0% Confidence of Acceptance

[squire_western]

Doing good work and presenting it and publishing work that you can get behind can never hurt you. Presenting the same paper at three different conferences just to make your CV longer (which people have done in the past, trust me)? Not gonna do you much good.

 

Perhaps the grammatical construction wasn't great. Here's the real straw man, though, haters: no one talked about little conferences, repeating papers at conferences, or any other of the actual straw man arguments presented in your sophomoric little post. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated (again, actually do the reading) that comments here have suggested that getting an MA can lead to an academic position. And that's what I'm trying to guard against, having seen it not go well for so many people in the past. 

 

And FWIW, I've been accepted to a program, so you can drop the sanctimonious posturing in your replies. 

[squire_western]

AH! I ment to upvote -- sry! (upvoted above to make up for it)! 

 

I feel especially bad because you just mentioned being down voted =(

 

 

Edit: I'm assuming that the CV building is legit.... if you go to an MA program, participate in conferences, teach, etc. I'd assume that one's CV would expand into a more impressive document simply by virtue of being involved in such things.

 

I would've upvoted this, but am out of upvotes for the day . If I ever return to gradcafe, I'll vote you up!

[dazedandbemused]

And FWIW, I've been accepted to a program, so you can drop the sanctimonious posturing in your replies. 

 

Well, lucky you. I'm super excited.

 

I'm just trying to represent possible reasons why people would say that padding wouldn't help, but I'm glad you find me so sophomoric. I swear to god, when did trying to be reasonable/pleasant on the internet become such a chore?

[squire_western]

 I swear to god, when did trying to be reasonable/pleasant on the internet become such a chore?

 

Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. 

[lisajay]

This is one of the posts I was originally responding to. With an MA you can teach at community college. And trust me, it sucks. If you want no guarantee of full time work or even consistent part time work, then by all means, work at your local community college. Of course you can get a full time gig at a community college--but you can't bank on it! Meanwhile, how do you cobble together a living? It is tough. Also, being an independent scholar without funding, financial assistance or research tools is also tough! If you work full time at a non-university job, you might find that being a scholar is not high on your priority list. One of my original points is simply that I would not wish the struggle of being an adjunct on someone with academic aspirations. And my other point is that I have gone through the writing, working, presenting, networking, kick/scratch/clawing, and I'm wondering if it might have been fruitless.

 

my post was specifically responding to another poster who was lamenting the alleged "fact" that one rejection meant that s/he would no longer be able to do what it was that s/he wants to do. if you read my post in its entirety, you will see that, with respect to teaching, i explicitly mention that not getting into a phd program *is an obstacle*—nowhere did i say that you should just get an MA & be done with it. however, you are correct in noting that i did not explicitly state that teaching at the community college/state university level can be a good way to improve your application package/move toward your goal of obtaining a phd & being a professor at a university. however, that was my intent. mea culpa.

 

@pepperthedog: love that you bemoan the mob downvoting you when you downvoted me posting rushmore gifs, which had everything to do with the fact that (a) ImWantHazPhD & i both love rushmore, per another thread & ( there was a clear lack of reading comprehension skills in evidence in the page or so of posts prior & had nothing whatsoever to do with anything you said or didn't say. but whatevs.

 

back @thatjewishgirl, re: being an independent scholar, yeah, it *is* tough, hence the "kick/scratch/claw" reference. FWIW, i'm getting my MA, working full-time, presenting at conferences, & volunteering on the side. i also read & grade papers for a local community college. nowhere in my post did i ever say that any of this is easy. but if you want it bad enough, you suck it up & you do what needs to be done.

 

the motivation behind my original post was simply to help someone get a little perspective about why one rejection from one phd program was not the end of the world. that's it.

Edited February 8, 2013 by lisajay

[bluecheese]

Yeah, I don't get where all of this hostility is coming from/going (from all directions)--it's just a practical discussion. Type some stuff, drink some cold beer, look at cat memes. Whatever. Chill.

[lisajay]

Yeah, I don't get where all of this hostility is coming from/going (from all directions)--it's just a practical discussion. Type some stuff, drink some cold beer, look at cat memes. Whatever. Chill.

 

thank you! said it before, & i'll say it again: you're mah boy, blue[cheese]!

 

ETA: speaking of which, i'm enjoying some lovely newcastle & stella myself this evening. yum!

Edited February 8, 2013 by lisajay

[champagne]

Hey, you!

 

Did you not become a bemoaning cynic after getting your BA in English? Well, have I got a trick for you:

 

THE INTERNET!

[chaucerettescs]

[t1racyjacks]

lisajay: I just must say that I teach and I think you're fucking awesome to be managing this all at the same time. I can't imagine doing the same. You are incredibly capable.

[thatjewishgirl]

my post was specifically responding to another poster who was lamenting the alleged "fact" that one rejection meant that s/he would no longer be able to do what it was that s/he wants to do. if you read my post in its entirety, you will see that, with respect to teaching, i explicitly mention that not getting into a phd program *is an obstacle*—nowhere did i say that you should just get an MA & be done with it. however, you are correct in noting that i did not explicitly state that teaching at the community college/state university level can be a good way to improve your application package/move toward your goal of obtaining a phd & being a professor at a university. however, that was my intent. mea culpa.

 

@pepperthedog: love that you bemoan the mob downvoting you when you downvoted me posting rushmore gifs, which had everything to do with the fact that (a) ImWantHazPhD & i both love rushmore, per another thread & ( there was a clear lack of reading comprehension skills in evidence in the page or so of posts prior & had nothing whatsoever to do with anything you said or didn't say. but whatevs.

 

back @thatjewishgirl, re: being an independent scholar, yeah, it *is* tough, hence the "kick/scrach/claw" reference. FWIW, i'm getting my MA, working full-time, presenting at conferences, & volunteering on the side. i also read & grade papers for a local community college. nowhere in my post did i ever say that any of this is easy. but if you want it bad enough, you suck it up & you do what needs to be done.

 

the motivation behind my original post was simply to help someone get a little perspective about why one rejection from one phd program was not the end of the world. that's it.

 

I understand you. But can you not also see my point that it might all be fruitless? I don't think I said anything to warrant such hostility from you. I guess I just wanted to complain about my rejection. It does hurt to feel like I have worked really hard and done all of the things you are doing to no end.

[bfat]

Dag, yo. Step out of a forum to teach a couple classes and shit hits the fan.

 

[asleepawake]

I do appreciate you saying I sound like a good candidate. I have really tried! And I would like to say that I don't think you can do CV building--conference papers and publications and the like--without learning how to craft a successful writing sample and statement of purpose. My original post was just expressing my anxiety about going down the adjunct rabbit hole once you've completed an MA! I think I saw that someone said something about independent scholarship... It is frightfully hard to work at 3 schools as an adjunct or teach high school and try to complete the scholarship required in this field.

 

Oh, I agree with most of this. There are not enough PhD spots for all the MAs and there are not enough jobs for all the PhDs.  There are other paths to take from the MA besides the PhD. I guess I meant that for the really devoted who do not have an MA but who get locked out from PhDs this year, the MA might be worthwhile. It is not a guarantee and I hope I didn't represent it as one. Spending too much money on one can have some bad consequences, so don't do it on a whim. But funded time to read and write is worth it, in my opinion, even if it doesn't lead to the exact outcome you want.. 

[practical cat]

Well, lucky you. I'm super excited.

 

I'm just trying to represent possible reasons why people would say that padding wouldn't help, but I'm glad you find me so sophomoric. I swear to god, when did trying to be reasonable/pleasant on the internet become such a chore?

Stay gold, dazedandbemused, stay gold.

[lisajay]

lisajay: I just must say that I teach and I think you're fucking awesome to be managing this all at the same time. I can't imagine doing the same. You are incredibly capable.

 

i think you're fucking awesome for going through this process just like the rest of us. try to keep your chin up, that's all! as someone else pointed out elsewhere, it's not over until the fat lady sings, & even then it's not over, cos there's next year. & the year after that. & the year after that...

 

also, re: berkeley's cohort size in another thread, yeah, it is one of the larger programs. whereas most UC's have a cohort of 6-10 or so, my understanding is that cal's is more like 20-25. really curious who your POI is, just cos i did my undergrad there. fingers & toes crossed for you!

[asleepawake]

That said, anything short of fully funded is just not an option for me financially so the privileging of the MA is disheartening to say the least.

 

Many MAs are funded. I would not have attended mine if it had not been. I don't advocate going into debt for the MA in most cases. That said, a lot of MAs are not funded, so privileging of the degree in and of itself is certainly problematic.  

 

The usefulness of the MA may not apply to those of you who have very successful focused undergraduate records in English. Mine was more of a hodgepodge, so the MA has really, really helped me to figure out what I want to do and how to do it. 

[practical cat]

Many MAs are funded. I would not have attended mine if it had not been. I don't advocate going into debt for the MA in most cases. That said, a lot of MAs are not funded, so privileging of the degree in and of itself is certainly problematic.  

 

The usefulness of the MA may not apply to those of you who have very successful focused undergraduate records in English. Mine was more of a hodgepodge, so the MA has really, really helped me to figure out what I want to do and how to do it. 

I'm certainly not denying that some are funded, but most are not fully and I can't realistically justify adding to my student debt in any way. It is not a viable option for everyone and it has unfortunately been treated as such in this thread.

Is a funded MA something I will consider if I strike out this year? Yes but it was also something I weighed this year and I decided to gamble on my undergrad record. I think most of us who are applying with just the BA have at least thought about it. This is not at all directed at you, asleepawake, but I don't always appreciate the excessive concern over the lack of the MA that is often exhibited here. Again, disheartening.

[dazedandbemused]

I'm certainly not denying that some are funded, but most are not fully and I can't realistically justify adding to my student debt in any way. It is not a viable option for everyone and it has unfortunately been treated as such in this thread.

Is a funded MA something I will consider if I strike out this year? Yes but it was also something I weighed this year and I decided to gamble on my undergrad record. I think most of us who are applying with just the BA have at least thought about it. This is not at all directed at you, asleepawake, but I don't always appreciate the excessive concern over the lack of the MA that is often exhibited here. Again, disheartening.

 

Another problem is that even when schools fund their MA students, the stipends are almost always dismal. I mean, I don't exactly live rich, but I certainly couldn't live on some of the MA stipends that I've seen without getting a job of some kind. I almost took one of my consolation MA offers last year, but now I'm so glad I didn't because my debt is already pretty unfortunate. I was lucky to have known I wanted a degree in English from the beginning, so I started taking junior seminars in my freshman year and I actually managed to take classes in pretty much every specialization. However, I'm still at least marginally worried about my no-name degree.

[asleepawake]

I know you don't mean just me specifically, but in case, I definitely never meant to express "concern" over anyone's lack of an MA. In fact, I've seen discussions elsewhere (including on this forum) that have suggested that in some cases an MA can make you a less desirable candidate. As we know, some schools admit almost entirely BAs while others require the MA. They're different paths. I just meant that it might be an option for some (not all). I have no idea why this discussion has become so intense, but I apologize if any of it was the fault of careless comments I made that made it sound like the MA is necessary or feasible for everyone--but, just as the MA may not be feasible for everyone, neither are a lot of things we suggest all the time: taking a year off, applying to more schools, etc. My advice isn't gospel, and it's probably wrong a lot of the time. All I know is that the MA has helped me a lot, and that I personally was not ready for a Phd when I finished my BA. A lot of people get more out of their BA than I did--I wasn't even an English major, so that is part of it. 

Edited February 8, 2013 by asleepawake

[asleepawake]

The stipends are almost always dismal. 

 

Well, this is absolutely true.

[Phil Sparrow]

If you plan on pursuing a PhD of course getting an MA  is a good idea 

 

Not accurate.

[Deadinthewater]

This topic interests me because I have been accepted at Buffalo, implicitly rejected at NYU and Chicago (my #1), and I'm wondering whether, in the case that my other schools don't pan out, should I accept a funded MA offer and try for a top-tier school again in two years, or take Buffalo (still a pretty good program) now?

 

I don't expect a yes/no answer to this question, just wondering if anyone else perhaps has had similar moments of indecision...

 

or no response is cool, too.

[kaputzing]

Another problem is that even when schools fund their MA students, the stipends are almost always dismal. I mean, I don't exactly live rich, but I certainly couldn't live on some of the MA stipends that I've seen without getting a job of some kind.

 

I never realized exactly how dismal the stipends were until my brother got offered a $5000 annual stipend today from a Masters program.

[Porridge]

This topic interests me because I have been accepted at Buffalo, implicitly rejected at NYU and Chicago (my #1), and I'm wondering whether, in the case that my other schools don't pan out, should I accept a funded MA offer and try for a top-tier school again in two years, or take Buffalo (still he pa pretty good program) now?

 

I don't expect a yes/no answer to this question, just wondering if anyone else perhaps has had similar moments of indecision...

 

or no response is cool, too.

 

What's your area of expertise? Presumably it's not poetics/poetry because Buffalo is so well placed in that area.

 

Top tier schools are not everything. Maybe it's because I am an International that these things do not matter so much to me, but what motivated all my decisions were the people I wish to work with. You will not believe the number of significant scholars working at less than prestigious schools. 

 

But that's my opinion and certainly the opinion I received from other academics. Would be interesting to hear what other people say.

[Deadinthewater]

What's your area of expertise? Presumably it's not poetics/poetry because Buffalo is so well placed in that area.

 

I am modern/postmodernism, aesthetics, realism/representation. Don't get me wrong, I like Buffalo, and I like a few of the professors there a lot. I appreciate your response.