UCL vs UChicago (english MA)

[indecisionqueen]

I'm hoping to get into a top-tier PhD program in English next year. I want to get an MA that will better my chances. I'm deciding between Chicago's MA in the Humanities and UCL's English Linguistics MA (which is within their English department).

-UChicago gave me a scholarship, so while it's still more expensive for me than UCL, the difference isn't huge. Both are 1-year programs.

-I'd much rather live in London than Chicago. I'm also drawn to the Linguistics focus of the UCL degree. BUT I don't want to choose UCL if PhD admissions committees in the U.S. will see it as far less prestigious.

Is UCL less likely to look good on a PhD application?

Edited March 15, 2021 by indecisionqueen

[queenofcarrotflowers]

On 3/15/2021 at 8:51 PM, indecisionqueen said:

I'm hoping to get into a top-tier PhD program in English next year. I want to get an MA that will better my chances. I'm deciding between Chicago's MA in the Humanities and UCL's English Linguistics MA (which is within their English department).

-UChicago gave me a scholarship, so while it's still more expensive for me than UCL, the difference isn't huge. Both are 1-year programs.

-I'd much rather live in London than Chicago. I'm also drawn to the Linguistics focus of the UCL degree. BUT I don't want to choose UCL if PhD admissions committees in the U.S. will see it as far less prestigious.

Is UCL less likely to look good on a PhD application?

yuppp I’m going to have to say, point blank, that if your goal is to get into a top-tier phd program you would more than likely have a better chance taking a gap year to work on your application. These partially-funded-but-still-expensive-af MAs are really not worth it, and 1 year isn’t really enough time to build a proper relationship with your professors/gain anything for the next cycle, so you’ll more than likely need to take a gap year anyways. Reputation-wise, the MAPH programme is well known in academic circles to be a cash cow (literally had multiple profs warn me against the MAPH without me even asking/applying to Chicago, lol), so it will likely hinder your application, rather than helping it. Additionally, I’ve been told that some of the top programmes (not sure how much this is still a trend) tend to prefer non-MA students. Check out some of the threads (google MAPH + grad cafe) and you’ll see what I mean, and talk to your professors about it if you haven’t already.

 

again, this is based on (a wealth of) secondhand info.