Magic Lantern

It's such a difficult process... but I'm hoping the best for us!

I feel you. I'm also waitlisted by two programs (and ghosted by one). The next few weeks are gonna be painful, and that's an understatement.

That's really inspiring! Thanks for sharing! Wishing you all the best as well ?

I received an email from the DGS at BC saying that she expects movement in the next two weeks, and that's she'll keep me updated about what's happening. I'm glad to hear that she expects movement, but man oh man these next few weeks are going to be killer.

That's really inspiring! Thanks for sharing! Wishing you all the best as well ?

? Thank you. I celebrate the win but imposter syndrome is real.
I wish you all the best!! I pray for good news for you (and everyone here), too. If it doesn't work out this round, please, please try again. I am a non-traditional applicant who finished my undergrad at 31, MA at 38, and now starting a PhD at 40 (!). Last year, I only got in to 1/5 programs, with no funding. This year, I had six offers (four of which were funded), one of which was my dream school. We really do get better at this as we go haha. ?

Good to know! Thank you so much! Also, congratulations on getting into UCSD!! So happy for you :) 

I'd definitely follow up. That's what I did for programs I was waiting to hear from and all of them replied albeit a week or two late

OMG in at UC San Diego for Lit this late! I think I got in after @Lighthouse Lana declined their offer. Didn't even know I was waitlisted. I guess this is to say, don't lose hope yet if you haven't heard from your programs!
Still thinking if I'll accept the offer. It is fully funded (and for an international student, that's big) but my heart is in CW and I"m waiting for Houston to get me funding haha. But the acceptance to a UC is huge for me, after trying for two years and applying to nine (yep, nine) different UCs!

Thank you! Congrats and best of luck with your future research!  

Of course! It was for English, and my area is media studies/race and ethnicity/contemporary popular cultures.

I've just declined my offer at Davis, and also removed myself from CUNY's waitlist. Hope this helps someone!

oh I've been lurking for a while, but waitlisted at USC for comp lit (on a "very short" waitlist) as well as for ASE (which they openly said is rarely used).
comp lit gave a little more hope, but pretty much said its too unpredictable for them to ascertain if/how they'll use the waitlist.
sorta my last hope for this cycle. heres to hoping I guess haha. 

There are quite a few threads discussing this— the overall consensus is pretty negative/it’s very much notorious for being a cash cow. However, some people on this thread seem to have had really great experiences on the MAPH programme, especially now that there’s *some* financial aid...
I can tell you that UCL, despite having a great reputation as an institution in the UK, is also kind of notorious for preying on international students for $$, and your experience might be pretty impersonal (I know a few people, both international and UK, who’ve attended the programme and they were all pretty dissatisfied). Although if you’re UK based/can get a loan from SFE its worth considering the programme, although I’ve heard better things about some of the other RG unis in London.
 
In comparison to UCL, Chicago’s MAPH programme seems to be pretty centred around preparing you for grad school and seems to have some great resources, however, the cash cow reputation might end up damaging your application to PhD programmes (if that is your goal) rather than helping. Also, the programme is interdisciplinary rather than pure literature.
overall, these programmes are pretty different so it’s hard to compare, but I honestly would not consider either, unless all of the following conditions were met:
 a) money was not a problem at all, or you are fully funded
b) your undergrad was in a completely different field, but even then I’d probably consider other routes
c) you aren’t taking an MA in pursuit of a PhD
This is all just my 2c tho.
 
 

Longtime lurker here, writing to ask if people know anything about the UChicago MAPH? I'm trying to decide between that and UCL's MA in English Linguistics and it just feels like apples and oranges...

Sending you love and support! I'm also an international student with many theories about why I haven't heard back from certain programs. Maybe they have some secret invisible waitlists, who knows. At this point I just don't care anymore (jk, I still do care lol). 

Sending you love and support! I'm also an international student with many theories about why I haven't heard back from certain programs. Maybe they have some secret invisible waitlists, who knows. At this point I just don't care anymore (jk, I still do care lol). 

Guys, my app in UofR's portal is still in review. This is driving me crazy! Every day I come up with a different theory, is it because I applied on the day of the deadline? Is it because I am an international applicant and my country is the #1 threat to the world with a new variant of the virus because of our crazy ass negationist president? I don't know anything anymore...

Me waiting on Rochester, UCSB, Syracuse and Penn State

I went through MAPH.  It's taken me some time to get into a PhD program (I switched fields from philosophy to English), but a lot of what has been said on this thread is more prejudicial than actual.  While my PhD admissions are more so based on the strength of my second MA, I will confess that I didn't really take advantage of MAPH as well as I could have.  However, most of the teaching experience I have is based on MAPH credentials.  All I'm trying to do is paint a more realistic picture of the peaks and valleys of the program.  
Is it too much debt, probably, but is it buying prestige?  No, I would argue it is not.  I think about 10% of applicants from each humanities department at Chicago (English, philosophy, classics, art history, and etc.) are referred to MAPH after their PhD apps are rejected.  There is merit in that admission.  There may be more applicants from the English department, but I think the number of people in the philosophy cohort was about twenty at most.  
I do like that MAPH is a one-year MA for the purposes of teaching.  Two year MAs are great for intellectual development, but I really don't think that spending a ton of time on an MA is such a great idea.  The problem with MAPH is that writing a strong thesis is pretty much impossible in one year unless you come in with a great plan already.  
Most faculty will not support you very well.  While you won't necessarily be treated like a second-class citizen, you can't really take advantage of their time throughout the year.  What I'm trying to say is that UChicago faculty do so much research and so little teaching, one year is not nearly enough time to build any kind of significant relationship with their more senior faculty.  However, some of their younger faculty will treat you quite well.  I did form quite a nice relationship with a newly-hired assistant professor there and a visiting faculty member from University of Oslo.  The crusty old guards, not so much. 
Finally, that UChicago name does count.  During my visit weekends, the schools that have accepted me want to talk about my Chicago experience.  The first school that hired me as an adjunct emphasized my UChicago degree.  In fact, one of the faculty at a PhD program that accepted me completed MAPH before doing his PhD at NYU.  MAPH isn't perfect, but don't pitch it like it is worthless.
 

Thank you so much! I'm crossing my fingers super, super hard for you. It came at a weird time for me (I think it was about 6pm for them), and on a Saturday...? But who knows; maybe they're going thru a few meetings before they can offer admission? I really, really hope it works out for you.

So after being pretty sure of a shutout, I've just been accepted into a fully-funded MA programme!!!!! Beyond shook 
If anyone has attended UK, please do drop me a message! 

wow!! Congratulations! That's wonderful! 
I haven't heard from them. I think I'm waitlisted, but I'm not feeling super hopeful at this point.

I JUST GOT IN TO UC DAVIS WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!! 6 years' funding!!!
 
i'm so hoping this means good things for my other fellow confused applicants like @Magic Lanternoh my god i'm going to puke. 
 
i was at work and my boss thought something terrible had happened because i screamed his name and was laugh-crying.

I got an acceptance today, y’all!!