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perrykm2

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Posts posted by perrykm2

  1. Blerg. My MA offer is from such a school. Anyone else heard this? I considered it a plus, in that faculty are able to direct all of their attention toward MAs, all professional/job development goes toward MAs, etc., without those PhDs to hog the resources.

    I would ask them for the exit statistics into PhD programs, and that should probably tell you all you need to know. Don't worry about what I said; it's something I've HEARD on a few occasions, but I've gotten advice from so many different people that it can't all possibly be true.

  2. The argument is for a FUNDED MA, though. I could get my PhD at University of Phoenix online, technically. If a school is paying you to be there and to teach, then they probably aren't some weird exploitative program or just stepping on MA students to fawn over their PhD students.

    And even if an adcomm thought you might have "slipped by" from undergrad to a masters, I'm sure they'll leave it up to your writing sample whether or not you're worthy of their program. I mean, SUNY Buffalo offers an unfunded MA, and it is a great program. So, if I'm reviewing a student with a great application from Buffalo's MA program (where they've taken MOSTLY the same classes as the PhD students,) then something as insignificant having paid for an MA isn't going to be problematic. The lack of teaching experience, however, might be.

  3. I'd definitely agree with this, and disagree with the comment about not getting only an MA where a PhD is offered. What if you end up not wanting to do a PhD there? Even if you did want to, most people apply to multiple programs anyway and would decide from there where they'd want to go. Programs are set up in different ways; some have a free-standing MA, as well as a PhD that requires an MA to get into; some have a straight PhD where you pick up an MA on the way. Some people can get into a PhD right away from undergrad, and that's great, but getting a funded MA is not going to look like you don't have the chops for a PhD. It means that a program wants to fund you.

    I agree with all of this. I thought it was the inverse of the above statement: don't get an MA where there is no PhD program. Adcomms assume it is a subpar program that doesn't have the faculty or resources to offer a PhD.

    However, even this is suspect. I doubt adcomms would trifle over this sort of thing, especially when faced with a good candidate for their program. I'll be the first to admit that the application process is bureaucratic* and political, but I think some people anguish over technicalities and small details which in the long run have little to no effect on your desirability as a candidate.

  4. Does anyone have any advice for me?

    My really close friend applied to some MA programs in Creative Writing, got into a handful of them, but it seems like funding is a little more up in the air and competitive in a lot of CW programs? Anyway, it ended up that of all her acceptances, she still didn't get funding or tuition remission. She's so unhappy and I feel so bad. What is a good thing to say to her?

  5. The latter is an awesome starting place for freshman writing students, particularly those that aren't wild about the thoughts of spending 16 weeks "writing stuff." It hardly looks like a reference text, and is approachable, well-written, and organized into easily-digested tidbits for the students that haven't thought about their own writing and the "moves" academic rhetoric requires.

    This is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks. ;)

  6. “This [oatmeal] represents your soul in its pure state. Your soul on the day you were born. You were perfect. You were happy. You were good.

    Now, enter Concept Number Two: crap. Don't worry, folks. I don't use actual crap up here. Only imaginary crap. You'll have to supply the crap, using your mind. Now, if someone came up and crapped in your nice warm oatmeal, what would you say? Would you say: 'Wow, super, thanks, please continue crapping in my oatmeal'? Am I being silly? I'm being a little silly. But guess what, in real life people come up and crap in your oatmeal all the time--friends, co-workers, loved ones, even your kids, especially your kids!--and that's exactly what you do. You say, 'Thanks so much!' You say, 'Crap away!' You say, and here the metaphor breaks down a bit, 'Is there some way I can help you crap in my oatmeal?”

    from a George Saunders short story.

    More like an excerpt, but very relevant to all aspects of life.

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