UVA

[mityak]

Did anyone else applying for a PhD at Virginia get an offer for the MA program? I applied to Virginia because I love their program, but I absolutely never expected to be offered anything. Their MA is completely without funding though, so I'm currently trying to decide what to do (out of state tuition makes me want to cry). Anyone else in a similar situation?

I was rejected from PhD. but accepted to MA. There is no chance I'm going to drive myself deeper into debt. I'm confident that I'll get picked up by a PhD. program eventually. There's no sense in blowing $20,000 when two more application seasons would cost less (fewer?) than $2,000, assuming it takes me that long. Maybe my reasoning makes sense for you.

[Historiogaffe]

I was rejected from PhD. but accepted to MA. There is no chance I'm going to drive myself deeper into debt. I'm confident that I'll get picked up by a PhD. program eventually. There's no sense in blowing $20,000 when two more application seasons would cost less (fewer?) than $2,000, assuming it takes me that long. Maybe my reasoning makes sense for you.

Less than, unless you'll be paying in individual dollars. Which would give you that promising future-academic eccentricity streak.

I'd agree that piling on the debt doesn't make sense. If the poster before this doesn't have a ton of debt, and you would be willing to carry the price: from what I've seen of the graduate student profiles on the Penn English site, Penn doesn't seem opposed to taking their own MA students into the PhD.

[gloryjones]

Just a suggestion: If people still thinking about whether to accept Virginia's offer or not are able to let UVa/Paul know before 3:30PM on Thursday, that would give him time to contact waitlisters before they have to accept their second-choice programs (since most programs cut off at 5PM that day). I know this won't always be possible (especially if you're waiting to hear from your own waitlisted schools), but just wanted to make the suggestion...

[strokeofmidnight]

Less than, unless you'll be paying in individual dollars. Which would give you that promising future-academic eccentricity streak.

I'd agree that piling on the debt doesn't make sense. If the poster before this doesn't have a ton of debt, and you would be willing to carry the price: from what I've seen of the graduate student profiles on the Penn English site, Penn doesn't seem opposed to taking their own MA students into the PhD.

Just a quick question/point of clarification. Did the graduate student profiles specify that the students were enrolled in the MA program prior to the PhD program? (Alternatively, does UPenn suggest that they do take their own MA's)? I don't have any info on this either way, specifically in regards to UPenn, but I do know that many PhD students (who were never in a MA program to begin with) will list the MA that they received "en route." I'm not entirely sure why, but I suspect it's one way of indicating where they are in their PhD careers without specifying the year they entered the program. (Since orals--when the MA is usually conferred "en route"--tends to be the dividing line between "older" and "younger" PhD students). It can make a difference if they're applying for teaching positions or fellowships. In other words, unless there's indication otherwise, many of the UPenn PhD students who list a UPenn MA might never have gone through the MA program.

Edited April 12, 2010 by strokeofmidnight

[diehtc0ke]

Just a quick question/point of clarification. Did the graduate student profiles specify that the students were enrolled in the MA program prior to the PhD program? (Alternatively, does UPenn suggest that they do take their own MA's)? I don't have any info on this either way, specifically in regards to UPenn, but I do know that many PhD students (who were never in a MA program to begin with) will list the MA that they received "en route." I'm not entirely sure why, but I suspect it's one way of indicating where they are in their PhD careers without specifying the year they entered the program. (Since orals--when the MA is usually conferred "en route"--tends to be the dividing line between "older" and "younger" PhD students). It can make a difference if they're applying for teaching positions or fellowships. In other words, unless there's indication otherwise, many of the UPenn PhD students who list a UPenn MA might never have gone through the MA program.

Though I'll admit to being confused as to how Penn was brought up at all, I know on the page that lists graduate students, people are divided into first years, second years, third years, ABDs and MA students. The MA student group is only about five or six people long if I recall. The distinction is definitely being made between those who are in the terminal MA program and those who are in the doctoral program.

Edited April 12, 2010 by diehtc0ke

[gloryjones]

Not sure if you feel comfortable doing this, but if the people who recently got accepted off the waitlist are comfortable sharing their general concentration areas, that'd help us other waitlisters (since the waitlist is by specialization and not priority).