shortstack51

It is! I'm excited about it they have tons of restaurants too. I'm just getting to know the area, so if you have any suggestions I am all ears. I've never lived in New Haven so I definitely defer to your greater knowledge in that case! I worked there and loved hanging out on chapel st or by the food vendors outside the hospital. My overall impression is most likely at least somewhat marred by the tendency of college students to over-discuss horror stories.

I'm not sure if Bridgeport or New Haven is worse; I've also worked in schools in Bridgeport and I think the schools are certainly worse, but two summers ago there was a homicide in New Haven literally every day. There are certainly good areas, but the areas a grad student can afford to live in aren't great (everyone I know at Yale lives in grad student housing...I know a quinnipiac student who took his chances neighborhood-wise and someone busted into his apartment in the middle of the day and took his computer while he was there). Bridgeport has good areas bordering Fairfield and Trumbull, but I definitely don't suggest living there. It's also too far to uconn (about an hour and 20 if you go fast). Diversity is definitely an issue in CT because it's highly segregated socioeconomically, so unfortunately diverse areas also tend to not be great. Once you get out of the cities, everything can be frustratingly white washed. I'm moving to West Hartford personally (separate from Hartford!). I've been living in kind of crappy areas for a while so I'm looking forward to moving.

I just got accepted into UDub, which was my top choice at one point, but I know I won't be getting funding for the first year, so I am turning it down.

As far as I understand, the MA and PhD students both depending on funding competition. I was informed that the competition can become deliberately malicious

It depends on the program. Does it fund all incoming students? If so, then yes. If not, I would ask them what your chances of being funded are. Some schools (like Udub) have already given out funding

There are definitely options for commuting to New Haven and Branford; I would suggest not living in New Haven because it's really not a great city (one of the most dangerous in the country as far as I remember), so any affordable housing is likely not in a good place. You can check out Wallingford for affordable housing that's in between New Haven and your route to UCONN (but closer to New Haven than Branford). Meriden's a bit farther for your SO but there are always a lot of options there. I totally know what you mean about commuting- I commute about an hour one way right now by train, and I'm looking forward to the 30-40 minute commute I'll have next year!

I tend to park in random lots and hope for the best, haha. As for transportation to the city, Hartford has an amtrak station. By amtrak, it would probably take a few hours because you have to transfer in New Haven (it would probably be easiest and cheapest to actually just drive to New Haven and take the express metro north in). You can cut that time down by moving further south, but the problem is that Hartford gets pretty congested during rush hour. The normal load is taking 3-2 or 2-3 and teaching 1-1, and one mandatory class is at 9:30, so it might be a pretty long commute. If you don't need to go to NYC that often (ie only on weekends) I suggest living within an hour to UCONN and, when you want to go to the city, driving to new haven, parking in the garage there, and taking the express metro north to grand central.

Some programs require something like 30 credits beyond the MA. The program I'm entering requires 24 credits beyond the MA (roughly 8 classes). It's not unusual at all from what I understand. My former program required 10 classes beyond the MA. If taking less classes appeals to you, that may be a consideration for you. I personally don't mind completing another two years of coursework

Housing is definitely really cheap. My fiancée and I saw like 10-15 places; there's an off campus uconn housing website that you can use. We're actually probably moving a little farther away, which is a longer commute for me (30-45 mins depending on traffic) but a better one for her. It's also a nice mix between residential and downtown-trendy, which will be nice for us coming out of the city (PM me if you'd like to know the town). It's a bit pricier than Storrs-Mansfield or Willimantic, but there's also a lot more to do. When you visit, you can ask them for a packet they have about housing in the area (the town we're moving to isn't on it because they included towns within a half hour). My fiancée and I used craigslist, haha (I would say to avoid Hartford and East Hartford--not great areas). And don't worry! You only get the cow smell around campus. There are some decent restaurants on campus and outside of it (there are some new cafés directly across from campus that are nice along with a burrito/taco place), but most people in the grad program go to Willimantic (10-15 mins away) for food and drinks. There is an Applebee's about 10 minutes south of campus. Your research is interesting! UCONN has some classes on the docket for next year that I think would match up with your interests nicely. Their offer is very generous--the DGS is also working on possibly getting one semester fellowships included as well. I am pretty excited

I don't want to put anyone on the spot, but I was informed reliably that the culture among students can be very competitive due to people competing for funding from year to year. Something to think about, anyway

I'm so excited for you! I'm sure they will set up a visit for you- they are extremely generous. The faculty is very supportive. From what I understood during my visit, they actually have a whole committee whose job it is to assist you in the job market (they start out as being your comps committee). They are also top 5 in the country for job placement, which really appeals to me because of my massive loan debt from my MA. The atmosphere of the department is amazing. Everyone takes the time to go over your writing sample and your interests and they will tell you about all the opportunities they have for expanding your interests. I have been in contact with several professors over the last couple of months who all wanted to express interest in my research and to talk about opportunities there. Of course they are trying to recruit you during all this, but I know a number of people who did their PhDs there (having gone to undergrad in CT) and they all emphatically said that the department is always this supportive. I am also drawn to the women, gender, and sexuality studies certificate that English PhD students can complete concurrently. I met a bunch of WGSS students and they were great. The area is certainly in the middle of nowhere, but it is pretty and there are a lot of places to eat in the area (including insomnia cookies--you have to go there when you visit). You may smell cow poo on the breeze once in a while though, LOL. Also, don't be too deterred by crazy undergrads on campus if you happen to visit on game day for basketball...uconn takes its basketball very seriously! I have it on good authority that they are not usually this nuts. I've already picked out a course or two I'd like to take I'm very excited! Refresh my memory--what's your area again? I hope we end up there together! I recall that your SO was also looking to teach in the area, right?

My family is very close so I can understand (though I have never been guilt tripped thankfully). I can honestly say that 2 hours is really not that far. I'm still able to visit at least one weekend out of the month and have my folks out to my place once in a while too. I'm sorry that they are putting emotional pressure on you when you should be able to be excited about your decision. My fiancee's mother threw a fit when she moved even an hour away because her mother had never left the hometown and couldn't understand wanting to. But she got used to it eventually and realized that it was for the best for my fiancee's education (even though she thinks we'll move there eventually...). This is all to say---if you decide to go to the farther school, it might suck with your folks for the short term, but eventually they will see how happy you are with your decision and come around. Or at minimum get used to it. If you are unhappy at the place closer by, that will probably create more strain in the end than going to the school you like more

YES!!! Will you be accepting? I just accepted my offer

Turned down my top spot on Washington state's wait list. I'm a romanticist but I don't think they organize by subfield

No problem! People who live in westchester or CT usually do have a car (I use my fiancee's), but depending on where you live, you could get by without one. It wouldn't be easy, but my brother did it for a while before he could afford a car. There is a bus system. I do have to say that while cheaper than NYC, you'll probably still need a roommate in CT or westchester to make rent (unless you just rent a room or a studio). Let me know if you have any other questions!

Sorry to have missed you today! I totally forgot to check in with you. I had a ton of free time today so I would have been able to! I can definitely say that Fordham's MA program is great. Some MAs are funded and others not, so you get the same amount of treatment and cultivation, and professors usually forget who's got funding or not anyway. Fordham MAs have gone onto decently prestigious universities in the past as well (though most take a gap year or two in between). Your worries about NYC are totally understandable and, if I'm honest, the city isn't for everyone. Most people who live here have a love-hate relationship with it; it frustrates/aggravates them, but at the same time they love the culture/food/academics of the city too much to leave. However, 2 years fly by very quickly at this level and, if you decide you don't want to be in NYC anymore (like me), you can apply to programs in a wide variety of settings. Grad school in general can be more isolated; most people are engaged, married, etc. and/or have lives separate from the program, so generally there has to be a conscious effort for people to get together outside of the program. Fordham has a lot of social events, though--they do a "beer n books" series where everyone meets for drinks, etc. It's also totally acceptable to bum around in the writing center and chat if you're waiting for a class to start. Also, if you live in the city, there's a 99% chance you'll be living with a roommate. Mine definitely helped keep me sane as I adjusted to city life (I'm from rural Connecticut, so it was a decent shock to me at first). You might find Queens a good place to be, or somewhere in Westchester County in NY or Fairfield County in CT (which are almost giant suburbs of the city--you can take the metro north in). Queens, in my experience (as long as you avoid some areas like Jamaica), is quieter and more residential and has things like trees (not always that common). The only thing is that the commute from Queens to Fordham is a bit lengthy. The metro north actually tends to be faster since there's a stop on campus (but a bit more expensive--subways are $2.50 one way, metro north tickets are priced according to how many stops you take). The LIRR stops in Queens, though, and it's not too hard to get from the LIRR's stop in Manhattan (penn station) to Fordham's campus, particularly if you scoot over to the campus shuttle at Lincoln Center for the last leg of the trip. I should mention, I guess, that having a car in the city is pretty pointless and generally expensive if you didn't already know (Parking is a nightmare and not all apartment complexes offer parking, and if they do, it can be like $100 a month added onto your rent). Anyone can feel free to disagree/add additional advice! I'm still mostly a city "newb" after only 2 years in the area. (Some people do like living in the Bronx because it's convenient and if you're on Arthur Ave it's actually pretty nice, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it if you're from small towns.) Anyway, sorry for rambling--the city is certainly a force to contend with. People tend to romanticize it in ways that aren't accurate at all. But--it's a cultural hub for a reason and I think it's possible you might love it. If you don't, there's always suburbia, haha. This wasn't intended to try to swing you over to Fordham! I'm personally glad I did my MA there, but it might not be for everyone. I do have to say that you will get a very excellent writing sample out of it at some point--mine came from my 2nd semester.

I will indeed had a blast during my visit! And I am sure you'll be happy at Duke, of course though I'll certainly miss the opportunity to have had you in the same program!

I'm about to turn down my spot on the CUNY waitlist and my top spot on the Washington State waitlist. Hope that helps someone else!

About to accept my offer from uconn

Trying to get into a top program is a difficult task. I would suggest ultimately that you should focus on a wide range of at least 10 schools that you're interested in plus a couple of funded terminal MA programs (I personally applied to 6 "top" schools as in top 30, 3 or 4 midlevel, and a couple of "safeties"). I was the top student in my (small, unknown) undergraduate program and didn't get into a single MA/PhD program, and that's unfortunately something that happens a lot. I ended up doing an MA at a midlevel school. Top programs get at least 300, sometimes more than 500, applicants per season. Yale only accepts 5, Brown I think 8-10, etc., and funding availability shrunk for a lot of programs this year, so they may start accepting less next year. Of course, some people refer to make a few goes at it and only apply to top programs every season because they don't want to go to anything less than a top school. How much money you have for those processes is up to you. On that note: start saving. It's a pretty expensive process. This isn't to scare you at all, and plenty of people on these forums have gotten into exceptional schools, but there is a certain reality to applying that needs to be faced. Other than that, if you are applying to combined MA/PhD programs, you should have at least a good idea of what your dissertation research would involve (most programs expect your interests to change, but they want to know that you can be clear and direct). Your writing sample, like the above post says, should be between 10-20 pages and should (ideally) relate to your intended subfield. Select a few professors of interest from programs and tailor your statement to those programs (at least one paragraph should be different). Talking to current professors is good; try to find someone who has recently been through graduate school. Overall, I would look through the Lit forum and scout out topics. There are a few that have pretty detailed advice from people who got into good programs. What I can offer is very limited. I've gotten into a program I am thrilled about that is "only" a midlevel program according to US News but is in the top 10 according to the National Research Council, so even "top school" can vary greatly. Make sure to research prospective schools' job placement rates.

I have to grade ~60 freshman business students' papers by Monday evening....

I was indeed at the reception! I was mostly in a corner with a friend and one of the medievalists because we were all experiencing some claustrophobia, haha. But yes, everyone is quite nice the worst part of NYC is always housing, but most people consider it more than adequate trade off for being able to have constant access to the city

I also still haven't heard from Udub

(I can confirm that everyone is nice and sane--no interdepartmental drama to speak of)

In my program, it was actually more likely that you'd read Foucault or Zizek than Gubar. Every course included some kind of critical theory, some almost exclusively.