University of Maryland, College Park

[ProfLorax]

I know Ralph is busy matching admits and waitlisters with students and faculty, but in case you felt more comfortable asking questions here, please go ahead! I'm a third year PhD student in the program. I am on the rhet/comp track but am an English student, so I can answer most questions about the department and program in general. Also, I can try to answer questions about where the heck to live, probably the most common question current students get. 

[DJS]

Hi ProfLorax!

I have a couple questions. At the moment, I am taking a grad class "for fun" to occupy the time while I wait for a decision. In the class, I noticed a lot of disciple diversity, meaning a lot of students from disciplines outside of English. Is this a common thing?

Also, how do you find the student support to be? Is it difficult for students to connect with each other? I have always gone to commuter schools, so relationships among the students are pretty weak, as everyone is always running around.

My last question is whether students find (or found) it possible to live off their stipend or if they find themselves waitressing / bartending? I'm in NYC, so even the grad students often pick up side work to make ends meet (especially those with families with little or no support from a partner).

[ProfLorax]

Hi DJS! 

As for discipline diversity, that's definitely a thing here. Just within our department, we have MFA, Comp Lit PhD's, Lit and Rhet/Comp PhD's, and MA's, so there are always diverse perspectives and approaches in seminars, even if there aren't outside students present. Because of our certificates, we do get lots of people from outside the department in the courses: I know of folks from Comm, Kinesiology, Education, American Studies, and Women and Gender Studies who have taken courses in our department. It's reciprocal too. We are encouraged to take classes outside the department, and many do. I took two grad courses in the Comm department; friends have taken courses in Education, History, and Women and Gender Studies.

Student support: We are definitely a supportive group. I don't feel any sense of competition among students. We share syllabi, proposals, prospectuses, reading lists, etc. Everyone is intellectually generous. As for more socially, we have a strong sense of community, but I don't think it's as strong as other schools. One of the challenges of UMD is that no one lives in the same town. I live in DC, and my closest friends in the program live in Mt. Rainier and Hyattsville. I don't see them as much as I'd like, but that's largely due to the fact that I have a toddler, so socializing in general is difficult these days! That said, I have made some of my best friends here. Some folks in my cohort recently formed a writing group (Writing Wednesdays!!) where we meet and write in a coffee shop once a week. It's great because ABD-life can be pretty isolating. We write, we chat, we write, we chat. So while people can live pretty far from each other, we still manage to have a real sense of friendship and connection, especially within cohorts. Our Graduate English Organization also hosts a few social events each semester, and I hear there is always a good turn out. 

On stipends: not gonna lie; the cost of living here is high (oh I rhymed!). Not NYC high, but still pretty tough on a grad student stipend. Most folks make it work by living in MD, far from metro stations, in cities like Hyattsville, Laurel, or Greenbelt. The commute to campus isn't so bad from those places, and they tend to me cheaper. Some live with roommates and closer to DC; others live solo but farther. I don't know of anyone doing side work during the school year, but some students will teach an extra class in the Spring or Summer for money. If you (or anyone) gets an offer, I absolutely think it's worth negotiating with the DGS for more money. It's possible to live off the stipend here, but it takes some flexibility and creative thinking. 

[DJS]

9 hours ago, ProfLorax said:

Hi DJS! 

As for discipline diversity, that's definitely a thing here. Just within our department, we have MFA, Comp Lit PhD's, Lit and Rhet/Comp PhD's, and MA's, so there are always diverse perspectives and approaches in seminars, even if there aren't outside students present. Because of our certificates, we do get lots of people from outside the department in the courses: I know of folks from Comm, Kinesiology, Education, American Studies, and Women and Gender Studies who have taken courses in our department. It's reciprocal too. We are encouraged to take classes outside the department, and many do. I took two grad courses in the Comm department; friends have taken courses in Education, History, and Women and Gender Studies.

Student support: We are definitely a supportive group. I don't feel any sense of competition among students. We share syllabi, proposals, prospectuses, reading lists, etc. Everyone is intellectually generous. As for more socially, we have a strong sense of community, but I don't think it's as strong as other schools. One of the challenges of UMD is that no one lives in the same town. I live in DC, and my closest friends in the program live in Mt. Rainier and Hyattsville. I don't see them as much as I'd like, but that's largely due to the fact that I have a toddler, so socializing in general is difficult these days! That said, I have made some of my best friends here. Some folks in my cohort recently formed a writing group (Writing Wednesdays!!) where we meet and write in a coffee shop once a week. It's great because ABD-life can be pretty isolating. We write, we chat, we write, we chat. So while people can live pretty far from each other, we still manage to have a real sense of friendship and connection, especially within cohorts. Our Graduate English Organization also hosts a few social events each semester, and I hear there is always a good turn out. 

On stipends: not gonna lie; the cost of living here is high (oh I rhymed!). Not NYC high, but still pretty tough on a grad student stipend. Most folks make it work by living in MD, far from metro stations, in cities like Hyattsville, Laurel, or Greenbelt. The commute to campus isn't so bad from those places, and they tend to me cheaper. Some live with roommates and closer to DC; others live solo but farther. I don't know of anyone doing side work during the school year, but some students will teach an extra class in the Spring or Summer for money. If you (or anyone) gets an offer, I absolutely think it's worth negotiating with the DGS for more money. It's possible to live off the stipend here, but it takes some flexibility and creative thinking. 

Thanks for responding Do you think that the DC/Maryland area is tremendously different from the city here? Everyone tells me to get out of Manhattan for grad school, but I'm so apprehensive. 

How's the immediate area around the campus?

[persynanōm]

16 minutes ago, DJS said:

Thanks for responding Do you think that the DC/Maryland area is tremendously different from the city here? Everyone tells me to get out of Manhattan for grad school, but I'm so apprehensive. 

How's the immediate area around the campus?

I'm sure ProfLorax will be much more informed about this, but as an outside visitor to the campus last year for my fiancé's tour of schools, it seems basically suburban. To be fair, though, I just drove around without really getting it to explore the surrounding environs. The campus is really expensive and nice, though. Beware the foot-traffic if you drive through the campus - you'll wait for pedestrian crossing a while. 

[Dr. Old Bill]

2 hours ago, persynanōm said:

I'm sure ProfLorax will be much more informed about this, but as an outside visitor to the campus last year for my fiancé's tour of schools, it seems basically suburban. To be fair, though, I just drove around without really getting it to explore the surrounding environs. The campus is really expensive and nice, though. Beware the foot-traffic if you drive through the campus - you'll wait for pedestrian crossing a while. 

Yes, this is all very true...particularly the foot traffic bit. I drive to campus every day, and that can be a bit of a challenge sometimes...

As for the comment about UMD being suburban, I think that's pretty accurate. It's certainly nothing like Manhattan. In the immediate vicinity of UMD there are some good areas and some bad areas, but on the whole it feels very middle class / suburban. The nice thing, of course, is that it's inside the beltway and quite close to D.C. -- between 20 minutes and three hours away by car, depending on traffic. (I'm mostly joking about that latter number. Mostly.) The main English building, Tawes, is quite beautiful. There was just a major renovation that virtually doubled the size of the interior (though most of the new classrooms will be used by American Studies), and there's even a cafe that should open in about a month.

Overall, it's quite a big campus, so you have a lot of retail and restaurants within walking distance. Since I'm old, married, and live off campus, I don't socialize as much as I ought, and so don't know the real hot spots, but there certainly are many places to eat and hang out. I'm particularly fond of Casey's Coffee, which is about a five minute walk from Tawes. Their coffee is excellent (I buy my home-use beans from them), and their food is pretty good too.

[AudreLorde]

ProfLorax, thanks a lot for being willing to answer questions here. I am considering my offer from Maryland, but I am concerned about a few things, and I am wondering if you can address them. 

1) Stipend: you mention above that it is possible to negotiate the stipend with the DGS. How do you recommend we should go about doing this? I will need to live only on the stipend (no outside source of income), so I am concerned about money a lot, especially considering the expenses. I also do not own a car, so living very far away would not an option. Where do you recommend someone without a car should live? I can get a roommate but I really prefer not to. Is it possible to live alone on this stipend? 

 

2) How diverse is the student body? I hope that it would be racially diverse since the program has strengths in African-American studies, but I am not sure, and I cannot tell by looking at the graduate student directory. Could you please let me know the general diversity regarding racial/ethnic/national/gender/sexual identity? Also, how politically active is the student body in general? And how social justice oriented is the general environment? How would the department deal with say, a racial conflict in a classroom? 

 

Thanks again to anyone who can address these questions. 

[operationphd]

5 hours ago, AudreLorde said:

ProfLorax, thanks a lot for being willing to answer questions here. I am considering my offer from Maryland, but I am concerned about a few things, and I am wondering if you can address them. 

1) Stipend: you mention above that it is possible to negotiate the stipend with the DGS. How do you recommend we should go about doing this? I will need to live only on the stipend (no outside source of income), so I am concerned about money a lot, especially considering the expenses. I also do not own a car, so living very far away would not an option. Where do you recommend someone without a car should live? I can get a roommate but I really prefer not to. Is it possible to live alone on this stipend? 

 

2) How diverse is the student body? I hope that it would be racially diverse since the program has strengths in African-American studies, but I am not sure, and I cannot tell by looking at the graduate student directory. Could you please let me know the general diversity regarding racial/ethnic/national/gender/sexual identity? Also, how politically active is the student body in general? And how social justice oriented is the general environment? How would the department deal with say, a racial conflict in a classroom? 

 

Thanks again to anyone who can address these questions. 

seconding this question! 

[ProfLorax]

Good, important questions. Let's go!

Immediate area surrounding campus: WT's nailed it. College Park isn't the greatest city, but Route 1 (the street in front of campus) has some good restaurants and bars. Down the street, Hyattsville has a small downtown with the AMAZING Franklin's. But really, the best asset is that you're close to DC, which is just a fantastic city.

Negotiating stipend: I wish I could give you more input here. I did not try, which is one of my bigger regrets. The stipend was higher than my other offers, but mostly, I was intimidated by the DGS (not Ralph: faculty rotate the DGS role every three years). This thread offers some good tips. You're in a good position to negotiate, I think, if you have multiple offers. 

Living alone/with roommate: I have a hard time answering this; I'm partnered with a kid, so I have a different experience. That said, I have some friends who live alone and without a car. The trick is, it seems, to find a place that at least has access to a shuttle. UMD runs a bunch of free shuttles to neighboring areas, and the shuttle can also connect you to a metro station, which opens you up all of DC. Are you coming in March? When I visited, I asked every single person I met where and how they lived. I think some students have luck in Laurel and Greensbelt. Silver Spring and Takoma Park are great but can be pricier (but still cheaper than DC). Hyattsville is another popular place to live, but most of the people I know who live there are couples or have roommates. 

Diversity/Social Justice: I answer this question as a white, cis, straight woman, so please PM me if you want me to put you in contact with students of color in the program. In each cohort (usually between 8-10 students), there are 2-3 students of color. The faculty is also diverse, in terms of gender, race, and sexuality. With our renovations, our main building now has a gender inclusive bathroom and a permanent lactation room. For an elite flagship, the undergrads are pretty racially diverse as well (especially in comparison with other Big 10 schools). The main difference I can speak to based on personal experience is gendered: When I was pregnant and then a nursing mom, I felt very included and supported in the department. Re: a racial conflict in the classroom. That's an excellent question, and really, I have no idea. I want to say that such a conflict would be remedied through an anti-racist, social justice approach, but I know that our heroes can disappoint us sometimes. I haven't heard of any incidents in the department (but again, I think students of color could probably speak more directly and thoroughly to this question).

We have an activist strain in our program. When students were charged a surcharge in the middle of the semester, English grad students came together to draft this letter to President Loh, and many faculty signed. There's also an active effort, spearheaded mainly by American Studies and Communications, to unionize grad workers. That said, UMD is just like other universities. We are facing the threat of increasing privatization and corporatization, and there's lots of rage but not a lot of sustained organizing. Faculty are progressive and supportive of students, but they are also invested in growing the English major and getting more tenure-lined faculty. Many grad students participate in one-off rallies re: BlackLivesMatter, grad student stipends, and bathroom justice, but it's hard to really organize when we are overworked and underpaid. I don't think we are necessarily more overworked and more underpaid than other programs: that's just an unfortunate reality of grad student workers in this country (see, I'm getting all activist-y talking about activism).  

ETA: Lemme say this: I chose UMD over other programs because it was more diverse and more social-justice oriented than others. But I've increasingly become cynical about diversity and social justice in the academy--not because anything that has happened at UMD. Just because of the way some faculty speak of racism and ableism in professional organizations (I'm thinking recent critiques on MLA and NCTE). So, in my experience of UMD, I would say it has an emerging activist culture, but I'm reluctant to paint any segment of the academy as a utopia of progressive, inclusive ideals (which I see happen alllll theeeee timeeeeee). 

Keep the questions coming! 

[ProfLorax]

AudreLorde: My disability studies reading group is reading The Cancer Journals in April! 

[Ramus]

9 hours ago, AudreLorde said:

1) Stipend: you mention above that it is possible to negotiate the stipend with the DGS. How do you recommend we should go about doing this?

I was apprehensive about this when I was weighing options last year, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover it wasn't nearly as awkward as I imagined. When I was admitted to UMD off the waitlist, I emailed Ralph back and mentioned that UMD was one of my top choices and that I was really only considering it and two other schools. In that same email, I did mention I was a bit concerned about the UMD stipend given the high cost of living in the DC area. Ralph asked me to send him the year-by-year breakdown of my other stipend packages, and within a week he got back to me with a counteroffer. This first counteroffer wasn't dramatically higher than the base package, which Ralph acknowledged. Another couple of weeks after that, he bumped up the offer again, making it directly competitive with my other offers. And while I ultimately declined UMD's offer, I really appreciated how flexible and straightforward Ralph was with me. So, this is all to say that negotiating can be potentially awkward and uncomfortable, but UMD makes it as painless as possible. 

[greenmt]

I'm in my first year in UMD's PhD English program, and I'd also be happy to answer questions directly.  I didn't speak up before b/c I felt that Proflorax and Wyatt's Terps pretty much covered what I would say.  But having negotiated the stipend and moved here quite recently, I have two specific thoughts in response to AudreLorde's question.

First, if they've offered you a spot, it means they want you to enroll.  When I was admitted, it was off a waitlist, and so I didn't feel in a great position to negotiate.  When I hesitated, Ralph came back, unprompted, with a slightly sweeter offer that made it feel possible to move and live here.  That was instructive, and, every step of the way since, I've had the sense that the people in the department want students to stick around and be supported.  They're all facing competing priorities - you do have to speak up if you need something - and there is a Big U bureacracy to deal with, but I have felt, so far, that faculty (and the department staff) were willing to go a little ways out on a limb to help me advocate for what I need.

Second, if I were accepted today, I would apply for graduate housing tomorrow (or as soon as it opens up).  It's by far the best deal I came across the the area, but there are very few spaces available compared with graduate admissions overall.  I think two, maybe three, people in my cohort got apartments there.  They seem satisfied if not thrilled with the accommodations.  (I could connect you with them.)  It's also right across the street from campus: easy access.  It's managed not by the U., but by a for-profit company called Southern Management, that also owns buildings across the area.  They have a reasonably good reputation, from what I saw, compared to other property-management companies.  I considered renting, and found the options so wanting that I bought a house in the Greenbelt cooperatives.  I love it here: affordable, community minded, basically a hidden gem.  They also have a little known rental building with one bedrooms and efficiencies that, again, are no-frills but affordable.  http://parkway.ghi.coop/  There's a bunch of other apartment buildings here in "old" Greenbelt and the more strip-mallish part of town where the larger apartment complexes sit.  There's a very reliable shuttle that passes about a block from my house, passing through parts of "old" and "new" Greenbelt, but it only runs once an hour, and not on weekends or during breaks, so depending on circumstances, it may not be ideal.  If you want more info., don't hesitate to ask.

[Dr. Old Bill]

I'm just chiming in once more to echo parts of what Greenmt said above.

I also feel supported at UMD, even though I'm a Master's student and not a Ph.D. candidate. While there will always be a slight divide between the M.A. cohort and the Ph.D. cohort, it's very slim at UMD. In fact, I had a long chat after class with a fellow early modernist the other day, and I was convinced she was a second year M.A. I'd had classes with her before, attended a part at her place etc....and I really had no idea she was actually well into the Ph.D. program. In other words, I've never had the feeling that the M.A.s and Ph.D.s (and even the M.F.A.s) aren't on the same level playing field.

But I digress. Support is definitely there. I won't get into detail, but Ralph and others in the department have really gone above and beyond to help me out with funding etc., and I've heard the same from a lot of folks in my cohort. There is still some general distaste at the campus-wide politcs (comes with the Big U. territory, as ProfLorax and Greenmt have said), but the English department feels solvent, sound, and supportive for the most part.

As for properties around the area, I can definitely affirm what Greenmt has said about there being hidden gems. For instance, I live in a nice suburban condo about five miles from campus, which is typically a fifteen minute drive. My wife and I pay $1200 per month, with all utilities included. It's a quiet area, but very close to anything you could want, whether that is a couple of grocery stores, a Costco, an Ikea, a Home Depot, a Best Buy...you name it. So places that are reasonably priced and reasonably close are quite possible, even if the "mean" of those factors makes the bigger picture of the general area appear worse.

 

[AudreLorde]

Thank you all, for all this information. It is very helpful. I will definitely ask everyone about housing/ transportation when I visit UMD for the Open House in March. Greenmt, I was accepted by UMD, and Ralph did say that he will make the offer more competitive once I have other offers; as of now, I am waiting to hear back from other places. It could take a while, since many of these places (like UC Davis and CUNY) inform applicants in March. I am actually already enrolled in a PhD program, and I re-applied to PhD programs because my program isn't a good fit for me. I came here straight from undergrad, so it took me some time to actually learn about what a real good "fit" means. Anyway, thanks a lot for the suggestions about negotiations. I definitely would need some financial help with relocation, since I live on a PhD stipend already, and don't have savings. So I will try to bring it up with Ralph when I visit. 

 

ProfLorax, the disability reading group sounds great. So happy to hear you're reading Audre Lorde. There isn't information about the disability reading group online... or maybe I've missed it. But if there is, could you send me a link? Thank you! 

 

Also, thanks for the comments about diversity and social justice. I asked Ralph to put me in touch with folks in my field (postcolonial/gender/queer theory), and with a student of color, so he sent me their information. He has been very nice and helpful over email so far, and I'm excited about the possibility of joining UMD. 

[ProfLorax]

AudreLorde: you can find more info about the DS reading on the departmental calendar online, but our email list is our most active source of info. If you PM me your email, I will forward you our schedule for Spring! 

[persynanōm]

Congrats to the acceptance off the wait list! I hope to join your ilk! 

[lazaria]

Thank you! And thank you Prof Lorax for this excellent thread! I'm looking forward to visiting the campus March 11th. 

[ProfLorax]

1 hour ago, lazaria said:

Thank you! And thank you Prof Lorax for this excellent thread! I'm looking forward to visiting the campus March 11th. 

Congrats, and you're welcome! Please let me know if you have any questions. And I'll see you next month! 

[persynanōm]

4 hours ago, lazaria said:

Thank you! And thank you Prof Lorax for this excellent thread! I'm looking forward to visiting the campus March 11th. 

Question! Is the department offering you a travel stipend for the visit? And is it a formal tour or is it based on your availability? Thanks! 

[AudreLorde]

33 minutes ago, persynanōm said:

Question! Is the department offering you a travel stipend for the visit? And is it a formal tour or is it based on your availability? Thanks! 

From what I understand, it is a formal tour/ open house. The department offered me up to $400 for travel expenses, and they will be providing housing in the University hotel for two nights.

[persynanōm]

Thanks very much! I'm trying to navigate the various open house dates as much as I can. Hopefully the admittee in Early Modern decides soon! 

One follow up question, though: do you think there is a difference in the travel stipend for admittees off the waitlist versus first picks,  or do such funds just transfer directly over if the admittee decides before the March meet-and-greet? 

Edited February 8, 2016 by persynanōm
Afterthought.

[AudreLorde]

I think that the funds would transfer directly if the admitted person in Early Modern rejects their offer before the open house, since they should probably have the same amount for each visitor. I don't think they treat people who are admitted off the wait list any differently than "first picks." It would be unethical if they did. Anyway, all the best!

[Ramus]

14 hours ago, persynanōm said:

One follow up question, though: do you think there is a difference in the travel stipend for admittees off the waitlist versus first picks,  or do such funds just transfer directly over if the admittee decides before the March meet-and-greet? 

I don't think so. I was still on the waitlist when they offered to pay for my flight to come visit, and it wasn't suggested that I'd get some inferior reimbursement. 

I should mention that it was a bit of a hassle trying to get reimbursed by UMD (as it seems to be at every school). Make sure you email their department finance folks after you attend the weekend (english_business@umd.edu). They'll mail you some form you need to sign, which you'll then need to mail back to them before they can process your request. I want to say that, all told, it took six or seven weeks to receive a check.

[persynanōm]

Thank you for your help! Perhaps because I've already had a brief visit there with my fiancé last year, they are not extending that same travel offer. Regardless, it isn't a huge concern. Thanks again! 

[DJS]

This question is to anyone with information about the MA program.

I saw on the site that there is an option of completing the MA on a part-time basis. I have some questions/ need some advice.

If I accept the offer, I feel that I would rather commute from NYC maybe once or twice a week for classes. Has anyone done this? Or has everyone lived in MD for their MA? 

Also, how do the MA students feel about their current program knowing that there are applications looming for Ph.D. programs? I worry about having to do all of this again (not necessarily because of the work, but more because of the waiting lol).

Finally, how do UMD MA students feel about their chances for acceptances to programs they sought out straight from undergraduate who brutally rejected them? It happens! We don't love it, but that's life...or rather graduate life.

Thanks all!