lyonessrampant

Good to know, tortola. Thanks for sharing your personal perspective. Best of luck!!!!

Do you happen to have any of those funding package numbers? It looks like based on an earlier post here that the first year is about $14K. My friend at UTA has summer funding and got in off the waitlist, so I'm guessing that's part of the package for a little while anyway. I understand funding goes up a bit when you move from leading recitation sections to teaching courses. I also believe there is a 1:1 load when actually teaching. However, you have to pay the university fees, which are about $800. I guess people deduct from their stipend, take a loan, or something. Anyway, my other offer, especially with added funds, is more money and a similar COL as Austin. I'm trying to just do a statistical comparison at this point, but I can't get these details from Lesser. So, does this mesh with what other people know?

Hmmm, good to know you both, tortola and emichelle, are having communication issues in that it isn't just a reification of my paranoid construction that he's ignoring me to make me go away. I'm pretty close to just accepting one of my other offers at this point, though, so if you're an early modernist, that may decrease competition for you! Tortola, when you say you don't think many first-round offers will decline, are you saying that because you met with a lot of them who said they were going to UTA or because based on the quality of the program you think people will take UTA? I was just wondering. Best of luck to you both!

So I've emailed Prof Lesser four times now (initially in response to the waitlist email, about 12 days later notifying him an article had been accepted be published in a peer-reviewed journal to update my CV . . .and again ask questions, a few days ago listing my options, and then agdin today asking what a standard funding package would look like for someone admitted off the waitlist). I have NEVER received a reply. This is making me pretty irritated. Even a "thanks for your interest. I have no answers for you at this time." would be appreciated; at least a reply acknowledges my existence! On the other hand, my preferred offer emailed Monday offering more money. I'm inclined just to go there. What do you other waitlisted people think? Have you had communication with Dr. Lesser? Maybe he just decided he didn't want me on the list anymore and decided ignoring me was the best way to get me to go away (if so, it's working). . . I don't know. I'm probably overreacting, but this is driving me crazy!

Sounds like UVa may be a good place then. Best of luck to you! I'm interested in UTA, but I'm a cold weather girl. . .not sure how that whole Austin heat thing would treat me

Yeah, for intellectual property reasons, I think you're going to find few people who will share their writing samples with you. Check out the big journals in your subfield. Also, look at regional organizations and look for articles by people in their Ph.D. programs. For example, I'm an early modernist. I belong to the Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renassiance Association (or something like that) and what was my MA thesis has been accepted for publication in their peer-reviewed journal. Look for situations like this and you'll see papers that were likely used as writing samples. Best of luck!

Hey Cicada, I did my MA at UC. That said, if I were you, I'd probably take UVa's offer. I had a great experience at UC. All of my LOR writers were from there. Every campus visit includes me chatting with my POI's who wax on and on about those writers. I worked my ass off and have had my MA thesis accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. I was given some scholarship monies at UC. I also didn't feel like a second-class citizen and was integrated well with the Ph.D. students, BUT that's largely because I'm pretty assertive and more than capable of holding my own in a verbal argument. I went to subfield workshops that usually only the faculty and Ph.D. students attended. I was prepared, spoke up, and made friends. The MA cohort is HUGE. You'll get lost in the shuffle if you're not very active. You're too busy to see much of the city. In three quarters, you take 9 classes (though one of those is for your thesis). As for placement, I've been decently successful. One of my cohort was very successful (he is at Cornell but was also accepted at Brown). Another friend is at UTA. Another is at NYU law and was accepted to Columbia law as well. That said, there are also LOTS of people who weren't as assertive and I know felt treated unequally and were dissatisfied. It seems the odds are better for you at a smaller program. Best of luck!

Seattle is quite a bit more expensive than Austin to live in. Do a cost of living comparison (free ones are online). Not saying don't do this or anything, just that the comparison of the two cities in terms of cost is off.

Do you have flexibility in the program you're accepted to already to take courses/work with profs in the other program? It seems to me that this interdisciplinarity would be not only possible but encouraged. I'd ask about that, if I were you. Good luck!

Way to take things in stride, Leto. I still think it's just abhorent that they did that to you. Best of luck!

I personally would not take a Ph.D. admit that isn't funded. I think doing the MA at Toronto and then applying again to Ph.D. programs is a good idea.

Just notified Oregon. Best of luck to anyone waitlisted there. I'm going to Minnesota this weekend, so I will know whether I'm going to turn down Utah or them shortly after. I plan on holding out a while to wait on the Austin waitlist though. . .

Hey, Rhet Man! Good luck to you as well. I hope you like UW!

Got my rejection email. Really relieved just to know. Not a good fit. There's really only one person sort of doing research that fits my work. Applied more for the location. Good luck to everyone waiting and accepted!

Cool. Thanks! Congrats again. Has anyone heard about fellowships?

I visited and loved it, unexpectedly. It is making my decision far more difficult. PM me if you have questions. I'm also pretty familiar with SLC.

For the people posting funding, is the 14k for a TAship?

Bah!

I was told they were all sent at the same time. I could be wrong though.

I live in Montana and haven't gotten a letter yet. It's crazy that it got from CO to MA going out on Friday! Fingers crossed for you to get off the waitlist!

Wow! Congrats! You certainly DO have some tough choices. Congrats on an amazing app season!

I don't disagree with Simpleton. For me, MAPH worked out okay, though you'll see by my signature that I didn't get into the top 10ish programs. I did get a lot of personal attention, and all my letter writers (who have been very supportive and read my app materials to help) were from UC, BUT I went out of my way to get this attention. I was in their offices, applied for permission to take their upper-level classes, and went to multiple workshops. I made the program into something that was good for me, but given the economy, I'm not sure I would do it again, though I would deeply regret not having the contacts and support I have and will continue to have even while I do my Ph.D. at another program. As you can see by my signature, it didn't get me into a top 10ish program, though both UC and Duke said later that my application was very competitive and close. Anyway, I wouldn't go without some funding at least, and if you have a funded or more generously funded MA offer elsewhere, I'd take that. MAPH is a lot of work, though I didn't really struggle with the workload, even working a part-time job (though from home and flexible with my schedule) about 20 hours a week. A lot of people in my cohort, though, did seem perpetually harangued, and some just don't take it seriously and party a lot because someone else is footing the bill. The cohort is huge, and you have to really fight to get attention, though I never experience being treated like a second-class citizen. That may be because I'm pretty sharp-tongued, assertive, and generally "win" verbal arguments because I've been doing competitive debate for years. . .so if you're shy or not assertive, I DEFINITELY wouldn't recommend this program.

Congrats Woolfie! That's awesome!

I just called. I'm super impatient! Jennifer (I think that's the person I spoke to) was really friendly and said that no decision has been reached on my application. She said that decisions should be coming out over the next two weeks and to check my email and mailbox. Sigh. So it looks like if we haven't heard (and are applying for Ph.D.), we can assume that we didn't get a first-round offer, right? Ugh. Just want this waiting shit to be over!

I emailed Cynthia again, and she said that notifications went out Friday. I didn't have anything in my mail today, but I would guess things should start reaching people soon. I saw one MA rejection posted on the board, so I'd guess this will be a proximity/speed of USPS thing. Sigh. At least they've made up their minds. . .