Warelin

Holy expletive. After four months of anxiety, I finally got my answer: Accepted at UConn off the waitlist (English Ph.D. with Rhet/Comp research specialization, full funding for six years). I'm completely overwhelmed. I got an email about fifteen minutes ago, followed by a phone call from the DGS (what a genuinely nice conversation that was). Now all that's left is to wait for my wife to get home so we can have the discussion we've been putting off because it hasn't been real until just now.
Thanks to everybody who's shared their experiences over the last four years that I've been a lurker/member. This group has made the entire process bearable.
Just FYI, if anybody's still waiting on UConn, the DGS said that they had an "crazy (unusually crazy) admissions cycle" with a lot of people not responding to their initial offers until the last second. He said my email was the first of three that would be going out. Best of luck to anybody still waiting.

Hi everyone! I wanted to share this resource I built with the help of @Warelin and @a_sort_of_fractious_angel! It's a spreadsheet for prospective English PhD students to fill out to determine which schools they may want to apply to. 
I'm calling it The Fit Finder.
Please feel free to check it out, and if you like it, you should be able to hit File -> Make a copy in order to save it to your own Google Drive and use it! Let me know if you have any issues or questions. I used a similar spreadsheet to help my husband decide where to apply, and we would have been in absolute chaos without it.

I'm officially staying at Miami of Ohio to pursue my PhD in comp/rhet! ?
I am soooo excitedddd, and I feel such a weight lifted off me now that I've decided. I feel seriously so much less stressed. This process stretched out for quite a long time because I just didn't know what I wanted... Until I did, and until I realized I already had it all along (*insert cliché feels*).  
I'm ready to start PhDing!!!!! 

@bigfluffybearcat: Getting everything sorted during application season is complicated, isn't it? There are so many factors to consider that we might not pay much attention to at first.
In an earlier e-mail correspondence I've had with PSU, I was told that the majority of students get accepted from the MA to PHD but that it isn't a guarantee. The odds are better than not but I think it is important to note that people who have done well may have been passed on by Penn State and gone elsewhere. You might also find that interests change and that Penn State might no longer be where you want to be either due to academics or socially. This could happen anywhere, but it might also be good to consider how much easy access you have to an airport if you decide to go elsewhere after earning your master's.

According to Numbeo:  "You would need around 23,894.69$ in Seattle, WA to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 18,000.00 in State College, PA"   With that in mind, $45 over the course of a year isn't that much of a purchasing power in difference. I'd imagine that your purchasing power in Seattle would increase if you have no hesitations in sharing an apartment with other graduate students.

Penn State does provide a RIDEpass (for $15 per month) program to graduate students living more than .75  miles from the campus Blue Loop or Red Link.  That does mean you'd be expected to walk at least 15 minutes to get home though. If eligible and approved, you would have to pay for the entire year (July 1st to June 31) which would equal $180.  If you live closer than .75 miles away from campus, the monthly cost for the pass is $79 per month. It seems like it would take 38 minutes to get from Penn State to Target via Bus. State College is a lovely town and strikes me as a nice place to walk. It may or may not be fully covered by the bus. Having only one form of public transportation available though could result in certain buses not showing and causing significant delays and overcrowded buses though. Another concern might be that there might not be as many options available to leave town if you were to present at a conference or wanted to go to a concert. I've had friends who went to Penn State for undergrad and they've said that the buses in State College can be hit or miss. I've heard more positive than negative, but the negative feedback I've heard seems to mostly occur when there is snow.
It's good to hear that both programs are flexible in allowing you to switch. Most programs are flexible but there are some that have their English program and Rhetoric program as distinct programs so switching between the two might be harder to do if not impossible.
From my experience, programs want students to succeed when they're teaching undergrads. Programs will do everything they can in order to make it less stressful for you by providing  as much support as they can to make you feel more comfortable inside the classroom. Alternatively, you could always ask if they'd consider letting you be a TA in a large lecture or be a writing center consultant during your first year. It may or may not be an option they'd be able to offer depending on the university's structure. Some universities start you off in the writing center or classroom while others consider one or the other only at later stages. Some universities want you to have teaching experience before allowing you the option to be in the writing center whereas some expect you to have writing center experience before you earn teaching experience. Sometimes, the structure is more flexible at some universities.

If you can manage to cover those additional expenses you've listed with the grant, it could put you in a really nice position and allow you to cover things like the cost of conferences, housing deposits, and travel. There are also some schools which provide a 'bonus' to your stipend if you bring in outside fellowships. It might be worthwhile to explore this option but I'm not sure what the restrictions are.

I think there are benefits and drawbacks to both scenarios you've presented. I'm going to try to remain unbiased based on the two schools you've mentioned.

Penn State:

Pros: Would allow you to start next year. Small Rhet-Comp program. Funding for 4 years if accepted into PHD program. Interesting and varied coursework. Mentoring program.
Cons: Admission into PHD program isn't guaranteed. There is a possibility that you won't get into a PHD program after applying. (Note: This is true for any MA program that doesn't automatically enroll you into a PHD program).

University of Washington:
Pros: Location (You indicate that you'd prefer to be in an urban environment). Great transportation system. More diversity. More progressive political view.
Cons: Expensive city. Limited coursework?
As a result of this, I have some questions. Are you 100 percent sure that you're interested in Rhet/Comp? Do you have previous experience in taking rhet comp courses outside of Freshman Writing? Have you looked at the courses both universities offer? Are there courses at both universities that you'd be interested in taking? If you decide you're not interested in Rhet Comp, would both schools be open to allowing you to change your concentration area? Seattle is generally more expensive to live in, but it might be easier to find a roommate/ live outside the city. Are you open to either? Penn State is expensive since it is one of the biggest state colleges. A lot of apartments tend to not have washer/dryers in units and you might have to drive to a laundromat if there isn't one on site. Are you okay with that? How important is it for everyone to live near by? How important is being able to live without a car? How important is it for you to have opportunities outside of academia? What other opportunities to both colleges provide for earning additional income?

Note: @TakeruK beat me on asking whether you'd be able to combine UW's funding offer with your Government's offer.

Oh, haha! I thought it was just a database thing. Like they sent something out to all waiting potentials when they meant to just send it out to theirs? But I guess they thought everyone needed to know about their fabulous math seminars. It's not too late to change majors, you know. We could get in on that sweet, sweet quantum topology class. 

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!

I got the same weird e-mail except I never applied to them. I think it has to do with the buttons we pressed when we took the GRE.

I think there are benefits and drawbacks to both scenarios you've presented. I'm going to try to remain unbiased based on the two schools you've mentioned.

Penn State:

Pros: Would allow you to start next year. Small Rhet-Comp program. Funding for 4 years if accepted into PHD program. Interesting and varied coursework. Mentoring program.
Cons: Admission into PHD program isn't guaranteed. There is a possibility that you won't get into a PHD program after applying. (Note: This is true for any MA program that doesn't automatically enroll you into a PHD program).

University of Washington:
Pros: Location (You indicate that you'd prefer to be in an urban environment). Great transportation system. More diversity. More progressive political view.
Cons: Expensive city. Limited coursework?
As a result of this, I have some questions. Are you 100 percent sure that you're interested in Rhet/Comp? Do you have previous experience in taking rhet comp courses outside of Freshman Writing? Have you looked at the courses both universities offer? Are there courses at both universities that you'd be interested in taking? If you decide you're not interested in Rhet Comp, would both schools be open to allowing you to change your concentration area? Seattle is generally more expensive to live in, but it might be easier to find a roommate/ live outside the city. Are you open to either? Penn State is expensive since it is one of the biggest state colleges. A lot of apartments tend to not have washer/dryers in units and you might have to drive to a laundromat if there isn't one on site. Are you okay with that? How important is it for everyone to live near by? How important is being able to live without a car? How important is it for you to have opportunities outside of academia? What other opportunities to both colleges provide for earning additional income?

Note: @TakeruK beat me on asking whether you'd be able to combine UW's funding offer with your Government's offer.

Accepted my offer at SMU. It was a hard decision between 3 schools at the end, but ultimately the 'feel' of the campus and the dynamic of the faculty won me over. I'm so excited for everyone here and wish you all great success and happiness wherever you are!

Carnegie Mellon is a member institution. http://cgsnet.org/institutional-members (Listed as Carnegie-Mellon University)

 

After a stellar campus visit and a decent funding offer, I officially accepted at Syracuse University's MA in Composition and Rhetorical Studies! Nervous to move up north for two years but excited about the cohort and the faculty.

Yes! It's a work study on the QED Journal of queer worldmaking, and a 60% tuition waiver. I wish it was a full waiver but I decided it was worth it.

I officially accepted Iowa's offer, after falling completely in love with Iowa City over the weekend. If there are any other future Hawkeyes out there, feel free to message me any time you want.

Thanks for the tag, @Hermenewtics.

April 15th or after tends to be the biggest "shaker" of movements. This happens at all "tiers" of schools since a lot of people are trying to decide until then and others are unaware that they can make a decision before that date.

As for how soon you'll have to make a decision, that varies from school to school. If offered admission on April 14th, a fair number of schools would expect you to make a decision by the 15th. Some might give you a few days longer as a grace period. You could always request to visit campus but you might not get the "full picture" of campus due to it being the end of the semester. A lot of pressure might be applied to offers extended on April 15 or after because they're trying to get things figured out for next year, especially if it's a program that starts you teaching right away.

I'm traveling back from a wonderful visit at UNC Chapel Hill, and will be turning down my offers at U of Alabama (Strode),UGA, and TAMU. I'll also likely be taking my name off the OSU waitlist. Hope this helps someone here!

Here's to hoping this one works out for you!

Belated massive thanks to @Warelin for the kind words, and huge huge huge congrats to @Warelin, @M(allthevowels)H, @Melvillage_Idiot, @bumbleblu, @melian517, @heysickah, and anyone else I missed!!!
 

@maengret's first link is how I've been calculating it since it seems to be the most recently updated version.Living Wage *2080. Stipend divided by yearly cost of living should get you an "avg" cost of living. A cost of living of "1" means you're at the cost of what a living wage is for that city. A living wage below 1 doesn't mean that the stipend isn't livable. However, a score closer to 0 might mean that you'll need to room with roommates or live farther away from the university or the city. I felt adding the column would be useful to show how far different amounts get in different places and to show that a higher stipend doesn't always mean a higher offer.

My interactions with Washington University in St. Louis have all been positive. I also wanted to provide an update to this thread (for future readers) that the subject test is now optional at WUSTL. The SOP and Writing Sample remain the two most important components of the application.

I'd also like to add that Washington University in St. Louis' English department is very interdisciplinary and has close connections to the American Culture studies program in which you can get a certificate in AC. The American Culture studies program has concentrations in Popular Culture and students in the English department have been able to propose and teach courses in multiple subjects, including Comic Studies.

Congratulations on your final decision! It's always an exciting time!

"Vanderbilt's intercollegiate athletics teams are nicknamed the Commodores, in honor of the nickname given to Cornelius Vanderbilt."

Officially declined my spots at Illinois (Writing Studies) and UConn (Literature). Good luck to everyone.

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. 

Accepted at WUSTL.