Warelin

WUSTL is indeed a hidden gem.
I'm unaware of any other program that offers English PHD students to take cw courses as electives and offers service-free fellowships during coursework. There are dual CW and English PHDs but they require a certain amount of workshops to be taken and are often more cw-focused than Lit-focused.

FWIW, I've recently found many properties for $1200 for a 3 bedroom house. A house does not imply that it is shared. And a house may be cheaper than an apt is because it doesn't have community features to upkeep. A house is also more likely to be quiet because you have fewer neighbors.

I'd like to chime in that Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) also doesn't require you to teach while you take coursework. They also offer writing courses that you can take along current MFA students.

I'm so sorry to hear that. I'd imagine it was a pretty painful process having to wait that long, but now you can focus on the upcoming year and getting your list of schools / application materials ready! I second Warelin--if you need absolutely anything, let me know! It's going to be rather sad not getting to work on application stuff this cycle so I'm totally happy to help you (and anyone else) out!

Me too! What a ride. Thanks for all of your insight and support, Warelin. It's been great having such a sage resource around.

@bigfluffybearcat thank you for your thoughts! I totally agree about minimizing stressors going into grad school (especially for those of us who have been out of school for a few years), so I think I'm going to make that jump this morning and accept where the money is. But, eek I'm so nervous that I'm going to make the wrong decision! 
I hope you are feeling refreshed after a night of (hopefully) sleep and are more clear headed to make a decision. I'm sending good vibes your way. It sounds like both of your prospects are fantastic, so take comfort in knowing that either decision will be a good one. Try to follow your gut on this one. 
Best wishes with your decision and future studies! You'll be awesome!
@Warelin Thank you! Wise words as always!

These are obviously both fantastic opportunities--huge congratulations! I think its highly subjective and difficult to calculate, but there are a whole lot of questions you could ask yourself, of course.
What is your most pressing desire for you right now? To become a creative writer or an academic? You can do both, of course. But what do you want to focus on? Where do you prefer to live for the next 2-6 years? Would you fit in better to one program or another, based on the vibe of the students? Do the faculty at one institution or another draw you in? You can of course do a PhD after an MFA, but are you okay with the possibility that you won't get into a program of that caliber again (or any program at all)? Do you have a goal for a creative project you want to complete in the program (if not, it may not be a good time to pursue an MFA)? My husband debated also applying to MFAs, and this might not apply to you, but he ultimately decided not to because 1) He felt he could improve his creative writing on his own while in a PhD program, but couldn't get the qualifications to be a literature professor while in an MFA, 2) He is semi-skeptical about the benefits of an MFA, as plenty of great writers publish without an MFA (not to say they aren't valuable), 3) There wasn't necessarily an MFA program that called to him or seemed like an ideal fit, 4) A lot of PhD programs also allow students to pursue creative writing coursework (this is something you may ask Berkeley about). He's happy to hear that creative writing is big (and getting bigger) at Harvard, so that's something he can engage in while he's there.
We're looking forward to hearing what you decide!

Oh my stars! Thank you ( and @Warelin and @a_sort_of_fractious_angel) for providing this. I see it as a "Fit Finder" but also a "Final Decision Assistant". I love *love* that it has a space for "concerns". It's easy to get so excited (especially after we've gotten an acceptance) to forget things that actually made us hesitate before; having fields for all of the abstract information that isn't numbers or names is so valuable for comparison.

You fill it out with potential schools to determine which you’d like to apply to based on the factors most important to you. It can also help with writing your SOPs and making final decisions. 
When we filled in our spreadsheet, we were able to see whether a school was in a location we wanted to live, had multiple strong POIs, etc. I also have a pretty crappy memory so it was helpful to look at my spreadsheet to see oh yeah, that’s why we aren’t applying to Stanford, Oregon, Northeastern, etc.
Building my spreadsheet was one of the first things we did the summer before he applied based on advice here and elsewhere—it was invaluable in our process so I wanted to pass that on!

Thanks! I think between the 3 pinned boards, we cover the basics.
For anyone who has contributed information, thank you. All contributions have been an immense help!

The following schools are missing information in English:
Boston University,  Brown, Cornell,  Houston, Kentucky,  Miami University of Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, University of North Texas, Northwestern, New York University, Old Dominion, University of Oregon, University of Rhode Island, Rice (Website lists a different amount; is this correct?),  Stanford, Syracuse, UT Austin,  Texas Christian University, Tufts, UC Irvine, UC San Diego,  UC Santa Cruz, Utah, Washington State.

The following schools are missing information in Rhetoric:
Arizona (RCTE), Bowling Green, George Mason, Georgia State, Illinois State, Michigan State,  Michigan Tech, New Mexico State, North Dakota State, Saint Louis University, Syracuse, UNC Greensboro, Texas Women's University, UT Austin.

Congratulations to @ClassyBrat420, @Cassifrassidy, @kem2486, @melian517, @heysickah and @PricklyParoxysm on your recent decisions!

April 15th is the deadline for accepting (and rejecting) offers of financial support for universities part of the CGS. There might be a different university deadline for offers without financial support.

I'm sorry to hear that.If you do wind up applying next cycle, let me know. I'd be more than happy to help you in whatever you'd like help in.

Thanks! It really is! I couldn't be more excited. The faculty, program coordinator, staff, students have been nothing short of wonderful.
Thanks. I think I'm the lucky one though.
Thanks. I hope that all goes well for you and your husband in Cambridge!
Ha! I'll need to get (more) ready for that exam soon. 

Overall, school reputation does not pass onto the department reputation. As examples, let's look at the University of Chicago, which ranks #3 for National Universities by USNEWS. It's considered to be tied for the #1 Business School and the top program in English. It's also ranked #4 for Best Law School. At the opposite end of the spectrum, it's ranked #39 for Best Medical Schools: Primary Care and #29 for Public Finance and Budgeting.

Indiana University is ranked #90 for National Universities by USNEWS. It is also considered to be the #1 school for Public Finance and Budgeting, #27 in Business, #55 for Computer Science, #32 in Law School and #42 in Health Care Management. 

Washington University in tied for #18 in National Universities by USNews. It's ranked #23 for Business Schools, #49 for Computer Science, #18 Law Schools, #3 for Audiology, #12 for Biological Sciences, #1 for Genetics and #1 for Fine Arts.

Program rankings vary a lot and rarely ever match the University's ranking.

How do you feel about living in either city? Are there people you're interested at working with at both universities? Are the jobs that alumni at school B the type of jobs you're interested in? How do you feel about coursework at each? What about the teaching or research requirements at both?

@swarthmawr There is a lot to address at it, but:

1. I think the first thing to realize is that there are NO safety schools. Some people get accepted into schools that have a 3-4 percent acceptance rate but rejected by schools with a 20 percent acceptance rate.

2. FIT matters. However, the way you determine fit might be different from how the school determines fit and there is no way to figure out what that specific fit is since those things may change from year to year. and being rejected this year does not mean you would get rejected the next year and vice-versa. ( @punctilious' husband was accepted at Harvard's PHD program but rejected at other programs of similiar 'prestige' and waitlisted at others.)

3. Re: Application costs https://www.btaa.org/resources-for/students/freeapp/introduction
The above link provides application fee waivers for programs in the B10 Alliance. There is no guarantee that all programs will grant a fee waiver, but it's worth filling out in case any of them do send you a fee waiver.
4. Some of your interests overlap mine. Shoot me a PM to discuss schools.
5. Some of the top schools might be worthwhile if the fit is right. Very few schools at the top are top at the same thing though. And some schools that are on the top of their field may not be on the T20 list.

6. The number of applicants with just a BA differs from school to school. Some schools prefer straight from BA applicants; others prefer applicants to have a Master's.

7. When asking for letters, please make sure to ask them if they feel they can write you a "strong letter of recommendation." If they feel they can't, thank them for their time and honesty, and then ask someone else.
8. At the BA level, it is not expected that you have any publications or conferences under your belt.

I agree with @Hermenewtics' analysis of Buffalo and have heard similar things from my professors. I've also heard that they are a top school for Psychoanalysis.
I think @a_sort_of_fractious_angel can provide a great deal of information on Buffalo as a school. 
 

I think there is a good chance that you may be right! I noticed Washington University has some rejections up but no acceptances. My sources tell me that acceptances haven't gone out yet but they're aiming to be out soon.

Hi there and congratulations on being accepted to graduate school! I've made a 14 hour move from the north to the south for one program, a 13 hour move for another, and I'll be doing a 13.5 move to the midwest for my PHD program. I also drive home for the holidays which often meant 1-2 very long car rides.
When we travel, we try to have some turkey for our dog to eat. This usually results in her being very sleepy and she ends up sleeping for about 12 hours of the car ride. She'll wake up when she notices the car has stopped and it's time for a bathroom break. She goes to sleep immediately afterwards. I'm not sure if the same would happen for cats. I have heard that "Feliway" helps cats by helping them remain calm. If you're using a cat carrier, spray it on the crate 5-10 minutes before placing the cat inside it.
The 'cheapest' way of traveling depends on a number of factors. If you feel confident driving a U-Haul, renting a 10" or 15" truck is likely the most affordable rate. This would not provide enough space for all the animals though so you'll both end up driving for all 13 hours. I'd recommend a stopping point if this is your first major move.

Alternatively, U-Haul and other companies have shipping containers. U-Haul calls their version "U-Box". I'd recommend getting one more than you think you need as a precaution.  You only get charged for as many as you use. The rate depends on how far the boxes are going and generally take 5-7 days to get to the new location. ABF U-Pack offers a cheaper rate if you're willing to drop your stuff at their facility and pick it up at their facility in the city you're in. In a lot of cases, this would result in an additional 15-20 minutes of your time, but might result in you needing to rent a cargo van or U-haul truck for a shorter period of time for the transfer of items from the box to the truck.

I'd like to add a small note here that the April 15th Resolution applies only to funded offers and only to those schools that have signed onto it. I know that a great number of SLP programs are unfunded and aren't bound by it. With that being said, I wish you the best of luck into getting into your top choices and hope that you hear back soon.

Congrats on the acceptance! Perhaps, we'll see each other around.
Fun fact: I got confused when a different university spelled my name wrong. Turned out that the department had my name spelled wrong but that the grad school had my name spelled wrong. Not sure if it was a typo on my end when I submitted a form.

I'd like to add a note here that there might be some programs that offer joint degrees. Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) for example allows you to pursue a joint degree in Comparative Literature and English or Comp Lit with Chinese, French, German, Japanese or Spanish, as well as a certificate in Translation Studies or an emphasis in Drama. They also have a track in Comp Lit for International Writers. I'm not as familiar with Comp Lit, but the English side of things at WUSTL is very interdisciplinary. 

We'd be very diverse applicants! I don't imagine Math programs get many applicants with an English BA and MA! WUSTL already has my heart though!

First things first: Congratulations on your decision to pursue a Master's degree! Taking the first step is always the hardest part.

Based on your other posts, I understand that you're interested in a Natural Resources MA/MS.

I found some of the information you were referring to here:  https://dnr.cals.cornell.edu/graduate/field-assistantship-opportunities
Qualifications:  B.S. (M.S. for those seeking a PhD.).  The successful applicant will have a strong background in some combination of rural sociology, energy development, environmental psychology and/or political science (experience in all three areas is not necessary).  Applicants should have a record of outstanding academic performance (e.g. >3.5 GPA), strong GRE scores (>75th percentiles), and comfort with working in rural communities.

From the way this is worded, it sounds like the minimum requirements are a 3.5 GPA, 75th percentile GRE scores, and comfort working in rural communities. It doesn't sound like that specific position will consider anything below that. The page goes on to explain that the GRE score is only required of US applicants but does require proof of English fluency for international applicants. Have you taken TOEFL or IELTS? Were you planning on applying for this year or next? It says that applications are due today (April 15).

YESSSSSSSSS! I'm so glad this one worked out for you!