kareneliz

Good luck! I hope it all works out for you. :-) The program is great!

Why is there so much negativity here? So many posters here are excited to start the next step of their journies -- all knowing that, of course, tenure is hard to come by. No one who has gotten into a PhD program can be a TOTAL fool, right? So why this need to make others feel insecure, uncomfortable and ashamed of their hopes? This is a joyful time for everyone who has been accepted, and a time for picking one's self up off the floor for those who have not. What happiness is there in making other people feel like shit about their future goals? Enough of this "people need to be more realistic" crap as q defense of pure meanness. We all know its a tough market. Why aren't we at least supporting one another at this point?

Keep me posted! I'm more than happy to give you details about the school, various profs, etc. If you end up coming our way in the fall, you'll already have a friend in me!

Congrats on your acceptance! ? There's possibly a chance to reapply for funding in future years. Also unfunded students have the opportunity to get GA/TAships beyond traditional funding -- that, and being a grader, is how I completely funded my MA . Also cost of living here is cheap . Are you still considering accepting? If so, don't give up hope! There's money to be found; you just have to look for it.

There are days I want to start an "I didn't go to an Ivy League School or a Top Ten/Twenty and I Am Just Fine" thread. Anywhere that's a good fit with good faculty and the resources for your work is a good school to attend. Others can arrange their priorities how they wish, but make the decision that feels good to you.

Binghamton University! congratulations to everyone -- I'm so happy for you all!

Hi, Pinkoats! I'm a BU student currently for my MA, and have been offered funded admission for a PhD spot in the fall. Here's what I know about the creative writing folks: they meet separately from literature, and they generally make their initial decisions and offers fairly early. I have a friend who was accepted. However, funding -- while solid and generous when given -- is not bountiful, and methinks the committee only accepts those students they can afford to fund. Then, the waiting begins. If someone turns down an offer, an offer gets extended to someone else. All admissions decisions at Binghamton must be "officially" DELIVERED by the Graduate School. This means that while your department might contact you, nothing is official unless it has come through TGS, where all record of decision-making, funding, etc. is kept. If you've not heard explicitly, from the graduate school, that you are rejected, you are likely still in the running for what I know to be a very, very competitive spot. If you have questions, Colleen Bailey (secretary to the Dean) is awesome, and you might do well to give her a call/shoot her an email to see if she has more information than that for you. I do know also that it'll be useless to contact the Graduate School itself for information regarding your decision. I worked there in the past, and I know they have NO information here beyond what departments have given us. I hope this was at least a little helpful!

Update: I am accepted and beyonddd fully-funded for the PhD, and am happier than happy! Again, any folks who have been accepted there or who want to know more about the program: I'm your girl!

I agree with various things that have been said above, both in the "for" and "against" columns. In my own experience, my un-funded MA resulted in a fully-funded PhD at the same school. Those two years spent on my MA, though not cheap, showed me what graduate work should look like, taught me how to participate fully in my education and take advantage of university resources, allowed me to attend conferences, present research, network, etc. etc. -- all things that I have NO doubt drastically improved my chances when I applied this year to PhD programs. I, similar to the original poster, was rejected from PhD programs my first try, and ended up facing an unfunded MA or nothing. I took the MA, and this time around, am taking full funding at a school I love. As others have said, it's all in how you use it and make it work to your advantage! And while I respect the pragmatism of some on this board regarding the future, debt, the job market, etc: We are all here on this site, submitting these applications, wishing, hoping and praying... because we so deeply want this next step of our journey to happen. Maybe a doctorate has been your goal your whole life. Maybe this process is your Moby Dick: it must be faced and attempted, so you can face yourself. I understand that feeling entirely! It's why I'm here. That being said, the risk can be worth it. And while I don't advocate being an idiot with your finances (as several folks have said, it's MORE than possible to work and go to school -- I worked three jobs all throughout my MA. No spare time, but my debt is smaller than most), I don't think an unfunded MA is a surefire way to RUIN YOUR WHOLE FINANCIAL LIFE. Mine, at an affordable school, was a $20,000 liferaft that brought me to where I am now. I certainly agree that spending the money without a committment or a plan is foolish... but if this is really your dream, your goal, and the thing that you want: I believe an MA program can help to better prepare you. If you apply again next time around instead of accepting this time, I recommend taking a look at Binghamton University in NY. That's where I am, and where I'll be staying. In-state tuition is only $7,000 a year. And like I said, my affordable MA became my ticket to a PhD! Good luck with whatever you decide! I'll be thinking of you.

Hi everyone! I wanted to start a Bing thread. Currently, I'm finishing up my MA in literature there and am a PhD hopeful for the fall. Given the late, late, late application deadline (Feb. 15), it takes awhile for admissions decisions to get made. Here's hoping, though! It's a truly incredible program -- I couldn't imagine myself happier anywhere else, even though I've applied to other places. I created this post in case anyone else is applying there or is interested in learning more about the school, the faculty, or the area. If I'm still there in the fall, I'd be glad to show new people around town or be a point of contact while you navigate the beginnings of your life there!

Thank you for calling! This news is all solid and is reassuring -- it means so much that you're willing to share your findings! Thank you thank you!

This is heartening indeed! Was your admit done via phone with a specific professor, or was it more like a DGS thing? I wondered at first if different professors are just calling folks on different days/when it's convenient for the professor.

I'm a UMD hopeful, and am wondering if anyone has been waitlisted/rejected yet. I've heard nothing, and am wondering if others have heard/know more. Skybythelight mentioned in another thread that she'd emailed the department and they'd said they were still deliberating. So there's that. If I get accepted, proflorax, I'll gladly attend visit day!

Hey now! It ain't over 'til it's over! Perhaps your programs are still deliberating. There's no way to tell just yet! Kudos for having the guts to reach out to the department heads -- that's a tough thing to do when nerves are running so high. Hang in there: you're going to be wherever you most belong.

For all we know, the Adcomm is on Gradcafe right now, obsessively checking to see if anything else magical has been said, and they're so consumed by our little e-community that they simply forgot to hit "send" on those acceptance emails. Positive thoughts, hand-holding and Grumpy-Cat-Faced-Defiance-In-The-Possibility-Of-Rejection all around!