mk-8

They're licking their wounds over the super bowl loss.

They're licking their wounds over the super bowl loss.

I just got accepted to Texas Tech! Their visit day is the same as UT- Austin, though. 

I speak for everyone here when I say that I, FreakyFoucault, of the Grad Café, by the utter lack of authority not vested in me, hereby declare, in the most solemn of asseverations, that you, @Warelin, also of the Grad Café, are forthwith granted tenure at the institution of your choosing!! 
Have a nice career! 

I'd be a horrible adcom! It would be
Me: @punctilious' wife is really cool and @FreakyFoucault is really funny so I'd like to accept them both! 
Them: But they didn't apply here
Me: But I like them! So please accept them!

Hmm LIKE YOUR FELLOW ADCOMM COLLEAGUES, @Warelin?!?!? 
#thetruthisoutthere

Real late to the party re: the MAPH but, as someone who did an unfunded MA, the duration of the MAPH program is arguably (very) concerning.
There are 1,000+ good reasons not to do an unfunded MA - I fully understand many of them having now experienced one. There are 1,000,000,000 reasons not to do an unfunded MA that lasts 2 semesters and is rigorous in coursework. 
Going into debt for what is two blinks of an eye in the academic world is high-risk. Doable? Sure, I had a peer who did the MAPH and (after taking a year off) got into several top 10 PhD programs. But, as @la_mod correctly points out, no MA program, no matter how fancy, guarantees anything - I had no offers when I applied during my MA and it was devastating.
I did, of course, have debt. Great. Yes. Love it. *knuckles turn white*
However, I also had two years of grad school under my belt and 3 reputable professors who remembered me when I emailed them a year and half after graduation (our MA was small - 12 people - so connections were easily made and grown over those 2 years.)
Since I didn't do the MAPH, I can't prove anything about it but I really don't know if, had my MA been 9 months, my professors would have ever remembered my name much less spent months helping me revise the WS and SOP, and (now) with PhD decisions. 
All to say, don't do debt. If you do debt, do not pay for a name and a whirlwind tour - pay for time and intellectual growth and thoughtful advisers and professional connections that will last beyond the time you're there, as all of these things just might - MIGHT - get you into a PhD. And only do that if you've got a financial plan that works.
Moreover, I have a friend who did a funded MA from a "no name" school who ended up at UPenn, so - not to hate on the unfunded MA people since I'm one of you - but, like, there's a lot of options out there .... 
Moving on from this rant. 
I'm gonna yell "BOooOOOO" at my computer for the rest of the week. This is too much. 

Seriously, Purdue... "Quit playin' games with my heart" 
[Not officially rejected because of their rolling acceptance process, but I've sort of written it off at this point]

A Target run is definitely in my future.... 

Howdy, y'all! I went to UT Austin for undergrad and absolutely loved it; Austin is an absolutely kickass city. This being said, prices are rising as Austin is very quickly growing (and gentrifying, which is going to be a hot topic btw, should you move there). You'll find that most students, undergrads included, do not live in university housing. Maybe freshmen, but from what I understand, even freshmen aren't guaranteed housing anymore. I personally never lived on-campus (I lived in West Campus for 3 years, then spent my senior year in Hyde Park). Here's my little breakdown on student living as I saw it. I'll outline the more common student neighborhoods, although there are definitely more!
POPULAR STUDENT NEIGHBORHOODS: 
West Campus : Right behind Guadalupe St., the large stretch that separates West Campus and Main Campus. Guadalupe St. is also lovingly referred to by Longhorns as "the drag." The Drag has a ton of businesses, cafés and small restaurants that, sadly, fluctuate in and out of business. Certain staples like Caffé Medici, however, are super popular meeting spots for all types of students (namely Liberal Arts). West campus tends to extend from MLK Jr. to roughly ~31st street, and between Guadalupe St. and  Lamar Boulevard. Super expensive because of its proximity to campus (2br/2ba will run anywhere from 850-1500 per room, price decreasing as you go towards Lamar). Apartments are tall, new, rather nice and furnished. You may be able to find more humble abodes sprinkled around, if you look hard enough. Also, beware -- this is the Fraternity and Sorority neighborhood, which may not be the most savory for graduate students (unless you're dying to hear the Kappa Delta chant every day in August!) Super popular for undergrads leaving campus housing and getting their first apartment with friends, as well as people in Greek Life. 
Far West: Essentially the area between MLK Jr. and 51st, but between Lamar Blvd and Mopac Expressway. Way quieter and relatively cheaper than West/NW Campus, but Mopac can be a nightmare, so beware! I don't personally know many people who lived here, but the expressway is a great way to traverse Austin if you're not stuck on it between 4 and 6 PM. This back area has a lot of little businesses and houses; I've seen some apartments, but small room-for-rent houses definitely seem to be more common. If you go west enough, you'll start to see rather large, family houses, some of which may also rent to students. The only people I knew here were two PhD Candidates who were near defense. Seems to be pretty popular with standard Austinites and young professors. 
North/North West Campus : The areas surrounding Guadalupe, extending to Lamar (west) and I-35 (east), around 31st to 38th streets. Much calmer than West Campus. Still a heavy student population density, and still rather expensive. Mostly small, multi-bedroom houses as well. There are apartments, but they're not nearly as swanky as West Campus (2br/2ba will probably be in the 650-950 range per room). Next to some cool pubs, brunch places and bars, but not as busy as the West/Main Campus area. Good parties here for upperclassmen and graduate students. If you go east of Guadalupe, towards I-35, you essentially run into the engineering department of UT and the beginnings of Hyde Park, which is a super cool area. 
Mueller : 38th to 51st but on the east side of I-35. I love Mueller and spent a lot of time here. The East Side of Austin is historically a very African-American/Hispanic/Latinx population, but as I previously mentioned, gentrification is challenging that. Mueller housing is mostly professors, TAs and young lecturers, and the student population starts to wane off a bit. However, you can find some awesome, authentic food in this area, and it's incredibly cheap. Also has very cool, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops. Mostly houses, as well, prices comparable to Hyde Park, possibly a bit cheaper.
Cherrywood: from 28th to Airport, on the east side of I-35 (Austin starts to get very loopy and curvy on this side of I-35 around Cherrywood/Mueller, so it's harder to differentiate the neighborhoods). Mostly houses as well, super similar to Mueller. Cherrywood Coffeehouse was one of my favorites during undergrad
Hyde Park : Where I lived during my senior year, a personal favorite neighborhood of mine! Very quaint, mostly house rentals. Lots of trees and cute houses. Little shacks that sell sandwiches and coffee/pastries are not rare. This area is east of Guadalupe, from around 38th to 51st street, between Guadalupe and I-35. I had an awesome studio for about $800 (still a lot, but it was very spacious and nice, I also had my dog). You may be able to find a studio starting around $700 or even $650. I had friends in a 6 bed, 3 bath home who paid around $450-$650 a person. Super popular for upperclassmen, graduate students and young professors/lecturers. Also, people/students with families. A lot of parks and many, many cafés, almost no parties. Suburban in the cozier sense. TONS of buses that run to UT. 
The Triangle: Between 38th and 45th on the west side of Guadalupe, you find a ton of shopping centers. Housing picks back up again after 45th up until about 51st in The Triangle. I know some underclassmen who lived here, and surprisingly, not a lot of graduate students. Rent isn't necessarily cheaper than say Northwest campus, though, because the residential area is really nice and in a pretty swanky shopping center. So it's nice, but further away. Thankfully, the 801/803/1/5 buses run really frequently to UT and it doesn't take too long to get from the Triangle to Main Campus (the bus typically stops along the Drag). If you have a car, it's even easier. Super close to grocery shopping, suburban in the fancier sense. 
Riverside : South of the lake, along Riverside Drive. Even more south than Downtown. Incredibly popular low-cost housing options for undergrads and graduate students alike. A 1br/1ba will run around $500-$700 for a pretty nice space in a newer apartment complex. Heavily suggest having a car, though, because I've heard buses are irregular from here -- had a ton of friends in undergrad who lived in this area who would run late for class. Students in Riverside tend to be cut off from the general UT population, which can stink. It's a rather suburban area near the river, and has great access to outdoorsy-Austin, SoCo and downtown. However, it does have some safety issues (such as theft. Rest assured, Austin is a generally safe city overall!) 
Downtown (super south) : From MLK to Cesar Chavez. A huge business district and high rises galore. Some coffee shops with almost no capacity, I don't even try going down there during finals. I don't know anybody who lived here, personally, but a cool place to take family that's visiting! Buses run from UT Campus to 6th street/Rainey/Red River very frequently, with nightbuses on weekends and Thursdays (pour one out for the dirty 6th!) In terms of nightlife, 6th street is very undergraduate-dense, Rainey tends to be more for graduate students and upperclassmen with IDs. The West End is Downtown around 6th Street and Lamar, and is very, very swanky, with the Whole Foods and lots of fancy Yoga places. South Congress is south of the river, and is mainly for new graduates and general Austinites. 
North of 51st (super north): Around Burnet and the North Loop, the student population tends to wane off as well. Not too sure about the graduate student density, but these areas have great, quieter, larger coffee shops and tend to cater to standard Austinites. 
OTHER HINTS: 
Should I bring a car? I did, and it really helped with stuff such as groceries. However, if you have a roommate, you may fare well with one car between you. The buses are pretty good, but not as frequent as much bigger cities. UT Austin students get free bus fare as well, so benefit from that, especially since downtown parking is impossible!
Is food cheap? Food is pretty standard; not as expensive as a big city such as NYC, but maybe more comparable to the quieter parts of Seattle/Portland. TONS of awesome takeout places and really diverse cuisine! South of the lake, you'll find really nice, little gourmet restaurants  Tons of HEBs, Wal-Marts and Targets, if you don't want to spend too much money on food. You WILL, however, have to partake in ATX craft beer culture from time to time  TONS and TONS of coffee shops. Coffee shop culture is gigantic in ATX, and all UT students have their favorites/opinions! 
How is the UT Campus? UT is absolutely stunning as a campus and I miss it dearly. It's a sprawling, shockingly green campus with tons of trees, fountains and beautiful places to study. You'll also find a ton of good food and coffee places on campus (F*** Starbucks and GO TO TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS!)  
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So yeah, that's my very rough beginner's guide to ATX! It was an awesome city with tons of diners, cafés and fun things to do. If anybody has any questions, don't be shy  I was in Liberal Arts, but know a little bit about every department!

So I am seeking a professional degree. I applied to 5 schools. One is my undergrad school (hereafter referred to as School A), which is ranked very highly, is in a city I love and adore, has a program where I'm already familiar with the faculty, and countless other pros. Most importantly, I've already been accepted. This was my number one choice of school and it would take an absolutely incredible funding offer from another school to make me not choose this one. (I do not yet know what funding I will get from this school because they accepted me early, before financial aid decisions.)
I haven't heard back from the other four schools (which is typical, looking at previous years). All of these schools are schools I would want to attend if School A fell through for whatever reason ... except one. Hereafter referred to as School B. School B was my "safety" school, in that it is low-ranked, has lower admission standards, and they accept a much larger number of students per year than other programs. I don't want to attend this school because it's not very prestigious, is in a location I REALLY don't want to live in (and my significant other would have a harder time finding a job there than other school locations), has seemed fairly unprofessional based on their website and communications with me, and just doesn't seem like a good fit. (To be clear, I still would have been willing to attend School B if nowhere else accepted me. That's why I bothered applying in the first place.)
Now, School B invites all applicants to a visitation day. I was unable to attend due to having to work (and already had been accepted to School A, so wasn't concerned). However, what I didn't know (because it is absolutely nowhere on the application or website or anything!) is that if you don't attend this visitation day but they are interested in you, they ask you to interview via Skype. I don't have a webcam, I don't have free time to have an interview, video interviews stress me out incredibly which I really don't want to deal with right now, and I just don't care about this program anymore. 
Now I may be jumping the gun here because they haven't actually invited me to interview at this time, but if they do, should I just suck it up and do it anyway? Politely decline? Or email them now, ahead of time, and tell them I'm no longer interested?
 
To be absolutely clear, unless I somehow have my offer of admission from School A withdrawn, there is absolutely nothing that could make me want to go to this school. Absolutely nothing. Not even 0 funding from School A and the best funding School B has to offer.

GOT THE UDEL CALL!!! 

For those looking for a feasible workout routine on a tight schedule, I highly recommend T25. I think it's one of the Beachbody routines. 25 minute workouts, plus a short cool down. I literally have no time for anything else, so this is definitely the one for me. There's a modifier who takes you through a lower impact option, since it's heavy on the jumping. 

This is a really, really smart idea (especially if you're applying to a lot of schools).

Like some of noted, don’t worry so much about not hearing from Purdue yet. It’s also very very likely they don’t invite MA applications to their visit weekend/fund MA visits. I only had one program offer a visit when I was applying for MAs (out of 4). 

Like some of noted, don’t worry so much about not hearing from Purdue yet. It’s also very very likely they don’t invite MA applications to their visit weekend/fund MA visits. I only had one program offer a visit when I was applying for MAs (out of 4). 

I can't believe I received an email on super bowl Sunday, but I just got an acceptance email from my POI at the University of South Florida. The email said that the DGS should reach out in the next few days.

A lot has been said so far about fitness and eating, and that's obviously super important! A thing I do that I find helpful in that vein is subscribe to an ugly/surplus produce service that drops off a cheap-but-massive box of fruits and vegetables at my apartment every two weeks, which means that even if I don't manage to go to the store or do a stellar job meal planning I have stuff to eat in the house that isn't crap.
Let me also, though, stress a different aspect of self-care: the importance of having other things in your life besides graduate school. Passion is great, and of course you need to be passionate about what you study to survive the rigors and stresses of a PhD program. But the single best thing you can do for your mental and physical health in graduate school is to have things about which you care deeply, things that feed you intellectually and personally and spiritually and, yes, professionally, that aren't your graduate studies. Remember: the vast majority of those on this board admitted to graduate school will not get academic jobs. I'm not using that fact to argue that people shouldn't pursue graduate study in English, but that fact does make it especially important not to wrap your whole life, your whole identity and sense of self, up with your PhD, the acquiring of which will likely be your last experience in academia. When I hear people -- this is usually applicants who are not yet in PhD programs -- say that they can't imagine doing anything else with their lives other than the academic study of literature, I cringe. No one part of anyone's life should be that all-consuming, of course, but it's especially true for something that is as capable as a PhD is of expanding to fill all your available time, of exhausting all your available energy, and of wrapping itself up with your sense of self-worth, accomplishment, and personal identity.
Have a hobby you're passionate about. Have friends who aren't academics. Write things that aren't papers. Read books for pleasure. Take joy in teaching. Play an instrument, work out, cook, garden, ride a bike. Have things that ground you and make you a whole person besides what you do on campus. Have other things in your life you care about, other ways you can measure what it will have meant for these years of your life to have been "successful," that aren't tied to graduate school and academic success themselves.

Congratulations on the phone interview with Syracuse! 
 
Updates for me: I was rejected from MSU. 
Currently dying waiting to hear from: Miami (of Ohio), FSU, Virginia Tech, Texas Christian, and Georgia State. 
I'm thinking I'll hear from a program or two in the next two weeks, but most of my programs said they expect notices to go out in late Feb and early March so *fingers crossed*