grifter

Rejected to U Washington's PhD in English....not unexpected, but still, Happy Venereal Day to you too, UDub.

By my way of thinking, this would be okay if you hadn't heard anything from the institution--say, two weeks after their stated notification date--and you could confirm that other applicants to the same program had been notified of rejection / acceptance.

Congratulations, BeeGee. That is an enviable dilemma.

I feel that I should acquaint myself with the terrain in this thread...I assume it will be my second home very soon. No false modesty here, just creeping dread.

Some friends of mine have taught in Korea, China, and I think Vietnam. They all told me the same thing: the only way to actually make money beyond what is necessary is to teach private lessons in your off time. Some companies don't allow that though, so if it ever becomes a reality (and I hope it doesn't for you), check on that detail.

In my case, yes.

Priceless. The scatological undertones of the word also seem to have unique relevance to the process of graduate admissions.

It is like crack for the fingers and eyes...isn't it?

'Sotan: No snubbing will be had from me. This time around, I am going to entertain all offers. Frankly, anywhere I go will be a step-up from my undergrad alma mater. Pickle: Very true; why the rush? From examining current graduate profiles in some of the bigger programs I am interested in, it seems that a majority of the enrolled students have pursued the BA-MA-PhD route, and this occurred sometimes over the course of 12-15 years. I think patience, coupled with my sincere desire to learn will pay dividends. Thanks for your thoughts. Halifax: Thank you for the vote of confidence and your explanation. I am eager to see what offers you get. I guess that, more than anything, the success rates of all you PhD applicants with MA's will be the most telling factor of whether or not there is wisdom in this approach. Best of luck to all of you.

Sadly (awesomely?), my only snappy comeback lines are straight from Abe Simpson. And thanks for another 30 second diversion. I can now go back to obsessive craigslisting of my possible future cities of residence. This blows. Entirely. All joking aside, I would probably prefer a stabbing to this crapshoot.

Is that a massage offer? If so, I'm in.

Let me frame the situation. Over 2 years ago, I applied to PhD programs in Literature and was summarily rejected to all of them, save a few offers for masters programs--including the hotly debated MAPH program at Chicago and an interdisciplinary MA at NYU. I may have been a little too foolhardy in my belief that I would get even one PhD offer, but I felt that I was at least competitive at some of the programs: a 3.95 undergrad GPA, middle 90's percentile on my GRE verbal, some publications, 2 years of ESL tutoring experience, lots volunteer experience and (I thought) a focused interest for grad studies. With stinging pride and increased wisdom, I decided to hold off and reevaluate my prospects. 2 years later, I find myself reapplying to programs. My hiatus has given me 2 full years of experience as a speech writer for the Director of a DOE laboratory, as well as a year of Adjunct teaching experience at the college level, but still, this time around I am cautiously aiming at both MA programs at what you could call "2nd tier" schools (state schools, well known but not Ivy-caliber private institutions), as well as a few MA and PhD programs at some bigger schools. My ultimate goal is the PhD, without question, but for the time being, I am convincing myself that there is wisdom in first pursuing a Master's degree, doing well, and then re-applying to the "Upper Tier" schools. I have made the assumptions that: 1) Having a Master's degree will show PhD programs that I can perform beyond the BA 2) The process of earning a Master's degree will help me find depth in certain areas, and allow me to stem some of my generalist tendencies 3) Earning the MA will afford me increased teaching experience 4) I will subsequently gain stronger letters of recommendation and a more focused statement of purpose The drawbacks to this route are obviously the time of earning a discrete MA and THEN a PhD, and the cost of earning 2 individual degrees. I guess my reason for posting this topic is to garner reassurance from some of you salty and salted grad students--reassurance that this route (BA at one school, unique MA program, PhD program) can yield its own benefits. Am I deluding myself? Have any of you followed this course (I think I read that Minnesotan is doing this)? Do my assumptions hold any water? Help me objectively see the realities of this course of progress. Concerning my situation, there are quite a few subtleties that I didn't care to address for the sake of space, but I would value any opinion based on what you know. Regards...

Minn: no worries there...I grew up in Idaho at about 5500 ft. Winters were a frosty, sub-zero, proverbial teat of the witch. I have grown fond of harsh winters. This is also my second time applying-i turned down some offers last time. Like you, this time, geography played a more prominent role in my choices, and U Minn seems to have everything I'm looking for. Now the dice roll of acceptance.

I'll throw my hat into this ring...I want to be around here next spring for the commiseration/celebration/?consummation? resulting from all the application slinging going on currently. I am also knee-deep in the applications process, working on around a dozen apps, however only a few are for Lit PhD programs. Most are for Comp/Rhetoric MA's, most at schools of modest repute, with a dash of heavy hitters to satisfy my "what the hell" tendencies. Minnesotan: did you say that you are applying to some Comp/Rhet programs in the Northwest? I am curious about which...