CatBowl

Just here to echo what @NoodleKidoodle and others have said about the benefits of taking some time off. I graduated with my BA, took a year off, got my MA, took nearly 3 years off, and now here I am – I'll be starting my PhD in the fall. While I am not thrilled about the fact that I'll be 6+ years older when I'm on the job market, I think my time off was invaluable. Teaching full-time reaffirmed my desire to continue teaching. Also, I'm sorry if this has already been said in this thread, but I have been able to save money to prepare for taking a huge pay cut in grad school. This is also invaluable in my opinion. Hope this perspective is helpful!

Thanks for the advice! I talked to a couple students last summer when I was choosing programs to apply to and got a positive feel for this program, but I'd definitely like to reach out again just to make sure. I'll definitely mention that. And yes, I am grateful to be in this position!

I assume many of us will be in the same boat come April 15, so I'm hoping this situation/question helps others: I've been accepted with funding to School A, accepted but waitlisted for funding to School B, and waitlisted (but with funding if I get off the waitlist) at School C. I have visited School A (and absolutely fell in love), am visiting School B next week, and I asked if I could visit School C but was told they only do visits for accepted students (which I totally understand). I'm really hoping to make it off the waitlist at School C, but I'm afraid that will happen on or close to April 15, which means I will not get the chance to visit. If I do get off the waitlist at School C, I'm pretty sure I'd accept that offer above the others. I'm terrified that if that happens and I accept their offer, the fit won't be right or I'll hate the department or the school, etc. In the coming weeks, I'll likely see if I can speak to a current student at School C to try to get a feel for the departmental environment. I'm just trying to do all the right things now so that I don't have many "what ifs" in the fall. Anyone in a similar position? Any tips?

AMAZING. But also, hat's off to your dad for remembering the term at least! I just recently overheard my dad try to explain ecocriticism, and he told my grandma that I'm going to "study nature." Which... isn't...entirely wrong. ? I certainly appreciate the attempts

Yes, yes, 100 times yes. My mom saved a note in her phone so that she can pull it out when people ask what I'll be studying. I started by telling her "20th and 21st century American lit and ecocriticism," which turned into "20th and 21st century American lit," which turned into "American lit," which has now turned into "English." Let's just keep this simple. I find it so funny!

I'm out of reacts but LMAO

Also, @kendalldinniene, like Karen says, "traaaayyyyzure" I too didn't notice "pleaseure" at first... I knew the moment I saw the funky font size that it wasn't good news. Glad to know something though!

@illcounsel shoot, I should've clarified for the PhD program. Congrats on your acceptance!

Anyone here been accepted to Ole Miss with funding? Was hoping to PM anyone who feels comfortable sharing any info!

Thanks, and congrats on your Illinois acceptance too! I applied to UNCG specifically for Karen Kilcup so I feel the same way. I also think Greensboro may be a perfect size for me, so I keep finding myself daydreaming about moving there. I think I will probably visit too, just to make sure it is the right fit. I've gotten implied rejections from Emory, Vanderbilt, and CU Boulder, and official rejections from Duke, UT Austin, and Notre Dame (whew – haven't posted that anywhere yet). Hopefully we will hear back from everyone by the end of Feb so we have time to visit/make a decision. Good luck to you, and if you think about it, let me know where you end up deciding!

Yay @beirut! Congratulations. How many other programs did you apply to, and do you think you'll end up at Greensboro? I applied to 14 and wish I could go ahead and make a decision.

I noticed someone asking about UNC Greensboro's program on the Results page so figured I would go ahead and post. I was accepted to their English PhD program on Fri. 2/1 via an email from the DGS. The email included info about funding, and I've since had a follow-up call with the DGS. I'm focusing on 20th and 21st century American lit and ecocriticism/environmental lit. This is my first (and I'm going to assume only) acceptance, and it came after 4 rejections and several more implied rejections. I am very excited! Has anyone else gotten an offer from UNC Greensboro? Would love to chat if so.

I got a Duke rejection as well. It's my first official rejection, and I actually feel incredibly relieved to know something. I haven't posted much recently, but congratulations to everyone accepted so far! Your acceptances are keeping me afloat. ❤️

@Indecisive Poet Oh good! I'm glad to hear that. I did something similar in between undergrad and my MA too. The experience of part-time teaching is frustrating but was definitely rewarding for me. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you find something full-time!

@Indecisive Poet I graduated with my MA in 2016 and have been teaching at a technical college since! I got hired as an adjunct which was good experience, but of course I had to keep my restaurant job at the time to pay the bills. I got lucky because after a couple semesters of adjuncting, a full-time spot opened up and the tech college hired me on. Though I don't want to teach at this level forever (hence why I applied to PhD programs this year), it has affirmed my desire to teach, and having a stable salary and benefits is a huge plus. I think community and technical colleges often get overlooked when English MAs are looking for jobs (though I know there may not be a whole lot of open positions out there). Good luck!