Needing Advice On Whole Process -- Schools, Recs, US vs UK

[unicornsarereal]

Okay, so here's the deal: I want to go back to school to study English (specifically a MA and a focus on 18th century women's fiction) but am totally unsure about where to target my search. I have a bunch of factors I'm thinking about.

 

1. I graduated cum laude from an Ivy but didn't write a thesis.

 

2. I can think of 2 people to get recs from. The third would be a TA who really liked me. 

 

3. I'm not sure I can wait to go back to school for another year and I really want to live abroad, so I'm strongly considering studying at a UK school like King's College London, Exeter, Durham and doing a taught MA. Of course a consideration for next fall.

 

4. I'm also interested in a broader and longer MA program like at NYU or UVA.

 

5. The MA is a prep for a PhD since I don't currently feel qualified and I want to spend as much time studying literature as possible.

 

6. Ideally I can spin all this into a teaching job, high school or university level.

 

Any input on the US/UK debate, schools I should consider, and the app process would be amazing. 

[1Q84]

Okay, so here's the deal: I want to go back to school to study English (specifically a MA and a focus on 18th century women's fiction) but am totally unsure about where to target my search. I have a bunch of factors I'm thinking about.

 

1. I graduated cum laude from an Ivy but didn't write a thesis.

 

2. I can think of 2 people to get recs from. The third would be a TA who really liked me. 

 

3. I'm not sure I can wait to go back to school for another year and I really want to live abroad, so I'm strongly considering studying at a UK school like King's College London, Exeter, Durham and doing a taught MA. Of course a consideration for next fall.

 

4. I'm also interested in a broader and longer MA program like at NYU or UVA.

 

5. The MA is a prep for a PhD since I don't currently feel qualified and I want to spend as much time studying literature as possible.

 

6. Ideally I can spin all this into a teaching job, high school or university level.

 

Any input on the US/UK debate, schools I should consider, and the app process would be amazing. 

 

a) The majority of UK schools do not provide full or any funding at all, thus you would have to spend a lot of time securing your own external funding, which can be both stressful and a roadblock to continuation of your program (say you weren't able to renew an external fellowship, etc. you would have to halt your enrollment unless you had savings or were willing to go into massive dent). Knowing that, it may not be wise to go to the UK for school just because you "can't wait."

 

b.) Can you explain your rationale for pursuing both an MA and Ph.D. in order to teach high school? I'm not sure I follow.

 

edit: that damn = b.) smiley... who thought that was  a good idea?

Edited February 14, 2015 by 1Q84