sausundbraus

Rising_star,
And that's the sad reality of academia -- people who think they can do all that (gossip, badmouth, etc.) and then come home and write papers, and then get a professorship, and continue doing all that (gossipping, badmouthing). That's exactly why, sadly, academia is such a place of backstabbing and badmouthing, rather than collaboration.

As for your comparison with racists -- I frankly knew that was coming, but decided to write it anyhow. I have never seen a racist who *actually* has a black *friend*. A black person they may have talked to once or twice? Maybe. But that hardly makes people friends. So I think you're just as guilty of jumping to conclusions about my alleged elitism as I allegedly am of jumping to conclusions about MA students.

How do I know that profs view MA students differently than they view PhD students? Because I've been with them in the same room, and have seen them interact, and have also talked about MA students with my prof (I recently asked my prof if he had a RA opportunity for my friend who is a MA student), and he told me that, frankly, he doesn't want to hire a MA student, even though they get paid much less compared to PhD students. That they (the ones at my department, that is) are mostly not efficient time-wise, and not as reliable when they are needed ASAP. Again, that might be different at other universities, given that my university has a non-thesis MA option (internship), which is what most MA students do.

I've gone out for drinks many times with said MA students. I know them well enough. I'm not close friends, obviously. But I think I know what they're all about, judging by their actions. Having some of them around is just like having a walking-talking tape recorder that records everything you say about anything, and then uses it against you when you "stray" from their childish agendas. That's not exactly in tune with my definition of maturity. Maybe it is in tune with your and others' definitions of maturity.

Well, for those who accused me of elitism even though I clearly pointed out I was not talking about all MA students:

I have a friend who was, until 2 months ago, an undergrad student at my university. He's 30 and just finished his undergrad and is starting his MA at another university in the fall. I don't think I have any elitist views toward him, or that I think of myself as smarter than him. I used to hang out with a small group of students from my department (none of whom are PhDs, btw), two of whom were undergrads (including that guy who just finished his undergrad), and we played board games once a week during the summer, and every now and then during the fall/spring semesters.

It's not like I'm gonna stop being friends with my undergrad and MA friends. My question was really about whether or not I should continue hanging out with the broader MA crowd because experience has shown that *most* of them happen to be busying themselves with gossipping and badmouthing more than with writing those papers they ought to be writing. Those who are busy being grad students are not around campus often enough, and, by the looks of it, prefer not to socialize with *that* MA crowd either.

I realize that appearances are important in academia (or any other work environment), but honestly, you seem way too preoccupied with them. Why in the world would faculty look down on your for socializing with master's students? What's wrong with being in the grad student association?

I'm also bewildered at what you're describing - at my undergrad university, it was pretty common for undergrad, master's, and PhD students (and young alums) to be part of the same organizations and even socialize together. Obviously professional life has hierarchies, but why should that hierarchy carry over into social life? Be friends with people who have common interests with you and modes of interaction that you can deal with. People whose company you enjoy. Even if they turn out to be *gasp* undergrads. I had good friends who were seven or eight years older than me when I was an undergrad (I eventually married one), and now that I'm a bit older, I still have good friends that are seven or eight years older, and also friends that are six or seven years younger. If you don't like the way that the master's students in your department interact, don't hang out with them, but realize that it's not about their being master's students, and don't drop them just because you think you'll look bad.

One way to meet people outside your department is to join a student group. Maybe you'd be interested in College Democrats/Republicans (or the Canadian equivalents, since it looks like you're in Canada), or a club sport, or a community service club, or a university-wide grad student union. Or anything else that the university has.

I am an MS student, by the way, applying for PhD programs this fall. A lot of people on here are master's students.

Man, Orono is getting a pretty bad rap! I did my Masters in English at UMO and I loved it. I lived in Bangor, where I had a small two bedroom apartment with heat included for $425 a month. I took the bus from Bangor to Orono everyday, which was free with my university ID. I was without a car for both years of the program, which made it necessary to get rides back to Bangor with students/professors. Orono has a small healthfood store/ coffeeshop, a bar, and a pizza place. It's a charming and tiny downtown about a 10 minute walk from the campus. Bangor was designed to be a major east coast city, which it, of course, is not. I find the city very pleasant in terms of architecture / layout, and there are hardly any chain stores in the downtown area! Good bagels, a great bookstore, decent coffee. The people aren't the friendliest (in my experience) but I also never felt unsafe.

UMO's campus is part beautiful part hideous, corresponding to the century in which it was built. There is a strong connection between professors and graduate students, probably because of the isolation of the campus. It's true that there isn't much going on outside of the university, but this produces an exciting intimacy within the university (I spent more time at professor's houses than at bars, for instance).

It is really, really cold. But you probably know that already. And its no worse than, say, Madison or Minneapolis.

So does anyone have something substantial to add to this thread?

I've taught at Harvard Extension for the past couple of years, and so, even though I'm involved with the college its in a tangential way. I can tell you, however, that Harvard is very LGBT friendly (at least socially, I don't know about institutional policy-wise) and Cambridge is even LGBT friendlier. Although on 24,000 a year with an international (?) partner, it's going to be a bit tough to live without roommates near the campus. I live in an area of town not terribly convenient to get to Harvard, and if you're afraid of missing out on the grad community by not living on campus (though living on campus seems constricting to me!), it would make no sense to recommend moving out to the cheaper (and more interesting) places Boston has. However, if you're interested, places to look that are affordable and LGBT friendly and somewhat accessible to campus:

1. Jamaica Plain: a great neighborhood, no longer dirt cheap, but still better than most parts of Cambridge. It's a slog to get to Harvard from here, but a lot of people do it!
2. Arlington: On a bus line to Harvard Square, charming and small town-y while being closer to Harvard than most places in Boston.
3. Inman Square: A moderate walk to Harvard, but not directly on a subway line so cheaper than some other neighborhoods. Probably the highest concentration of hipsters and the greatest amount of youthful energy in a someone flagging city (Boston as a whole, I mean). I dislike it there, but I'm curmudgeon-y.

There are other neighborhoods that are less safe, farther away, and less LGBT friendly (or about whose friendliness I don't know). But those would be my first three choices. In any of them, its possible to find a two bedroom apartment for 1000-1100 a month (although for that price in Inman it might be a bit rundown). There are places in Somerville that run this price as well, but be careful when looking at Craig's List: Somerville is spread out. People tend to think of it as Davis and Porter Square, but it is also post-industrial and high-crime, as in the area near Everett.

And Craig's List is widely used in Boston, so it's a good place to look.

Good luck! I'm sure others might disagree with my take on neighborhoods, and my guess is that my three choices are a bit too narrow. But it should provide a place to start!

Would you call it an insult when a doctor's prognosis is for a terminal illness? I'm not trying to insult anyone. I am a student at this school, and my friends go here. I've taken a class with Ngugi, received the acceptance letter from J. Hillis Miller (who, by the way, was living in Maine since the day I arrived here). I wish I could be the cheerleader many seem to want me to be. But it would be quite shocking to any Californian to note the pure ignorance of some responses regarding the funding crisis in California. Yes, I did say throughout *California*, not just at Irvine, although in my seasoned opinion, Irvine is among the worst hit. And it will only get worse, as every budgetary prognosis shows. My cohort all got dissertation fellowships. Those dwindled year by year until now half the students do not even get guaranteed funding. And if you think faculty and students are 100% authentic during "recruitment weekend", then you probably ought not to be studying rhetoric in the first place.

It would have been inconceivable in the past to have a Comparative Literature department without a French and Italian Department. Without a film department? What about without a German department? Ours could easily be on the way out, as it no longer offers courses taught in German. The health of Comparative Literature depends upon its links to other supporting departments. Those links have been unhinged here, I am sad to say.

As for students, you cannot compare grad and undergrads, and it would be very far from my intentions to insult either of them. But I will say that those students attracted by our program are no longer those interested in European Studies. Of course, post-colonial studies is quite big here, but again, that's hard to believe considering that way no longer have anyone seriously studying francophone literature in Africa or elsewhere (UCLA is a better pick for post-colonial studies, in my opinion). Indeed, a west coast university in the humanities is not like an east coast university. There certainly isn't an elitism on the west coast, but neither is there much knowledge of European history or literature. Fact is, UCI still thinks it can bask in the glory of the legacy of deconstruction. I believe it was once at the forefront 20 years ago. Now it's tired, ailing and on its deathbed.

If you think I'm spending my time to tell you this because I have some advantage to gain, that would be curious. I could only benefit from you ENROLLING here. After all, my alma mater's reputation is on the line. But I'm tired of seeing each incoming class disappointed by false promises. Feel free to criticize my posts all you like. I won't try to offer any riposte. Have it your way, and all the best in your admissions results and decisions!

Blop

See my other posts. If the quality of UCI undergrads is any indication, UCI is not a good place to go for English studies. I don't know; maybe it's different for PhD students. But I know community college students who are brighter than UCI English undergrads.

And to the poster talking about the wonders of UCI English . . . fellowships, travel grants, world-famous guest lecturers . . . These are things any graduate program should offer. I agree that they indicate a finanically healthy program . . . but nothing more.

The UCs and Cal States are in a mess at the moment, and it's sure to get worse. My Cal State MA was de-funded at the beginning of year two. Bye, bye tuition-waiver, hello stipend reduction.

Why else would I (and many like me) be moving away from this beautiful weather to pursue graduate studies elsewhere? If the OP is legit, he/she is to be lauded for some honesty.

What an odd and unnecessary insult to community college students and UCI students.

letting me pay the rest of the postage for an absurdly large acceptance letter to a program I did not apply for.



Sincerely,

Catherinian

My GRE score is way worse. Actually, I'm fed up by the GRE obsession here in the US. The GRE test says NOTHING about research skills! As a non-native speaker of English, the time I've put in learning endless list of words could be better invested in doing actual research. My English vocabulary has expanded to the extent that American students in the classroom do not understand me. And, if I use my fancy GRE words in papers, professors say that my language is too stiff.

So, if my GRE score is what keeps me from being accepted to a PhD, then they can all go **** themselves.

I've debated weighing in on this discussion for a while now, ultimately deciding against it due to a sense that I might just complicate an already tortuous thought process for those of you considering MAPH. The more I consider it though, the more I feel an obligation to speak up. I'm currently a Phd student at Chicago, and from what I have observed and imbibed from the habitues of MAPH, as well as my general knowledge about the state of graduate study in the humanities in these dark days of neo-liberal evisceration, I would not suggest doing the MAPH Masters. Firstly, the MAPH people are assigned too much work, 3 classes a quarter as opposed to the two required of Phd students, and consistently seem flustered and worn down. Secondly, there are too many students in the cohort so they tend to get lost in the crowd and find it difficult to ratchet the attention of faculty. At a place like Chicago, not only is the department small in terms of the number of faculty, but the 10-15 stars who everyone wants to work with are already worn thin by the needs of Phd students. One year is not enough time to build a strong mentor relationship with faculty, and it is these kinds of relationships that need to be built if they are going to advocate for you in a manner that will get you into top Phd programs. In fact, I could go on and on about why the MAPH is neither worth the money nor the energy. If your goal is to pursue a Phd in English and you have been rejected this year, my suggestion would be to save your 40-60 grand, rent a cabin in the woods, and completely revamp your application. Work fiendishly on your writing sample and your sop, retake the gre if you need to, and READ, READ, and READ more...

FML: A def rejection, an implicit one, the never-ending UVa, and now this shit show. Thanks stellar record at Ivy-quality M.A. program: you really did the trick. Well, back to teaching high school...

Hi Secret-Name,

I'm much older than you and it's hard for me to guess what your fellow students (and professors!) might think.

I can share the experience of a former girlfriend of mine, who went to a very prestigious university in Great Britain (either Cambridge or Oxford, I won't say which) -- and dated a professor, marrying him immediately upon graduation (he was 25 yrs older than she).

When they finally made their relationship public, having tried every method known to man to keep it covert,

1. "Everybody" already knew.

2. She did feel ostracized, and one brave-but-forthright student told her directly that for her own sake, she should not date someone in her own field, because "everybody" assumed her superior grades were due to favoritism.

3. Their marriage lasted only two years. She then remained single for 25 years, while he immediately married another student, with whom he'd been having an affair.

Bottom line, amor may vincit omnia, but you'll pay a high price. I think you probably realize that already, but I thought I'd chime in with my former girlfriend's story.

By the way, her marriage to her prof had no effect, positive or negative, on her career.

John

You're right--spelling it 'pitty' is ridiculous.
If you haven't got the "juice" to apply a second time (I for one will certainly do this again if i need to), odds are you're simply not keen enough. Applying to programmes you have no real interest in is ridiculous.

Ugh, this. I'm only 22 but I'm feeling a lot of pressure from my family to look for a "real" job. The fact that I've received so many rejections thus far is only adding fuel to the fire. They're convinced I'm making the wrong choice, and that really takes a toll on a person.

To mattyd05: I wish I had words of inspiration for you, but all I can really offer is sympathy. I'm feeling just as discouraged. At least you're not alone there!

I'll add to the string of posts by older PHD applicants. I also went back to school for an MA program in literature after 8 years in a completely unrelated and fairly successful career. I am turning 32 next month. And having gotten an acceptance from the program I had been dreaming of going to, I can tell you that I am beyond happy to be starting my doctorate at this age, and looking forward to a focused 6 or so years ahead. Every person is different, of course, but I know that the past, say, 8 years or so have given me more clarity and belief in what I am doing right now than I could have ever imagined 8 years ago. One thing that has changed for sure is that I got over my fear of still being "in progress" in my 30s, or even 40s. Getting rejects in your second round surely does not feel good, but at least I hope you stop fretting about 'the clock ticking' or whatever else people say to reinforce that fear of straying from a normative vision of our lifespans.

Hi everyone,

I'm the one who posted about U Chicago. I assure you it's legitimate, for better or for worse! I read the acceptance email five or six times trying to determine whether it was a hoax or not, so I'm sympathetic to concerns about a fake posting. At this moment in my life (again, for better or for worse), fake postings are just about the worst thing I can imagine.

I'm not sure what you'd like to know, but my email said that the official letter will come in early March. Perhaps there were extenuating circumstances for my hearing early that I'm not aware of?

Well, I can't help feeling like a bit of a jerk for making everyone anxious. I hope I didn't do anything wrong by posting early news. My apologies for any increase in stress levels among applicants. I wish everyone good luck!