toasterazzi

I don't know about anybody else, but I had a great time at the visit. So much information and so much awesome

I didn't apply to Northwestern, but I grew up about 45 minutes from Chicago and I've spent quite a lot of time there. It's a pretty great city overall. The weather in California is definitely better in my opinion, but as long as you prepare for some windy, snowwy months, you should be fine hehe.

Yesssss! I'm always here for some Saved by the Bell, especially this clip. Also, I'm about 95% sure of the choice I'm going to make. Part of me wants to wait and see if my waitlist converts, but I have a really good feeling about one of the acceptances. I'm probably going to be making my decision within the next few days

Sure. I'll try to remember to hop on when I get back

My first, and likely only, visit is on Monday. I'm super excited

Just got the detailed itinerary for the open house next week, and it made me wonder who all would be there. What say ye? Perhaps we'll see each other there, eh?

I'm presenting. Fairy Tales area

Just declined an offer. I know it's a totally normal thing to do when people have more than one acceptance, but it still felt so weird...

Yeah about that thesis writing...It's going fabulously...yep. Pretty Little Liars is amazing! Ridiculous, yes, but amazing!

*stays far away from Regina's apples*

I'll probably repeat some things that have already been said, but here goes... Be thorough in researching schools. You never know what hidden gems you might find. I think I looked at nearly every PhD granting English program in the US at some point or another as I researched schools. A couple of the ones that I ended up applying to are not really at the top of most lists, but they were pretty great fits for me. To that end, I would say don't be constrained by the rankings. I know some people disagree about this, but I really do think there are great programs beyond the top 50 or 80 or whatever that can lead to amazing learning experiences and great opportunities in the future. My MA program is unranked, but it has been amazingly beneficial to me, and it has given me the tools I need to proceed in my studies. Don't spend thousands of dollars prepping for the GRE. I know some people will disagree with this as well, but I really just don't think it's worth it, especially when there are SO many free materials available. I downloaded apps, podcasts, free materials from ETS and so on in my preparation. While my math score was still fairly abysmal, my english score was just about where I wanted to be, so I can't complain very much To that end, there are so many examples of nearly everything you'll need from the SOP to the CV and so on available on the interwebs that can be useful. I kept stuff like that bookmarked so I could refer to it as I put my materials together. Be honest with yourself about why you're applying to the schools you're applying to. And really think about whether the schools you're applying to will really fit your needs in the long run before you pay that application fee. When I took my GRE in September, there were some schools that I listed that I ultimately didn't end up applying to because I determined that though the particular programs were well ranked and full of talented scholars, they didn't ultimately have the interests that I needed. This isn't the worst thing ever, but it did cost me a little extra cash that I could've used later. I will second or third (or whatever number it is by now) the point about using a sample that ties into your into your interests if at all possible. The two programs that I've been accepted to thus far both mentioned their interest in the subject matter of my sample. I would also suggest strongly emphasizing whatever you're interested in via your SOP. I had a few different versions of my SOP, depending on the needs of the program, but I always tried to make sure my interests were clear and connected. My introductory paragraph included a quote related to my interested, I had a section that discussed some of the scholarly work I've done thus far in my area of interest, I had a section about a course idea in my area of interest, I had a section about a dissertation idea in my area of interest, and I talked about how I saw myself fitting into the department as it related to my area of interest. Basically, I tried to make it clear that I have a good idea of what I want to study and that I've put in the work to make sure that I'll have a mutually beneficial relationship with the program. Read your SOP out loud. I didn't let anybody else read my SOP because I'm not especially into that sort of thing, but I did read it out loud to make sure it made sense and to check for errors. If you're in a relationship/you have a family, be realistic about what you can do. Early on in the research process, I considered schools all over the country. While it would be great to move out to the west coast as I eventually want to do, it's just not really a feasible option for my fiance and myself right now. We'll get there eventually Do something to make yourself feel good. I don't care if it's eating a fancy meal or buying yourself something nice or doing shots of Jack or whatever. Just find a way to keep your spirits up You probably won't have enough money for all the things, but try to save what you can. This is especially important if you plan to apply to like 10+ schools. I only applied to six and the fees were plenty high. Being independently wealthy would be useful though... Make sure you consider other things besides just the academics. I think it's important to not go to a place where you'll be miserable for half a decade. I know some people believe that you won't have time to worry about the other stuff because you should be so focused on the school work, but I don't think that's especially realistic. Even if you give your recommenders a list with due dates and such, sending them reminders is still a good life choice. Inevitably, somebody will lose the list and/or simply forget about an upcoming deadline. Use GradCafe as a source of info and support, but try not to let it weigh you down (which may or may not be possible). Trust yourself. You know what you're capable of and you know what's right for you. Similarly, remember that what works for me, might not work for you and vice versa. So take everything with a grain of salt Edit: This is way longer than I thought it would be...*shrugs*...

Congrats and good luck!

THIS. RIGHT. HERE.

Usually, the carnival is pretty full-scale. The university brings in a carnival group, and they set up several rides, stands, etc. Sometimes the games aren't that great, but the carnival is still a good time overall. There's a lot of residential area right around campus with several houses and some small apartment buildings as well as campus apartments and a few smallish apartment complexes pretty nearby. I know Windsong and Oakwood were some fairly close affordable complexes if I remember correctly. There are others, but I don't remember all the names anymore. If you're interested in the campus apartments, they aren't too shabby if you're not looking for like super awesome aesthetics lol. I lived farther away from campus for the latter half of my undergrad (about a ten-fifteen minute drive). However, I will go ahead and mention that Muncie has a pretty solid bus system, which you only need to show your student ID to ride for free. There are various routes that go to some of the main places that students typically want to go to like the mall, Target, Walmart, etc. And the route I rode stopped just outside of my complex, approximately every fifteen minutes during weekdays. I did have roomates, but I think most people who were flying solo still weren't paying too much more than me (maybe 100-150 bucks or so). I'm sure the prices have gone up some in the last few years, but most places were pretty affordable. And yes, that rec center is stellar! I didn't actually get to use that one because it was still being worked on after I graduated. It's pretty schnazzy from what I've seen in my returns to campus though. And yeah, that's free and available. There's also another smaller gym on the other side of campus as well. And speaking of free perks, if you're into any sort of theatre, concerts, etc., the campus regularly brings various performers in to perform at the large auditorium. And tickets to those events are almost always either free or extremely discounted for students. Edit: If you are willing to go a bit farther away from campus, I can recommend Windermere Place and University Estates from my own personal experience and Silvertree from several friends. I think all of those places would require you to have at least one roommate though. Silvertree *might* have singles. I'm not sure about that one.

I don't know much of anything about the specific programs, but I did my undergrad at BSU in the education department (English Ed). It's a pretty great school in my opinion. The professors, student life, resources, etc. were all pretty fantastic. In truth, Muncie is not the most hopping of towns, but it does have a good deal to offer, depending on what types of things you're looking for. The highest rent I ever paid while I was living there was like $375 per month. And the campus itself has plenty of activities, organizations and events going on every day. If you do end up there, I recommend taking advantage of friday night filmworks (free movies!), late nite (free food and other random activities!), and sporting events (free admission!). Also, the campus brings a carnival in at the end of every school year, which is probably the best way to go into a finals week . If you have any questions about the town or campus in general, just let me know

With things being as unpredictable as they are in this grad school game, I can't tell you for sure what will happen. However, I will mention that I will be getting my MA in English this May from an unranked university, and I've been accepted to a school in the Top 20s to begin working toward my PhD in the fall. My MA program also provided me with funding and, ultimately, a great wealth of resources and experiences that allowed me to really understand what I want to focus on. ETA: I did take out some loans during this MA program so that I would have additional funds for living expenses, but I don't plan to take out any additional loans in the future.

I didn't mention any specific professors, but I did include at least one paragraph in each SOP where I talked about why I thought I belonged in that particular program. Each of these paragraphs shaped up differently for me, but I often included things such as references to specific coursework I saw on the department's website that I thought connected to my interests and how I saw myself fitting into certain areas within departments. I also pored over any listed department goals, mission statements, "about us" sections, etc. and tried to identify pieces in those sections that really spoke to me as an applicant. And I tried to reference those pieces in my SOP as well. Sometimes I even referred to specific resources that I knew were available at the schools (i.e. large library collections of materials I'm interested in working with and such).

I grew up with and have a healthy appreciation for Dunkin. However, I had Tim Hortons for the first time last year and fell in love with it. Maybe that's why I applied to two schools in Ohio...

I heard from University of Missouri. Waitlisted . The letter was postmarked on February 20th though. I have no idea why it took so long to get here.

Haha no probs. You know what they say about great minds

From what I've researched, it seems to vary from school to school. Some schools won't transfer any of the credits, while others will transfer up to a certain amount. If I recall correctly, one of my programs that I was accepted to does take a fair amount of credits and thus students who enter with an MA are able to cut out about a year of their time in the PhD program.

In my MA program, we used Critical Theory Today by Lois Tyson. It was very accessible, and especially helped to clarify the theories that we were reading about in the Norton Anthology. Also, each section included not only a description of a theory but also specific application of the theory to a text.

I'm not a beer snob or a hipster. When I drink PBR, it's because PBR is extremely cheap (and the taste isn't as offensive as some other cheap beers). That's about it. I do think I've developed a certain appreciation for the taste of PBR over the years, but it's not like the best thing I've ever had

I'm presenting in the Fairytales area at PCA and a bunch of other people from my uni are presenting in the sci fi/fantasy area. It's gonna be a good time

I'm out of upvotes, but yessssssssss!