piccgeek
-
Posts
177 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by piccgeek
-
-
At my school, the attitude about dating people you meet in class (delivered during the mandatory "omg sexual harassment/racial discrimination/dating students or profs/etc" speech), seems to be "hey, people meet people in college....we get that." Obviously they don't want you dating your current students, but I know that the administration here is comfortable with you dating former students. There's an unspoken policy that you don't *talk* about your girlfriend as your former student, though. It's like don't ask, don't tell. The situation they really are afraid of is grad students dating their academic advisers...man is THAT messy...
-
Okay, as a Purdue grad and current Purdue student, I might be biased...but IU seriously rarely has their sh*t together. They have some great programs, but they're not so hot with the organization. When I applied last year I had many of the same problems all of you are talking about. They just have a really bad system, and apparently they don't care. I can't speak for every department, but I know their English department contacts don't have anything like a reasonable response time answering emails.
Am I still a minor in Indiana? It's really strange.
Nah, I've lived in Indiana forever, and you come of age at 18 like everywhere else (heck, at IU, one of the biggest party schools in the US, you would think they would care less about being 21...people from Purdue leave campus to go to IU to party, because it's easier to party underage there). I don't know WHY IU thinks they need your parents' info...maybe for grad student health insurance information? Seems like a reach for the application process, but it's the best guess I have.
-
Maybe this has been addressed in an earlier response (sorry I didn't read through them all), but...why not look for MA programs that will fund through TA-ships and teaching??
Last year when I was applying for lit grad programs, I only applied to a few MA, but mostly PhD, and got rejected from everywhere except my current MA program. The cool thing is that in my program, they only offer as many places in the program as they have TA ships for funding, so I'm fully funded (tuition and a [admittedly scanty] stipend for living expenses) because I teach 1 class of 20 students. I know several MA English programs that do this, because they NEED their grad students to teach all the freaking freshmen who are required to take comp. Yeah, teaching is "working" to pay for school, but it's relevant experience, a relatively small time investment, and it's FUN, at least, I think it is.
As for the more general MA versus PhD question...I was completely certain I wanted straight into a PhD program while I was applying, but now I KNOW I wasn't ready. My list of interests was as long as yours, and that made it impossible for me to know which programs "fit" me (oh, that magical, magical "fit"). Sure, I'm learning way more theory now, I know the research projects I'm doing this semester are more rigorous than the stuff I did in undergrad and that will all improve my application for PhDs, blah blah blah, but more important than any of that, I'm getting a better handle on what EXACTLY I want out of my graduate education (even if, for me, this means I'm drifting away from English lit somewhat, but hey, if you had asked me a year ago, I would have told you that was impossible). Last year, all I knew was that I HAD to go on in English studies, and that I really liked reading and studying [insert very long list of almost everything I've actually studied here]. My current MA program, even in these first few months, has really helped me understand what academia, and the field of literary studies, is all about, what it requires and demands, and what I am ACTUALLY willing to spend the next 5-7 years of my life studying.
So...I guess the sum total of my advice is to look for funded MA programs. They're out there, I promise.
Good luck!
-
Two answers:
1) Yes, the personal history/diversity statements are mostly for fellowships and scholarships, especially for the schools that offer them as optional.
2) THE ADCOMS WILL READ THEM. As an English applicant, EVERY piece of writing is an opportunity to flaunt your wonderful writing skills. I've talked to a couple of the profs here about the application process (I was a teacher's-pet undergrad at the school where I'm currently a master's student, so some of the profs are maybe more indiscreet than they should be), and they almost always accept students because "we fell in love with their writing." The content is just icing on the cake--crucial for certain fellowship/scholarship decisions, but only a mannequin on which to hang the finery of your rhetoric and style as far as the adcoms are concerned. And, of course, if you have info that will make you a more appealing candidate which you can't fit directly in to your statement of purpose, get that on paper and put it in their hands, it can only help!
...no pressure for the writing sample, eh?
-
As far as I can tell, from my own application-migraine experience and asking around with grad students I know who have done this dance two or three times, submitting earlier is best. Firstly, there's the the whole not-officially-rolling-admissions "definitely" pile thing that several people have mentioned. But just as importantly, in my opinion, you just have to recognize that at some point, you're going to HAVE to let go and resign control of the application to the review committee. My advice is to get it in soon and try your best to relax at LEAST until January...probably more like March (I heard back from all 7 of the schools I applied to last round in March). As for this year, I am waiting for my copy of GRE scores, which should be in next week, running through my statement drafts one last time, and then sending that puppy in and not looking back. It's hard to let go after you hit the "submit" button, but the fact of the matter is, if you're the kind of person that worries that you should have changed *one* more word, you're probably going to feel that way no matter HOW many drafts you finish. Clearly you're putting a lot of work into polishing your app; give yourself some credit! As one of my professors reminded me last year, no one on the admit committee is going to lose sleep over this. No one is a harsher critic of your application than yourself.
-
Awww keep your cat for sure! I am currently cat-sitting two lovely super-furry cats for professors who are abroad for the semester while I am full-time grad student and freshman comp teacher. These profs were looking for grad students specifically to take care of the cats, so obviously the faculty, at least at my school, are not expecting us to be so engrossed in grad work that we can't spare a couple minutes for feeding/cleaning litter boxes/petting and making baby noises at the kitties.
-
Hello all!
I'm applying for an MS program at MIT in science writing--which basically means I want to write about science and technology for a public forum. It's a small, almost entirely unique, and very interesting program. They want the usual SoP and writing samples, but they also want what I can only label a statement of tech savviness. It's a piece of writing 500-1500 words that proves to the committee that I can handle the science/technology aspect of the field. The description the offer is very loose, and suggests writing about anything from actual science research experience to proof of dealing with subjects of "similar complexity." But of course it's also, obviously, another opportunity to showcase your writing skills.
As an English and linguistics BA and current literature MA student, I don't have any *official* background in science, even though I do love biology almost as much as English. As of right now, my statement of savviness is a part personal statement about my interest in/dedication to science, part history of my literary research projects (which, in my opinion, are certainly of "equal complexity"), and part abstract of a potential thesis (which has to do with hearing loss/audiology) for the MS program, why I'm interested in it, and why my current education will be useful for that research.
So here's my question...do you think this meets the criteria of "proving your capabilities of understanding research in the fields of science and technology"? I'm not trying to be a scientist myself, I only need to prove I can understand the science people more qualified than myself are producing and then be able to reiterate it for a broader audience. I guess I'm most worried about the personal narrative aspect of it, seeing as I'm not sure they want a personal statement as such...but I'm not sure how else to frame my complicated scholastic relationship with science as such. And if anyone actually is in/knows anyone/has heard of science writing, ANYTHING you know about the field and application process would be much appreciated!! At this stage I am finished with everything except revising my statements, so if I'm ever satisfied I'll send the app in and try not to think about it anymore (hahaha).
Thanks!!
-
Hey guys, I think I've parceled something together from hanging around the department. I don't know how many of you are *still* waiting, but here it is anyway:
The school doesn't want to accept people they can't offer TA spots to. The first-round admissions (for MAs anyway) are being asked to commit to accepting or rejecting the TA spots by April 7 (tomorrow), although you can contact the department to ask for an extension to April 15 since that's the deadline for accepting the department in general. After April 7, I *think* (and this is where we're in my conjectures...) that they are going to start sending offers to an unofficial waitlist. This is, in my opinion, completely unfair--they should just have an official waitlist and be done with it. However, I think they're still not exactly sure how much funding they will have and they want to accept as many people as possible, so they're not sure how long the waitlist should be...It's a lousy excuse, but it's the only one I have for them.
Just so you all know, I was talking to one of my profs who said that this year's Purdue English adcom was rejecting people they would have killed to accept in years past. This economy is screwing everyone, and many many many qualified grad school candidates are getting bad news for no other reason than funds. I know it's empty comfort, but I can only say it made me feel a little less like all my rejections were my fault.
If any other news comes my way I'll let you know!
-
Dijecta,
From one lit person to another, I completely feel your pain. Applying to literature programs this year was a nightmare. I got rejected by six of the seven programs I applied to when professors were telling me nine months ago that I would have plenty of options. The program I finally *was* accepted to is a Master's program offered by my undergrad institution. I can't help but have this sneaking suspicion that I only got in here because of a precedent rule: at Purdue, the College of Liberal Arts has each department elect their top senior for an award, which I won this year. Apparently a couple of years ago Purdue English waitlisted their own top senior and the professors not on the adcom threw a fit (the argument being if our own program isn't good enough for you, then why are we bothering to have a program at all?). So I wonder if I would have even gotten in to Purdue if I hadn't been elected for this prize just three weeks before I got my letter...it made me feel like they admitted me because they had to. With my boyfriend headed off to MIT to Illinois's, Notre Dame's and Michigan's disappointment I can't help but feel inferior.
BUT I know that I shouldn't feel like a loser and neither should you. I've been talking to my professors, and they said this year every single literature program with which they have contacts has been cutting back severely. For our own MA program, I was told that the people at the bottom of the acceptance tier were people they would kill to have, and that they were waitlisting and even outright rejecting dozens of people they would have accepted before. The economy is pressing us both ways--more people applying for less spaces because of less funding. So I guess I'm trying to say two things: One, don't give up hope...even if things don't work out this year, things seriously have to get better. Two, you cannot take the rejections personally. The adcoms know that at some point their decisions are arbitrary and they are probably rejecting people who could have been excellent assets to their program. It's a flaw in this whole horrible system.
*HUG!* Try to feel better!!!
-
Greetings all to newcomers to Purdue! I will be attending for an MA in English, but as I'm currently a senior undergrad at Purdue it will not be a big shift for me. I'm happy to answer any questions about the campus/town/horrible weather.
Simply out of curiosity, is anyone planning to spend the summer on/near campus? I think some programs have summer internships before class actually begins in the fall, but I'm not sure...
-
Yaggles -- no worries on being nosy; I completely understand. I'm originally from South Bend, Indiana. Obviously, now I'm from Lafayette most of the year, which is fine by me. It's not a particularly exciting town, but there's a lot going on on campus. And as for funding, yes I did hear about that as well. In the envelope with my acceptance letter was a letter about a TA assistanceship they're offering me. It's not much--12 grand per academic year after fees--but it's more than I ever had as an undergrad.
I feel so much better now that this whole waiting process is over. True, Purdue is the *only* place I got in, but at this point after this brutal application season I am certainly not complaining. The MA program is pretty solid here, and I know lots of MA students who are happy in the program.
Hope to see some of you here next fall!!
-
Hey guys, I am still going to ask my professors about a timeline, but as for me personally I found an acceptance letter in my mailbox when I got home from spring break today!
I don't know why they're not sending emails, but it looks like they sent out snail mail late last week.
-
I am also waiting on Purdue, which is where I'm at for undergrad. When I get back to campus on Monday I'm going to go talk to Jill Quirk in person and some professors I know who are in on the process. I'll try to wring a timeline out of someone and post it. Be aware: the head of Purdue's grad program is a wonderfully intelligent man with absolutely no understanding of how the real world works (ie how much it drives us all crazy to wait this long...)
-
I got rejected from my second choice school on two days ago and both nights since then I've had graduate school dreams. The first night I dreamed I was back at school (I'm home for spring break now) and I finally got to check my snail mail that's been piling up for a week. The mail box was really full. Once I dug out all the junk mail there were two boxes, a large envelope, and a small envelope in the mailbox. I opened the boxes first--they were full of my application materials, all stamped with "rjctd". Then I opened the big promising envelope, but it was a really long rejection letter explaining all the reasons I wasn't good enough for the program. Then I opened the skinny envelope and found your standard rejection letter. I was upset but not utterly devastated, as that was three schools of rejection and there was nothing from my back up school (where I am currently an undergrad). Then, at the bottom of my mailbox I found a little postcard exactly like the ones my advising office uses to remind us when our appointments are, and it informed me I had been rejected from this last school as well. I completely wigged in the dream and the other people checking their mail around me got seriously annoyed.
Last night I had a dream that I got accepted to Harvard--a letter was delivered to my door in the middle of the night, so no one was awake to share the good news with. So in my dream I went to sleep then woke up the next morning and found the letter still real and waiting. I got everyone together and we had a big party and I just kept saying over and over that I had been afraid it was a dream. Turns out it was!
Basically, I think this process is driving me INSANE. *sigh*
-
I don't think I've ever felt this isolated in my life. I am a super-extravert, but now for the first time ever I don't want to talk to anyone becuase I feel like no one understands where I'm coming from. Most of my friends are searching for jobs, not schools. My boyfriend has been getting courted since january, being flown out to MIT and up to Ann Arbor and everywhere else. And here I wait and wait and wait and once in a blue moon hear that "no" that is the funeral bell toll of my aspirations. The more he tries to make me feel better the more frustrated I become--how can he understand where I'm coming from, with his heap of fellowships and professors calling him to talk about their research? I love the boy to death (we've been dating since we were freshmen), and knowing we might end up on different sides of the country doesn't make this waiting process any easier to navigate.
I feel for all of you with this unending, insufferable waiting process. I would try to offer sympathy, but since I can't stand hearing it myself I won't bother saddling the rest of you with any pathetic attempts.
-
I have been terrified to tell my recommenders about the rejections I've been getting, but I think I'll have to when I get back from spring break because if they're even a little supporting it will be a comfort. I was talking with a non-recommender prof and he made me feel less inept about the whole thing. He put the process in perspective, reminding me from an insider pov that at some point it's just out of the applicant's hands no matter how qualified she is.
It's been worse telling my actual parents and grandparents. First they're completely shocked, then they are all full of sympathy and "don't worry, I know you'll get in the next one!" and "they're only cheating themselves!" etc. etc. platitude, platitude. I know they mean well and I love them for the effort, but sometimes I just want to scream in frustration. *sigh*
-
I was wondering the same thing about ND, but as they rejected me yesterday things are a little less foggy now. *sigh*
-
Waiting and waiting
Every day there is no news
Every day hope fades
I got rejected
By Notre Dame yesterday
At least now I know
Friends and family say
"I know you'll get in somewhere!"
Want to strangle them
At least I found this
Forum of other people
Who can understand
I would write some more
But it's been ten minutes since
I checked email. Bye!
-
I had a dream a couple weeks ago that I walked into one of my senior literature classes and everyone was chattering happily about which schools they had been accepted to. As far as a I know in real life none of the people in this class even applied to grad school. In the dream, however, even my friend from chemical engineering was talking about getting into Illinois's English program. When I got home from class I opened my mail box and there was the dreaded thin envelope. It was one rejection letter, but it rejected me from all graduate schools ever. I was pretty relieved to wake up from THAT dream, let me tell you.
-
I'm still waiting on FIVE programs, which seems ridiculous. This week I'm home for spring break, which means any letters are waiting in my mail box at school. I've never been so reluctant to leave for spring break before....To my liberal arts colleagues: do you feel like we hear back more slowly than the science students, or am I imagining this? My boyfriend applied for chemistry and computer science programs, and he was accepted into seven of them by the end of February before I had heard anything at all. Am I being paranoid or what? *sigh*
Switching fields
in Applications
Posted
I was a English lit BA and am now an MA student in the same field, but I'm applying to a master's in science writing program. I'm not trying to make a HUGE switch, but I am still worried that I don't have the coursework for it. Obviously I've got the writing part down...but even though I've been interested in science/biology since high school, and a lot of my undergrad work explored philosophy of science and the impacts of science and technology on culture, I had a heard time proving that I am capable of understanding/working with scientific research. I know I CAN do it (at Purdue, one of the most science-centered schools around, I was tutoring biology to pre-pharmacy majors), but I don't know if I can PROVE that to an adcom, ya know? I took the minimum science requirements in undergrad, not because I didn't like science (I love it, in fact), but because I found so many interesting things in the humanities to study that I just didn't have time to pursue biology, which I didn't think would contribute to any career in writing/English (haha, joke's on me...).
So...is it going to work? I'll let you know in March. Oh, waiting, what an exquisite torture thou art....