Jump to content

hgtvdeathdrive

Members
  • Posts

    33
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by hgtvdeathdrive

  1. I got my MFA in 2017, and am starting a lit PhD in the Fall with no MA My BA also isn't in English lit. I did get a ton of rejections (I also only spent a month applying), and one of the schools I was accepted to did expect me to complete a predoctoral MA at the institution, but most PhDs will have a MA coursework built in as long as they want you/you demonstrate adequate preparation in other areas (SoP, WS), like @merry night wanderer said. I think it completely depends on where you're applying, too. It most likely just means more coursework wherever you end up.
  2. You might also want to consider schools with experimental/non-traditional Rhetoric programs. My former supervisor, an Eisner-winning scholar in visual rhetoric and comic studies, did her PhD in Composition & Rhetoric at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her dissertation focused on Lynda Barry, and she is now not only the Director of Rhet/Comp but also Director of the new Comic Studies Program (an undergraduate program) at Portland State University.
  3. @ArcaMajora i'm out of reacts today but thank you so so much! this response really seals the deal. I'm also really invested in interdisciplinary study and didn't even *want* to do a regular English PhD when I started my process last year (as goofy as that sounds, since i ended up applying to so many of them)--and i think i got caught up in a lot of factors without considering the program itself.
  4. I feel that! I'm also working on my career as a poet--which was another big factor for me, because Buffalo values creative output and funds it as well. Many current PhDs have told me to really look for a school that will value that and not see your creative or non-academic work as a detriment/something to devalue you as a student by. That was a big factor for me!
  5. Just confirmed with SUNY Buffalo Poetics!!!!!!!!! I am going to drink a beer the size of my face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! stay tuned for my tell all memoir regarding that deleted post from earlier this week lmao!!!!
  6. @adornianjazz @The Wordsworthian @swarthmawr @arbie thank you all so much! I just confirmed my decision with Buffalo. I knew it in my heart but having such immediate responses in confirmation (plus one from my mom) helped so much. @adornianjazz you sound exactly like me!! the constant back and forth literally made me sick. I spent the last week in bed with a fever/sinus infection! My visits really gave me the gut feeling, and I based it on the departmental approach to study as well as the fact that I just wanted to scream w/ excitement over their course catalog for Fall. UMass, not so much. Also keep in mind that 10 semester of teaching, despite the lower stipend, could be really good for your CV. I'm not concerned with a lighter teaching load (1:1 at Buffalo vs 2:1 at UMass) because I already have 4 years of teaching and an MFA. AHHHH THANK YOU ALL I'M SO HAPPY
  7. Has anyone turned down larger funding offers for a better fit? It's gonna hurt so much to turn down the extra $4,000 per year plus 3 years of summer support (out of 6 summers) plus better health insurance at UMass but the fit, program, and approach to study at Buffalo is what I reallly, really, really want. So little time to decide
  8. thank you, i'll PM you but i'm actually going to delete my post because i'm afraid they'll find it and use it against me
  9. congrats & it was nice to briefly meet you i'm still on the fence, although the visit was totally amazing and really made me excited about the program! i'm still confused about marketability/placement and the prospect of living in buffalo for that long....
  10. still deciding between UMass Amherst and Buffalo ? I'm talking to several professors on the phone this week at UMass because they don't have a prospective students event, which is really throwing me decision off! I hope that plus the April 2-3 visit to Buffalo will help me decide. it truly feels like a 50/50 coin toss. I'm literally writing this from a bar because I'm trying not to stress out so much
  11. @Bopie5 don't get down on yourself! i have a feeling that was the "reason" they chose for most of us, unless we see some variation from other folks who post here.
  12. lmaooooo got the rejection from Davis too–– The program to which you applied indicated the following as the reason(s) that you were not selected for admission:- Not competitive with other applicants because: - Statement of Purpose/Written work
  13. Do you mean they let you know you were rejected? I'm sorry Does her message maybe mean that they're sending out official admissions to follow up on the unofficial phone calls that went out in early Feb? BLERG
  14. I'm a creative writer too––with no higher training or background in English, just an aptitude for it. I have a BA in Linguistics from a non-Ivy but somewhat good private university and an MFA from a non-prestigious school (I mentioned this in our DMs!). Obviously I didn't get into any Ivy's/Ivy-adjacent schools but I got into places with great fits for me in the long run; ultimately I want to teach creative writing at the college level & also keep writing in my PhD but didn't want to do a Rhet/Comp PhD and also wanted to deepen my literary ability at the same time. Amherst and Buffalo are both great schools for me to pursue this! But I do think my lack of preparation (either a BA or MA in the field) hurt me for some of the more competitive schools, like Penn and UChicago. Or maybe it's a crap shoot. Have you taken the English Subject GRE? I wonder if that could boost your stats and demonstrate your preparedness. Your recs will be fine (my profs were 1 lit PhD, 1 rhet/comp PhD, and one MFA), but I think the biggest thing to think about is your writing sample, and how you demonstrate your critical ability ––what kind of writing did you do in your creative MA? Did you write any seminar papers? I truly believe my writing sample is what pulled me through my lack of English/lit crit background and got me into two places; a POI at Buffalo mentioned it specifically to me in a recent email.
  15. @Bopie5 @mandelbulb gonna keep it funky––looking back 6 years there has never been a late breaking acceptance ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  16. right? however, it's obviously not an enthusiastic acceptance if, on the off chance, i'm on an invisible waitlist. i just want closure ?
  17. lol i'm dyin! i need to know if i'm planning a cross country move or not!!!
  18. has anyone contacted Davis or heard from them recently? it's not a good fit & obv acceptances went out last month but i don't want to email and solicit my rejection if it's coming soon anyway ?
  19. just got the acceptance to UChicago's MAPH with $10.5k scholarship. feels like someone threw a handful of nickels at me
  20. Hi! Is there any better way to understand prestige or rank besides US News? Is it just about asking many people? I'm stuck between two programs with similar rankings on that list (which seems difficult to understand) and I feel like I can't figure out which holds a higher prestige/ranking as a way to possibly make a decision.
  21. Help!! I'm a poet with an MFA and I've been admitted to the PhD at SUNY Buffalo Poetics and UMass Amherst's MA/PhD in English, most likely with an American Studies concentration. Both have provided funding and both feel like relatively good fits--Buffalo's poetics program is ideal, and the proximity to Amherst's Writing Program and its faculty also feels great. Amherst just offered me an extra 3 years of summer support (on top of a slightly higher stipend than Buffalo) as well to "make the offer more attractive" (their words!) but I haven't felt any personal connection with the program, while a first year at Buffalo and the head of Poetics both sent me personalized emails and invited me to the April 2-3 reception (which I'm going to--so excited!). I haven't figured out when I can possibly visit Amherst since I live across the country, adjunct at two colleges, and can't fly during Spring Break because of the price gouging, but they haven't really reached out to me about a visit other than telling me I can possibly have lunch with some current students if I visit. No pre-arranged reception. I used to have a close friend in the UMass MFA so I spent a lot of time there from 2012-2015 so I don't really feel like I need to visit as far as to suss out what it's like to live there, etc, so it would be more about questions about what my fit in the program is, but since no one has reached out to me personally, I don't know how to advocate for myself. I keep imagining that one school has a better "name" than the other in different scenarios––technically Buffalo is ranked "higher" by USNews or whatever, but different colleagues at the schools where I adjunct have had different reactions to UMass vs. Buffalo. I wonder if the MFA at UMass's reputation precedes its PhD rep and that's coloring my opinion and imagining prestige, or if my knowledge of Buffalo (one of my recommenders did his PhD there, my writing sample was on Juliana Spahr & Charles Bernstein, etc.) is making me imagine its prestige. Job placement statistics are equally opaque...UMass claims 80% of graduates find full time positions (55% TT) and Buffalo has a variety of stats, ranging from 50 to 78% placement in full time positions, but 44% TT placement. I'm not sure I even care about chasing tenure in 6-7 years, since it feels like a fool's pursuit, but UMass feels more like a "normal" grad experience where I feel I might be exposed to a wider variety of options or creative interests with Buffalo, since I still hold onto my dream of making this poetry/writing thing work as well (my MFA is not prestigious but I've started to make some headway in publications and awards). I don't know if anyone will respond or help with this but even just your general opinion/reaction to these two schools would be helpful. I feel like I can't make a bad decision! Which is somehow worse!
  22. totally! As far as I know, Peer Mentors receive the same funding. The stipend might be smaller, but unfortunately I'm not sure! I only knew two people who funded their MFA (not MA) that way. The only problem is it wouldn't be something you could start immediately, I don't think, like the GAship. I knew quite a few people who turned down the GAship/funding but still attended. I think they were daunted by being thrown into teaching right away and by the small stipend. I think others turned it down because they had other gigs, or wanted to extend the program beyond 2 years. Most I know who turned it down were MFAs, so it might be different for the MAs who receive it/decide on attending or accepting the funding. I'm not sure the stats on who often turns that down. I do definitely know the number of GAs isn't necessarily set in stone at this point, so you should still have hope!
  23. Oh, also––if you accept, there's also the possibility of being offered funding mid-summer if you agree to enroll but aren't offered funding. Many folks turned it down and those who were silently waitlisted were bumped up.
  24. I did my MFA at PDX and received my offer of funding (the GAship, which I think, other than the Peer Mentor program, which you can apply for once you enroll, is the only form of funding in the MA/MFA programs) several weeks after I was accepted (this was in 2015). They generally take about 3-5 MAs and 1 MFA in each strand (3 total) per year, but it varies based on how much money the department currently has. I don't know how many they currently have rn. They're also doing a new thing where you can apply for the GAship in your second year if you're not offered it your first year. The GAship works out to being tuition remission + about $780-860 stipend per month--which wasn't fantastic--but maybe it's increased. hmu if you have more q's
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use