bluellie

Due to how it handles PDFs and other documents, I've been eying this one: http://www.que.com/ It seems like you can annotate virtually anything. The price--at $600+--makes it a bit prohibitive, and Amazon's current selection of e-books trumps Barnes & Noble's. Perhaps with time, though, both of these will change. I've been unsatisfied with how other e-book readers (Kindle, Sony, etc.) seem to handle PDFs and the Que seems to be the only one that deals with them in a satisfactory manner. As a caveat, though, I have not been able to play with any e-reader myself. Congratulations on your funding. Let us know what you decide on and how it works out.

Has anyone else received word from AU? They're on spring break this week, so who I imagine we're going to have to endure yet another week of silence. Is anyone else planning to attend their Graduate Studies Day on March 19th?

I have three or four professors I have consistently tapped for letters of recommendation over the years. Typically I have given them a hand-written thank you note once the letter is submitted. When applying to graduate school this year I included a small gift card to a bookstore with my letter. I did this mostly in recognition of the many times they have spoken on my behalf and because I believed, a bit naively, that this would be the last time I would have to ask them for a letter (darn this dreadful application cycle!). While I will be a bit embarrassed and sheepish when I go crawling back to them for additional letters next year, I believe my actions this year will make next year less awkward. I sympathize with you, Firled. A thank-you e-mail, while better than nothing, requires so little effort it feels almost thoughtless, in my opinion. I, however, have never been on the receiving end. Do you draw much of a distinction between a hand-written note versus a prompt e-mail? Or is it really just the thought that counts?

Is this true for M.A. applicants as well? Or only Ph.D. candidates?

Since March is upon us, those of us still waiting (patiently?) for answers have to contend with the prospect of spring break. Do adcoms take an entire week off from judging us unworthy, and, thus, we are faced with another week of nail-biting silence from the universities or do adcoms use the time normally spent on classes to buckle down and get results out? Though at this point, it might be nice to prolong the delusion for a little more...

IR to Lit? Excellent. Do you think it would be possible to go the other way, from Lit to IR? Or what sort of related but non-IR field could blend nicely with IR?

Five nothings. There are two results posted from two of the programs I'm waiting on. I'm not sure what this means.

I think generally M.A. programs notify after the Ph.D. programs, since someone who applies to the Ph.D. program might potentially be admitted to the M.A. program. Nonetheless, the waiting still sucks. (I, too, applied the to the M.A. program at Rochester.)

I'm only applying to terminal M.A. programs, and I agree that there isn't a lot of information out there for us in terms of what is a "good" program. My strategy this year was to apply to places where I could either get in-state tuition or where they funded their M.A. students. From what I've gathered M.A.s where you have to pay your way tend to be viewed as cash-cow programs and therefore their reputation, no matter how good the school, is a tad tainted. I've found this post to be extremely helpful as a starting point: Funded Terminal M.A.. Bear in mind, though, this isn't a complete list. I found that out AFTER application deadlines passed, of course. I asked my adviser the importance of getting an M.A. from a name-brand university and her response was that it was okay to choose a more affordable school over a branded school for a Master's; it's not an uncommon practice. Look at where your professors got their credentials. =)

Are you reading After the Quake? Or The Elephant Vanishes? Both are really good, but I prefer the former to the latter. If you have a yen for Japanese literature, might I suggest A Personal Matter by Kenzaburo Oe? As for me, I feel woefully inadequate when I see what everyone else has been reading. No Faulkner, no Joyce, no Vonnegut. I just finished up The Things they Carried by Tim O'Brien along with Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein. I am currently working through The Family by Jeff Sharlet and The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.

A week or so ago, I received an invite from American University to attend their graduate studies day. I've been trying to figure out if this means anything more than that they've cashed my check. However, there doesn't seem to be much information to be had in the search results. Did everyone receive this e-mail/invite? Or am I allowed to hope a little bit?

Spend a year down in South America, volunteering and improving my Spanish. Next year: apply to graduate school (again) and jobs abroad. This year's going to be an adventure, regardless of what happens. =)