CrunchyMamademic

I was able to find Bowling Green and Miami Ohio stipend information on their websites, although *where* exactly that was has slipped my mind, and I can't seem to recreate my search. I remember them being in the ballpark of 13k and 16k, respectively. University of Nebraska-Lincoln has a great program that you may want to check out. Their base stipend was 17k this year, and they have additional fellowships.

Wow! That's fantastic. We also decided that I will support the family during this time, so my husband can stay home with our son and help make the transition smoother. It's nice to hear others have done it. Good luck in your program! @shadowclaw thank you for the advice!

This! Very eloquently said, Mel.

It seems like this earlier deadline is becoming more common. My Comp/Rhet program also had an earlier deadline, and here's why: Association of Writers and Writing Programs Recommendations on the Timeframe for Admissions At least, my acceptance letter cited this recommendation as the reason why. I know that doesn't exactly help your situation! But like @FeetInTheSky said, it never hurts to ask for an extension. Just be careful about how you word that email.

I asked a few questions via email, but really got the best feel for the program and campus community when I did my visit. Like was said above, people are much freer in their speech than emails. Going and meeting everyone in person was a nice way to get the vibe of the department. I felt comfortable just outright saying "you guys look really happy. How do you balance everything? What is the level of support like? Are there department politics I should be aware of?" Honestly, my email questions were probably pretty meh. I asked the DGS about some program specifics that I didn't find the answer to online, chatted with some professors who contacted me first, and reached out to one grad student. However, I was trying to be quite professional and poised in my emails, and I just don't think text is a good way to really show off your personality and get people chatting with you on a personal level. As far as things not to do, I'm not even sure. I think as long as you are polite and don't act entitled, you're pretty good. After all, they already decided they want you!

Wow! I appreciate the input. Thanks.

Great advice, @manals! I have always wanted to try meal prepping, but never seem to get around to the big batch cooking day. I should probably practice this summer. Did you have children during your Masters program as well?

Thank you!

I have heard this advice from others in my field as well, but never from my own advisor. In my opinion -- which may not be appropriate for your situation, so take it with a grain of salt -- you should try working on publications. It sounds like doing so will keep you in line with others at your same level, which is obviously important for marketability. The PhD program I am beginning in the fall recommends submitting something for publication about once a year at the minimum. I also published during my MA. Because the advice is coming from your advisor, this may be a touchy situation. However, the decisions you make in your program will ultimately shape your career later on. Does your department have some sort of placement coordinator or someone you can talk to about marketability based on your specific career interests?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Composition and Rhetoric here!

I bet that's the case. I have a March 15th decision deadline, which I attributed to the funding offer as well.

I would probably accept by the 27st, but I'm not sure what the actual guidelines are. That's such an early deadline!

To echo @imogenshakes, the culture in my MA program and the University I currently work at full time, jeans are absolutely acceptable. We have a wide range of styles, though, and it boils down to personal preference. I typically start a little more dressed up and end up in jeans by midterms or so, sometimes sooner if I have a really good class. In my experience, starting more professional can set the tone in the right way, particularly if you are a woman or look young. I'm planning on asking about dress code specifically on my campus visit, since as @Wyatt's Terps noted some Universities tend toward more business casual attire. When in doubt, I think it's always better to lean more toward overdressed.

Ouch. That sounds like it could be a real ego bruiser. And yet I wish my rejection came with one!

Look at how you set the two schools up against each other. One offers only rank, the other "chances to diversify their study widely an pursue their own vision." I mean, the second sounds much better. I think it's pretty clear where you're leaning, but let me add my two cents quickly. You can absolutely find amazing fit at a highly ranked institution, and you might even find better funding at such an institution, which in turn would help you pursue your interests and have more freedom. At least in my opinion, fit is more important (as long as you have funding or the means to fund it without financial agony), particularly since it sounds like you aren't looking to go on the market for a tenured professorship later on. I can't really guide you toward specific schools, although I will say that University of Nebraska-Lincoln has a creative writing PhD. They are extremely tailored toward the student in the Comp/Rhet program, so I'm assuming that they are the same across the board. Pursuing the PhD in CW sounds like it would make the most sense for what you're looking to do, so I'd recommend starting with a general Google search of programs. From there, look at faculty profiles. Is there anyone you recognize? What are their specialities? What professional development workshops are available? From there you will have a better idea of where you might fit.

Congrats on your many acceptances! I was just thinking the same thing -- we should have some sort of "The Wait is Over 2017" board.

Looks like Miami University is alerting Literature-- just got my rejection! Pretty bummed (understatement -- some awesome people with similar research interests!), but at least I now know 100% where I'm going. Anyone hear positive news from MU yet?

That is both a relief and an instant panic attack!

I've had wildly different courses. Some had 400 page novels weekly (with writing assignments); others were lighter on the classroom reading, but had research projects we were continuously reading for on our own time. One poetry class had us read 20 or so poems each week and only a few pages of biography. Still another I hardly remember more than 30 pages at at a time, if that. That course was much more hands-on, research-based than some other classes, but it was still by far the least demanding course. I think the important thing to note is that you will need to do a lot of independent reading, so although individual courses may not require much for classroom discussion, the behind-the-scenes research is what will really eat your time. (At least in my experience.)

I second the above. If you addressed all of the specific notes and they didn't say anything about specific formatting, I would just leave it and see if the editors add the columns and headers. You can also reiterate your question more directly when you send this new copy.

I also live in jeans, and am planning on wearing some to my visit. I think that as long as you look tidy, it should be fine. You want to feel comfortable so you can make the most of your visit. I usually wear skinny jeans with heels or nice flats and a blouse when I teach, so I figured I'd just go that route because I feel most comfortable and can act naturally. It's pretty middle ground as far as the others in my department -- we have people who prefer baggy jeans and sandals all the way to suits/nice dresses. I can't speak for the departments I have yet to visit, but I've worked at three different schools so far (adjuncting and my current full time position), and it seems to be pretty consistent.

I second this. I did an unfunded MA. I did two crazy things to make it work: I took 5 classes each semester to take advantage of the full-time tuition (3 classes cost the same as 4 or 5). I also applied for a TA position my second year, which came with a small stipend and a half tuition waiver. I had to quit my full time job to take the TAship (no, I didn't quit while I was taking 5 courses. Whewww!), so I lost my stability and dove headfirst into the "well let's hope this works" mentality. It did.

While I was waiting to hear from schools, I started a massive goal list. I began with the goals I want to achieve in 10 years, then broke it down to what I will need to have accomplished in 5 years to be on track for those big goals. I broke it down even further into what I need to accomplish yearly in order to meet those 5 year goals, and finally what I should do each month. It was really helpful for giving me a visual path to my goals, but also--and this is so important!--did not hinge on my being accepted to a program this year. Getting into a program would certainly help, but I had to stick to goals that were attainable (albeit challenging) through hard work alone NOT something dependent on others.

Awesome news! I may end up seeing you there. are you planning a campus visit?

Ouch. I'm so sorry. Hang in there.