Stately Plump

I'm bumping this because I saw an acceptance go up today. I keep telling myself I didn't get in, because I have some other offers and I just want to move on, but I can't let the ghost die until I know for sure. Reject me Penn State, please! (but what I really feel is + ) Positive vibes for those who want this one! +++

Austin is overwhelmingly good. And not just for Texas; Austin has a surprisingly large hipster/indie scene for any city, though a much smaller feel than NYC. In some ways, Austin in kind of like Brooklyn without Manhattan; perhaps it is more comparable to San Francisco, if that helps.

Just out of curiosity, what are you hoping to do with an MA in Philosophy, if not pursue a PhD? Because that can potentially change where you are thinking of going. If it were me, and I wasn't necessarily planning on pursuing a PhD, then I would absolutely, hands down, no questions asked follow the money. If, however, I was thinking of spring-boarding into PhD programs, then I would consider placement rates into PhD programs, along with the money situation. I would think very seriously about what you are hoping to do afterwards, and take that into consideration when making your decision.

Have you asked CM specifically if there is any funding available? Perhaps outside the department? I know a lot of schools have graduate assistantships offered through the university--such as the registrar's office, for example--that can sometimes offer a tuition waiver and stipend. They are usually positions that one would apply for on a semester-by-semester (or yearly) basis, but can definitely take the pressure off in terms of money and loans. From what I understand, you would be working about 20 hours per week, but the students I know who have done it have found it very manageable. I would call them and tell them your dilemma up front. Say, "I really want to come here, it's my dream school, but I'm worried about the money. Are there any opportunities, anywhere in the University, to get some sort of funding?" I've found that most schools are pretty understanding when it comes to economics. Hope this helps, and good luck with your decision

My bet is that it was either a fake or a mistake. I'm not waiting on them, but whenever I see a post go up that early, I always assume it's not real. It's also possible that that student was awarded some type of dean's fellowship or something, in which case they often notify much earlier.

You're welcome to stay for tea, if you like

I listed both academic and non-academic type stuff. I had a section for volunteer work, I think (though maybe it was work/volunteer work, I can't remember now). My advisor told me it couldn't hurt, so I threw it in there. My CV was mostly academic stuff, though.

I hope you get in! +++ energy sent your way! (<--- sunglasses for good luck)

I love Cambridge, too. And seriously, after visiting, I've been sooo excited about starting. I've just felt so comfortable that this is where I'm supposed to be, and I'm feeling better and better about my decisions. I hope everyone has the same experiences I've had. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone, be it via conference or whatever.

The American style is to place all punctuation inside the quotation marks, unless the quotes contain a number or a letter. For example: Place your items in bin "A". The other exception is when you are asking a question about a quote, but the quote itself is not the question. For example: Do you agree with the saying, "All's fair in love and war"? I'm pretty sure that, according to American style guidelines, commas will always be inside the quotation marks. But I think TripWillis is right that European style guidelines tell you to put the comma where it makes sense to put it.

This wasn't a typo, but in one of my SoPs, I mentioned that I wanted to work with a faculty member who, I found out much later, was only a lecturer. Yup--not even a full time faculty member. In fact, he's a full time faculty at a different school, but sometimes offers lectures at school X.* Needless to say I was rejected *WHY DO THEY HAVE HIM LISTED ON THE FACULTY PAGE????!!?!!! :angry: ???!!!

So I went to visit BU on Thursday. I won't be able to make it for the open house the 23rd, which I was looking forward to. But I figured I'd share what I saw while I was there. I absolutely loved it. I met first with Maurice Lee, the graduate program director. He was very easy to talk to and very willing to talk with me and hear my thoughts and concerns. I saw him later in the day on the street (he had changed into more casual clothes and I almost didn't recognize him) and he stopped to ask me how things were going. I was impressed because it showed a level of concern that I was hoping to find but wasn't necessarily expecting (just because you can never know what to expect at large universities). I then went out to lunch with some graduate students. They were very friendly, and both of them--without communicating this between each other--used the word "collegial" to describe their experience at BU. They were very willing to discuss their research interests and both spoke to the amount of communication and interaction between the graduate students. I only met with those two students, so I didn't really get to "witness" this interaction first hand, but I don't think they were just trying to "sell" the place to me. They both spoke to having entirely positive experiences, and both said that they couldn't see themselves anywhere else. I then met with Drs. Christopher Martin and Erin Murphy, both faculty doing work in the early modern period. They were both incredibly friendly and outgoing, and both were really interested in their students' work. Dr. Martin had a paper he had printed out for me that he thought might interest me, and we talked in great detail about my application (which he remembered; even if he had just looked it up right before I walked in the door, it was encouraging that he cared enough to make sure he checked it out before I came in). He spoke to my writing sample directly and talked about some of the other work being done in the department that matches nicely with my potential research interests. Dr. Murphy also remembered my application and was really interested to hear about my interests. She even wrote down the names of some scholars whose work might interest me, based on what we had been talking about. It was so encouraging to meet with faculty who not only listened, but listened enthusiastically to someone who isn't even a graduate student talk about what they might like to study. I met with both professors for about an hour, and both seemed to want to meet for longer, and certainly would have if we'd had the time. The grad students that I met with had mentioned that both Drs. Martin and Murphy (along with all the professors in the department; they mentioned them specifically because I said I was meeting with them) were really, really interested in helping their students and that both were fantastic teachers. This definitely came out in my discussions with them. I could sense their enthusiasm for the classroom, and I knew just from meeting with them briefly that they had a passion for training the next generation of scholars. Like I said, it was very encouraging, and made me very excited to potentially begin graduate study there. I was hoping to find a non-competitive and supportive environment between faculty and students, and that is exactly what I found. I also learned a bit about their funding. I can say that it is very, very good, and that they are trying to (i.e., faculty are fighting for) more money from the dean and other sources. For PhD students working on their dissertation, it is increasingly the norm (not guaranteed, but potentially heading that way) to get a semester and sometimes a semester and a summer of duty-free funding (i.e., you wouldn't have to teach that semester). I am excited about teaching, and I made that clear, but everyone I spoke to said, "Trust me, you'll get plenty of opportunities to teach, and you will have more than enough experience. But you will relish having a semester off to focus more closely on your own work." Some people were saying that they wished they'd had more time off from teaching as a graduate student, because they felt like they would have been able to produce a much more satisfying dissertation project; as it was, they felt like parts of it were rushed or forced, simply because they didn't have the time to put into it they would have liked. I can talk more about the specifics of the funding, just send me a PM. Overall I had a great experience. If you read the thread, I posted about having a similar experience at Amherst. I will say that my decision is very, very tough. I am probably leaning towards BU for strictly non-"fit/feel" type reasons: namely, the location and the funding. I know those aren't necessarily reasons to choose a graduate program, but I seriously loved both departments. At both schools, I felt like part of a community, and a community that included students and faculty. The academic experience thus being equal, I'm probably leaning toward BU for non-academic-y type reasons. Feel free to send more questions my way, and I'll do my best to answer them. Hope this helps anyone (<--- sunglasses because sooo excited for graduate school) P.S. -- When I visited BU, it was 70 degrees, which perhaps wasn't fair to my impression of the campus. It was fantastic; there were students everywhere, people walking around all over the place, people hanging out on the banks of the Charles. However, and I joked about this while I was there, I'm from the area, so I know how uncommon this weather has been. They weren't attracting me on the false premise of "beautiful Boston weather." I know the misery that is normally November-April, so no worries there

Another thing to consider: you have a lot of control over what you do while in graduate school. Did you get a paper published in a reputable journal? Did you get a few papers published? Did you present at some big conferences? Does your dissertation look like it will turn very easily into a book? Schools are very curious about these things when looking to hire potential faculty members. I spoke with a professor the other day who was on a faculty search committee. She said that of all the people who applied for the job, only about 10% had a publication in a decent journal, which obviously sets them apart from all the other applicants. This professor was also saying that they often look for candidates who have a book just about ready to go after their dissertation; if the dissertation looks like it could turn into several books, even better. This means that shortly after the faculty member is hired, she will have a book coming out, which obviously looks very good for the department. The other thing is extra-curricular activities. Is there some drama/performance group you can participate in? Is there a journal you can work as an assistant for? Is there a side project (a translation, perhaps?) you can work on while in grad school? Just like when we were applying to get into grad school, there is a lot we can do on the other end to set ourselves apart from the other applicants.

But which one will come first? Will I get a letter from the agency abroad--in a few weeks, say--and then get an email from Fulbright? Or will I get an official email from Fulbright with a follow up letter from the agency abroad?

Since you are talking about that much money, i.e., enough money to live on either way, I would go with the program that has better fit. For me, I'm probably going to be following the money, but that is because the difference is so stark. One school just doesn't have the money to fund my research, while the other does. For you--while it is $10,000 per year--it really doesn't mean much in terms of livability. If one school was offering you 20 and another 10, then I would definitely take the 20. On the other hand, you should also consider the teaching responsibilities. Teaching takes lots of time and effort, and that's time and effort that ultimately takes away from your own work. So, and this is the other thing I am considering, the school where I have to teach less is very likely the school that I will be able to put more time and effort in to my own work. (N.B.-- I want to teach and am excited about teaching, but I'm also aware that success as a graduate student depends largely upon the work you put into your own studies. In my situation, I'll have plenty of time for teaching. Just something to consider.)

I'm in a surprisingly similar situation. Here is the process I have tried to go through. At which school can I see myself doing my best work, geography included? At which school do I think I'll have the most freedom to pursue what I want to pursue? Will I be pressured, at either school, to do work that isn't really my interest? For me, there is one school that can almost exactly accommodate my interest. They are very eager to have me, and there are some fantastic opportunities for professional development. However, if my interests change at all, that school is less able to accommodate my (potential new) interests. So perhaps consider which school suits both primary and secondary interests? Does one school offer more freedom, in terms of strength of the department, for a particular area of study, and is that good or bad? Hope this helps

I would definitely be careful of accepting an MA offer over a PhD offer, if the PhD is your ultimate choice. I know several people who went that route (i.e., got their MA first) and were not accepted to any (ANY!) PhD programs. I know some other people who went from a top-10 program for their MA only to get into a mid-level PhD program (one that they had been accepted to straight out of undergrad, and thus, "wasted" 2 years in the MA program). Then again, it is potentially very beneficial. It's a gamble. You might win big, you might lose big. If it were me, I would visit the schools. I've visited some schools, and it has put me in a much better spot in terms of understanding where I want to be for the next several years and where I can really see myself doing some good work. I think you'll have a better idea of where you are supposed to go, if you visit.

Just for clarification, are we definitely expecting an "unofficial" email, followed by the official mail? I'm waiting to hear back from Finland. I'm worried that they'll make a decision but then send it in the mail, thus not notifying me in time for me to notify my grad programs... Aggghghhs. I just want to know all the things.

I've never heard this, and I can't really imagine it being a problem for PhD programs. Many (most, even?) students take some time off and do something else entirely unrelated to academia, so I can't imagine that getting an MA in a different field would be any different. I don't know if you did this, but it would probably be helpful to address that MA in your SoP; the people reading your application will very likely be curious as to why you completed an MA in a different field but are now considering going into an English PhD program. It would be especially helpful if you can tie it in in an interesting way, perhaps something about how your MA led you to where you are now.

To be honest, from what I understand, passing the language requirement--wherever you are--is pretty much a joke. I seriously wouldn't worry about it from a "requirement" point of view. Most of the "tests" just want you to translate a passage (not even that long, sometimes a couple of paragraphs) using a dictionary. One of my undergrad professors said that he just looked up every word and then sorted out potential meanings; he said he had pretty much zero background in the language. If you are interested in learning the language strictly from a professional point of view, i.e., you think you might need it for your own professionalization, that is probably a different story.

Right, I didn't mention that. That is really what I meant, that you need to have an MA in hand before being admitted to the PhD program. Some other schools, like BU, admit some students to the MA program and others to the MA/PhD program, whereas at Penn State, anyone without an MA enters into the MA program.

I didn't? Hmm... Now you've made me curious... I found it very easy to talk with all the professors. We talked about my potential research interests, though nothing too specific. They were all very understanding, and all said that part of the point of the graduate experience is to explore and to learn what really interests you. One of the Renaissance professors even said that if I got there and found out that I was really more interested in studying American lit, there wouldn't be any pressure on me to stay in the Renaissance, and that that was part of the point, that you explore a bit. Part of my positive experience was that the professors were so interested to talk to me, and I could sense how supportive they were, even from talking with them for half an hour. I also second your points about the preparation; I've never taught before, and the pre-teaching prep they have is definitely encouraging. I will say that one girl I spoke with, who already had an MA and had taught before, mentioned that she wasn't crazy about teaching in the Writing Program her first semester, because she said she had to follow their guidelines more than she would have liked. She said that after the first semester, there was much more freedom to teach how she wanted, but for that first one, she really had to follow the syllabus they had laid out. That's fine by me, because, as mentioned, I've never taught before, and need all the help I can get. But for people who have taught, it's something to consider.

I'm not sure if this makes a difference to when they notify, but technically, anyone who applied to Penn State applied for the MA program. They do not do direct admits into the PhD program, or even the MA/PhD program. Anyone who applied has applied to the MA program, and those wishing to go on must "informally" reapply (whatever that means) to the PhD. Like I said, I don't know if that makes a difference. I know some people have already received a notification that said something like, "If we have the funding, we will extend you an offer of admission."

I know their website is not up to date with that information. Dr. Joseph Black, who is their assistant director (and soon to be director) of graduate studies, showed me their official placement list. He is trying to get that information on the website, and would probably be happy to share it with you. If you go there to visit, be sure to ask him to see it. One piece of advice, which came from a professor there: get published as a graduate student. She was saying that she was recently on a committee to hire a new faculty member, and she said that probably only 10% of applicants had a publication in a major journal, which obviously drastically increases your chances. She was saying that, while having a publication was not necessarily a prerequisite, they were almost certainly not going to hire someone with no publications over someone with a publication in a big name journal.