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ahembree

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Everything posted by ahembree

  1. Jonathan Culler's Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction, is quite useful for a quick overview to theory as well. I read it before getting to my MA and it turned out to be my first assigned reading in my theory class.
  2. Likewise! Only substitute "West Phoenix" for Detroit and "Upstate-New York" for San Jose. Time for a little reverse culture shock.
  3. Same here. Luckily, my last day is next Friday (my apologies). I'm working at a summer camp this summer though, so not much rest or reading time ahead. Bills bills bills.
  4. I wouldn't fret too much. I have time and time again been disappointed by standardized writing scores (SAT/ACt/AP etc.). I was very happy with mine on the GRE, even though I thought my second essay was garbage. I'm betting you'll be fine.
  5. Some schools have a means for finding roommates. Check your program's residence life/housing website. My school has a board to post contact info to look for other grad roommates (from all departments). Also, ask your program director if he/she can put you in touch with a current grad student, as they have great info about the best areas to live, transportation concerns, etc. Also, I recommend http://www.city-data.com/ for learning more about your area in terms of neighborhoods and tons of statistical/demographic info. It's especially good for larger cities, but plenty of smaller ones are in the database. Also, I'd peruse Craigslist for apartment complex names, people with rooms for rent. If nothing else, it will give you an idea for budgeting.
  6. Both Anaphora and Cataphora make more sense poetically or in small excerpts of prose rather than drawn out over a long plot. If I had to pin the tail on this donkey with words I already knew before I Wiki-ed Cataphora, though, I'd call it foreshadowing, though that doesn't quite assume the reader knows anything yet.
  7. ahembree

    Philadelphia, PA

    Thanks for your help, diehtc0ke! I'll be visiting campus this weekend and I'm looking forward to exploring. I'll get to check out the rails on the way in from the airport. I'm leaning more toward living in Bryn Mawr/Ardmore or somewhere close to campus these days, but I'm glad to know the West Philly commute isn't too bad.
  8. Ultimately your experience will be what you make of it. [\cliche] At the same time, however, if i were you I would probably choose UNC. My opinion is uninformed, as I know little about Iowa (other than their great writing program). I just know that UNC's resources and the relative availability/proximity to conferences will likely be better (and for lit crit, it's a pretty legit). I'm also obsessed with that area of the country weather-wise. It's up to you. Play against me for a post and pretend Iowa is your favorite by a mile, then try to explain why. I've found this helps me figure out what's most important to me.
  9. Ditto! I just got a grad assistantship at my school after a few weeks of sweating. Sending good waitlist vibes!
  10. I began this process thinking only about Ph.D. programs. I started with a list of great schools based loosely on "rankings" from a variety of sources. I checked to see if the funding packages were good first, then read as much as I could on faculty members and haunted JSTOR. As I moved further along I started to consider job placement as a factor as well, though there is only so much one can predict about the market in 5-6 years. The more I read around here, the more I also started to consider department affiliations with things like the Folger library or the availability of conferences in the school's area. As the new year rolled around, however, I discovered that a shimmering chimera known as the "funded MA" actually exists. If any of you 2013-ers are coming out of your BA immediately or after even a few years off, I would strongly advise you add a few of these programs to your list of grad schools. When I started, I just assumed that basically no MA's were funded, but this is not the case (and there are several threads hiding about here dedicated to them). I was fortunate enough to stumble upon several of these programs and am very happy with the results. If I were to do this all over again (pleasegodno) I would increase the number of funded MA's on my list and prioritize Ph.D. placement and funding the highest.
  11. Villanova (MA). Ready to get my Cheesesteak on.
  12. ahembree

    Philadelphia, PA

    I will most likely be attending Villanova this August. I've seen a few posts on the area in this thread. I know it is a bit early to be worried about the specifics of housing, but I would really appreciate any advice on a few things. Are there any apartment complexes/rental companies in the campus area to be wary of? I remember at my ug school certain companies were notorious. Likewise, has anyone had fantastic experiences with certain places (first hand or otherwise)? Villanova students: have any of you used the roommate finder service the website offers? I haven't accepted my offer officially yet, so I haven't checked it out. I'm a pretty social person, plus it would save money. I currently have a car, and I'm told that the campus area really lends itself to owning one. I've also been told that some students live in the city and take the train in. I would love to hear both perspectives. I love my car, but selling it would provide a nice cushion and get rid of a major monthly expense. My last question is this: how much of a biker's city is Philly? I'm definitely bringing mine regardless of where I live in the area, but I'm just curious.
  13. I'm glad to hear there are people doing this for programs. Kudos! I'm sure you remember what it was like to look for housing, but I have a few issues that are of particular concern for me that might help you craft your list of apartments: Prioritize apartment complexes that have websites and disclose rent prices up front. In some areas I'm sure that's easier than others, but I really appreciate it when I don't have to call/email a landlord to find out the cost was prohibitive anyway. Is there a system for grad students to seek a fellow grad student roommate? (I know that can seem a bit sketchy, but bills is bills) Also, a few other miscellaneous thoughts: Are there any campus events/seminars/gatherings that occur before the first week of classes (optional or otherwise)? It's helpful to mark the calendar as early as possible when deciding when to start a lease/buy a plane ticket. Are there extracurricular clubs/activities available to grad students on campus? I know plenty of programs aren't exactly "free time heavy," but it's worth knowing. For those who may not be fully-funded or provided a stipend: links to part-time jobs available on/near campus would be useful. What days/weeks are summer classes in session? If a student was unable to visit before summer due to work/school, it would be beneficial to visit a summer class in the field while apartment hunting. Are tours given during the summer? Do any local storage facilities offer discounts to students? Some cross country movers may have stuff to ship out before classes start. I'm sure there are plenty of other things to mention, and that some of the above are inapplicable to your program or overly-based on my own current needs.
  14. Add Villanova to the list. They offer Tuition Fellowships and Grad Assistantships with stipends. Great Ph.D placements the last few years. Also, we need to bump this thread close to next app season. Wish I had seen it last August.
  15. Thank you for all of your responses! In response to a few specifics, Chicago's program is a one-year program, so while it would be in excess of 50k, it would not be 6 figure debt. That being said, I completely agree that that much debt would still be tremendous. Chicago has also informed me that they don't shift the few scholarships they provide around when people decline their offers, so I won't be able to get one. Since my OP I've had a good deal of contact with faculty members and current students at Villanova, and I'm feeling much informed about recent Ph.D. placements and the general situation. I appreciate all of your advice and the multiple perspectives. I'm on the waitlist for a graduate assitantship at Villanova. Here's hoping one comes my way!
  16. Chanel L, I'm basically in your same situation, only substitue Villanova for Washington St. Right now I have a hard time turning either offer down for a few reasons. On the one hand I love Chicago (the university and the city), and would be ecstatic to work with the faculty and have access to the program's amazing resources. Chicago is also particularly great for critical theory, which I am in to. The prestige factor is also hard to ignore. As for Villanova, I'm on the waitlist for a grad assistantship, which would provide a stipend for both years. Even if I don't get that, a tuition remission there means a part-time job is all I would need to stay afloat for living expenses, unlike the five-figure debt in Chi-town. My priorities are to prepare for a Ph.D. app after the M.A., which is why I am gearing responses to the departments based on recent Ph.D. placements. If I removed that variable, I'm not sure I'd still be looking at the MAPH with a funded offer elsewhere. Check with both schools about recent job placements, and also think about where you want to live/teach if you go the community college route. As I know nothing about Philadelphia, that is a consideration for me at the moment On the plus side, congrats on having two options! It feels good after months of soul-crushing thumb-twiddling.
  17. Hi guys. I have been admitted to two Master's programs and would appreciate any advice you may have to offer. The first is Chicago's one-year MAPH program and the second is Villanova's two-year MA in English. Chicago cannot offer any funding, however, while Villanova is offering a Tuition Fellowship (though no stipend). Part of my thinks it would be insane to turn down the opportunity to study at Chicago for a year and have access to top-ten faculty and resources, even if it means going into considerable debt for tuition/living expenses. That same part of me justifies it by pointing out that I would have a year after the MAPH to work, apply to English Ph.D. programs and defer those loans. On the other hand, it would seem fiscally much more responsible to go to Villanova. While I would need to work part time to defray living expenses, I would not be accumulating debt. I really like the faculty and structure of the program, but I don't yet know what kind of placement record the MA generates as far as Ph.D. applications go (working on that). Does anyone here have experience with the program? I would love to PM/email on the subject. Anyone else facing (or faced) a similar dilemma? There are other considerations (I know many people in Chicago and almost no one in Philadelphia, for example), but I'm mainly concerned with the prestige vs. payoff problem. Muchas gracias for any advice!
  18. Obviously. That just became my plan of action as well. Working on my gracious email responses now.
  19. Am I reading this correctly? Were you outright rejected and then they changed their minds? Or was this the implicit rejection that turned out to be an acceptance? Either way, that's awesome.
  20. The email I got indicated that they consider a total of around 900 apps including the nearly 600 that apply for the Ph.D. It also said that only about 2% of admitted students receive a half-tuition fellowship. This seems strange, as it would indicate that either half of a person gets a fellowship or more than 100 people are admitted to the MAPH. I guess I could be reading it wrong. Edit: Also, LeFresne, my apologies for making assumptions. I just read those dates on the MAPH admit page somewhere. It's obviously out of date, then. Also, I emailed to see if any funding is shifted around after people decline offers. The reply was negative.
  21. Possible (utilitarian) solution: A dog makes you happy every day (minus the occasional vandalism/accident). You may only have so much time to actually go to hockey games as a grad student. But, if you are willing to buy season tickets to a team's games, you could instead spend that money on whatever the NHL equivalent is of Sunday Ticket and watch as much of ANY team as you wish while crafting bibliographies and sipping Canadian whiskey (I may be projecting a bit with the last part ). In the end, you have options. Nice work!
  22. I was thinking similarly. It looks like you have some awesome acceptances. Are those also MA's (if you don't mind my asking)? I also looked up the Mentor program, which I would be very interested in. It's very competitive, from what I can tell. I wasn't aware of the course on community college teaching, however. My only worry for that is that I would have to start paying those loans back within a year of graduating. As for the "intensity" of the program, I would say that is referring to the course load and rapidity of the program, rather than any estimation of the career goals of its participants. Getting an MA in one year is pretty intense. I'll agree that the interdisciplinary focus might seem less lit focused than other MA's, but I definitely don't think it would be considered more laid back than a typical English MA. Dorinda, I'm happy to hear your fact-finding mission was positive. Not to worry about your empirical evidence. My brain is immune to such considerations as "statistics." I did apply to Ph.D programs, after all...
  23. Greetings all, As one of the group (legion?) of people admitted to Chicago's one-year MAPH, I thought it might be a good idea to open a thread for discussion of the program for those of us who are even remotely considering it be an option (as well as those who have been through it/ have helpful advice to give). I know there is already a thread going about one-year MA's in general, but I didn't want to hijack it with a discussion that was narrowed to one program. Also, I have discussed this with a few individuals (thanks!) but I figured it would be helpful for anyone to be able to chime in. I have a few specific questions about funding. In particular, I just read that those with partial funding must respond by 4/15, while those without have until 4/29. Is there any chance that, if enough people with partial waivers decline, others without funding will receive an offer? I feel like that is unlikely, but it's worth asking. My other question involves application timing. It strikes me that, since PhD app season begins during the winter quarter, there won't have been much time to generate a better writing sample, have much of an MA transcript, or build relationships in the department. Then again, maybe this worry is unfounded. I'd love to hear other perspectives. I know this will basically come down to money, and whether I am crazy enough to risk debtors' prison. I know it would be insane to take this over any kind of funded offer, and I'm still waiting on a few funded MA's. I'm also aware that with a bit of funding this could still be an irresponsible choice. But I am also obsessed with this school. Anyone else facing a similar dilemma?
  24. Chicago notified for their MAPH program yesterday. I've also seen a few acceptances for Villanova's MA, which only recently had it's deadline (3/1). Others offer rolling admissions (UMass Boston, for example), so it would depend.
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