UMASS - Amherst

[TripWillis]

Okay, I just had my interview. It was pretty low key and easy. Mostly asked about my writing and teaching approaches and the challenges. Then asked me if I had questions.

I felt like I blathered ON AND ON about the curriculum in my courses. I hope they don't think I'm self-centered.

[Stately Plump]

Thanks for the info Trip. I'm sure they loved you

[Isidore]

Drove out to Amherst yesterday morning - my interviewer thought I had been scheduled for a phone interview, so I think I caught her a bit off guard when I showed up at her office door.

I think everything went pretty well, and agree with what everyone else has said about the interview being pretty low key. Trip - you're totally right about the website making one feel caught in comp/rhet hell - and I was informed that the entire week before the Fall semester begins would be "completely booked" by the teaching orientation - but since I haven't taught before, I'm glad they offer so much support and so many resources . I was assured that the program is designed to ensure the success of people like me, with no experience.

After the interview, my partner and I drove over to Northampton and absolutely FELL IN LOVE with the place. Reminds me a bit of Burlington - crunchy little town with plenty of vegetarian-friendly restaurants, theaters, vintage shops, etc.

I'm just glad I was preoccupied while Harvard was happening...

[Stately Plump]

After the interview, my partner and I drove over to Northampton and absolutely FELL IN LOVE with the place. Reminds me a bit of Burlington - crunchy little town with plenty of vegetarian-friendly restaurants, theaters, vintage shops, etc.

I'm going to try to visit the first week in March. I'm really, really excited to see the campus/surrounding area. The visits there and at BU are definitely going to contribute to my decision. I think Amherst/Northampton would be awesome places to live.

[Stately Plump]

Everyone has probably already had their interviews, but I just had mine. It went really well; like people said, it was super laid-back and casual. We talked for the first 10 minutes about the writing sample I sent them, and the lady (I can't remember her name...) was excited to talk about early modern stuff, which was fine by me. She eventually asked a little about my experiences, then a bit about how I write and how I hope to help others write, stuff like that. There weren't any questions that I felt completely unprepared for.

I think it went well. Like TripWillis, I had the feeling that I was babbling on about nothing. Hopefully they like me, but if not, I hope someone on here gets my spot if they need it!

[anxious_aspirant]

Does anyone know if/when UMass has a weekend for admitted students? I want to save my emails to Clingman for afterward, if there is one, so it doesn't seem I'm banging down his door to be let in. Also just anticipating he'd know more by then.

Thanks!

[TripWillis]

Does anyone know if/when UMass has a weekend for admitted students? I want to save my emails to Clingman for afterward, if there is one, so it doesn't seem I'm banging down his door to be let in. Also just anticipating he'd know more by then.

Thanks!

No, we're all just scheduling individual visits.

[anxious_aspirant]

Okay, thanks! Just checking. Hope you all enjoy my state

[Stately Plump]

So, I went to visit today. Lemme say--I was really, really impressed. I had a great time, and it definitely made the choice between there and BU much more difficult (before I had been leaning heavily toward BU).

I visited only with Renaissance faculty and students, so I can only speak to that. I don't know if what I'm going to say applies to the other subfields.

I met first with Arthur Kinney (who is among the biggest names in Renaissance studies). He was incredibly nice and helpful. He was really, really interested in hearing about my interests and my thoughts, and was incredibly easy to talk to. He genuinely wanted me in their program, and was willing to offer support that I hadn't read about elsewhere on the website (funding via RA position working for the journal ELR, e.g.). I met then with another professor, Jane Degenhardt. She was very personable, and we talked almost exclusively about my research interests and what I might be interested in pursuing as a graduate student. She talked about the resources available at UMass, and especially about the very personal (though professional and helpful) relationships between faculty and students. Next I had lunch with some graduate students, and they were really helpful, really nice, and really informative. They talked a lot about the relationships that develop between students in the grad program; they said they are very collegial, there is no competition between graduate students (for funding, faculty resources, etc.), and they all seemed genuinely interested in what I wanted to do. They continually asked me about my own potential research interests, and they seemed like they really wanted me to join them at UMass. They mentioned that the work load was not overwhelming, and they always felt like they had enough time to complete their own work, as well as teach (they teach 1/2 the first year, then 2/1 after that; they do two years in the writing program before TAing, and then finally developing their own general courses). Several of them went out of their way to make sure they met me at some point before I left. I then met with Drs. Joseph Black and Stephen Clingman, as well as with Wanda Bak. They were all just as friendly in person as many of us have attested them to be in their emails. All of the faculty I met with knew my name (they knew I was coming, but still, there was no, "Oh, who are you again?"). They all knew I was interested in the Renaissance, and some even remembered some of my more specific interests. I then hung out with some graduate students again for a few hours, and got a tour of Amherst and Northhampton. Again, the students were friendly and really wanted me to join them. In many ways, I felt like I was already part of the community over there, despite only being there for the day today. I really did get the sense that they have a veritable community.

I could very, very easily see myself as part of that community, both as a professional scholar and as an individual.

Like I said, this applies to the Renaissance group; I didn't meet any professors (outside of Dr. Clingman) who were outside the Renaissance field, and I met no graduate students outside the field.

Overall, I had an entirely positive experience. I really can't say enough good things about my day. It made my decision much, much more difficult. As of now, pre-BU visit, I'm leaning heavily towards UMass, due solely to my experience today.

Hope this helps some people. If anyone has more questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them

Also, got me really excited to be in grad school

Edited March 7, 2012 by Stately Plump

[Hogs of War]

I went to UMass for Undergrad. I hope to go to UMass for my Masters. That being said, the vast majority of English classes and offices are in Bartlett. I love the school, faculty, and buildings. . . But man, Bartlett just doesn't know how to be a comfortable temperature. Way too cold in the Winter (about 55-60) and way too hot in the late Spring (at the whim of the outside temp. . . been as hot as 95+)

I would never second guess anything about UMass, but that building is my mortal enemy.

[TripWillis]

So, I went to visit today. Lemme say--I was really, really impressed. I had a great time, and it definitely made the choice between there and BU much more difficult (before I had been leaning heavily toward BU).

I visited only with Renaissance faculty and students, so I can only speak to that. I don't know if what I'm going to say applies to the other subfields.

I met first with Arthur Kinney (who is among the biggest names in Renaissance studies). He was incredibly nice and helpful. He was really, really interested in hearing about my interests and my thoughts, and was incredibly easy to talk to. He genuinely wanted me in their program, and was willing to offer support that I hadn't read about elsewhere on the website (funding via RA position working for the journal ELR, e.g.). I met then with another professor, Jane Degenhardt. She was very personable, and we talked almost exclusively about my research interests and what I might be interested in pursuing as a graduate student. She talked about the resources available at UMass, and especially about the very personal (though professional and helpful) relationships between faculty and students. Next I had lunch with some graduate students, and they were really helpful, really nice, and really informative. They talked a lot about the relationships that develop between students in the grad program; they said they are very collegial, there is no competition between graduate students (for funding, faculty resources, etc.), and they all seemed genuinely interested in what I wanted to do. They continually asked me about my own potential research interests, and they seemed like they really wanted me to join them at UMass. They mentioned that the work load was not overwhelming, and they always felt like they had enough time to complete their own work, as well as teach (they teach 1/2 the first year, then 2/1 after that; they do two years in the writing program before TAing, and then finally developing their own general courses). Several of them went out of their way to make sure they met me at some point before I left. I then met with Drs. Joseph Black and Stephen Clingman, as well as with Wanda Bak. They were all just as friendly in person as many of us have attested them to be in their emails. All of the faculty I met with knew my name (they knew I was coming, but still, there was no, "Oh, who are you again?"). They all knew I was interested in the Renaissance, and some even remembered some of my more specific interests. I then hung out with some graduate students again for a few hours, and got a tour of Amherst and Northhampton. Again, the students were friendly and really wanted me to join them. In many ways, I felt like I was already part of the community over there, despite only being there for the day today. I really did get the sense that they have a veritable community.

I could very, very easily see myself as part of that community, both as a professional scholar and as an individual.

Like I said, this applies to the Renaissance group; I didn't meet any professors (outside of Dr. Clingman) who were outside the Renaissance field, and I met no graduate students outside the field.

Overall, I had an entirely positive experience. I really can't say enough good things about my day. It made my decision much, much more difficult. As of now, pre-BU visit, I'm leaning heavily towards UMass, due solely to my experience today.

Hope this helps some people. If anyone has more questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them

Also, got me really excited to be in grad school

Wow, SP, you're really making me look forward to my visit at the end of the month! How exciting!

[poeteer]

Ohhh, I am happy to hear they were feeling okay teaching 2:1 and taking courses. That's the situation I'm looking at right now (unless some other funding happens either before I come, or while I'm there) and I was a bit worried about the 2-course semesters, because during my MFA I only taught 1:1. While I teach 2, I'm only supposed to take 2 (and then when I teach 1, take 3), so that sounds okay. But I still wonder what that end-of-semester crunch will be like. Did they elaborate on how they balance teaching with coursework?

[anxious_aspirant]

Thanks for the update, Stately. Sounds awesome - though I'm not a Renaissance person, I'll take your observations as indicative of the overall dept. I've emailed some professors whose work interests me and might fit well with mine, and they've been very gracious & willing to share. I've been really happy with all of my interviews/conversations/etc. with UMass.

Here's to hoping that some of those 10-15 other acceptees decline their offers so we can be cohort-mates.

@Hogs of War - I do agree about the temp thing...I went in Feb, and Bartlett was about eight thousand degrees. My interviewer even apologized for it. Small price to pay, I guess, for an inclusive & caring faculty!

[ComeBackZinc]

The thing to remember about teaching two courses is that, if you're teaching two sections of the same course and using the same syllabus, it's much, much easier than teaching two separate courses. I've done both, and there's just no comparison. The grading is intimidating when you have twice as many papers, but you learn to manage that. Obviously workload and teaching requirements are very important to consider when making your choices, but I would encourage anyone to not think of a 2-1 load as an unworkable burden.

[Stately Plump]

But I still wonder what that end-of-semester crunch will be like. Did they elaborate on how they balance teaching with coursework?

Actually, one student was talking a bit about this. He made a really good point: when we were freshmen in undergrad, we wouldn't have been able to handle the workload we would eventually handle as seniors. Similarly, you learn to adapt and manage the workload as a graduate student. He was saying that, while it can be intimidating initially, you learn very quickly how to manage your time. He was saying that he breaks up his day: he might read for two hours, take a short break, grade for two hours, eat something, read for another two hours, go to class, etc.

I made sure to ask everyone I spoke to specifically about the workload. No one mentioned it being overwhelming at all.

[anxious_aspirant]

Does anyone know the placement stats for UMass grads & TT positions, etc? I remember someone in some thread (specific, I know) posting a link to find such stats for schools. I'd be curious.

[Stately Plump]

Does anyone know the placement stats for UMass grads & TT positions, etc? I remember someone in some thread (specific, I know) posting a link to find such stats for schools. I'd be curious.

I know their website is not up to date with that information. Dr. Joseph Black, who is their assistant director (and soon to be director) of graduate studies, showed me their official placement list. He is trying to get that information on the website, and would probably be happy to share it with you. If you go there to visit, be sure to ask him to see it.

One piece of advice, which came from a professor there: get published as a graduate student. She was saying that she was recently on a committee to hire a new faculty member, and she said that probably only 10% of applicants had a publication in a major journal, which obviously drastically increases your chances. She was saying that, while having a publication was not necessarily a prerequisite, they were almost certainly not going to hire someone with no publications over someone with a publication in a big name journal.

[TripWillis]

Got a couple of pretty interesting e-mails from Amherst today. Anyone else get those?

[jma310]

Nope, but I'm on the waitlist. Care to expound?

[TripWillis]

Nope, but I'm on the waitlist. Care to expound?

They are being very generous and courteous. I shall say no more!

[Isidore]

Got a couple of pretty interesting e-mails from Amherst today. Anyone else get those?

Intriguing... do elaborate! I didn't get any.

And Stately, thanks so much for sharing about your visit! I was on campus for my interview with the Writing Program, but had to leave almost immediately after due to a family event. (I think I spent more time in Northampton that day than on the UMass campus.) I really want to plan a day-long visit, but have been putting it off due to some craziness at work. Now I feel like I really should force myself to find the time to go. I certainly think about it enough...

I haven't really been in touch with anyone from the department - I'm really new to this, and I guess I'm wondering what to ask, or what I would talk to faculty about, at this early stage (???) I feel kind of dumb wondering; maybe I'm still in disbelief that anyone in the department is actually interested in my work.

It's great to hear that the graduate students are so happy, and not overwhelmed! I was a bit nervous about the whole TA thing, since I've never taught a course before, but after researching their writing program and interviewing, I feel like there is ample support for new grad students/TOs. I'm sure that if I were entering with my MA, or had some teaching experience, their week-long training program would seem like a drag, but as a rookie, I'm actually pretty happy about it.

[Stately Plump]

Got a couple of pretty interesting e-mails from Amherst today. Anyone else get those?

I didn't? Hmm... Now you've made me curious...

I haven't really been in touch with anyone from the department - I'm really new to this, and I guess I'm wondering what to ask, or what I would talk to faculty about, at this early stage (???) I feel kind of dumb wondering; maybe I'm still in disbelief that anyone in the department is actually interested in my work.

It's great to hear that the graduate students are so happy, and not overwhelmed! I was a bit nervous about the whole TA thing, since I've never taught a course before, but after researching their writing program and interviewing, I feel like there is ample support for new grad students/TOs. I'm sure that if I were entering with my MA, or had some teaching experience, their week-long training program would seem like a drag, but as a rookie, I'm actually pretty happy about it.

I found it very easy to talk with all the professors. We talked about my potential research interests, though nothing too specific. They were all very understanding, and all said that part of the point of the graduate experience is to explore and to learn what really interests you. One of the Renaissance professors even said that if I got there and found out that I was really more interested in studying American lit, there wouldn't be any pressure on me to stay in the Renaissance, and that that was part of the point, that you explore a bit. Part of my positive experience was that the professors were so interested to talk to me, and I could sense how supportive they were, even from talking with them for half an hour.

I also second your points about the preparation; I've never taught before, and the pre-teaching prep they have is definitely encouraging.

I will say that one girl I spoke with, who already had an MA and had taught before, mentioned that she wasn't crazy about teaching in the Writing Program her first semester, because she said she had to follow their guidelines more than she would have liked. She said that after the first semester, there was much more freedom to teach how she wanted, but for that first one, she really had to follow the syllabus they had laid out. That's fine by me, because, as mentioned, I've never taught before, and need all the help I can get. But for people who have taught, it's something to consider.

[TripWillis]

I didn't? Hmm... Now you've made me curious...

I found it very easy to talk with all the professors. We talked about my potential research interests, though nothing too specific. They were all very understanding, and all said that part of the point of the graduate experience is to explore and to learn what really interests you. One of the Renaissance professors even said that if I got there and found out that I was really more interested in studying American lit, there wouldn't be any pressure on me to stay in the Renaissance, and that that was part of the point, that you explore a bit. Part of my positive experience was that the professors were so interested to talk to me, and I could sense how supportive they were, even from talking with them for half an hour.

I also second your points about the preparation; I've never taught before, and the pre-teaching prep they have is definitely encouraging.

I will say that one girl I spoke with, who already had an MA and had taught before, mentioned that she wasn't crazy about teaching in the Writing Program her first semester, because she said she had to follow their guidelines more than she would have liked. She said that after the first semester, there was much more freedom to teach how she wanted, but for that first one, she really had to follow the syllabus they had laid out. That's fine by me, because, as mentioned, I've never taught before, and need all the help I can get. But for people who have taught, it's something to consider.

Honestly, when it comes to teaching comp, I think I'd like having someone else do the syllabus and writing prompts for me. The less preparatory stuff that's on me while I'm doing coursework, the better it would seem. Developing a syllabus, writing prompts, lesson plans, etc. takes up a lot of time, but it seems like the Writing Program streamlines everything for their fellows. Neat. Maybe a little constraining, but whatever.

BTW, see my PM, stately.

Edited March 8, 2012 by TripWillis

[Lyrus]

Does anyone know when TOships in the writing programme will be announced? I had thought the date would have been last Friday, but I haven't heard anything from UMass, so I suspect I've made an error.

[TripWillis]

Does anyone know when TOships in the writing programme will be announced? I had thought the date would have been last Friday, but I haven't heard anything from UMass, so I suspect I've made an error.

In my interview they said that they start notifying as soon as March 9th, but throughout the month, and that we'd know by the end of March.