midwest-ford

As a lifelong Wisconsinite, I really feel like half the battle with the cold is having the right clothes. If you have a good pair of snowboots (I have two pairs, one for serious snow and another just to keep warm when it's snowy but not crazy bad), a parka with a hood (you can find some that are "rated" for the cold, so like I have a parka that's rated to work well in -5 to -35F weather), a hat, and a few pairs of gloves, it makes all the difference. I can't speak to Minneapolis in particular, but I'd also add that your experience with Midwestern winters might also depend a bit on if you have a car. On one hand, having a car in winter is stressful (digging it out, making sure it doesn't die, driving safely in gross weather), but on the other hand, there are certainly times when it's much easier to deal with the cold when you can hop in your car and go instead of waiting outside for public transit. I do know some people who have moved to the Midwest and absolutely couldn't take the cold, but I know more who like it! Also consider: fall. The best and most beautiful fall season of your life will be in the Midwest!

I keep telling myself that if I don't finish my master's thesis I cannot go get my PhD, but it's not very convincing and here I am

In addition to what's been said here about application fees, official transcripts, the portals, and the GRE, I'll add a couple: Finding basic information about a lot of the programs I researched was inordinately difficult because of poor website design. When links are broken, information is incomplete, and I can't find my way to the course requirements, I'm tempted just not to apply, even to a "good" school. (I mean, I still applied, but I thought angrily about giving up.) 300-500 word limits on personal statements are atrocious! I understand that committees don't have the time (or resources) to read hundreds of super long statements, but I don't feel I can accurately describe my research interests, my teaching experience (because many of these schools also didn't have a separate teaching statement), and where I'd fit in the department in just 500 words. Again, I completely understand that the departments are working with limited resources, but I'm surprised that they feel they can gauge a person's fit for the program in 300 words.

I applied to PhD programs at Michigan State, Ohio State, Syracuse, Nebraska-Lincoln, Urbana Champaign, Miami & Amherst. My interests are really varied (my MA is in English-Writing, but the program doesn't offer any rhet comp courses and I'm still learning about the field), but I'm interested in cultural rhetoric, writing centers and writing programs, and composition pedagogy. So far, I've been accepted at MSU and OSU.