State University MA program--> PhD?

[verjus]

My possibly very naive question: Will going to an unranked state school MA literature program extinguish my chances of getting into a PhD program later on?  I am in my mid-30s, and I just recently began pursuing this dream of studying literature (ultimately aiming for a PhD if it can be done) after a decade or so of work. I'm currently taking an undergraduate-level literature course, and next semester I'm taking a few graduate-level courses at a nearby state school. Because of their later application deadlines, I'd be able to apply to the state schools' programs for admission in Fall 2016. If I wanted to apply for more prestigious programs, I'd definitely have to wait for Fall 2017 in order to get my GRE, LoRs, SoP, writing sample, etc. in a row. I'd also be facing much scarier sticker prices.

I feel really conscious of how late to the game I am, so I feel this urge to begin a program as soon as possible. And because I spent the last decade working a job I hated in order to pay off school loans, I'm also afraid of racking up too much debt. But... I'm wondering if I'm missing the bigger picture here? Do you guys have advice on how to approach this?  Thank you!

[rising_star]

There are funded MA programs in literature (there's a post about them somewhere on here), if that's something you're interested in. Showing that you can get funding for MA work will help you be more competitive for PhD programs in the future. Have you thought about what you'd want to do after the PhD? I ask because your goals will determine a lot about what schools/programs you should be targeting for your doctoral work. If I were you, I'd be looking for MA programs with funding. I wouldn't enroll in a MA at a nearby state school just because it's nearby or has a lower sticker price since few graduate students actually pay the sticker price. Good luck!

[verjus]

Thanks so much! Unfortunately, I'm stuck where I am (not close to any funded MA opportunities) for at least the next year, but I'm hoping to find my way down to southern California after that, where there's just more of .. everything. I guess I will see where this coursework takes me. Ultimately, I'd like to teach and research (naively I thought everyone wanted that). People's eyes seem to glaze over when I mention my area of interest (19th century literature & science, especially around the rise of neurology and psychiatry), so maybe it's not a very "sexy" field of study, and I'll have to broaden my horizons...

[greenmt]

The people in my cohort have a wide variety of backgrounds.  If you can make a compelling case for why you should be in grad school - especially, I think, if you have a clear idea what you want to study, and can make a connection between what you've done and what you want to do - and if you have decent GRE scores and enthusiastic recommendations, you probably have as good a chance as anyone of getting in.  I'm much older than others in my cohort, and older than some of the assistant professors, and I got my MA from Hunter College, so I'm proof that it can be done.

[Dr. Old Bill]

Yep, I'm 36 and only just got my Bachelor's in May. I started off in a community college at 32, got my A.A. in Liberal Arts, and was able to transfer to a very reputable undergraduate institution for my B.A. in English, and am now working on an M.A. in a great English program as well. But again...I didn't even have an A.A. at the age of 32. Sure, I had a couple of vocational degrees in Canada, but "late starter" would be an understatement for me.

As Greenmt says above, it's never too late.

Or, as Pete Hornberger says, "it's never too late for now!"

[ProfLorax]

My MA is from San Francisco State University, and now I'm a PhD student at the University of Maryland, College Park. Lots of my SFSU classmates went onto good PhD programs (Northwestern, Brandeis, Pitt, etc). Definitely possible! 

[verjus]

Thank you! This is so heartening to hear (also: every thread needs more Pete Hornberger). I know with my conscious mind that I'm so much more equipped for this undertaking now than I was 15 years ago, but every so often these stabs of anxiety and hopelessness overtake me. We're reading Hardy in the class I'm taking now, and it really isn't helping either

[bhr]

I am going to repeat everything Wyatt just said. I went back and finished my BA (at 36) at a nothing state school (only ranked above the HBCUs in the state's system) and am now finishing an MA at a top 5 program. Making the move up in prestige happens all the time (and down too, fwiw), and it really is about establishing who you are and what you can do as a scholar.

I do want to second the idea of waiting for a funded MA, however. Investing $50k ish (tuition and lost wages), not getting classroom or pedagogical training, and the rest will really hurt you long term.

[ProfLorax]

Funded MA's are great and should be your top choice. That said, verjus, are you in California and a California resident? I ask because you mention California, and CSU tuitions are pretty low for in-state residents. Plus, Cal Grants can cut the cost in half. I think I paid for less than $5,000 for my MA; I did take out loans, but only to subsidize living in San Francisco. 

[sarabethke]

I haven't made it into a PhD program yet, but I'm in an MA at an unranked school and I was worried about the same thing. Then my professors listed several examples of people who have gone on to good schools, including UPenn, so I'm feeling more hopeful I'll be able to join their number!

[toasterazzi]

I also want to chime in with an "It's possible!" Lol. 

I got my MA at an unranked state school & I'm now getting my PhD at Ohio State. And in my program, there are students from all sorts of educational backgrounds. I'm sure there are probably programs where the prestige of your previous institution can become a factor, but it seems to me that there are also plenty where that's not a major concern.

[verjus]

I love hearing these success stories! We can do it! I must have been sending out distress calls into the universe, because my mom called me today and gave me a long pep talk ("You're finally doing what you want! There is no downside.")

 ProfLorax -- I am in California, and I was looking at SJSU. (I'm also trying to figure out if I should consider commuting up to SFSU )  The tuition does seem manageable, and with grants and/or TA/GA-ships, I think I could avoid being too big a burden on my family.  UCSC's MA program was another idea, but that would have to wait until next year (and I just get the sense that they are stingy with their MA students). 

[ProfLorax]

I had no idea that SJSU offered TA'ships! SFSU does offer TA'ships, but Composition MA students have priority; as I remember, Lit students never got those TA'ships. So SJSU sounds like the superior choice. The CSU's are really a hidden gem in this country. My BA and MA are both from CSU's (Cal Poly and SFSU). Both my BA and MA colleagues who wanted a career in academia have ended up at strong programs, so a CSU degree is definitely not a disadvantage! 

[greenmt]

If anyone reading this is in a similar situation in New York City, I would put in a similar plug for the city colleges.  They're affordable, and many of the faculty are accomplished scholars and co-teach at the Graduate Center. You have access to all of the resources of all of the city colleges - libraries, courses - and I think the Grad Center still credits the courses you take within the system for the MA, toward the PhD, if you ultimately decide to apply there.  

I didn't do this, because I had a job and took just one or two courses per semester, but some MA students adjunct within the system to help pay the bills.  I did get a reasonably generous fellowship, within the department, and thus got to know a lot of the faculty, as well as a better understanding of how the sausages get made in academia.  At Hunter, anyway, there was a healthy mix of people studying to be English teachers, MFA in writing people, and folks who wanted to go on (and did) to PhD programs, so a variety of perspectives.  After 10 years out, when I went back to faculty to ask for recommendations, they all remembered me.  I'm where I am now because my MA thesis advisor took the time to talk through with me a list of schools I should apply to.  I don't have direct experience with the other city colleges, but I would highly recommend Hunter.

Edited October 29, 2015 by greenmt

[verjus]

Yes!  It seems that SJSU doesn't have distinct Composition or Literature tracks, so perhaps some informal preference will be given to Comp students. However, the (very helpful) graduate advisor was very encouraging about my applying for TA-ships (knowing that I'd be a Lit student), so I feel somewhat assured.

[Between Fields]

I had a funded MA at an either unranked or low enough that it didn't matter (at least for graduate school) university, and got into a funded PhD program. There's hope.