1Q84

Another Ontarioan! I'm an admit to the program. PM me if you want to talk!

I reckon committee chairs would, at last resort, leave a message. I can't imagine they're thinking "Well, Unimpressed3D didn't pick up their phone so I guess they're not Columbia material."

Update: all went well and my advisor was very supportive and made things not awkward. Hooray!

FWIW: my journey to my dream program has been a tumultuous one! I was rejected across the board two years in a row when I applied to MA programs straight out of undergrad (in Canada). I gave up hope on the grad school dream and took some crap jobs, went to teach overseas, grew as a person, did a teaching degree, etc. Then, tired of working food service jobs, I spent an entire year prepping, making sure that my WS and rest of my app would be up to date and speaking to what's going on in current lit scholarship, and applied again to US MA programs. Got in, and now, 8 years since that spate of world-crumbling rejections, I'm super happy to be where I am. 8 years might seem scary and not-comforting to those hoping to get into programs now. Despite occasionally wishing I had gotten through my Ph.D. program many years ago, I'm so glad I got to tajeke that long break. Anyway, it's great you all are being proactive and working on your Plan B's. I think the most important things are to not push getting into grad school if it's not the right time and also really giving yourself the time and space to have a singular focus on prepping your apps.

I was called by the adcomm chair and told I was on the wait list. On another one, I was told that I received a spot in the incoming cohort but that there were financial issues to sort out; no 'wait list' there but then a follow up email (from another person in the department) did use the words 'wait list' so I was a bit confused. I had been corresponding with these folks in person for a while, though, so that may be why it was different. I'd assume that any, more official email that comes in would have to use the words "wait list". No sense in being coy about it and causing worried grad students to bombard the grad admin with nervous emails.

Looking forward to meeting other USC admits in March!

You're right. I think I'm just really awkward. I thought I was being very professional when I turned down an offer from a school by giving a professional reason but the POI that had been trying to recruit me took it completely the wrong way and sent back a snippy email. I've been paranoid ever since.

Thank you for the wonderful advice. I was thinking along these lines but was hoping for some confirmation. Just to clarify, Dept B is at the same university as Dept A (even within the same college). Opposite ends of campus, but I can imagine I might have to run into Dept A folks at some point or another. Really hoping it'll be okay and not awkward for that reason too.

Okay, I know, this is yet another transfer question but mine is definitely less fraught than other people's situations, for which I'm quite thankful. Anyway, here's the situation: I was accepted into an adjacent department (Dept B.) to my own (Dept A). I was waiting on funding news but just received word that I'll have the exact same funding package as my Dept A. The placement rates are far better in Dept B than A. I connect with the methodology, faculty, and administrative requirements (fields reqs, etc.) in Dept B. I guess my question is more of an affective one. I feel terrible about having to tell my advisor in Dept A that I'm leaving. He's been great and very nice but also a little distant. But he was also the chair of the adcomm when I was accepted into Dept A and I really feel like he gave me a chance by putting me on the wait list instead of outright rejecting me so I feel like I "owe" him something. I almost feel like I'm betraying that vote of confidence by leaving Dept A. So how the hell should I approach this?! I feel wracked by guilt already. I'm also concerned about whether or not this will have any impact on him. He's long-tenured and is the Provost's Professor, so pretty well regarded in the college. I don't want this to look negatively on him that one of his students "jumped ship" or something. Someone convince me that I'm not doing anything to 'hurt' his rep. Other than that, I'm so pumped to join Dept B. They're just super tight knit and collegial and family like, which is completely absent from Dept A. I just need to get over this terrible, traumatic hurdle first. Any interpersonal advice is much appreciated!

Yes, I'd go. And be glad you were invited! Not all schools invite their wait listees to their visit days (I wasn't!)

I feel for you folks still waiting. I'm currently in a waiting boat myself... and last year I had to wait until April until I got my acceptance of choice (wait listed). I'm imagining we're all a little Troy right now...

Would be glad to answer some questions about USC to those recently admitted! In person during campus tour day or over the phone. PM me!

I just wanted to drop in and say I heard back from USC's ASE department. I'm in a special situation, though, so I'm not sure if they've decided or sent out other notifications yet. I did hear that there's 6-9 candidates who will be invited to recruitment. Good luck to all who applied!

USC's English program also has more years of fellowship than teaching now, a change that I understand just took place this past year.

Heard from the person who entered last year's acceptance on 1/17 that that ASE made their calls early last year. You might have a bit more to wait this time!

Oh man. Same. I thank the gods for US alcohol prices whenever I crack open a beer after a long day on campus. Alcohol sales are regulated by the province in Ontario, so it's basically a government monopoly! Lots of controversy over that in Toronto recently. I haven't had to downgrade my lifestyle really but that's because I was just getting by even before my graduate program. I'm actually making more than I ever have on my stipend (sad, right?). In some ways, I'm actually able to "live" a bit more than before, like with booze.

As the first recipient of an acceptance this cycle, I do believe you get to start this year's acceptances thread! Exciting!

Quiet, you fool... she'll hear you!

That being said, also be aware of politics and the atmosphere of your current department. I know that faculty and department leaders should be looking out for your best interests but there are always folks who don't see it that way. I'd do a lot of exploratory work first and put out feelers to people that you know you can trust. In the end, I don't think anyone is expecting you to sacrifice your future for your department, especially in an MA program, so you should definitely do what's right for you.

I feel you. I don't have any consoles but I did re-download Steam to play some Half-Life after I submit my papers by this Wednesday (actually, did one yesterday, got one today, and then the last on Wednesday. What a sprint!) The supposed Half-Life 3 rumors got me all hot and bothered! Totally agreed It's nice seeing all of us who suffered through app season last year doing our thing in our programs! I don't really have an "achievement" per se either but I've always worried about the less tangible aspects of the program before I entered, namely making connections with colleagues and professors (probably because I was so bad at it in my undergrad career.) Luckily, I've found some amazing faculty who not only make me feel good about my work but happy about life as an academic in general. I'm so grateful to have found them and to get their support. The colleague situation has been a little weird but I've been able to find some very great people outside of my department so I feel affectively great at the end of my first semester!

Hey! I had similar questions when I was writing my MA SOP so you're not alone. I ended up writing something that should've been used for Ph.D. apps but it worked out anyway. As for your questions: - You seem to be on the right track for research question specificity. You want to show that you have a direction and that you're curious and keen to look into a certain field. I would say that you should at least propose what you'd like to look at in terms of "responses to politics and social institutions" because that's pretty vague. I also think it's absolutely critical to read up on your proposed area of research and find out what the most up-to-date trends and theories are. You don't want to be applying thinking that you're being a cutting edge New Historicist or something. - It's good you mention that your end goal is getting into a Ph.D. program because that's important (of course, many folks get an MA with the intent to teach in CCs after). I'm not entirely sure I would emphasize wanting to strengthen my foundation in the canon, though. I say this first because I don't think MAs are for widening the scope of one's learning but whittling it down to find a specialty for your Ph.D. program (not to say that you won't be reading widely, but I wouldn't lead with that) and secondly because I find mentioning issues of canonicity to be pretty "out", unless of course your study will be to question or rethink the canon (but even that issue is kind of dated.) - If you have teaching experience (or any kind of instructional experience), mention it if you're applying for those TAships. Though you don't really choose faculty that you hope will "adopt" you or with whom you'd like to work in an MA, a fit paragraph is still pretty essential. There's been raging debates on this forum about whether or not you should name professors, so that's up to your discretion but I would absolutely do research on the department ethos, specialties, and focuses so that you can explain in the fit paragraph why exactly you would contribute to the department and vice versa. Lemme know if you have anymore questions!

It's been an unusually quiet app cohort this year, hasn't it?

Just wanted to come back and say thank you for this. I am now in love with this font and don't know how I ever typed anything in TNR.

Yay for ProfLorax!!!