"invitation to apply" to MA program

[fj20]

As stated in Rochester thread:

I was denied admission to the PhD program but "invited to apply" to the master's program; I'm not entirely sure that this means I've actually been accepted to the latter program though. It does sound encouraging when it states that they've "been authorized to invite me to apply to the master's program so that they can offer me admission to their department as a member of the MA class." Any thoughts? More generally, what are people's thoughts on accepting tempting offers like this on the rebound, after being disappointed by PhD rejections? Isn't it a good investment to stay active in our field while we apply for next years PhD programs?

[lifealive]

I think your post makes a crucial point--this is a "rebound" offer, and we all know that doing things on the rebound is probably not best in the long run. I know that it feels encouraging after having been through a long season of torment (I think I got the exact same offer last year), but unless this MA is funded, I wouldn't jump at it. It's best to take a year and regroup and try again rather than scrambling into an unfunded MA program. You can just as easily stay active in the field by taking a graduate-level class (if possible) or continuing to do more research in your field. Next year you can always mix some applications to funded MA programs in with your PhD applications to increase your chances.

[fj20]

I think your post makes a crucial point--this is a "rebound" offer, and we all know that doing things on the rebound is probably not best in the long run. I know that it feels encouraging after having been through a long season of torment (I think I got the exact same offer last year), but unless this MA is funded, I wouldn't jump at it. It's best to take a year and regroup and try again rather than scrambling into an unfunded MA program. You can just as easily stay active in the field by taking a graduate-level class (if possible) or continuing to do more research in your field. Next year you can always mix some applications to funded MA programs in with your PhD applications to increase your chances.

good advice . . . any thoughts about the first question though, whether or not this is an actual offer of admission?

[lifealive]

good advice . . . any thoughts about the first question though, whether or not this is an actual offer of admission?

You should probably call them to find out, though it doesn't seem to be. Most programs are usually pretty explicit when it comes to offers. They'll just say you've been accepted to their MA program rather than "invited to apply." If it's the program I'm thinking of, then no, it's not an offer. They just want your money.

[fj20]

You should probably call them to find out, though it doesn't seem to be. Most programs are usually pretty explicit when it comes to offers. They'll just say you've been accepted to their MA program rather than "invited to apply." If it's the program I'm thinking of, then no, it's not an offer. They just want your money.

I don't exactly disagree with your last statement, but it seems something of a contradiction: if they just wanted my money, they would offer me admission, without caring much about my credentials. it's not like they can trick me into giving them money without actually being accepted into the program.

p.s. the program is the Master's program in English at the University of Rochester; is that the one you're thinking of?

Edited March 13, 2010 by fj20

[lifealive]

I don't exactly disagree with your last statement, but it seems something of a contradiction: if they just wanted my money, they would offer me admission, without caring much about my credentials. it's not like they can trick me into giving them money without actually being accepted into the program.

p.s. the program is the Master's program in English at the University of Rochester; is that the one you're thinking of?

I meant, perhaps, that they wanted your money as in another application fee. But as I don't know the specifics of your offer, I really have no idea.

Moreover, if you really have these unanswerable questions about the difference between an "offer" of admission and an "invitation to apply," I think it would be best if you just contact the program rather than asking a public forum and then dissecting what you perceive to be contradictory answers. I don't know the specifics of the program or of the letter you received. I'm just trying to help, not argue.

Edited March 13, 2010 by lifealive

[bluellie]

I meant, perhaps, that they wanted your money as in another application fee. But as I don't know the specifics of your offer, I really have no idea.

The U of R doesn't have an application fee. The MA program is a 1 year, unfunded program. I really have no advice to offer you, but if you do go the MA route, a one year program would be cheaper than the typical two year program.

As far as what the e-mail is about, I imagine they're asking if you want them to consider your application when they review the MA applications. It's not an offer of admission, it's an offer for a second chance. They like you enough to not reject you, so that's encouraging.

Good luck with your decision. =)

Edited March 13, 2010 by bluellie

[strokeofmidnight]

This seems to be a preannual worry every March/April.

I think whether or not it's worth it for you to pay tuition really depends on what sort of scholar you are (which is hard to evaluate, especially at this stage), what were the weaknesses in your applications...and how well suited you are for the MA program. I know of MANY students who were turned down from every PhD program, paid their way through an MA, and was wildly successful when they reapplied. For for every student who got to choose between Harvard and Berkeley (or insert your choice of schools) on their second (or third) round...there are also students who never finished the MA program, or was just as unsuccessful in future rounds. It's a gamble either way. Here's some informed speculation to consider:

Maybe go for it if...

-the MA program has strong faculty in your particular area of study. (several of Buffalo's Poetics MA students, for example, end up doing VERY well when they reapply. Regardless of where Buffalo is ranked, it's poetics program is among the best in the country--and other programs take this into account...not to mention, it shows up in the quality of SoP/WS)

-along the same times, the program has really good faculty in your field.

-You've been struggling to find a focus, and have a hard time narrowing this down on your own.

-You've been out of undergrad for a while. You feel somewhat out of touch, and think your scholarship might benefit from immersion in a graduate program

-you can see it benefiting your goals in other ways, even if you don't get into a PhD program. (for example, community college teaching is often available to those who hold MA's, though I don't know how the market for that looks at the moment)

Maybe turn it down if...

-you're senior applying for the first time. (SO many seniors that I know of fare much better in later rounds, even without an MA degree/other credentials under their belt)

-The feedback on your application (from programs, profs, or your own evaluation) suggests that it's the non-writing elements that are holding you back (say, lack of language skills for comp lit, God-awful GRE verbal scores [a 650 doesn't count!]). If this is something that you can amend on your own, don't pay for the MA. (the one exception, which probably is self-explanatory, is your undergrad GPA). Note of caution: don't overestimate the importance of the non-writing elements. While it's difficult to say exactly what schools care about which elements (unless anyone has insider info), the WS and SoP will virtually always outweigh everything else put together.

-you have an opportunity to take classes (particularly at the graduate level) in your field OUTSIDE of going through an MA (perhaps start by asking/looking at the colleges around you and/or your alma mater)

It's really a tough, tough decision. For very different reasons, both my partner and I have reapplied to PhD programs. He paid for an MA and did well. I didn't...and still did well. In this case, it was pretty clear that it was what he learned from his MA (and the much stronger WS and SoP that went with it) which got him into his dream program. In my case, I continued to work closely with my undergrad professors (even from several hundred miles away, years after I graduated)...and I've always been good at researching on my own. I was also able to take graduate-level classes without paying an MA tuition, and was lucky enough that the classes were in my field. It can work out nicely both ways...or it can be really disappointing, both ways.

Edited March 13, 2010 by strokeofmidnight

[lmiscellany]

I don't exactly disagree with your last statement, but it seems something of a contradiction: if they just wanted my money, they would offer me admission, without caring much about my credentials. it's not like they can trick me into giving them money without actually being accepted into the program.

p.s. the program is the Master's program in English at the University of Rochester; is that the one you're thinking of?

That is a good point. Judging from the results board, they have not yet sent out their decisions to those who applied only to the M.A. program. I would read the "invitation to apply" as somewhat encouraging but not a definite indication that you are accepted. They probably want to find out whether you are interested in the M.A. before making M.A. offers to help them determine whether it is worth their while to make you an offer, and which applicants they will make partially funded offers to.

Rochester's M.A. program, to take my admission to the program when I was applying for MA as a guide, will offer to remit half the tuition for a select number of M.A. candidates. My acceptance letter to the M.A. program last year offered an $18,200 scholarship. So, yes they are not wholly unfunded, but even with half the tuition shaved off it is an extremely expensive program. Maybe they offer certain students full tuition remission sometimes, I don't know.

If you are in any position to fund a Master's at Rochester, certainly it can be very helpful to stay in academia if you are intending to apply to PhD programs next year. But funding over 18K tuition (potentially twice that) plus living expenses seems impossible without a stack of external scholarships.

[lifealive]

For me, the cost of doing an unfunded MA was extremely prohibitive. In fact, an unfunded MA wasn't even an option.

Instead, I did a funded MA, and when it came time to apply to PhD programs, I managed to "trade up" about 50 spots in the rankings. I didn't pay a cent for my degree and have absolutely no debt.

To be blunt and completely unequivocal: I don't see the need to do an unfunded MA when there are plenty of programs out there willing to pay your way. Unless the MA program you're gunning for is extremely specific to your interests, then I do not think it's worth it. There is little you can get an unfunded MA program that you can't get at a funded one. A funded MA will offer opportunities for professionalization AND the qualifications to teach at a community college, and all of the other benefits that come along with getting an MA.

[fj20]

Okay, sorry to harp on this point, but, re-reading the letter I received, I'm becoming more and more convinced it's simply an offer of admission to the MA program. In addition to what I quoted, it repeats again and again phrases like, "should you elect to enter the Master's program," leading me to believe that, if I want to, I can. And it says that "they've chosen to invite me and a select number of other PhD applicants to the M.A. program." Not official, but isn't this pretty much saying I'm in?

As for whether an MA program is profitable or not, here's one other side of the question: wouldn't it be a great boost for an applicant to Rochester's phd program to have earned his or her MA at Rochester? It would certainly make the argument that you "fit in" with the department more convincing...and a LOR from a Rochester prof would probably weigh pretty heavily on the ad com.

[strokeofmidnight]

As for whether an MA program is profitable or not, here's one other side of the question: wouldn't it be a great boost for an applicant to Rochester's phd program to have earned his or her MA at Rochester? It would certainly make the argument that you "fit in" with the department more convincing...and a LOR from a Rochester prof would probably weigh pretty heavily on the ad com.

I can't help you on deciphering that letter...but before you jump to conclusions, definitely call and ask. Many programs with both terminal MA and PhD students will *not* prioritize their own MA students for the PhD...and at times, it's even harder to get into the PhD than external candidates. At other programs, the MA can be a natural "foot in the door" into the PhD program...but in any case, this isn't something that you should take for granted. Call and ask: how many MA students matriculate each year? How many graduate within 2 years? within 1 year? How many MA students are accepted into the PhD cohort? Can you speak with those individuals directly?

[EKPhrase]

I can't help you on deciphering that letter...but before you jump to conclusions, definitely call and ask. Many programs with both terminal MA and PhD students will *not* prioritize their own MA students for the PhD...and at times, it's even harder to get into the PhD than external candidates. At other programs, the MA can be a natural "foot in the door" into the PhD program...but in any case, this isn't something that you should take for granted. Call and ask: how many MA students matriculate each year? How many graduate within 2 years? within 1 year? How many MA students are accepted into the PhD cohort? Can you speak with those individuals directly?

What a great thread. My two cents: It's not always possible to get a funded MA, depending on the state you live in and where they fall in MA funding opportunities. As noted earlier, there is no "one' path to the PhD. Myself, I had two unsuccessful PhD application seasons while working on my MA. I finished this season very close to getting into 50% of my applied schools (I should update my signature but I did pretty OK.)

That is definitely, in my opinion, and offer of admission. They are asking if you are willing to change the status of your app to the MA. And lastly, I think Strokefmidnight is super right - it is sometimes harder to stay in the program. PhD programs like "fresh blood" the like diversity of perspectives that comes from successfully recruiting from out of state and international pools. BUt think of this, how set will you be to get a PhD somewhere better than Rochester if you finish their MA? It used to be the MA was for folks who didn't want the PhD. Nowadays, I think universities see it as a testing ground for their PhD recruits.

[Medievalmaniac]

Read between the lines. Not everything is as literal as people want it to be. Look at what you posted as being their words, and then LOOK at those words again.

It is clearly an offer of admission to the MA program. They are not going to charge you another application fee to be considered, if you want it, you are in. It's an emphatic and encouraging tone - somebody in the department WANTS you, but the adcomm for whatever reason can't justify you to the DGS in comparison to other candidates. They are offering you a shot, the only one they have to offer, likely because you fit well with someone in the department's work, and that somebody either is on the adcomm or has sway with the adcomm. THAT is a compliment.

You need to call the department and ask, specifically, the following questions:

1. What was it about my application that caught your eye and caused you to rethink of me as a candidate for the MA rather than the PhD?

2. Is this a conditional offer, meaning that if I do well I will be automatically admitted to the PhD program?

2. Why do you think I would benefit from completing the MA at your school?

3. How many students in the MA program continue on to complete the PhD at your school?

4. Is there the possibility of funding after the MA year of I am admitted to the PhD?

But don't automatically turn it down, not without the facts. And make sure you always read between the lines when you get missives like this - if it's not an outright acceptance or admission, there's always a lot of gray. You're an English major - time to dust off those inference skills.

Good luck!

[Aquinaplatostotlestine]

While I agree with Medievalmaniac that what they wrote does sound very promising, I think in addition to the very good list of questions provided you need to add one very simple one: are they, or are they not, guaranteeing you admission? I had an experience similar to yours this round. One of the schools I was accepted into informed me that while they could not take me into their PhD program, they were happy to let me into their M.A. (Ironically, this was supposed to have been my safety school!) However, in the email they sent me there was none of this business about "inviting me to apply." They told me straightforwardly I was in. Had they worded the email ambiguously, like yours sounds, I would have immediately emailed or called and asked for clarification. And I think that's probably what you should do too.

Best of luck with your application!

Cheers.

Edited March 13, 2010 by Aquinaplatostotlestine