a_sort_of_fractious_angel

Any time I'm out with friends and they use the selfie-function on their phones to check their makeup/hair/teeth, I make a faux pithy comment about their inability to develop past the Mirror Stage. No one ever laughs but me, but I laugh every time. 

For kindly non-ac people/friends/family, I've switched from version (1) "I focus on transnational identity formation at the intersections between contemporary Caribbean and 20th- and 21st century American literature" to version (2)  "so, you know how you have a story you tell about yourself and your life? And maybe a story or two about your family - where you all came from and whatnot? I look at how people tell those kinds of stories about themselves and others through books."
No one has ever knew what to do with version 1 but version 2 seems to go over OK with everyone who is not hip to the things. One time, my mom's friend cautiously offered up a book she had read for her book club as a kind of "I have read a book in which a person discusses their identity" and I was like, "yes. good. yes. brilliant. you got it."
For the science people, I like to tell them that they do research and we do scholarship. At which point, many are like "so that is the same thing?" And I'm like "no, n00b, it is not. I am a scholar - I scholate things. You merely research them. Leave me to my books." If I have a book at hand, I toss it to them and say "you figure it out because, honestly, I'm not sure."
For the drunk uncles - honestly, I just double down. They're always like "you're never gonna get a job" at which point I remind them that "where I'm going, I don't need jobs."

For kindly non-ac people/friends/family, I've switched from version (1) "I focus on transnational identity formation at the intersections between contemporary Caribbean and 20th- and 21st century American literature" to version (2)  "so, you know how you have a story you tell about yourself and your life? And maybe a story or two about your family - where you all came from and whatnot? I look at how people tell those kinds of stories about themselves and others through books."
No one has ever knew what to do with version 1 but version 2 seems to go over OK with everyone who is not hip to the things. One time, my mom's friend cautiously offered up a book she had read for her book club as a kind of "I have read a book in which a person discusses their identity" and I was like, "yes. good. yes. brilliant. you got it."
For the science people, I like to tell them that they do research and we do scholarship. At which point, many are like "so that is the same thing?" And I'm like "no, n00b, it is not. I am a scholar - I scholate things. You merely research them. Leave me to my books." If I have a book at hand, I toss it to them and say "you figure it out because, honestly, I'm not sure."
For the drunk uncles - honestly, I just double down. They're always like "you're never gonna get a job" at which point I remind them that "where I'm going, I don't need jobs."

Phone call from unknown number - area code is Delaware. 
I don't pick up. No voicemail is left. Minutes pass. The sun moves across the sky. I wonder who called and for what purpose.
Out of sheer boredom, I Google the number - it's the UDel English DGS number. I Google it again - new tab. Same results.
I check my voicemail. Nothing. I check my email. Nothing. 
Did they accidentally call the wrong number? And realize when they heard my voicemail message?
Did they intend to call me but, upon hearing my voicemail message, think ... "oh. no thanks."
... Do ... do I call back? 
*dials Delaware*
"Hey ... it's me."

@WildeThing makes a good point about giving them ample time to read and respond - I found that I had the best success during my MA program when I came to them with a specific conference and paper already in mind - I'd email them the panel info and (if necessary) remind them about the paper. From that point, we'd talk about directions I could expand the ideas. At the same time, the paper and project development was entirely on me. I also gave them a lot of time to fit me in since they were busy with their own classes/grants/projects/books/and other commitments.
FWIW, I noticed a big change in the way support was given between my undergrad (which was totally focused on teaching undergrads) and my MA ititution (which was a flagship research university.) The profs in my MA were supportive - undoubtedly - but it fell on me to get what I needed in terms of resources. Also, the dept coordinator may have info on funding (or how to apply) so perhaps speaking with them directly (depending on your institution's policies regarding conference and travel funding) may be a better bet than asking your profs.
Re: publications. You may want to look at the dept handbook (or the website section on professionalization) @Melvillage_Idiot - at least one of the programs I am currently considering seems to have a professionalization course/workshop in the third year that addresses publications. I didn't publish as an MA so I don't know much on how that works but @fuzzylogician's advice about relationship-building and initiative is spot-on and echoes a lot of advice I've received to remember that, as a doctoral student, the relationship is more of academic kinship (especially in the later years) than the undergrad student/professor gig. *FWIW, I don't know what that looks like exactly since I'm not a PhD student yet but it makes sense to me.*

I 100% have been doing the same with FB accounts lately. Some of them have some pretty lax privacy settings, she says in a way that is definitely NOT creepy. 

Hi! So, I found some useful nuts and bolts kind of stuff, like
- The semester-by-semester breakdown of expectations for the average time to completion 
- The semester-by-semester breakdown of expectations for an accelerated time to completion
- when & how the department evaluates satisfactory progress
- policies re: coursework such as distribution requirements, the transfer of MA coursework, and coursework outside the dept/university
- dissertation policies (for example, can an external faculty member sit on the diss committee and, if so, what are the rules for that)
- department-specific requirements, such as language requirements or special paper/presentation requirements
- specifics on teaching load, preparation, and timeline
 
 

Hi! So, I found some useful nuts and bolts kind of stuff, like
- The semester-by-semester breakdown of expectations for the average time to completion 
- The semester-by-semester breakdown of expectations for an accelerated time to completion
- when & how the department evaluates satisfactory progress
- policies re: coursework such as distribution requirements, the transfer of MA coursework, and coursework outside the dept/university
- dissertation policies (for example, can an external faculty member sit on the diss committee and, if so, what are the rules for that)
- department-specific requirements, such as language requirements or special paper/presentation requirements
- specifics on teaching load, preparation, and timeline
 
 

Hi! So, I found some useful nuts and bolts kind of stuff, like
- The semester-by-semester breakdown of expectations for the average time to completion 
- The semester-by-semester breakdown of expectations for an accelerated time to completion
- when & how the department evaluates satisfactory progress
- policies re: coursework such as distribution requirements, the transfer of MA coursework, and coursework outside the dept/university
- dissertation policies (for example, can an external faculty member sit on the diss committee and, if so, what are the rules for that)
- department-specific requirements, such as language requirements or special paper/presentation requirements
- specifics on teaching load, preparation, and timeline
 
 

Yeah, I had less than half that amount for the entire 5 years of my program, so be sure to adjust your expectations. But there are a variety of tricks for making your money go a long way; I gave 15 conference presentations during grad school and another 13 were given by co-authors (without me there)... but we digress. 

Taking the initiative isn't a bad thing. No one is going to hold your hand after you graduate, and you want to learn independence. Pick your favorite professor(s), schedule a meeting, and tell them about this project you're contemplating/working on/completing. Get their input on your thoughts. Develop a relationship. This shouldn't be a one-time thing: you want to go back and talk to the ones you got along with on a regular basis. You want their guidance in developing the project, their comments and questions, their suggested readings. When the time is right to start writing, you then ask to talk about possible publication venues and which ones might fit the work. At that point, they should know it well enough to be able to direct you, or offer input. Likewise for presenting, you may find advisors who suggest things to you, but you should also be on the lookout yourself, and ask for their opinion on your *plan* to submit to conferences and present the work. 

Hi! I posted the Irvine acceptance that’s up. I just found this thread, and i’m sorry that its been giving you so much anxiety! I got a call from the grad director last weekend letting me know i was accepted and inviting me to campus. He said official offers would be sent out on the 16th though. I’m guessing that since no one else has posted theirs and official offers are still a week out, a fair amount of acceptances haven’t been notified yet! Hope this helps!

For kindly non-ac people/friends/family, I've switched from version (1) "I focus on transnational identity formation at the intersections between contemporary Caribbean and 20th- and 21st century American literature" to version (2)  "so, you know how you have a story you tell about yourself and your life? And maybe a story or two about your family - where you all came from and whatnot? I look at how people tell those kinds of stories about themselves and others through books."
No one has ever knew what to do with version 1 but version 2 seems to go over OK with everyone who is not hip to the things. One time, my mom's friend cautiously offered up a book she had read for her book club as a kind of "I have read a book in which a person discusses their identity" and I was like, "yes. good. yes. brilliant. you got it."
For the science people, I like to tell them that they do research and we do scholarship. At which point, many are like "so that is the same thing?" And I'm like "no, n00b, it is not. I am a scholar - I scholate things. You merely research them. Leave me to my books." If I have a book at hand, I toss it to them and say "you figure it out because, honestly, I'm not sure."
For the drunk uncles - honestly, I just double down. They're always like "you're never gonna get a job" at which point I remind them that "where I'm going, I don't need jobs."

Thanks, friend! This whole thread is starting to glow like Daisy's dock. 
Nice! Congrats! 

Thanks, friend! This whole thread is starting to glow like Daisy's dock. 
Nice! Congrats! 

For kindly non-ac people/friends/family, I've switched from version (1) "I focus on transnational identity formation at the intersections between contemporary Caribbean and 20th- and 21st century American literature" to version (2)  "so, you know how you have a story you tell about yourself and your life? And maybe a story or two about your family - where you all came from and whatnot? I look at how people tell those kinds of stories about themselves and others through books."
No one has ever knew what to do with version 1 but version 2 seems to go over OK with everyone who is not hip to the things. One time, my mom's friend cautiously offered up a book she had read for her book club as a kind of "I have read a book in which a person discusses their identity" and I was like, "yes. good. yes. brilliant. you got it."
For the science people, I like to tell them that they do research and we do scholarship. At which point, many are like "so that is the same thing?" And I'm like "no, n00b, it is not. I am a scholar - I scholate things. You merely research them. Leave me to my books." If I have a book at hand, I toss it to them and say "you figure it out because, honestly, I'm not sure."
For the drunk uncles - honestly, I just double down. They're always like "you're never gonna get a job" at which point I remind them that "where I'm going, I don't need jobs."

For kindly non-ac people/friends/family, I've switched from version (1) "I focus on transnational identity formation at the intersections between contemporary Caribbean and 20th- and 21st century American literature" to version (2)  "so, you know how you have a story you tell about yourself and your life? And maybe a story or two about your family - where you all came from and whatnot? I look at how people tell those kinds of stories about themselves and others through books."
No one has ever knew what to do with version 1 but version 2 seems to go over OK with everyone who is not hip to the things. One time, my mom's friend cautiously offered up a book she had read for her book club as a kind of "I have read a book in which a person discusses their identity" and I was like, "yes. good. yes. brilliant. you got it."
For the science people, I like to tell them that they do research and we do scholarship. At which point, many are like "so that is the same thing?" And I'm like "no, n00b, it is not. I am a scholar - I scholate things. You merely research them. Leave me to my books." If I have a book at hand, I toss it to them and say "you figure it out because, honestly, I'm not sure."
For the drunk uncles - honestly, I just double down. They're always like "you're never gonna get a job" at which point I remind them that "where I'm going, I don't need jobs."

For kindly non-ac people/friends/family, I've switched from version (1) "I focus on transnational identity formation at the intersections between contemporary Caribbean and 20th- and 21st century American literature" to version (2)  "so, you know how you have a story you tell about yourself and your life? And maybe a story or two about your family - where you all came from and whatnot? I look at how people tell those kinds of stories about themselves and others through books."
No one has ever knew what to do with version 1 but version 2 seems to go over OK with everyone who is not hip to the things. One time, my mom's friend cautiously offered up a book she had read for her book club as a kind of "I have read a book in which a person discusses their identity" and I was like, "yes. good. yes. brilliant. you got it."
For the science people, I like to tell them that they do research and we do scholarship. At which point, many are like "so that is the same thing?" And I'm like "no, n00b, it is not. I am a scholar - I scholate things. You merely research them. Leave me to my books." If I have a book at hand, I toss it to them and say "you figure it out because, honestly, I'm not sure."
For the drunk uncles - honestly, I just double down. They're always like "you're never gonna get a job" at which point I remind them that "where I'm going, I don't need jobs."

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. 

Well, I'll be chasing the mail truck down the street tomorrow. 

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

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. 

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. 

GOT THE UDEL CALL!!! 

I really have to agree! My partner and I got our master's from a small state university (not sure if our programs are unranked but I am almost certain their rank is not high - there are no PhD programs in either of our fields at our master's institution either). Also our bachelor's degrees are from a similar sized school that is also likely relatively unknown.
While we are not applying to the highest ranked PhD programs we do have one school we have both been accepted at (University of Denver) and I have been unofficially accepted at our other top choice (University of Arkansas). I do recognize that school name recognition can help a lot but I firmly believe that if you do go to a relatively unknown school you just have to ensure that you are making the most of your opportunities and make yourself a stellar student where you are. Since both of the institution's we've attended are small and the programs have also been small we have been able to form extremely close relationships with the professors we've worked closely with and I'm sure that allows those professors to write much more personalized recommendations. I think as long as you make the most of the opportunities you are given unknown schools will not work against you. We both recognize though that we may not ultimately want to work as professors in a big name school so having smaller lesser known schools on our CV is not as big of a deal since we are likely not trying to break into those highly ranked schools. We have loved the smaller settings our schools have provided and would be very happy to work as professors in a similar environment in the future.
However, we did recently get the notice that my partner was rejected from the English PhD program at UMass and I have yet to hear anything from my program there. I do wonder if it is because it is the highest ranked school we are applying too and they judged the schools we had attended. But what I really think is that both of the programs there for us were the ones that we worried about fit the most and that easily could have come through in our SOP's, but who knows maybe they judged that we came from unknown schools...
Ultimately, I think we have benefited overall from attending these lesser known schools. We both received a full-ride at our undergrad and have no debt from undergrad. Also both of our master's programs were funded with assistantships and had tuition waivers and we only had to take out one small loan to help with living expenses since our stipends were a bit piddly. But because of this we are carrying almost no debt forward and have loved the school environments we have been in. So far not worrying about name recognition has worked for us and I firmly believe that as long as we continue to work hard and stand out from the pack it will continue to work for us into the future.
I do think prestige/name recognition does really matter if that's the type of school you're hoping to secure a position in the future but if that's not your concern I think hard work at little known schools can end up working out. Also this is not to poo-poo on those shooting for these awesome schools - that is so awesome and I am super impressed by all these acceptances at big schools I'm seeing! I just wanted to throw this out there as an example that lesser known schools may not always be a detriment.