UConn and March 15th

[mikers86]

Just turned down the offer at UConn. Incredibly difficult decision to do so as they are wonderful people and I would have loved to have worked with them.

[Horb]

I'm finalizing some questions with Tufts, but I will probably be turning UConn down by early next week. 

[back2black]

I'm so happy-- just got in off of UConn's wait list!!! 

[shortstack51]

YES!!! Will you be accepting? I just accepted my offer

[back2black]

YES!!! Will you be accepting? I just accepted my offer

Congrats on accepting UCONN! 

 

I'm e-mailing Charles Mahoney now to see if it's not too late to schedule a visit some time before April 15! I am SO impressed by their generous offer and from all of the research I've done on the program. I e-mailed my POI back when I was wait listed and she was so encouraging and supportive. At that time she told me she felt there was a good chance that I would get pulled from the wait list because all of the people who viewed my file scored it very highly-- though waking up to the e-mail yesterday was a complete shock!

 

Also, did you checkout the course offerings for Fall 2014-- it looks like they are running 15+ courses! Another program I visited and many others that I researched seem to offer more in the 8ish range. But more than that, so many of the seminars just sound fantastic. I also heard that UCONN seems to advocate for the their students when it comes time to go on the job market, and their placement is very high. This is crucial!

 

Were there any particulars about your visit that really sealed the deal for you? Right now they are my frontrunner, but visiting seems important, especially if I'm going to call this place home for the next five years! 

[shortstack51]

I'm so excited for you! I'm sure they will set up a visit for you- they are extremely generous. The faculty is very supportive. From what I understood during my visit, they actually have a whole committee whose job it is to assist you in the job market (they start out as being your comps committee). They are also top 5 in the country for job placement, which really appeals to me because of my massive loan debt from my MA.

The atmosphere of the department is amazing. Everyone takes the time to go over your writing sample and your interests and they will tell you about all the opportunities they have for expanding your interests. I have been in contact with several professors over the last couple of months who all wanted to express interest in my research and to talk about opportunities there.

Of course they are trying to recruit you during all this, but I know a number of people who did their PhDs there (having gone to undergrad in CT) and they all emphatically said that the department is always this supportive.

I am also drawn to the women, gender, and sexuality studies certificate that English PhD students can complete concurrently. I met a bunch of WGSS students and they were great.

The area is certainly in the middle of nowhere, but it is pretty and there are a lot of places to eat in the area (including insomnia cookies--you have to go there when you visit). You may smell cow poo on the breeze once in a while though, LOL. Also, don't be too deterred by crazy undergrads on campus if you happen to visit on game day for basketball...uconn takes its basketball very seriously! I have it on good authority that they are not usually this nuts.

I've already picked out a course or two I'd like to take I'm very excited! Refresh my memory--what's your area again?

I hope we end up there together! I recall that your SO was also looking to teach in the area, right?

[back2black]

I'm so excited for you! I'm sure they will set up a visit for you- they are extremely generous. The faculty is very supportive. From what I understood during my visit, they actually have a whole committee whose job it is to assist you in the job market (they start out as being your comps committee). They are also top 5 in the country for job placement, which really appeals to me because of my massive loan debt from my MA.

The atmosphere of the department is amazing. Everyone takes the time to go over your writing sample and your interests and they will tell you about all the opportunities they have for expanding your interests. I have been in contact with several professors over the last couple of months who all wanted to express interest in my research and to talk about opportunities there.

Of course they are trying to recruit you during all this, but I know a number of people who did their PhDs there (having gone to undergrad in CT) and they all emphatically said that the department is always this supportive.

I am also drawn to the women, gender, and sexuality studies certificate that English PhD students can complete concurrently. I met a bunch of WGSS students and they were great.

The area is certainly in the middle of nowhere, but it is pretty and there are a lot of places to eat in the area (including insomnia cookies--you have to go there when you visit). You may smell cow poo on the breeze once in a while though, LOL. Also, don't be too deterred by crazy undergrads on campus if you happen to visit on game day for basketball...uconn takes its basketball very seriously! I have it on good authority that they are not usually this nuts.

I've already picked out a course or two I'd like to take I'm very excited! Refresh my memory--what's your area again?

I hope we end up there together! I recall that your SO was also looking to teach in the area, right?

 

I'm so excited for you too! I hope we end up there together-- I made a great group of friends at my MA program, so I hope the PhD experience is similar, especially since I don't have any family or friends in CT.   

 

The placement rate and committee are so comforting given the competitive nature of our field. Though there are no guarantees, it is nice to know the faculty members are going to advocate for us. In fact, a friend of mine who is a full-time prof. at a college in NYC knows a recent UCONN grad who ended up getting a full-time, tenure-track, job at Hofstra University, so that is encouraging too!

 

I know my SO won't be thrilled about the cow poo smells lingering in the wind, but the insomnia cookies is a selling point-- haha! Do they have places like Applebee’s, Chipotle, etc.? We looked up some housing right around campus and there seems to be a lot of affordable housing. Apartments/condos and townhouses are all relatively cheap in comparison to what we are paying now—it looks like we can get at least double the space for less or equal to what we are paying now!

 

Yes, my partner is looking for a teaching job in CT—ideally a special education teacher in an elementary school. We are okay with even living an hour or so away from UCONN, if that means my partner will have a job in that area. This would be cool especially if it ended up being west of UCONN so we would be a little closer to NY to make visiting two hours, rather than three, for family and friends.

 

Oh yeah, I’m a 19^th/20^th century African-Americanist, primarily interested in slave narratives/feminist texts and the rhetorical function of the Af-Am body in literature. So, I too am interested in the WGSS certificate!   

 

I’m anticipating that my visit will be setup for some time this week, since April 15^th is rapidly approaching! I can only imagine the campus vibe in regards to the excitement with the final-four. I know close to nothing about basketball, let alone college basketball, but it’s funny because one of my friends was teasing me after I posted something about being accepted to UCONN—he wrote something like sure, pick a school once they’re already in the final-four! Haha.

 

I was surprised that the teaching load is 1-1, given the nice financial offer—I first assumed it would be 2-2. After I read the paperwork about the TAship I was like WOW! Also, guaranteed funding for ten semesters is pretty darn awesome. Being on gradcafe you see how sometimes there is no funding, funding that you have to compete for, low funding like in the lower-mid teens, so it makes me very appreciative of UCONN’s offer.    

[shortstack51]

Housing is definitely really cheap. My fiancée and I saw like 10-15 places; there's an off campus uconn housing website that you can use. We're actually probably moving a little farther away, which is a longer commute for me (30-45 mins depending on traffic) but a better one for her. It's also a nice mix between residential and downtown-trendy, which will be nice for us coming out of the city (PM me if you'd like to know the town). It's a bit pricier than Storrs-Mansfield or Willimantic, but there's also a lot more to do. When you visit, you can ask them for a packet they have about housing in the area (the town we're moving to isn't on it because they included towns within a half hour). My fiancée and I used craigslist, haha (I would say to avoid Hartford and East Hartford--not great areas). And don't worry! You only get the cow smell around campus.

There are some decent restaurants on campus and outside of it (there are some new cafés directly across from campus that are nice along with a burrito/taco place), but most people in the grad program go to Willimantic (10-15 mins away) for food and drinks. There is an Applebee's about 10 minutes south of campus.

Your research is interesting! UCONN has some classes on the docket for next year that I think would match up with your interests nicely.

Their offer is very generous--the DGS is also working on possibly getting one semester fellowships included as well. I am pretty excited

[back2black]

Housing is definitely really cheap. My fiancée and I saw like 10-15 places; there's an off campus uconn housing website that you can use. We're actually probably moving a little farther away, which is a longer commute for me (30-45 mins depending on traffic) but a better one for her. It's also a nice mix between residential and downtown-trendy, which will be nice for us coming out of the city (PM me if you'd like to know the town). It's a bit pricier than Storrs-Mansfield or Willimantic, but there's also a lot more to do. When you visit, you can ask them for a packet they have about housing in the area (the town we're moving to isn't on it because they included towns within a half hour). My fiancée and I used craigslist, haha (I would say to avoid Hartford and East Hartford--not great areas). And don't worry! You only get the cow smell around campus.

There are some decent restaurants on campus and outside of it (there are some new cafés directly across from campus that are nice along with a burrito/taco place), but most people in the grad program go to Willimantic (10-15 mins away) for food and drinks. There is an Applebee's about 10 minutes south of campus.

Your research is interesting! UCONN has some classes on the docket for next year that I think would match up with your interests nicely.

Their offer is very generous--the DGS is also working on possibly getting one semester fellowships included as well. I am pretty excited

I might need to pick your brain further in terms of places to scout for housing. I know some parts of CT are close to the train that is about an hour and fifteen minute ride to Penn Station. This would probably put me at an hour to an hour and twenty minute commute to UCONN, but it's something I'm considering because the fast access to the city is huge for me.

 

Also, that's fantastic about the possibility of a one semester fellowship! 

 

My visit is planned for Wednesday morning-- just ironing out the details with Charles Mahoney. Do you have any tips for navigating to the campus? I visited Temple University and couldn't even find a parking area without getting incredibly lost and frustrated-- meanwhile their campus is a mere fraction of the size of UCONN (I think Temple is around 100 acres and UCONN around 4000).

[Horb]

If you park in the North garage, the Austin building is fairly simple to find. Depending on where you exit you either take hillside road to N. Eagleville road, walk for a bit, then cross the street to the Chemistry building (which is right on the road and hard to miss). Follow the path along the Chem building. It'll take you up past the pond. You'll end up being on Glenbrook road, which you follow left and the Austin building is RIGHT there, next to Mansfield way. 

 

It is a 20 minute walk if you don't get lost, so make sure you budget a bit of time. The building itself is easy to navigate. 

[back2black]

If you park in the North garage, the Austin building is fairly simple to find. Depending on where you exit you either take hillside road to N. Eagleville road, walk for a bit, then cross the street to the Chemistry building (which is right on the road and hard to miss). Follow the path along the Chem building. It'll take you up past the pond. You'll end up being on Glenbrook road, which you follow left and the Austin building is RIGHT there, next to Mansfield way. 

 

It is a 20 minute walk if you don't get lost, so make sure you budget a bit of time. The building itself is easy to navigate. 

Thank you! I think I'll save a copy of your directions on my phone for safe keeping-- should make my Wednesday morning much easier! 

[shortstack51]

I tend to park in random lots and hope for the best, haha. As for transportation to the city, Hartford has an amtrak station. By amtrak, it would probably take a few hours because you have to transfer in New Haven (it would probably be easiest and cheapest to actually just drive to New Haven and take the express metro north in). You can cut that time down by moving further south, but the problem is that Hartford gets pretty congested during rush hour. The normal load is taking 3-2 or 2-3 and teaching 1-1, and one mandatory class is at 9:30, so it might be a pretty long commute. If you don't need to go to NYC that often (ie only on weekends) I suggest living within an hour to UCONN and, when you want to go to the city, driving to new haven, parking in the garage there, and taking the express metro north to grand central.

[back2black]

I tend to park in random lots and hope for the best, haha. As for transportation to the city, Hartford has an amtrak station. By amtrak, it would probably take a few hours because you have to transfer in New Haven (it would probably be easiest and cheapest to actually just drive to New Haven and take the express metro north in). You can cut that time down by moving further south, but the problem is that Hartford gets pretty congested during rush hour. The normal load is taking 3-2 or 2-3 and teaching 1-1, and one mandatory class is at 9:30, so it might be a pretty long commute. If you don't need to go to NYC that often (ie only on weekends) I suggest living within an hour to UCONN and, when you want to go to the city, driving to new haven, parking in the garage there, and taking the express metro north to grand central.

This is really useful information. I was actually looking at New Haven for housing, though it's a bit pricey, my SO was scoping out jobs in Branford, so that would put her at an easy commute and me at about an hour to an hour and fifteen, I think. I agree, I really don't want to be more than an hour away from campus, though I've been a commuter my entire life and am pretty much a warrior when it comes to either public trans. or driving, haha. A town a bit closer in-land would probably be more ideal, so I imagine we will end up looking at places a bit closer than New Haven, and yes the convince of transit to NYC would primarily be a weekend thing and a combo of driving/train is just fine-- I think being from the city I just like having the option to either drive or take the train, so even living twenty minutes or so from the train is comforting to me.

[shortstack51]

There are definitely options for commuting to New Haven and Branford; I would suggest not living in New Haven because it's really not a great city (one of the most dangerous in the country as far as I remember), so any affordable housing is likely not in a good place. You can check out Wallingford for affordable housing that's in between New Haven and your route to UCONN (but closer to New Haven than Branford). Meriden's a bit farther for your SO but there are always a lot of options there.

I totally know what you mean about commuting- I commute about an hour one way right now by train, and I'm looking forward to the 30-40 minute commute I'll have next year!

Edited April 7, 2014 by shortstack51

[back2black]

There are definitely options for commuting to New Haven and Branford; I would suggest not living in New Haven because it's really not a great city (one of the most dangerous in the country as far as I remember), so any affordable housing is likely not in a good place. You can check out Wallingford for affordable housing that's in between New Haven and your route to UCONN (but closer to New Haven than Branford). Meriden's a bit farther for your SO but there are always a lot of options there.

I totally know what you mean about commuting- I commute about an hour one way right now by train, and I'm looking forward to the 30-40 minute commute I'll have next year!

I really appreciate all of the tips! That's the struggle with relocating to a new area-- not knowing the good hoods to live in, and those to avoid. You mentioned to steer clear of Hartford, East Hartford, and New Haven and I also heard Bridgeport (I think) isn't the greatest area either. I'm most definitely going to checkout both Wallingford and Meriden-- thank goodness for the internet. 

[BookGeek]

Just got in off the waitlist and I am over the moon! I'm still waiting to get finalized offers from a couple schools, but I am LOVING all that I've heard about UCONN from you guys and other sources. It's so nice to be finally able to get excited about this process instead of agonizing over it. 

[ICanHazPhdPreez?]

Having lived in Connecticut and taught in various CT public schools, I would actually say that Bridgeport is significantly worse than New Haven. If you're in New Haven, anywhere downtown and anywhere near Wooster Square or East Rock will be great - lots of good food, and reasonably affordable for a grad student. 

 

I don't know as much about Wallingford or Meriden. I taught a workshop at a school near Meriden, and although the kids were well-behaved, there was zero diversity. If diversity is important to you, a city is your best bet. BUT - Don't live in Hartford. Ever. It's the worst. Coffee shops close on the weekends - that is NOT compatible with grad school life. Plus it's expensive and not that safe.

[shortstack51]

I'm not sure if Bridgeport or New Haven is worse; I've also worked in schools in Bridgeport and I think the schools are certainly worse, but two summers ago there was a homicide in New Haven literally every day. There are certainly good areas, but the areas a grad student can afford to live in aren't great (everyone I know at Yale lives in grad student housing...I know a quinnipiac student who took his chances neighborhood-wise and someone busted into his apartment in the middle of the day and took his computer while he was there). Bridgeport has good areas bordering Fairfield and Trumbull, but I definitely don't suggest living there. It's also too far to uconn (about an hour and 20 if you go fast). Diversity is definitely an issue in CT because it's highly segregated socioeconomically, so unfortunately diverse areas also tend to not be great. Once you get out of the cities, everything can be frustratingly white washed. I'm moving to West Hartford personally (separate from Hartford!). I've been living in kind of crappy areas for a while so I'm looking forward to moving.

Edited April 9, 2014 by shortstack51

[ICanHazPhdPreez?]

I get the numbers and death rates and all that, but I lived in New Haven for years and really truly love it. I felt way safer there than in Hartford, actually. Anyway, if anybody is interested in New Haven and wants advice on which neighborhoods are cheap and safe, feel free to PM me!

 

Shortstack - that's awesome, West Hartford is supah swanky! They have all the good grocery stores.

[shortstack51]

It is! I'm excited about it they have tons of restaurants too. I'm just getting to know the area, so if you have any suggestions I am all ears.

I've never lived in New Haven so I definitely defer to your greater knowledge in that case! I worked there and loved hanging out on chapel st or by the food vendors outside the hospital. My overall impression is most likely at least somewhat marred by the tendency of college students to over-discuss horror stories.

[ICanHazPhdPreez?]

Plan B Burger. Most def.

[back2black]

Hey, shortstack--we are officially members of the same cohort! I accepted UConn's offer! 

[shortstack51]

Hey, shortstack--we are officially members of the same cohort! I accepted UConn's offer! 

 

YESS!! That's so exciting Is it ok if I PM you with my facebook info? Or is that weird? (PS--anyone else going to UCONN who wants to connect, feel free to PM me so we can add each other)

[back2black]

YESS!! That's so exciting Is it ok if I PM you with my facebook info? Or is that weird? (PS--anyone else going to UCONN who wants to connect, feel free to PM me so we can add each other)

!!!! Yes, PM me your FB link-- It's not weird at all! I was actually going to ask if you wanted to exchange contact info! Also, I echo what you said about anyone else who is going to UCONN-- feel free to send me a PM! 

[BookGeek]

My campus visit was wonderful today and definitely persuaded me that UCONN is the way to go. I just wrote to Charles Mahoney to accept my offer. Exciting times!