Warelin

I think you're right about this. When I was researching programs, I had the opportunity to talk to a few people there. The faculty were really nice in answering my questions. The coordinator mentioned that they take pedagogy really seriously and it's something that they consider to be very important to their identity. If they were stronger in the subfield I was interested in, it would have been a program I would have applied to.

What are your interests? Are UConn or Oregon placing in schools that you're interested in? Are the locations placed you'd see yourself being for the next 5-6 years? I'd personally advise against accepting any offer that isn't fully funded because I don't think the additional debt is worthwhile.

I think someone mentioned that Fordham sent out decisions.

MA ranking doesn't matter because MA programs are not ranked. The important thing is to network, present at conferences, write great-quality papers, gain a variety of experiences and do well in your academic work so that you can obtain strong recommendation letters.

FWIW: I think the person might have called to get their answer. I haven't heard of any program calling to reject (though it is possible, I suppose) anyone.

Ooooh! Yes! I was so concerned about getting another Master's!

That makes two of us!

Congrats! I think you'll have an acceptance sweep.

Website hiccup?

You mentioned you weren't interested in entering Academia so 'rank' becomes less important. Is there an area of the country you'd prefer to work in? Is it important that you have access to a 'music scene'? Is college football important to you? Would you mind that other students might be influenced by college football? Financially, I believe UGA is cheaper to live in but both places might offer different access to what's included in a standard apartment. How's the safety in both towns? Is having access to a major city important to you? Atlanta is about 70 miles away from Athens; Washington DC is about 115 miles away from Virginia. How important is it having access to either of those libraries for your research? How important is it for you to be close to family?

I'll have to put that on our to-do list before we leave in a few months. Thanks =) Agreed on the Liberty Bell. The park nearby is nice though. There are a lot of nice buildings near Old City and near Jefferson Station.

We've lived in Philadelphia for two years now and still haven't done any tourist-y things.

I think it's fair to e-mail offices if they've sent out waitlists or acceptances. I think most PHD programs have notified some applicants.

Have the schools communicated acceptances and waitlists to other people?

Congratulations! So much access to libraries and archives in DC! Congratulations! I'd be happy to share my knowledge about the city of Syracuse if you have any questions.

Congrats @punctilious' husband!!!! Exciting times for both of you!

Congratulations! Soon comes your comparison shopping!

Congrats!

I called Ken's number but someone else picked up. She said her name but I can't recall it. She told me to hang on a minute and then she gave me her answer.

Yesterday morning

@punctilious I think you need to hear this.

Maybe you'll both get accepted with fellowships! I called the department. I was told that all waitlists and acceptances have gone out. Sorry that I couldn't provide you with better news. Congrats!

I need to visit Texas one day. I've never met an unfriendly Texan nor an unhappy one. I need to drink some of that...water.

Penn State openly admits to the majority of their acceptances being straight from the BA. They make exceptions but it has something to do with how their program is designed and how the grad school functions. From the conversations I've had with different departments: The BA-only and MA applicants are sometimes in the same pool; but sometimes in different pools. Often, the expectations for MA applicants are higher because the extra one or two year program is designed to get them focused on knowing what they're interested in and how to express your interests on a more "mature" level. There are certain programs that will automatically not consider you if you do not hold an MA. Some programs (Wisconsin's come to mind) requires an MA for their Rhet/Comp program but you could apply with a BA-only if you go through their MA-Bridge program in African-American Studies if it is something that interests you. Michigan requires a MA in English or Education to enter their English and Education PHD program but their English and English and Women's Studies PHD program do not. I do not think it is possible to transfer from one program to another because they each have a separate application process. At one point, Ba-only applicants were the norm. Now, more programs are increasingly becoming more balanced. (I think UI Chicago mentions somewhere that they accept BA-only applicants but they've only accepted one or two people with only a BA in the past few years.) A BA-only applicant can beat out an MA applicant if their work fits the program, has compelling work, has shown activity in the field since leaving college and can bring an unusual perspective to the table. These things are possible to do without the MA but would require the applicant to be motivated and be able to be independent by guiding themselves.MA applicants usually have additional support available to them if they know who to ask and where to look. It's expected of them which is why they're often held to a higher admissions standard when I've talked to people on various admissions committees. An MA alone will not grant you admission to any college over any other applicant.

I posted this a year ago and recently rediscovered it: Big News? You're alive. -There are currently seven billion people alive today and the Population Reference Bureau estimates that about 107 billion people have ever lived. -Having just a few coins makes you richer than most people on Earth. -You are unique and nobody in the entire world is like you are -The opportunity to attend school is something many people don’t have. (Which makes having a college degree even greater!) -Most people lack a bed of their own to sleep in -Many people on earth lack access to clean water. -Cell phones make talking to loved ones easy. -You can enjoy pizza. Or Ice Cream. -There are people in your life who love you more than you could ever know -The Internet, n'uff said? But in all seriousness, try not to compare yourself to others. We have a tendency to look at how great the lives of other people are going without realizing the stresses they're hiding. There may even be people looking at you and saying, isn't it great that Shaun or Rachel are taking chances to pursue what they want no matter the cost? They don't realize that you're refreshing your e-mail every minute waiting for news.