Anyone NOT taking up Indiana, Bloomington? (Victorianists)

[coffeecurls1]

Anyone who is thinking of foregoing their offer to Bloomington, (Victorian Studies specialization)? I have been waitlisted, and have offers at other universities. but i am very interested in Bloomington, and it would be great if a Victorianist who decides to decline the offer, can let me know.

[royo0210]

Hi Coffee Curls1! I am a Victorianist, and recently got an offer from Indiana--Bloomington that I will definitely be turning down. I am currently waitlisted for a first-year funding package, and was guaranteed a TAship after that for five years. Hopefully my spot goes to you! I haven't officially turned down the offer, but I will soon.

[coffeecurls1]

@Royo-- WOW! this is fabulous! just sent you a PM.

[WendyMoira]

royo- wow! impressive list. Congratulations on all of your stellar acceptances.

coffeecurls--where else did you apply? I'm a Victorianist, too, but my specific interests seem to make me an oddball. Care to share? I haven't heard anything from Indiana (assuming it's a rejection), but I'm curious in general.

[coffeecurls1]

@aeplo- sure.. UCLA, CUNY,NYU, Brandeis, Berkeley, Penn, Chicago, UVA, Michigan..and Indiana, Bloomington

Edited March 10, 2012 by coffeecurls1

[WendyMoira]

Did one of you guys decline? Because I JUST GOT AN ACCEPTANCE EMAIL! Or rather, a "congratulations, you're off the wait-list-you-didn't-know-you-were-on" email. Happy dance!

[coffeecurls1]

aeplo-- wow! im still on the waitlist-- so this must have been someone else. Many congratulations -- have you decided on taking this up?

[WendyMoira]

sorry, coffeecurls, I must have misread--for some reason I thought both you and royo had gotten accepted. I hope I didn't sound insensitive. If so, totally a mistake. I'm really on the fence. I have an offer from UT and it sounds great, and to be honest, the funding is better. And UT is a little higher ranked. BUT, all I hear about is how amazing the Victorianists at IU are. And, I am also applying with a SO, who could be at Purdue, Wisconsin, or MIchigan (all of which: much closer to IU than Texas). Any advice? I don't want to take the offer just be closer to him, but if all other things are equal, I would definitely then consider geography. Do you happen to know anything about this waitlist-for-first-year-funding business? Or placement rates? Or really anything that could help me weigh these?

I thought having options would make me feel like I had more freedom. I thought wrong.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Aeplo, you gotta go with UT unless you get first year funding at IU. I can't imagine a top 20 program not offering funding in 2012.

[coffeecurls1]

@aeplo- oh no... no issues. I understood. And many congratulations again. I think very highly of the faculty at IU... but the funding is a bit of an issue, right?) I am yet to hear anything further than "you are on our waitlist" from them- but do write to them with any queries that you may have.

Edited March 14, 2012 by coffeecurls1

[WendyMoira]

Yeah, the funding is the main issue. I wrote and asked if they ever remitted tuition without a stipend. I mean, I'd be ok working a side job for year one instead of TA-ing, if I really loved IU. And I would much rather live there than in Austin. I really don't want to take out $15k in loans if I don't have to, though... I'm waiting to hear back on how the wait-list for first-year fellowships works, etc. I'll try to keep you posted, if you'd like. Do you know where you're going yet?

[lyonessrampant]

I believe, having a friend at the program, that the issue with first-year funding is present only if you don't already have an MA. If you have an MA, you can TA, but they don't (from what I understand) let a first year TA if straight from BA, so if you're waitlisted with an MA, your worries about funding will be less. I would echo the advice to go to Austin if you don't get funding for the first year, though. . .I have another friend in that program and she's pretty happy, though medieval not Victorian. Good luck!

[WendyMoira]

lyoness, I don't have an MA yet, so the issue stands. I am wait-listed for a fellowship, but I can't see that really coming through. Who turns down funding?