just want them to make attending financial secure enough for me to do it without always worrying about making ends meet. School B is a lower ranked program, without a PhD program, so I'm worried about my chances of getting into a good PhD program down the line if I go there.

It's an MA program, offering me $10K. This is only towards tuition (covers most of it, if not all), and I'd get by the first semester with the federal loan. But the second semester, most of the loan money would go toward the tuition. If I had a job, I'm sure it would be OK, but this is in another city. I've never secured a job/housing in another city without some savings that allowed me to move there first and search. Which I probably could even in this case. I'm just nervous I won't be able to find/work a job that covers living expenses while doing good work in the program. The situation would be slightly better, if memory serves, the second year with a TAship.

I'm really torn. I really want to go to school A - better program, better city, higher ranking, better fit for my interests, and I think, a better cultural environment all around. I think I'd be happier going to this school. If only I can afford it. School B, though, is offering full funding. It's a safer, cheaper area, but the cultural and intellectual life is in that area isn't nearly as rich, it's lower-ranked, and though I could make it work with my interests, it doesn't have as much to offer in general. I think School A would provide a better, more rigorous education, especially in terms of preparation for grad school (unlike School B, they have a PhD program in my field...which is probably why they're not offering me as much money). I think I'd be happier going to School A than School B, especially since I'd always wonder, and regret not trying to make it work where I really wanted to go. I'm really nervous about not having enough money, though. I have enough to cover the tuition, but it's living expenses that worry me. One of my professors said to send School A the offer from School B. Is this done? How should I broach the topic of asking for more money? I think that if I can attend School A, I should do so. I'm having trouble deciding what's financially doable, though, and asking School A to raise its offer seems completely nerve-wracking. Has anyone done this successfully? How should I go about it???

Has anybody heard back from Rutgers yet? (Sorry if I missed this somehow.) Though I got rejected from every other PhD program so far. I did get accepted into two MA programs, though, which I'm told is good since I'm still an undergrad finishing up my BA this semester. I'm now waiting on Rutgers and a few UK schools before I make my decision. Of course, even if I get in, it will all come down to funding. *sigh*

Thanks for this! I just got admitted, too, and I'm trying to figure out if I can make it work financially. I know Boston just outstripped NYC in being the most expensive city to live in. I'll be PM'ing you, too, if you don't mind...

Thanks, Sura. He gave me a few days' range to call, so maybe I shouldn't do it today. I have classes most of the day...but this whole week is really busy, with a midterm and a paper due. It's chaotic applying while still trying to finish up your undergrad degree. Anyway, I hardly know what questions to ask, though I'm very curious about the program and have tons of ideas of what I might like to do there. They have certain special advantages that most of the other schools don't have, in terms of specialization in my interest areas. I just don't want to sound scattered and start "winnowing in every wind."

I'm supposed to return a call to school A tomorrow. But I'm still waiting to hear back from 10 other schools. I want to communicate that I'm excited, flattered, that it's pretty high on my list, but that I still want to wait for the other schools. It's a good offer, with good funding. I would be happy to accept, but I can't very well do that this early in the game. But how do you communicate that? Respectfully, while still coming across as happy about it as I am? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! This is my first time going through all this, and it's frankly very intimidating!

Thanks. I think it's working now, though it was freezing up on the drive home this evening (first time it's done that). I'll take it back again if necessary. But yes, I would think email would be the channel for official communication. I'm sure I'll be hearing from the rest of schools soon, and it looks like most of the ones I haven't heard from, no one else has heard from yet, either. Or very few, which either means they're being nominated for institutional fellowships or...I didn't get in. Of course, if I haven't heard back by April or so, I might contact them...

Heard back from one more school: Princeton (English). Rejected, alas. Still waiting on 11/14 schools. Does anyone know if there are any schools who contact you by phone? I may have been having issues receiving calls the last 2 weeks. I don't think initial contact by phone is at all likely, but of course I'm liable to freak out at a time like this. I tried checking the status of my applications, but most of the systems don't seem to allow that. They just say the application has been successfully submitted.

God help me. I just realized my phone may not have been working properly for the last couple of weeks. I thought it was, but I just got an email from a friend on the east coast who says she's been getting error messages - not in service or whatever - trying to call me 2-3 times since about the 4th. It wasn't urgent, and I guess it didn't occur to her that I didn't know, so she just now emailed me! Shit! Now what? How common is it even for schools to call? I'm in English, for which I hear interviews are rare. The 3/14 I've heard from have all been emails. Do any of them actually contact you for the first time by phone??? And what do I do if I missed a call...? I haven't gotten anything snail mail, either. I'm telling myself email is the only logical method of contact, unless they want to interview, and I don't think any of the schools I've applied to even do that. I'm going to the AT&T store first thing tomorrow, of course...

Whoops, sorry, everyone. I just replied to a thread I saw in the sidebar on the homepage...heading over to the English subforums...

I wondered about the protocol for this, too, but I responded with a short thank you, anyway. I just hope it doesn't read like an acceptance of the offer, because I don't want to be rash. I didn't ask about time frames to make a decision, either, though, because....well...I'm new at this, and still too nervous. Is it reasonable to assume that I need to let them know by April 15th if they don't tell me otherwise?

So I got my first rejection today, from Brown. Disappointing, as they were one of my top choices. So far, I've only heard from them and Oregon State, which accepted me. (Glad that email came first. :D) They didn't give me any kind of time frame, though, to make a decision. Should I just assume I can let them know by April 15th?