twisted scenario...

[alouette]

Do you think it is possible to be denied admission at a Masters program because you are overqualified? This many be wishful thinking on my part, :oops: but this waiting game has given me altogether too much time to ponder such twisted scenarios.

As it is, I've applied to masters programs having written two required theses, published two articles,served as an undergraduate teaching assistant in two courses and won some highly-competitve national scholarships.

Is it possible for an Ivy League masters program to think that I wouldn't benefit from their instruction?? Do you think that they'd assume that I had (quite presumptuously) applied to their masters program as a safety school? (I didn't! I just didn't quite know the path I wanted to take for a doctoral program and I wanted more time but I didn't want to take a break from schooling). Could I come off as overweening?

Help!

[radicaliterata]

which program did you apply to? and, did you already find out, or is this mostly stemming from paranoia?

i wouldn't look at it as being overqualified if you don't get into a masters program. Plenty of promising applicants don't get accepted, but it has more to do with whether an admissions committee sees your areas of interest and potential for graduate study as a good fit for their faculty and program.and if the applicant pool is 200+ for 8 spots, then that adds a whole other level of ridiculousness.

I applied to a fully-funded masters program at Dartmouth, and I rank it within my top three because Dartmouth has a prison writing project, which is something of significant value to my desire to pursue comparative studies of incarceration from critical, literary, and feminist standpoints. I'm right with you with the prep value of a masters program before PhD, especially if you feel that t best addresses your project--so just keep your head up if you haven't heard back just yet--that could be a good thing.

[alouette]

which program did you apply to? and, did you already find out, or is this mostly stemming from paranoia?

i wouldn't look at it as being overqualified if you don't get into a masters program. Plenty of promising applicants don't get accepted, but it has more to do with whether an admissions committee sees your areas of interest and potential for graduate study as a good fit for their faculty and program.and if the applicant pool is 200+ for 8 spots, then that adds a whole other level of ridiculousness.

I applied to a fully-funded masters program at Dartmouth, and I rank it within my top three because Dartmouth has a prison writing project, which is something of significant value to my desire to pursue comparative studies of incarceration from critical, literary, and feminist standpoints. I'm right with you with the prep value of a masters program before PhD, especially if you feel that t best addresses your project--so just keep your head up if you haven't heard back just yet--that could be a good thing.

Almost everything I do lately stems from paranoia, lol.

Hmm, excellent point (about fit). Honestly, I didn't weight fit as seriously as I would have if these had been doctoral programs program; I thought since it was less of a commitment, things like drive and promise would carry more weight.

I've applied to masters program at Dartmouth as well (comparative lit), Columbia (French Cultural Studies) and NYU (interdisciplinary) and a few other places. I've yet to hear back from any of them. (Though, it could be because it is too early)

Thanks for the response, radicalliterata .