alszd

Thank you so much, Debord, for all these suggestions---I have accepted U of T's offer and am really excited about starting my life there, so all you said is super helpful! The paper about nostalgia and appetite---I will definitely consider it. About housing, I am thinking of finding a one-bedroom studio because I am no fan of sharing the apartment with others, and I'll start looking now! This post really helped me a lot when making my decision. Thank you all, and I wish others the very best of luck as well!

Thanks, Tybalt! These are all really helpful suggestions. My advisor told me that I should select an environment where I'll feel content on a day-to-day basis, which is quite similar to what you said. Same advice to everyone else who's also struggling!

Dear j. j. pizza (cute name!)---Thank you so much! I really appreciate the information of ranking and the Canadian academics, and you've helped me comb through every other important aspects of these programs! I think it's a really smart advice to look at the negatives. I haven't been able to visit any of these places, but based on my vague impression from watching numerous vlogs, I can at least tell that I would not be thrilled if I end up in New Brunswick...sadly, Rutgers' resources are indeed appealing, and I might still need to weigh its pros and cons... Thank you, Debord, for sharing with me your personal experience with Toronto! I just LOVE to read these anecdotes. I'm really sad that Suzanne Akbari left the department--she could have been a good fit, intellectually. Your descriptions of U of T's interdisciplinary atmosphere, faculty, and libraries sound really appealing, and I think I would definitely enjoy the city life---if not a small college town like Bloomington, I would love to live in a big city (well I'll admit that I just hate New Brunswick lmao). It's also really helpful that you point out the environment is for self-starters! I assume that I like working independently, but I'll start to think more seriously if I am indeed that type of person. The graduate school is hard on itself, and there are times that I think some encouraging words and individual attention from faculty and the cohort will significantly help deal with anxiety. Hi Tybalt---Thank you so much for pointing this out! 5 points to U of T. Two things that I'm concerned with Toronto are funding and the environment as Debord said. I really wish I could have more time to think these through, but Toronto requires us to respond TOMORROW, on the very day of its Virtual Visit, which is just insane. I haven't even been able to attend Rutgers' Open House and it's so totally unfair!

I'm also feeling the anxiety! Have posted on the decision forum several days ago and there is no reply, so I was really desperate for advice from you all...I got admitted to 5, and I am currently hesitating between IU-Bloomington, Rutgers, and U of Toronto. U of T is a good fit intellectually and it ranks high which might matter when it comes to finding jobs, but I heard that their teachers might not be as supportive and reachable as the ones in the States and was wondering if anyone knows if that's true. I am also not sure about how people view Canadian schools in general in terms of the quality of academic works. I like IU for its extremely nice and supportive faculty, great sense of community, and also location---Bloomington seems a platonic place to live and do research! But on the other hand, their teaching load is intimidating and I am not sure if I can adjust myself to that as an international student whose first language is not English. Rutgers has great academic resources and the most generous funding (and, presumably, first-rate faculty and good reputation in the field?), but I am definitely no fan of living in New Brunswick. I just cannot decide, so I would really appreciate any advice, general impression of these schools, etc., and I would also love to hear what influences you the most in your decision-making process!

Hi everyone! I'm a long-time lurker here and it has been great to go through this tortuous application process with you all. I am really lucky to have received several acceptances and I'm desperate for suggestions---decision-making is really killing me. Facts about myself: I am an international student and a medievalist who is currently thinking about expanding a little bit to the early modern, and I am also a theory person who is now interested in psychoanalysis, affect theory, and political thoughts. I am now hesitating between three programs: IU-Bloomington: great sense of community, collaboration with medieval studies institute, really nice and supportive professors that are the best match for me (currently), beautiful campus, but their teaching load (3 courses a year and teaching starts at Year 1) sounds just too stressful for someone whose first language is not English and they offer quite low funding. Rutgers: really generous funding of 6-7 years, strength in theory and cultural analysis, consortium with renowned schools, reasonable teaching load, but the medieval faculty does not make the best intellectual fit and I have a sense that the graduate student speaking with me is not really excited about the place...also, who would want to live at NJ? Toronto: good international reputation (it indeed matters when I get back to my home country, to some extent). But rumors are that their professors are not as supportive and caring as those from US institutions, and students have to struggle to apply for external funding every year. Besides I am quite new to Academia and am not sure if Canadian scholars are actively participants of the academic conversation. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!!

I have that too, but I don't think it means anything because it was there since I submitted my application...I am able to know that because I have emailed a document to their assistant on Dec 9th and have that ID included in my email : ( Anyway, good lucks to us all!