Dogfish Head

I think my cohort is around 7-8, not sure on the exact number but it is a pretty typical cohort size.

Iowa State, U of Wyoming, U of Maine, and U of South Carolina also come to mind. If you want a general tip on finding funded terminal MA programs try to find state schools that do not offer PhD programs or that offer less highly regarded (though often good) PhD programs (for instance, UC-Berkley doesn't have a terminal, funded MA but WVU does). Also, larger private universities (like Duquesne or Lehigh) that aren't Ivies or often have the financial resources to provide their MA students with funding in exchange for certain assistantships. I hope this helps, I also went the funded MA route this past cycle, and I had a good amount of success using these strategies. If you want to teach, I would say apply to mostly state schools because they always need people to teach Freshman English. The two best offers I received were from UVM and WVU, and the directors of each program are great and super helpful if you have any questions. Each of those programs will also teach you how to teach and give you a lot of highly marketable experience. Plus, UVM and WVU have really good doctoral placement rates (both programs have gotten people into programs like U of Virginia, WashU, Northwestern, Tufts, SUNY-Buffalo, Vanderbilt, Rice, etc.).

Some other programs are the University of Vermont, West Virginia University, Bucknell, Duquesne, and Kansas State.

When I email directors I often ask questions about program selectivity (how many applicants vs. how many acceptances), TT placement rate, what in their view are the research strengths of their department, and other things that I cannot find on their site. It isn't necessary, but it certainly can be helpful.

Yeah, of course. When I was talking on the phone with the assistant director of their English graduate program she said that they prefer to take students directly from undergrad, and she also said to me that there are other programs like that. PSU and these other schools will still take students who have MAs from other institutions (and I think that this mentality of undergad straight to PhD is going away), but it is simply not what they prefer. When emailing directors just ask if there program looks favorably on applicants with MAs. Let me know if you have any other questions, I will also be applying for 2020 entry with an MA.

Nice! I am also in the process of trying to find an apartment for relatively cheap. My program is funded, but I definitely won't be rolling in dough or anything of that nature so the high housing costs are stressful. I have an account on their off-campus roommate service, but so far I have had no luck with that unfortunately. I have lived in PA for most of my life so moving to VT is a bit weird, but I am really excited to start graduate school.

Is anyone else moving to Burlington in the Fall to start a graduate program?

I'll definitely shoot you an email about the program! I toured there this past Fall and had a great experience walking around the campus, talking to a current graduate student, and sitting in on a seminar.

Thank you so much! Congratulations again on Carnegie Mellon! I was going to apply there this cycle, but I missed the application deadline like an idiot. CMU is definitely a great school and Pittsburgh is an awesome city (probably biased because I grew up around there lol). I may apply there for doctoral work still because of how strong my interests align with their faculty interests. Good luck and feel free to shoot me a message if yinz have any questions about the Burgh.

Did they not have a large applicant poll? I got in off the waitlist earlier this week, but I had already committed to another program which was a better fit (plus out of PA which will be nice). I will say that I was really impressed by the program from what I know about it plus their doctoral program placement is top notch from my understanding. I hope people apply!

Officially decided on Vermont, thank you all for the unconditional support throughout this process!

Thank you everyone for the feedback and information. I am definitely leaning more towards Vermont than I did when I initially made this post. I have visited both campuses and I liked both, but I will admit that I thought that Burlington and UVM's campus were exceptionally lovely.

1. I am currently trying to find out how updated the information is for one of them (the website says their list is PhD placements since 2005). Both programs have gotten people into places I would like to go to which is part of what is making this such a difficult choice. However, for each program the amount of students who go on to do doctoral studies is about 50/50 so that is a case where they are pretty much equivalent. Each program also has good placement into "alt-academic" careers. 2. They both offer funding for conferences, but at UVM I heard that each student gets $1,500 dollars a year guaranteed which is super nice. Professionalization was very important to me so I figured out that information really quickly. 3. I have been offered 2 year GTAships at each institution (woo!). UVM's teaching load is 1/2 and 2/1 and WVU's is 2/2 and 2/2 so that is something I have also been thinking a lot about (I don't want to get too bogged down teaching from the start). 4. The cohort sizes are both around 6 for MA admits (WVU has a PhD program while UVM does not, though, so there are more grad students in total at WVU). Both programs offer the opportunity to take courses in other departments, the grad students seem happy (at least the ones I have talked to), I'll figure out when courses are offered, and in both programs the students emphasized to me how great the faculty was to work with. Each place seems like a nice city to live in, but Burlington was particularly beautiful (ten minute walk to Lake Champlain? Nothing can beat that!). Thank you for giving me some stuff to think about, I really appreciate your questions and feedback!

Hi everyone, I really hate to make one of these threads, but I thought it would be important to get feedback on all fronts. I have funded MA offers from West Virginia University and the University of Vermont and I am trying to decide which program I want to attend. The funding they are offering is not significantly more or less than one another (though the cost of living is higher in Vermont), both programs have faculty members that are doing work or have done work that I am interested in (though maybe more so at UVM), Vermont is an R2 and WVU is an R1 which may have an impact on my decision (though I am not sure how important that is at the MA level), both have great doctoral placement rates (a big reason I applied to both schools), and the culture of each program seems supportive and friendly. Any information that you may have on either of these schools would be super helpful as I try to make my decision because I am trying to get as much feedback as possible. Thank you in advance to anyone who responds!

Wait listed at Bucknell. Apparently they will be notifying me if I have been accepted after April 15th? Kind of irritated that they wouldn't notify me before the exact day that all my acceptances want a confirmation by.

Broadly, I am a 20th and 21st century Americanist, but I would most closely align my interests within the genre of science fiction. My theoretical interests revolve around political and ethical theory, representations of the body subjected to violence, and some psychoanalysis.

Thank you!

Accepted into Duquesne and Maryland's MA programs. I would have to apply to funding externally for Maryland's MA, though, and for Duquesne I am on the wait list for a teaching fellowship. Both pieces of good news, but ultimately UVM and WVU's offers are a bit more appealing because both are offering me GTAs and tuition remissions. Still happy with the news, though!

I may have to, thank you so much!

Thank you! I am very interested in continental philosophy and psychoanalysis. The faculty research interests are a huge plus for me! Did you go there?

In at Vermont with full funding and a GTA. Very excited to have options! Is anyone else considering Vermont?

I hope so, thank you so much! I hope more good news comes your way :).

I saw waitlists posted for Lehigh, but I saw no acceptances or rejections posted. Has anyone heard anything from their department? I am anxious to hear back from Lehigh.

I think I want to get through two huge novels that have been sitting on my book shelf for forever: Ulysses and The Brothers Karmakov. .

I was not aware of this situation so I will definitely talk to people in the department! Thank you for bringing this to my attention.