othersamantha

I'm attending PSU starting in the Fall, and am in the process of looking for housing. I would like to live with a roommate to offset costs, but haven't really found many posts of people looking for roommates. When I moved into my current apartment (in Boston, MA), there were tons of posts of people looking for roommates to fill spots in existing situations, but that doesn't really seem to be the case in State College. Does anybody have any experience or advice for finding roommates? It seems like some realtors/property managers will match you up with roommates -- is that correct? Thanks in advance!

So actually like 10 minutes later I got an email letting me know a decision had been made, haha! Good luck to others and congrats to anyone accepted!

Does anyone know if we're still waiting on acceptances from Harvard? The results board seems to imply that at least one of the two acceptances is not real -- has anyone gotten any concrete news? Thanks!!

In my eyes, this is the biggest failing of most scholarly editions of texts. Why are the margins so small?! Looking at you, OWC. I must say this has been one of the most fun GC posts I have ever read! I've sincerely enjoyed reading about all of your strategies -- it's nice to "compare notes" (lol) and see what methods work for others. My note taking varies by situation: In class: I take notes in a ruled, spiralbound notebook (I usually buy from the Mead Five Star series solely based on which covers I like the most). I use Pilot G2 0.5 or 0.7 almost exclusively; I've never tried or even seen the 0.38, but I definitely am going to have to get my hands on one after reading this discussion! I start a new page of notes for each day/class meeting, head it with the title of the text(s) being discussed that day, and the date. I use an outline format (bullets and indenting). As an undergrad I studied English and History; I found that I generally took less notes for English (maybe 2 or 3 pages per class) than for History, which was much more lecture-heavy (4 or 5 pages per class usually). I find that like @Wyatt's Terps I tend to take less notes when I'm actively involved in a discussion! It's just hard to keep up with all of the points being made while also planning your own arguments. In texts: I annotate like crazy, both in books and on print outs of critical articles! OCCASIONALLY I will annotate a PDF (if it's a particularly long article and I can't bring myself to print it out), but in general writing on paper works better for me. I mainly only use three types of marginalia: notes, stars, and underlining. I use a straight underline when I'm marking something important or the main idea, and a sort of squiggly underline for striking word choice. I use stars in the margin instead when underlining would mean underlining line after line after line. Sometimes (like if I have to lead a discussion or something), I will also write up separate notes besides those I make in the text; for these, I usually write the page number followed by a quote or what struck me in that particular place. This is really time intensive I've found, but really helps me to process what I'm reading. Sometimes, if something in the text calls back to a previous passage or if there's some other connection, I note the relevant page number in the margin. Paper research: When I'm reading critical sources for papers, I've gotten into the habit of typing up quotes that I might want to incorporate into a Word doc as I go. This might seem like a waste of time, but I find that it makes it so much faster to find the points I want to incorporate when actually writing the paper (plus you can "find" quotes by searching for a particular word or phrase). Projects: For my undergrad thesis, I kept a separate notebook specific to the project. I used it to take research notes, free write, take notes while my peers gave feedback, etc. I used a smaller size Greenroom notebook (you can find these at Target). The paper is definitely bleed-proof, and it's a really nice color/texture! Binders: Does anyone else keep a binder for their courses? I ALWAYS have both a binder and notebook for each course -- I keep all of my print outs of articles, paper assignments, etc, in them. For notes storage, I've found that those storage crates that always make an appearance around back-to-school are the perfect size for notebooks and binders!

I'm also waiting for concrete news from Penn! I also saw a couple posts of acceptances on the results board, but haven't personally heard anything and my application status hasn't changed. :/ Good luck to you with both!!

Make that four! I'm out too. Super bummed as it seems like a great department, but I'm also lucky to have an offer at another program that I'm really excited about.

Really cool papers, everyone! It's so interesting to hear what others have worked on. My writing sample was the second section of my undergraduate honors thesis (a Weberian reading of leadership authority in Richard III, Richard II, and Macbeth). The second section is about Richard II, and basically explores the question of why Bolingbroke/Henry IV is allowed to retain the crown after usurping Richard II, whereas other usurpers (ie, Richard III and Macbeth) are punished/usurped themselves. It was definitely hard to choose between the three sections when preparing my writing sample, but I ultimately chose this section because I think it really showcases my close reading skills.

@LouisePlease @ThePomoHipster Ugh so sorry you guys. There should be a rule against posting decisions in the morning and ESPECIALLY on Mondays. Hang in there!!

Ugh, thanks WT! Hoping to hear something definitive today -- we'll see what happens! Would just be nice to have the final decision.

I don't have a lot of wisdom to share here, but to throw in my two cents... In the previous application cycle, I applied and was accepted to Bucknell University's (in Lewisburg, PA) terminal MA program, and was offered a stipend and tuition remission. I had applied during my senior year of undergrad not really knowing what I wanted to do, and it was the only English program I applied to at that time. I ultimately turned it down because I decided that if I was serious about pursuring an advanced degree in English, I wanted to do some more careful research about programs and cast a wider net. I didn't reapply there in this cycle because I ultimately decided it wasn't the best fit for me (I want to go directly into a PhD), but I can say that everyone I spoke to was super nice and they seemed really excited about the potential of having me there. I spoke with the director on the phone and was contacted by a couple other members of the faculty, including one who was interested in having me work with her on a project as a graduate assistant. They were really forthcoming with contact info for current/past students, and all of those I corresponded with were really happy with their experiences. Many went on to great PhD programs, although I can't recall the specifics. So, if you're looking for a funded MA program where you can get lots of personal attention, they might be worth looking into! The more general advice that I received this year from professors with whom I discussed going to grad school was to not go into debt in order to get an MA/PhD. The job market is shaky, and they advised me that it's just not sensible to go if you're not getting some sort of funding -- this depends on your personal situation of course, but I thought it was sound advice. Good luck in your search!

Congrats everyone who got in somewhere on Friday!! What a great way to end the week! I'm curious about other Notre Dame applicants -- I saw that a ton of rejections went up yesterday (sorry to all of those people). I haven't heard anything yet, and my application status is still just "submitted," but I also wasn't invited to an interview or anything. Anyone else is the same boat? Frustrating since now it's the weekend and we likely won't hear anything until next week :'(

@imogenshakes Thanks so much!! I too am a little nervous talking to anyone on the phone! The call was definitely unexpected, and I actually missed it and had to call back the next day after the DGS (who was so, so nice) left me a voicemail. To second @kurayamino, I don't think there's anything wrong with taking a voicemail and then calling back when you're a little more composed! When I did speak with her, it was a pretty brief call -- she just congratulated me, gave me a quick rundown of what came along with the offer (funding, assistantship responsibilities, etc), let me know that visit days would be coming up, and asked me if I had any initial questions. We didn't talk about research or anything; she just said that she was sure the faculty in my area would be glad to meet with me if I'm able to make it for a visit! I also received an email a few days later with some more detailed information.

I can claim one of the Penn State acceptances! I got the call on Friday. Very excited!!

@Warelin Thanks as always for such a helpful and thoughtful answer!! I think I must have just missed it when submitting the app and for whatever reason it's just now come up as a module on my application status page -- I've responded appropriately and it now looks like everything is set again! Hopefully this won't delay my application being reviewed, but I guess we'll just have to see. Thanks again!

Or, is it possible that I just totally missed this question when filling out the application? Does anyone else recall this question? I find it hard to believe that site would have let me submit the application without required information, but who knows?

Hi all! I was checking my the status of my PSU application today, and I noticed that on the application status page I now have a "Required" program specific question to answer: "Are you interested in the dual degree in English and African American Studies?" I've been checking my status fairly regularly since they are the first program I'm expecting to hear back from, and I'm almost certain that this question wasn't here before today. I also haven't received any emails letting me know that further information was required from me. Have any other PSU applicants experienced this? I'm a little confused because, although I've taken several courses on African-American literature, my stated intended focus is early modern. I'm wondering if my answer could possibly have any bearing on whether I get accepted -- anyone have any thoughts? Also wondering whether it's worth emailing to ask for some clarification/dig for some extra context. Thanks in advance!

Congratulations!!! Such great news, and well-deserved!

Thank you @Warelin, @tvethiopia, @bhr and @DBear for all of this info!

@JessicaLange Congratulations!! Hopefully the first of many!

@JessicaLange Congrats on your first acceptance!!! (Based on your signature). Want to share where?

This is awesome (but also so stressful; it was kind of nice not having real expectations of when to hear)! When we talk about "first-round acceptances," what does that mean? For example, if you're going to be waitlisted or rejected outright, do you think you would know at the same time as the "first-round" acceptances" find out they were accepted? Or do schools accept a group, wait to see how many commit, and then continue reviewing? Just a little confused, and wondering what that timeframe's like (if you know)?

Sound advice -- thank you! I'm definitely planning to catch up on all the "fun" books that I've been stockpiling over the past few months! And I will be sure to check out Hayot's book -- this was actually recommended to me once before as an undergraduate, but I haven't actually gotten a copy yet :/ . Good to know someone else finds it useful!

Sorry to bring this a bit back into the realm of seriousness, but this made me think -- does anyone know if programs pay for flights for admitted students to come to these days, or is it all out of your own pocket? Anyone have any experience with this? (Also, it is so nice to have time to catch up on Netflix binges and indulge in rereading Harry for the xxxxxxxxxth time) This is a great idea too! Want to share what's on your list? (Maybe we could make a separate thread for this, too.) I've decided that even though I'm incredibly nervous that I won't get in anywhere, I should plan/act as if I will, so I've been thinking about what I might want to read in preparation. Other who are already in programs, maybe you want to weigh in here too? Are there any foundational texts, reference books, thinkers, etc, that you would recommend being familiar with? Congrats to everyone who has all of their apps in, and good luck to everyone still wrapping up!

To add to this though, I think it might seem odd to call someone "Professor Smith" and later "Dr. Smith" -- I would be consistent with one term. But again, just speaking from personal preference!

I used only "Professor" in my applications. At my undergrad, everyone is called "Professor" and never "Dr.," but I wasn't sure that this was the case everywhere, so I initially used "Dr." in my statement of purpose. However, my advisor crossed out "Dr." and changed to "Professor" every time. So, from my perspective, I think it's fine, but maybe you want to check with one of your letter writers or someone else to see what they think.