attrapereves

I have a question for those who are currently on the MA track or already have an MA. I noticed that I will have to take an exam during my second to last semester that will test my knowledge of literature from many different centuries (a list of suggested works is provided by my program). Can anyone give me any tips for studying for this? Am I expected to read these works outside of class? What kind of exam can I expect?

I didn't really expect a response from some of them, simply because I had made no previous contact with them. However, I had been in close contact with one program before I denied the offer, so I really expected to see a response from them. Oh well...

I'm just wondering if other people experience the same thing as me. When I send an email to reject an offer, I never seem to receive a response from them. It's not really an issue, but it would be nice to receive something like "I'm sorry to hear you won't be joining us" or "I'll let the committee know". It would be nice to receive a response so that I am sure they have received my email. Has anyone actually received a response after sending an email to reject an offer?

I received an email from my first choice and they told me that they just received their TAship allocations from the graduate school. They said that hopefully I should hopefully receive information before Friday. If I do not receive an email or letter by Thursday, I am going to ask my second choice for a small extension. Hopefully my first choice program will get a letter in the mail by Tuesday so that I receive it before Friday. I am really going to be in a tight spot if I do not receive a letter from #1 by Friday and #2 does not give me an extension.

So I'm down to my final two decisions. I've already gotten a decent offer from my runner up choice. I have no qualms accepting their offer, but I'd rather attend my primary pick. The runner up program needs a decision from me by March 23. However, I have not gotten an offer from my primary choice yet. I have been verbally told what I would be offered and I consulted their pay rates to get a general idea of what I would make. More importantly, I really like the program, faculty, and the programs they offer. What should I do if I do not receive an offer from choice #1 before next Friday? Is it considered acceptable to accept choice #2's offer and then resend my acceptance once I receive an offer from #1? I guess I could also ask school #2 for an extension, but I'm not sure what they would tell me? Any guidance would be great.

I'm thinking some nice plain jeans without holes or designs and a polo should be sufficient. I'll also consider khakis. For shoes, I'm thinking some slip on leather moccasins. Should I tuck the polo in or leave the tail out? What about when wearing different colored dress shirts?

I will be a graduate instructor in the fall. I have very little teaching experience expect for some tutoring, but I'm ready for the challenge. I do have one question regarding dress code for men. I obviously want to look more professional than wearing jeans and a tee. However, I think wearing a suit and tie is a bit overdoing it. Will khaki or black pants and a short sleeve polo be acceptable for warmer weather? For cool weather, I was thinking about khaki or black pants with a button up shirt. Thanks

When I sent an email to the department head asking about the TAship, I also asked if I may have an extension. I haven't received a reply yet... However, I discovered that moving costs to the West will cost a LOT more than the other schools that are within a 20 hour drive of my current town. I expected it to be more, but not $1000 more than the other places. I could sell some things to make moving cheaper, but that just means I will have to re-buy the same things again. Also, I'd have to rent a car and purchase a plane ticket to go out there and visit, raising my costs even more. The other programs are close enough to make a long drive out of it. As of now, I am still considering their offer, but only if they give me an extension. If I receive no extension, I will probably wait until the end of the week for any other potential offers, and then politely decline the offer.

I received my third funding offer in the mail today. It’s not from one of my top choices, but I would have no problems accepting their offer and attending this school. The only reason it’s not my top choice is because it’s much further away than most programs I applied to. The good news is that it’s about $600 more per month than my other two offers. The cost of living is a bit more, but not by much. It might cost me about $100 more for an apartment over the two other options. Here’s the bad news… I received the letter in the mail today, and the program needs my decision by next Monday, March 5. I would probably go ahead and accept their offer, except for the fact that I am still waiting on three other programs to get back to me. One of the programs that I am waiting on an offer from is my top choice. It’s a bit of a dilemma because I am still waiting on other offers and only have a week to give them a response. I asked for an extension on the date to notify them by, so I’ll have to see what they say. I don’t want to accept this offer without seeing the other offers, however, if I receive offers after the deadline and they are less than this offer, I will be somewhat irritated. What gives? Has anyone else received a letter from a program that wanted a response a week later? What would you do?

I just checked the letter and it is referred to a "graduate instructorship". That to me sounds like I will be teaching the French 101 course myself. I will indeed ask about support. I've never designed lesson plans or a syllabus, so the thought of teaching a university course is a bit nerve racking at this point. I honestly assumed that I would be an assistant for the first semester or two, just helping a professor. However, the letter did state that I would have to take a course my first semester which should help with being a graduate instructor. It also stated that I'd be working close with fellow graduate students and professors.

It's $1050 per month on 0.3FTE. I'm assuming that will increase to $1200-1400 for 0.5FTE, as long as I get awarded 0.5 for the following semester. It seems like average apartment prices around there run $450-550/month. Either way, $1050 is about $200 more than I make now, but my current rent is only $400/month. I'm still holding out for other offers, but I was just curious about how this compares to other program offers. I've only heard back from two other schools, but I already turned one down because I discovered that I would have to pay tuition out of pocket. The other school offered me basically the same amount (around $1000). I hope the other programs get back to be before March 23, because this program needs a decision from me by that date. Also, when they refer to a teaching assistantship, does that mean that I will be teaching my own course or just be a graduate TA for a professor? I have very little teaching experience (only acting as a French tutor at the tutoring center on campus here), so I'm a bit nervous about being dumped directly into a course.

I applied to an MA program and I heard back from one of my preferred schools and they offered me 0.3FTE, teaching one freshman level course. The letter did say that the amount could increase up to 0.5FTE for the spring. There is also a tuition waiver included, and I will only be required to pay a small amount of fees (around $400 per semester). The teaching assistantship stipend equates to about $1050 per month before taxes. Is this a good offer? Also, do most first year MA students receive 0.5FTE, or less? I guess I was expecting a little bit more money per month, or at least 0.5FTE.

I've been accepted to a few MA programs, but I've narrowed it down to two. One program is at a larger school that is rather well known across the nation. They offered me a decent assistantship and tuition waiver. However, a smaller school accepted me and offered a tuition waiver and assistantship. This school isn't known outside of the state, but it has a good reputation within the state. The only difference is that the smaller school offered me less money, about $200 less per month. As of right now, I am leaning towards the smaller school because it's in a small town, the program is smaller, and I prefer the location of the university. However, I can't get over the difference in stipend amounts. I feel like if I were to pick the larger program, I would be doing so only because of the larger stipend. How did you pick a graduate program? What would you do in my situation? Would you forget about the money?

Hi everyone! I am currently a French undergraduate major and applied to several MA programs for the fall of 2012. I picked some really good programs and I also picked some back-up programs. I'm surprised that I haven't heard back from any schools yet, but I expect to receive letters soon. My top picks are: Florida State University University of Iowa University of Missouri Michigan State University As of now, I'm not sure if I want to pursue a PhD after completion of the MA. Any tips for picking the right program/school? I obviously will cross out any programs that don't offer tuition waivers and a TA/GA position. How much do schools usually pay TA/GAs?