Kansas State University

[nhswrestle]

Is anybody currently in the K-State M.A. in English program? Any other applicants? Anyone with information to pass on about this program?

[NotGiantsButWindmills]

I did my MA at K-State a couple years ago.  I loved it.  I was a little apprehensive about applying there since I'd never heard of it before my undergrad advisor said "hey, why don't you apply here too?" but I don't regret going there one bit.  I actually turned down several funded and unfunded MA programs (even from some pretty competitive places) in favor of K-State.

 

Is there anything you want to know specifically?  The professors are great.  The program is really friendly and supportive.  The campus is beautiful (the library looks like a castle).  There are a few pretty excellent coffee shops and Manhattan is a cute little college town.  It can feel a bit isolated if you're a big city person, but there are some cool cultural places within driving distance.

Edited February 8, 2013 by NotGiantsButWindmills

[nhswrestle]

I did my MA at K-State a couple years ago.  I loved it.  I was a little apprehensive about applying there since I'd never heard of it before my undergrad advisor said "hey, why don't you apply here too?" but I don't regret going there one bit.  I actually turned down several funded and unfunded MA programs (even from some pretty competitive places) in favor of K-State.

 

Is there anything you want to know specifically?  The professors are great.  The program is really friendly and supportive.  The campus is beautiful (the library looks like a castle).  There are a few pretty excellent coffee shops and Manhattan is a cute little college town.  It can feel a bit isolated if you're a big city person, but there are some cool cultural places within driving distance.

 

Hey thanks for responding! I just got into K-State with full funding for fall 2013 enrollment. It is the only school I have heard back from, so no need to finalize a decision yet, but I'm very much interested in the program. My research interests focus on late 20th-century American Literature, cultural studies, and Don DeLillo. So far all the professors I have been in contact with have been very welcoming and K-State seems like a great fit for the research I hope to do.

 

My biggest concern is, as you mentioned, the fact that K-State is not a "big name" school. My ultimate goal is a PhD so placement after the MA is very important to me. I have spoken to the DGS about this and it seems K-State's MA graduates have gone on to some top-notch PhD programs. However, the placement data I was provided with wasn't very specific and the placement data on K-State's website hasn't been updated in a few years.

 

Did you proceed to a doctoral program after you graduated? How was the placement rate into PhD programs for your graduating cohort? I'm sure I will have many more questions about K-State once I hear back from other schools, but preparation for PhD programs is definitely what I am most curious about right now.

[NotGiantsButWindmills]

Did you proceed to a doctoral program after you graduated? How was the placement rate into PhD programs for your graduating cohort? I'm sure I will have many more questions about K-State once I hear back from other schools, but preparation for PhD programs is definitely what I am most curious about right now.

I’m a very bad example.  I only applied to one PhD program (my husband has a great job, so the plan was to go to school in the city where he worked).  The program wasn’t highly ranked by any means, but I think I would have been happy there.  I got in with top fellowship funding.  I was all set to go there when my husband was transferred for an even better position in a different state.  Luckily, the move has allowed me to reapply to my dream school (I made the waitlist right out of undergrad).  Once again, I’m applying to just one program, so I’ll let you know how that works out when I find out.

 

As far as news from my K-State cohort goes, it seemed like only a small percentage of us actually applied to PhD programs (quite a few took adjunct jobs—K-State really does a great job preparing you to teach).  If I remember correctly, pretty much everyone that applied for a PhD got in somewhere: University of Iowa, Fordham, University of Maryland, and IU Bloomington (not sure if this one was a PhD or MFA).  The folks I still keep track of from the year before mine are at U Illinois and Illinois State. 

 

I hope you receive good news from your other applications—it’s always fun to have options!     

[NotGiantsButWindmills]

Update: I just got accepted to my dream PhD program today.  It's fairly highly ranked (top 20) and I am ridiculously excited!  Score for K-State's placement record! :0)

[asleepawake]

Update: I just got accepted to my dream PhD program today. It's fairly highly ranked (top 20) and I am ridiculously excited! Score for K-State's placement record! :0)

CONGRATS but... details!?

Texas at Austin?

Edited February 11, 2013 by asleepawake

[NotGiantsButWindmills]

CONGRATS but... details!?

Texas at Austin?

 

Yes, indeed!  This was my last shot at getting into a PhD program since my GRE expires after this app cycle and I wasn't planning to go through that again.  I am so happy! 

[nhswrestle]

Yes, indeed!  This was my last shot at getting into a PhD program since my GRE expires after this app cycle and I wasn't planning to go through that again.  I am so happy! 

 

Huge congrats! I'm heading out to Austin next week and I'm stoked. I can't imagine what it would be like to study there.

 

Also what track did you do within the K-State M.A. program? What were/are your research interests?

[NotGiantsButWindmills]

Huge congrats! I'm heading out to Austin next week and I'm stoked. I can't imagine what it would be like to study there.

 

Also what track did you do within the K-State M.A. program? What were/are your research interests?

 

Thanks!  Austin's a great city! 

 

I was Literature track at K-State and focused primarily in medieval lit.  I also did quite a bit with medievalism while I was there since the medieval offerings were pretty limited—and medievalism is just plain fun. 

 

Have you heard from any of your other schools yet?

[nhswrestle]

Thanks!  Austin's a great city! 

 

I was Literature track at K-State and focused primarily in medieval lit.  I also did quite a bit with medievalism while I was there since the medieval offerings were pretty limited—and medievalism is just plain fun. 

 

Have you heard from any of your other schools yet?

 

Officially, just K-State and Duke Lit (Rejected). I've also been implicitly rejected from UMass and SUNY Buffalo.

 

Still waiting to hear from five programs (3 MAs, 2 PhDs).

[KyCountry]

Bumping this thread. Anyone else considering K-State's English MA program for Fall 2014?

[Alex Stinson]

I am graduating in May from the program, so if you have any questions feel free to ping this thread. Definitely a very supportive program, and I feel much more well rounded then I did when entering. 

[KyCountry]

Thanks, Alex! I'm shooting you a PM.

[nhswrestle]

I'm also in the MA program (first year) and I'll echo Alex's comments. K-State is an amazing and extremely supportive program. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.