[If you know where you're going...]

I'm officially going to UMass to study twentieth century postcolonial and transnational literatures. 

[decisions, decisions: a plea for advice]

Here's my situation.

I'm in at two schools: UMass-Amherst (MA/PhD in English) and Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English (MA). UMass probably won't be offering me funding this year but probably will next year; the chair of the department is encouraging me to attend sans first-year funding. I'm afraid, however, to take on $30,000 in debt to cover living expenses, books, etc for the first year, given the gloom-and-doom job market. What if I don't get hired after graduation and I've got all this debt? Plus I'm still paying off last summer's language school tuition. My cat and I need to eat!

Middlebury is offering me about half off of my tuition this summer. However, four years in a program that only runs during the summers kind of locks me into teaching secondary edcuation during that time (what other job will give you summers off to go study literature in Vermont?) and I'm not sure that's really what I want to do. Midd also lacks courses in theory and doesn't offer much in the way of postcolonial lit, either (my specialty), though it has other academic strengths. And I'd still be going into debt, but over a longer period of time and for a Master's degree, not a PhD.

My gut tells me to go to UMass-- that I'll be able to forge connections during my first year and secure funding for the rest of my time there. My parents are telling me not to do either program; they'd like me to wait it out and reapply or defer admission for a year and try again for funding (not even an option, in my view, since I'll be in the same position next year that I am this year). Thoughts? It seems crazy to turn down an offer from a well-respected program like UMass in such a rough year for admissions, especially since I got no other PhD offers this season and it looks like cohort sizes will be slashed even further in the coming years. I just don't want to make a decision that I'm going to end up regretting in a major way twelve months or seven years from now.

Thanks in advance for any advice...

[UMass Amherst, Smith, etc: The Pioneer Valley/Western Mass]

Hi everybody!

My name is Anna and I was recently accepted to the English MA/PhD program at UMass Amherst. It looks like I'm probably going, since the department is wonderful and it's an excellent match. Anyone else doing grad work in the Pioneer Valley area/Western Mass?

[UMass - Amherst]

I was accepted into their English department last week and have interviewed with the Writing Program for a TAship. Don't know if that helps...maybe you could call them. They've been super nice over the phone with me throughout the process. Good luck to you!

[UPenn Comparative Lit acceptances...?]

I saw a UPenn Comp Lit acceptance posted yesterday and was wondering if anyone else had heard anything, and if so, what. It's my top choice school, a total long shot and I'm dyyyyiiinnnnggg to know one way or the other!

Ugh this whole process is so painful!

CompLit programs: UPenn, WashU

Literature programs: UC Santa Cruz, UCSD (rejected), Duke

English programs: UMass Amherst, WashU, Columbia, Middlebury (accepted)

[my inbox remains disturbingly silent. anyone else?]

I've seen that Northwestern English has started notifying, but no word from Comparative Literary Studies yet! I'm getting so terribly nervous...are comparative programs always a little later to notify? It seems only a few programs have sent out notifications this week. I've only heard from my backup so far (which is an MA program in English @ Middlebury College) and it's driving me absolutely nuts!

The total list of silent schools...

UPenn- PhD, Comparative Literature

Duke- PhD, Lit

UChicago- PhD, English

Columbia- PhD, English and Comparative

Northwestern- PhD, Comparative Literary Studies (home dept English or Philosophy)

UC San Diego- PhD, Lit

UC Santa Cruz- PhD, Lit

UMass Amherst- PhD, English

Anyone heard anything??? My head might explode. This experience has been crazy. Part of me wants to do it over again next year if I don't get into a PhD program (especially given the high volume of applicants this year thanks to the economy)...but part of me doesn't think I can take the emotional stress of the application process twice in back-to-back years! Sigh. Back to work...which means back to obsessing while pretending to do something else.