wreckofthehope

Communications departments could also be a good bet - UCSD's seemed really interesting when I was looking at it; also, Minnesota's Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature dep't is very cool.

I've PM-ed you - feel a bit weird writing it here when it's still up in the air, sorry

I've had my paper accepted to a special panel, but the panel hasn't been accepted yet. So I don't know how likely it is that I'll actually be presenting. I really hope I get to, especially because this panel is soooo exciting to me and I really want to meet the other people that are working on the topic. I'll be attending in either case, because I live in Boston and am already an MLA member - it would be kind of silly not to, I think

Not sure about "impossible". My apartment had an August 1st move-in date, as did many I viewed -- I think realtors trying to appeal to a non-student clientele often have June, July and August 1st start dates, I saw many in Brookline, for instance.

Wake Forest too.

I've PMed you dazedandbemused

Yes, definitely. It does depend a lot on what college you go to as an undergrad, though - certainly my college was very historicist. Some colleges do have a more theoretical approach (Balliol, possibly) but as an undergrad the approach that dominates basically depends upon the interests of the two or so English professors at you college. I feel like, generally, historicism is the most common framework at Oxford and that as a graduate student that is what you'd be most likely to come across from the people you work with.

I think... from what I can tell going through my own taxes right now, that international students do not qualify to take the standard deduction. My school withholds tax and then, if you are owed any, you get it back after filing - that's something to keep in mind in terms of what your monthly income will look like (it depends on the school and the state). Anyway... on my 2011 income, which is half my overall stiped, I was already taxed approx $1500, and, if I have done my taxes correctly, I should get back half of that in overpaid taxes; so, the total tax I actually will end up paying is just under 10%. I didn't pay state tax on 2011 income, because I hadn't been living here for enough days of the year to qualify. So, presumably total tax on next year's stipend will be higher, something in the region of 15%. I assume (possibly erroneously) that the total percentage will be similar in most states, except those without personal income tax. And yeah, you don't need to report a scholarship that goes directly to tuition as it is not taxable. You can also deduct money you spend on supplies and books that are directly needed for you courses - so, I deducted all the books that were required for my classes (stuff that isn't on the syllabus you can't deduct).

MLA NeMLA SFRA (Science Fiction Research Association) ASLE (Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment) Northern Research Network ASLE is by far the most useful and rewarding membership I have. It's a really active and lively organization and there's a huge amount of generosity from more established scholars towards grad students.

You guys could live in Brighton - it would be pretty perfect for you - around Oak Square or Brighton Center... somewhere like that, I think there's a Brandeis bus that goes to and from there(?) and it's fairly easy to get to BU from there also. Seriously - it's a great neighborhood, with lots of restaurants and cafes and stuff.

The other thing I would say is this: I would be careful to think about what your ultimate goal is. It is easy, but dangerous, to start thinking of grad school as a way of life rather than a means to an end; grad school should be a just a small part of your life, one that prepares you to work as a teacher and a scholar - which should be your ultimate goal (in my opinion). Think carefully about the reasons that you are a bit wary of committing to this PhD program - are they legitimate concerns about the work you'll be able to do there, or are they more nebulous worries about perceived prestige etc? I've personally been struggling a little with the program I accepted - it's not ranked super highly by US News, it's not super prestigious, and although I like to think of myself as someone that isn't bothered by that, I actually clearly am. However, when I think about it logically I have to ask myself - what is the PhD for? It's a period of apprenticeship that prepares me to work in a profession, and my program, though not super highly ranked, does that REALLY well - it places nearly all its students in good tenure track positions that I would be very happy to work in. So, I guess what I'm saying is this: look carefully at what the PhD program can offer you, don't discount your quality of life etc for next 5-7 years you'll spend there, but also look at it as a long term decision: if this program can most likely get you to a place where you will be competitive for the sort of jobs you would like to do, then you should probably accept it.

Well, yes, I'm from the UK, where MA + PhD would only take 4 years, but Implied in my post was that I was referring to the OP's programs, which are both in the US and so, presumably, 2yrs + 6(ish) yrs is the expected time frame.

Also consider (which I'm sure you already have) just how long you'll be in school if you do the MA first and then the PhD. Not that grad school isn't fun and hugely rewarding and blah blah blah, but you're looking at 8 more years at the lower end (!) - 8 years of scrimping and saving on tiny stipends etc.Something else that was important for me to consider when I was making my grad school apps (and now as I plan my progression through my program) is the age at which I'll finish my PhD - because (as someone who started their program in their late twenties) I wanted to think about how to fit in having a family etc with going on the market and (hopefully) the tenure track. These things shouldn't dictate your decision, but I do think it can be helpful to take them into consideration.

Wake Forest also has funding and a very strong MA program.

I did this last year (although the move was actually from London, UK) and it was really very fun... but, yeah, expensive as hell.

You should ask them for more time too - you have other apps out there, I presume? If you explain that to them they should be fine with giving you an extension, at least. To be completely honest, it's not in their interest to pressure you for a decision too early or to ask for a GPA that you might not get - they stand to make money out of you should you attend so making it impossible for you to do so would be shooting themselves in the foot and they've already indicated that they want you so they ought to be somewhat flexible.

Hey guys - at this point last year, I had no offers and about 4 rejections and was feeling pretty crappy about my general prospects. On the 23rd I got a fully funded offer and then the waitlists started rolling in. Don't give up hope too fast, it's seriously early in the season yet!

Will you try approaching them that way? To me a 3.5-ish offer seems not unreasonable (it's slightly unfair in that a 2i is equivalent to a range of GPAs from about a 3.3 to about a 3.6/3.7)... but many universities in the States ask that you have a 3.5, and the same in Canada. And a 3.5 is surely not THAT hard to get, is it? (I'm British so I genuinely don't know... my only experience is graduate grades which are shifted upwards, it seems).

Hi Cookery, I would approach the admissions office at Oxford with your situation - tell them you have a funded offer in Canada that is asking for a decision by X date and ask them if you will be likely to receive a decision from them by then. They may very well come back to you with their decision almost immediately (I've heard of it happening before), or they should at least be able to tell you when you will hear back. p.s. INCREDIBLE funding from Alberta!

commiserations Isidore But FYI - BC always has 4-5 spots only - the program is kept deliberately small.

So... Where the Wild Things Are is the only marginally likeable thing he has done. McSweeney's is entirely unpalatable for me.

That's a normal offer from a British university for someone who hasn't finished a course of study. An MA usually requires that you get a 2:1 in the British system - if you don't have the qualification yet, they will stipulate in your offer that you need to have it by the time you enroll. Likewise, a PhD offer, if you are still in a Master's program, will be conditional on you achieving a certain designation in your MA degree, usually a Distinction or a Merit.

Really? I love Chang-rae Lee, especially A Gesture Life. Books I would recommend pretending don't exist: The Vicar of Wakefield - Goldsmith... yeah, don't bother. On Beauty - Zadie Smith...yuck. Anything by Dave Eggers, he makes me want to murder people, and by 'people' I mean him.

I worked full time and did my MA full time (a full course load of 3 classes per term)... I certainly would not recommend it; it was just about manageable for an MA, BUT my MA only lasted one year (any longer would have utterly destroyed me) and, although I needed good grades, an MA is not as make-or-break as a PhD program nor is the level or work and commitment expected of students anywhere near as high. I am in a PhD program now, and I would not even consider the possibility of working full-time while doing this (my academic work requires more hours a week than my full-time employment once did).

Are you in C19th American, transcendental?