teaganc

Except for Rutgers, which was what I was referring to. Rutgers does allow you to qualify after a year of being full-time student.

If there isn't a definite rankings/prestige difference, go with where your family is (Rutgers). You'll qualify for in-state after the first year anyway, which will help.

Drexel.

I agree with fuzzylogician on this one; it is a huge amount of debt for something you are not 100% about. Can you get a deferral from NYU and take a year off? At the worst, then, you would save up some cash for the move. If not, reapplication might be your best bet.

I would go for the funded phd with a good advisor and nice location. It seems like you have issues with ranking, but I don't think top 50 or so is terrible. Plus, you said they are good in two of your areas of interest, which allows you to switch which is your primary, should you desire. You can't pick a phd program on the assumption it will be equal in all areas, because every program has weaknesses.

Personally, I love, love, LOVE Philly, so I would pick UPenn. Penn is not in center-city, and it's super easy to live in the suburbs and commute via regional rail if you are uncomfortable with cities. The areas surrounding Philly (except Chester) are great, plus they have wawa, which is basically the best thing ever. And if you want to go to Wilmington/DC/Baltimore/NYC/Boston for any reason, it's very easy.

I don't think location is enough of a reason to chose a program (though it certainly is enough to NOT chose a program). Besides, NYC is not really the magical awesomeland that a lot of people think it is; it's uber expensive, crime-ridden, dirty, etc. etc., and unless you have realistic expectations* about moving there, you will be disappointed or overwhelmed. I also don't think prestige is going to help a lot for your MA; as long as you go to a decent school, your work will speak for itself. If you publish, present, create a great writing sample, impress potential LOR writers, and get great grades, your application will stand out regardless of where you went. Go wherever you want, but I would be very wary of racking up huge amounts of debt for a MA, especially if you need a PhD to meet your career goals. *Maybe you ARE being realistic about NYC, in which case, great.

Awesome, thanks for the info scarlett!

I'm pretty sure BC does not have a graduate AmSt program, though they do have an undergraduate minor, but I believe it's a concentration/interest within the English department. I also have heard some very negative things about two professors at BC, and I would PM that to you if you were interested. Thanks for the info on Tufts; I haven't found a lot of people who have any insider information, and what you added is definitely helpful.

Late American. I'd be happy to PM you specifics, if you have something to say about one of the programs, but in the past, the most useful information I've recieved has been unbiased by discussions about what I might want from a program.

If expense is the number one concern you have, apply to schools that tend to fund most/all of their students, regardless of rank. I would suggest making a list of schools that your research fits with--maybe 15-30--and then looking at the funding information for each school to narrow down the list.

Now that most everyone has settled into a decision or is preparing to reapply/apply, I would like to hear your thoughts, via this forum or PM, on the following programs (PhD all): Penn State Harrisburg- American Studies (do they, like their English counterparts, hate people with outside MAs?) Brandeis - English Northeastern - English Boston University - New England and American Studies Tufts - English Boston College- English ( edit: does anyone have anything nice to say about this program, or should I just forget it?) Any and all thoughts welcome, but obviously I'd particularly like to hear from current students, admitted students, and people who applied but were rejected; what did you like, what did you dislike, what have you heard, etc. etc.

Rutgers, because of the low cost; UCLA, because it seems like a better option if you want to stay in SoCal, and if are in-state, it's quite affordable. You've already explained why not SJSU. I think you'll pay a minimum of around 31,000 per year at Simmons, plus a very high cost of living, so it seems silly to do that vs. Rutgers (20k for year 1, 12k each year after as an in-state resident), especially if you are going to get JD (or even not, with the poor job market for MLIS).

An associates degree is generally for someone who does not already have a bachelor's; they award them at community colleges, generally, after about two years of study. It's possible that this degree is not designed for that, but I suspect that when people hear "associate's degree" they will not think that it is a graduate program at all. You're probably better off with a post-bac certificate, if you can find one in the area, or a graduate degree.

:oops: It's somehow so much worse, having an Admin of a site tell you to go do something else.