Advice Please

[Melpk16]

Hello everyone! I have recently made the decision to apply to grad school and I need some advice/suggestions on which schools would be ideal for my situation. I am 25 years old and currently in my Junior year of undergrad. I had to take a few years off due to some financial aid issues (long story) but It actually worked out for the best. I am much more focused and ambitious now than I was right out of high school.

 

I am majoring in English Lit with a minor in Communications and my dream is to work in editing. I have also developed an interest in writing however, I haven't gotten a ton of experience yet. I will be applying to the senior honors program in the spring and I plan to take the GRE this summer. I have a good relationship with the honors advisor at my school- she actually approached me while I was her student to suggest that I flip-flop my major and minor (which I did) because she thought I had strong writing skills.

 

I am from the midwest and I go to a fairly small university in Ohio. I am desperate to move away from home and I would love to live in a big city- Chicago is definitely my ideal location but I am open to almost anywhere. My boyfriend and I have been dating for almost nine years and while we can handle long distance if necessary, we would prefer to stay in the same city. He graduated from law school a little over a year ago and would be able to work in Chicago, Ohio or Michigan without having to retake the bar exam. If I was given a good opportunity elsewhere we would make it work, he is very supportive. I have no interest in teaching as a career and while researching schools it seems as though many grad programs are geared towards teaching. I would be open to a TA position or something while in school to gain the experience or funding. 

 

Please please please help me weed out which schools would be the best fit for me! Thanks for your help!

[ProfLorax]

Hi Melpk16! Maybe you could tell us a bit about what you want to study and what you hope to gain from a graduate degree. Given that you don't want to teach, I imagine you are interested in MA programs. I see that you are interested in editing. Are you looking for a program that will give you the skills and experiences to work as an editor? Have you researched what type of degree would be best suited for that? (Heck, you may not even need a graduate degree!) 

[Melpk16]

Thanks for your reply! I am interested in MA or MFA programs mainly because I want to continue developing the skills I would need to be a successful editor. I know that many people think the grad degree isn't worth it however, I am pretty set on it. Many of my professors have also recommended that I seek out a grad degree since I am so interested in the field. Since I was out of school for roughly 3 years I don't feel like I will be completely prepared for a career once I graduate from undergrad. I plan to apply for internship positions to gain experience also, as I know that is just as important. My current school has a fairly decent program but I think I would benefit greatly from attending a larger, more reputable program. I am very interested in 18-20th century british lit but since I'm only in my Junior year I haven't been exposed to many other areas yet. I really enjoy fiction so if I went for the MFA that would be my focus- I don't dislike poetry but it certainly isn't my favorite. I have gathered that the MFA might be better suited for my career goals, as good writers tend to make good editors. 

[ProfLorax]

Great! Since your own interests don't seem to be fully formed quite yet, I'd suggest looking into a funded MA and MFA programs. Most MA programs in English are pretty general in their approach; you'll get a good overview of the field and be able to narrow in on a specific subfield towards the end. Given that, I'd find a funded MA or MFA program in locations you like, and apply! Also look for programs that seem open to supporting alt-academic careers, like editing.

 

Here's a list of funded MA programs:

 

 

Also, my understanding is that MA and MFA programs are pretty different from each other. I googled "difference between MA and MFA programs," and this was what I found: https://www.awpwriter.org/programs_conferences/advice_choosing_program_advice_field_view/2730/ma_and_mfa_the_final_word. 

 

Also, the NYU Summer Publishing Institute may be of interest to you: http://www.scps.nyu.edu/academics/departments/publishing/academic-offerings/summer-publishing-institute.html

 

Once you have really decided on your route (MA vs. MFA, fiction writing vs. british literature), folks here will be able to give you specific program suggestions. Until then, take as many opportunities as you can to experience different aspects of English academia (creative writing, literary history, publishing, etc) to get a clear idea of what field makes you happiest. Good luck! 

[Melpk16]

That is great advice and thank you for the suggestions!

[somethinbruin]

I would be wary of choosing an MFA over a lit MA because "good writers tend to make good editors," as I have not found these two skills to be closely linked. Great editors are not necessarily great writers, and vice versa. In fact, the stellar editors that I've worked for over the years (as a magazine features writer and as a reporter...now I'm fondly remembering the days of gainful employment...sigh...) have much stronger backgrounds in literature than they do as creative writers. They know how to analyze texts and they've read widely, both in the canon and in theory. In short, good readers make good editors. These are main points of emphasis in most MA programs, whereas MFAs sometimes tend to more focused on developing the individual writer. To be clear, I am not trying to disparage MFAs, and I don't doubt that you can become a good editor while in an MFA program, I'm just trying to point out that MA and MFA programs often tend to have very different goals and produce different kinds of scholars, and you might be surprised at how differently your editing skills will develop in one program versus another. To know what kind of program you want, you'll have to be very clear on what each individual program you examine aims to do with its students, whether its an MFA or an MA. You may find MA programs that won't give you any textual editing and criticism work, and you may find MFA programs that do a ton of work to prepare editors. It's going to be very individualistic, I think.

 

You might want to look for MA programs that have specific tracks set up for professional writing and editing as PWE programs seem to blend the two skills, or at least attempt to, in ways that creative writing programs might not. 

 

Off the top of my head, I know that Carnegie Mellon, WVU, UW-Milwaukee, Youngstown State, Northern Illinois, Illinois State, DePaul all offer MAs in PWE. Some of those are in your geographically ideal areas, others not. 

 

You should definitely look for and apply for all the funding you can--even if you think you're not interested in teaching. Almost all MAs and MFAs will require you to teach. I never thought I wanted to teach...until I set foot in my classroom. Now it's all I want to do. You might be surprised.

 

Good luck to you!

[rhetoricus aesalon]

I would second the motion to reconsider teaching. You may hate it now, but that might change when you are offered "free school" if you teach some writing courses, which will inevitably end up improving your own abilities as a writer and editor as well.

[Melpk16]

Thank you all, I appreciate the advice! I certainly don't HATE teaching- my original major was actually English education and I have worked as an assistant in my local school system. I am happy to teach in order to secure funding however, I know that I am not interested in a teaching career.