Izulde's Grad School Quest: An RL Dynasty

[Izulde]

I heard back today from Old Dominion. I was accepted, but they don't have any assistantships available. I'm still waiting to hear from Columbia and UNLV, but it's a hell of a confidence booster to get into a small, extremely competitive program that only has 10 to 12 students in each concentration at any one time.

So we'll see how this plays out.

[lcjjdnh]

Congrats!

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by lcjjdnh

Congrats!

Thanks. Hopefully something can come through funding wise, whether it's from ODU, UNLV, or Columbia (if I get accepted into the latter two schools).

[Klinglerware]

Congrats, it always feels good to get an acceptance letter.

If you want, feel free to PM me about Columbia (I went there for grad school, though I would not know anything about your particular program)

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Klinglerware

Congrats, it always feels good to get an acceptance letter.

If you want, feel free to PM me about Columbia (I went there for grad school, though I would not know anything about your particular program)

Thanks. If I get into Columbia, I'll definitely be PM'ing you.

[Izulde]

After doing some more research on ODU, a few things raise serious red flags:

1. It's a commuter campus.
2. It's racially segregated.
3. It's in a high crime area.

I've hated every commuter school I've ever attended and another school I went to that also had a high degree of segregation was my least enjoyable experience. The crime thing doesn't bother me quite so much, as I've been in downtown Chicago by myself at night with no problems, but it's another warning note combined with the other two.

By and large, the undergraduate comments I've read indicate that a lot of students don't like it there, but on the flip side, the graduate students seem to like it just fine or quite a bit.

As I said, I'm still waiting to hear back from Columbia and UNLV, but these are some more things to keep in mind, particularly as I'm the sort who tends not to do as well if I'm not happy with the area I'm in, no matter how good or enjoyable the program may be.

[Izulde]

Columbia rejected me.

My weekend is ruined.

I'm not sure what I'll do now.

[Autumn]

Bummer, sorry man

[Izulde]

Thanks.

After some Jimmy John's and a long walk and talk with myself, it's probably for the best. I would've been in debt for most of my natural life going to Columbia and, if I'm totally honest with myself, I like UNLV's program the best (who is the last school I'm waiting to hear from).

I guess I just let myself get too caught up in the idea of making up for the regret of not trying for Princeton out of high school, and I've always dreamt of being an Ivy Leaguer. But at least now I can say I gave it my best shot and that it just wasn't meant to be.

Doesn't take the sting away entirely, but it helps.

[Klinglerware]

Sorry to hear that, Izulde.

I know that this won't make you feel any better, but these things have a way of working themselves out.

My general advice about grad school is that people have to go for the right reasons, and people generally should prioritize program selection based on fit. The reputation of the program as it relates to the student's planned specialization is more important than the school's overall reputation.

[Izulde]

That's where it gets interesting, actually.

Columbia has traditionally been considered one of the elite programs in Creative Writing, but they've experienced a prodigal drop in recent years compared to their prior standing, which has a number of factors related to it, not least of which is their lack of funding compared to other top programs. They're still considered a great program, but not on the level they used to be.

I also suspect that with the current economy, applications are up even higher than they were, say, five years ago. I know that was the case when I was applying to MA programs; application rates were almost double what they'd been.

Then there's the fact that MFA applications are the biggest roll of the dice in the graduate world. It all comes down to if the committee member or members like your writing, art, etc. Say for example you write a vampire story. There's some people reading that who will immediately toss you in the reject pile, so if the wrong person gets your application, you're done even before you start.

[bbgunn]

That ain't fair, man. But keep your head up. It'll work out.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sorry to hear about Columbia.

[Izulde]

Thanks, guys. Just have to keep the faith, I guess.

[Izulde]

I've been waitlisted by UNLV and should find out next week if I've been admitted or not. The AWP conference is this week, so most of the faculty will be there I imagine (as well as a good number of people here at UArk).

The good news is, if I'm admitted, I'm guaranteed a TAship.

So yeah it's going to be a nerve-wracking week of waiting, fo' sho.

[JediKooter]

Hey, at the least the housing in Vegas sucks ass so bad, you might be able to buy a house on your salary at UNLV.

Good luck in the hunt Izulde!!!

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

Hey, at the least the housing in Vegas sucks ass so bad, you might be able to buy a house on your salary at UNLV.

Good luck in the hunt Izulde!!!

Thanks. I really hope I get in. As I said, in some respects I liked UNLV's program even better than Columbia's.

It's funny you mention the housing thing. I was thinking this morning how delightful it would be to live in a Vegas hotel, eating various flavors of hot Doritos and writing by casino night lights.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Thanks. I really hope I get in. As I said, in some respects I liked UNLV's program even better than Columbia's.

It's funny you mention the housing thing. I was thinking this morning how delightful it would be to live in a Vegas hotel, eating various flavors of hot Doritos and writing by casino night lights.

I always said, if the right job came along in Vegas, I would not hesitate to move there.

Haha, awesome! Just don't stay in the Plaza hotel or all of your writings would probably sound like Poe was writing them.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

I always said, if the right job came along in Vegas, I would not hesitate to move there.

Haha, awesome! Just don't stay in the Plaza hotel or all of your writings would probably sound like Poe was writing them.

Ugh. I'll *never* stay in the Plaza again. Last time I did, one of the employees stole it out of the room and we had to raise hell for them to do anything about it. The security guard didn't care. Just shrugged and said file a report. I eventually got it back in the mail a couple weeks later, but the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth.

On the other hand, it led to an interesting experience at the Las Vegas police department, where my mom, sister and I overheard this immense guy in a cowboy hat wanting to file a report "cuz my wife, she took my rifle and threw it in the a-kwee-ducked and I want to file charges against her."

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Ugh. I'll *never* stay in the Plaza again. Last time I did, one of the employees stole it out of the room and we had to raise hell for them to do anything about it. The security guard didn't care. Just shrugged and said file a report. I eventually got it back in the mail a couple weeks later, but the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth.

On the other hand, it led to an interesting experience at the Las Vegas police department, where my mom, sister and I overheard this immense guy in a cowboy hat wanting to file a report "cuz my wife, she took my rifle and threw it in the a-kwee-ducked and I want to file charges against her."

What did they steal? Yea, the Plaza hotel is the worst place I have seen so far in Vegas. I highly recommend to anyone going to Vegas to not go there.

Haha! That is awesome. There is definitely no shortage of human curiosities that visit that town on any given day.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

What did they steal? Yea, the Plaza hotel is the worst place I have seen so far in Vegas. I highly recommend to anyone going to Vegas to not go there.

Haha! That is awesome. There is definitely no shortage of human curiosities that visit that town on any given day.

Whoops. Thought I put it in there. My wallet, with everything in it. I had to use the police report to get on the plane.

Agreed! Vegas is a goldmine of material, particularly for the subjects I often write about.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Whoops. Thought I put it in there. My wallet, with everything in it. I had to use the police report to get on the plane.

Agreed! Vegas is a goldmine of material, particularly for the subjects I often write about.

Oh crap! I would have been beyond pissed if they took my wallet. What a PITA.

Goldmine is a good way of putting it. That would be cool if you do get the UNLV gig. I would definitely give you a ring and buy some drinks when I visit Vegas.

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Thanks. I really hope I get in. As I said, in some respects I liked UNLV's program even better than Columbia's.

It's funny you mention the housing thing. I was thinking this morning how delightful it would be to live in a Vegas hotel, eating various flavors of hot Doritos and writing by casino night lights.

My dad and step-mom relocated to Vegas this past year. It's a mixed bag for them...My dad has a slight gambling problem so it doesn't help there, but my step-mom keeps him away from the casino's as much as she can.

But they are amazed at how low cost it is there.

[Izulde]

JediKooter: That'd be awesome.

MacroGuru: Yeah, my dad has a bit of a gambling problem himself, so I know the feeling there. I keep hearing how cheap it is to live in Vegas, which is frankly a blessing to my impoverished ass.

So it's the 10th. I'll find out by the 15th if I got in to UNLV or not. If I do, the decision's pretty easy. Major city with lots to do (even though I was quite disappointed to hear the theme park and Wet n Wild are both no longer there and even though I don't like gambling), kick-ass program with required study abroad and guaranteed assistantship = win (especially since I've always been happier abroad than in the US overall).

If I don't get in, well, that's where the difficulty sets in, unless I get considerable funding from somewhere and love an ODU visit. I do plan on applying for a fraternity scholarship, no matter what happens with UNLV, and see what comes of that, but essentially, if I don't get into UNLV, I have two options: 1) Go to ODU or 2) Get a job at a resort back in Wisconsin that I have connections to, work for a year, and start the application process anew next year.

Only a few weeks left to the end of the semester. I'll be walking across the stage in May, but won't actually finish the degree until the end of the first summer session, due to a change I made. Although it means I'll be in Arkansas til the end of June rather than totally done by the first week of May, it's a decision that saved my sanity.

As for my Arkansas experience overall... the professors I've had have been awesome and the teaching was a great experience, although I enjoyed the first year far more than the second, if I'm totally honest. The university itself is a pretty campus and the ice storms were fun events.

On the flip side, it's also been a very lonely time here. I've had quite a few acquaintances, but only one true friend in Fayetteville itself (the roommate on internship this semester). Now granted, I'm used to being by myself, but this was still a major adjustment from La Crosse, where I had the fraternity, and Gateway, where I was living at home, to name the other two schools I've officially graduated from. Oh, by the way, I loved hanging out with you the times we did, MJ4H. In fact, they were the most fun social experiences I had here.

This sense of isolation has been exacerbated by the fact that there frankly isn't much to do in Fayetteville and the food is, overall, the worst I've had in any city I've ever lived in. Isolation, boredom and poor eating habits = triple whammy for bipolar disorder, particularly this year, when it's hit hard and often. I did go to the mental health clinic, but when I was standing there and they ignored me, then asked if they could help a girl who came in after me, I told them to go fuck themselves and stormed out, never to return. (Yes, rage has been a huge problem for me this year as well).

So overall, it's been a mixed bag. In the end, though, I'd say I don't regret coming here. From an educational and professional growth standpoint, it's been wonderful and without my time here, my chances of getting into an MFA program would be significantly reduced. On the other hand, it's been a disaster from a social and mental health standpoint. In fact, the last time it was this bad was Minnesota, or, as I call it, The Lost Year.

And yet, even that shows how far I've come from those dark days. Back then, or during the equally miserable days of UW-Parkside, I would've given up and just quit. Now, I've fought through it and am in excellent shape to graduate from a masters program with a strong track record.

[Izulde]

I should have a further update in a few hours, but right now, things are looking a bit grim.

[Izulde]

Okay, latest update is that I'm still waitlisted and it's not for certain one way or the other yet. The good news is, I'm on the waitlist and apparently considered UNLV quality.

So they suggested I wait until next Wednesday and if I haven't heard by then, I can check back. But here's to hoping I've heard something by then.

[Izulde]

I GOT ACCEPTED TO UNLV!!!!!

[DeToxRox]

'Grats man.

[lcjjdnh]

Congrats!

[Swaggs]

WTG!

[Izulde]

Thanks, guys.

I'm still pinching myself over this, because it doesn't seem quite real yet... that I would get accepted and fully funded by a fantastic MFA in Creative Writing program like UNLV's.

[Izulde]

I still had a lot of thinking and pondering to do, which I've done over the past week. But ultimately, after talking to a lot of people and weighing all my options, the choice was clear.

I officially committed to UNLV this morning and will be a Writing Rebel.

Now to convince Coach Hauck to put the names back on the football team's jerseys, which the previous guy stupidly took off.

[Klinglerware]

Congrats! Both on getting in and getting funded!

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Klinglerware

Congrats! Both on getting in and getting funded!

Thanks. I think it's going to be good times.

[Izulde]

It was an interesting first year, with a lot of ups and downs. I'd say overall I've been happy here - the program is excellent, and although I'm still far more antisocial than I should be, my social life is improved immensely over Arkansas. The weather, of course, is a huge plus, something that's hit home even more clearly after having been back in Wisconsin for a week. I also had a pedagogy paper accepted at AWP, the major national writers and writing program conference, and finally got to see Junot Diaz give a reading and actually spend a couple minutes talking to him at a bar afterwards.

On the down side, I spent most of the year struggling to write, and even though the program is great, the faculty and my fellow students wonderful, I still suffered from chronic depression (which contradicts the overall happy, I know) and have never gotten over the fact that I never tried for Princeton and never went to a private school. The latter is especially eating away at me what with the budget crisis here and the asshole Republicans wanting to destroy education in Nevada. My program is still safe, as it's one of the highest ranked in the school, but.. yeah I'm not going to go on about it. Makes me angry all over again just thinking about it.

Love life is still nonexistant. Had a possibility of a thing developing with a Romanian girl, but before it could really get started, I got cold feet and vanished on her. Then again, Las Vegas is a terrible city to be a single intellectual, particularly for the women, which is why a good number of the relationships that form here are within the program. I just haven't really been attracted to anyone.

The worst part of this year was probably failing the MA exam at Arkansas a second time. That means no MA for me. I don't regret the two years I spent there, though - I learned a lot and wrote my MFA application manuscript there.

Second worst part was probably today, when I received word that one of the PTIs here, who graduated with his MFA last year, passed away suddenly. Big time shock.

I'm still not sure yet where I'll study abroad - part of me wants to go back to Europe, another part of me wants to go South America, and another part of me wants to go to Japan or Korea or somewhere around there.

I'm also not sure what I'll do once I graduate in 2013. Teaching would be easiest, but 1) the job market is horrible, 2) I don't really like teaching all that much, to be honest. I know I have to get some sort of day work, because I'm not going to be able to make money from writing right off the bat. I've considered getting a paralegal certificate (loved the law course I took as an undergraduate). I've also thought about trying to get into something sports related, but I don't have the connections to do that, unfortunately.

So we'll see what happens this second year. Fall of my third year I'll be studying abroad, and I'll have my schedule set up so that my final semester will be entirely thesis hours.

[Izulde]

First week of Year Two is in the books.

Tried for World Lit, but didn't get it because MFAs are treated like second class citizens, no better than MAs, when it comes to teaching assignments. A large part of it is PTIs and PhDs get first priority at World Lit and the number of sections have gone down, so it's understandable, but still very frustrating to still be stuck teaching freshman composition courses. So teachingwise, my morale is pretty low right now, although it's nice to finally teach the second semester rather than the first semester course. On the flip side, the second semester course here is essentially what the first semester course at Arkansas is, so it's very much a thing.

On the flip side, I'm excited for my taking classes this semester, although one of them has me extremely nervous because it's a combo class where most of the grade is 25 question quizzes and I hate the percentages of that. I want to maintain my 4.0. If I can keep it going this semester, I should be in the clear the rest of the way through.

I'm now shifting my international sights to this next summer and am working on establishing state residency by then so I don't get charged out of state tuition (although I think the language in the GA contract indicates I wouldn't anyway). I've also pretty much settled on Argentina as the country I want to go abroad to, ideally for youth sports coaching. It'll cross another continent off my list and allow me to get back to the coaching I miss so much.

Going next summer would take a lot of pressure off my final year. I'd be doing thesis hours both semesters, plus one of either a translation or a critical essay in the fall. My guess is it'd be the translation, because I'm taking both my poetry requirements this spring and a critical essay will be an easier brain break from poetry than translation would be.

I need to decide who my thesis committee chair will be by the end of the semester. We have three choices, all of whom would be great to work with. I've been wrestling with it for the last week and I think the question I need to answer is, "Which one will make me the best writer I can be and the best thesis I can write?"

In terms of my actual thesis, I'm struggling with trying to decide what to do. Both are novel ideas. While most people do a collection of short stories, I'm still not as comfortable writing short stories as I am working in the longer venue of a novel.

One novel idea, my application manuscript, I have a very strong, well-drawn protagonist whose voice comes easily to me and another very well developed feature character. I also have some solid sections and several minor characters well fleshed out. The biggest stumbling block is the novel's main female character. As real and as engaging as the first two characters are, the female hasn't crystallized into someone real yet and I haven't found the solution. Nor has anyone one else I've discussed this with.

The second novel idea I just started last spring and actually spun off a short short piece from it that somebody recommended I tighten up a little more and send to a specific literary magazine (I've done some tightening on it, but I'm scared to send it). This other option has a much more believable female lead, but the voice of the protagonist is fuzzy and the story and plot both are on much less sure footing than my first idea.

So we'll see what the semester brings.

[JeeberD]

Give Irizarry my love...

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Give Irizarry my love...

Will do. He and I have been talking about going down to Argentina together at the same time to do sports coaching for our required international experience.

[Izulde]

Light and darkness alternate swiftly;
The sun and moon shoot back and forth like shuttles

4.0 maintained. After further investigation into the sports coaching thing, I'd essentially be a glorified assistant gym teacher. Not what I want to do, so it's dropped. I'm presently looking into other abroad activities and will certainly be going somewhere in summer to fulfill the requirement.

I spent the winter break reading quite a bit, mostly Chinese literature, including re-reading Volume I of The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei. I didn't write anything substantial, as the end of last semester was one of the more stressful ones I've had in my lengthy travels in academia.

This semester is poetry-laden, as I'm completing both cross-genre requirements. Should make for an interesting one. But I won't be entirely absent fiction either, as I'm writing a critical essay on The Great Gatsby and Trimalchio (the original title and draft of Gatsby). I'll also be reading Walt Whitman's fiction for one of my poetry classes, which I hear should be quite enjoyab

What this state of events means is that my final two semesters will, except for a translation I'll be doing in the fall, be entirely devoted to my thesis. I feel more on the ball with things at the start of the semester than I ever have been, which is a great feeling.

That includes knowing what I hope to do after I graduate in Spring 2013. But I won't know if these hopes will be realized until the end of April 2013, so that's a year away.

[Izulde]

I have a thesis advisor now. I asked the person I thought would be the best option for me personally, and they said yes, so that's super awesome.

I've actually found some time to do leisure reading at night in the bath. Been plowing through James Clavell's Shogun, which is quite marvelous in a lot of ways, flawed in a few, but oh so gripping and intriguing a narrative.

I have no intention of trying anything involving Japan, though. Spain will be a very tempting locale to set a story or two in, based on experiences in Granada and my leaning towards the Basque region this summer.

I'm a bit conflicted, though. Part of me wants to go to a whole new country/continent rather than back to Spain or even Western Europe. Another part of me says since I'll be there only a month or two at most, that the time it would take to pick up survival level of an entirely new language would essentially rob me of the fullest possible enjoyment. A third part notes that Basque society and culture will be entirely different from the rest of Spain and also offers comparatively easy travel access to the Galician and Catalan regions.

I won't lie - I'd love to go to Japan and thought a lot about the JET program, but that would have meant delaying graduation a semester and frankly, I'm tired of Las Vegas in a lot of ways. I no longer hate it like I did when I was a kid, but I'm really ready to go somewhere else at this point, and I've a whole year to go yet. The other half of the equation is that you're expect to have a basic grasp of Japanese characters, etc. before you even get there, and as my experience with Russian demonstrates, I don't do well at all with non-Latin alphabet based languages. That's just how I'm wired.

South America would be awesome, too, except the thought of winter does not appeal to me at all, which is when I would be there. Africa I won't ever go back to. Morocco was fun but I just have no interest in the actual continent itself, although I do enjoy some of the literary traditions.

In what will be the most interesting news to FOFC, I'm putting together a themed freshman comp course on something like Sports and American Society (bland title I know, but it's just a working one). If my proposal is successful, I'll be able to teach it next fall, which ties in to my post-graduation goals.

[Alf]

If Spain is your choice, aim for Barcelona.

[Izulde]

A couple of the other MFAs are going to Barcelona this summer for their international component, ironically enough.

[Izulde]

Funny how swiftly things change in a few days. I decided Friday morning that I didn't want to go to the Basque country. I love Spain, but this is my last chance in a very long time to live someplace completely new for a couple of months.

So I decided to hell with the language barrier and I'll sort it out as best as I can, learn as much as I can before I go, and I'm going to Japan like I've always wanted to do, Kyoto specifically, the city I've always longed to go to.

I did some searching on airbnb.com, a place a number of others in the program have used to find places (including the ones going to Barcelona). Although I haven't officially booked yet, I'm in a conversation with a place that I'm very, very close to booking. I'll be there two months once everything's locked in place.

And frankly I am excited and nervous as hell all at once about it, which is a terrific feeling.

[Izulde]

It's official. My place in Kyoto, Japan is booked for two months this summer. May the kami have mercy on my soul.

[Izulde]

In a month and a day I'll be on the plane to Kyoto by way of Seoul. I'm super stoked about it, not only because I'll be living abroad again for a couple of months and I've always wanted to go to Japan, but because it'll mean what has been a tough semester schedule and motivation wise will be over.

It's the start of much better times ahead going into my third and final year of the MFA program. Not only will be I summering in Japan, but, as many of you know from the Random Thoughts thread, I got approval to teach a themed freshman composition class in the fall dealing with college sports.

You see, over the last year and a half I've realized that I have little to no interest in teaching academia and unless I come up with some bestseller or something, living by writing isn't possible. So I've been mulling what I want for a career, while still writing on the side. I've come to realize that my desire and qualifications find a match in the field of sports management.

The problem? I'm not exactly walking around with a list of contacts in my phone, nor do I have any experience in it. Hell, even my connection to sports in general is slippery at best (a year of youth soccer coaching, being the DDS:PB community manager for Gary's WS, and now teaching this college sports course in the fall).

So I'm sitting in the union today, looking over rough drafts of my students' research papers in preparation for revision workshops that start tomorrow, when I'm handed a summer internship and career fair flier.

I figure eh, what the hell, I'll go even though my summer is already planned. I love going to career and internship fairs and just seeing what employers and positions are being offered.

Long story short, I found out the Las Vegas Bowl has fall internships available and the guy at the table gave me his business card and I'm pretty sure he said to contact him.

Application deadline is May 15th and I leave the 18th, so I'm not sure how that'll work in terms of the selection process. I do plan on applying, however. They're looking specifically for people who want to get into sports management.

[k0ruptr]

doooooooo it. Japan is awesome, but if possible that intern with the Las Vegas bowl is double awesome.

[Izulde]

Yeah I went back and talked to the guy to ask how the dates would affect the selection process and he said if it came to that, not to worry and that they would work around it. He told me to apply anyway.

[Izulde]

So, Japan was very, very cool. Those of you who are FB friends with me were able to follow along until about the second day of Tokyo photowise, at which point I neglected to update (I still have a ton of pictures though, and will get back to it at some point).

I got back to the States and no word from the Las Vegas Bowl. So I emailed the person in charge of the internship to see what the status is... and the email bounced back with an unknown address.

Obviously the internship isn't happening, but perhaps it's for the best. I've been working on another sports-themed project in its place, have started teaching the college sports-themed class this semester, am working on my thesis and a translation.

Thus, it's going to be a very busy, hectic semester even without the internship (which is why I haven't been reading/posting on FOFC near as much as I used to).

I also need to start sports management programs applications in the next few weeks. Granted, many of them don't have deadlines until February or March, but this isn't something I want to procrastinate on.

[Izulde]

Georgetown sent me an email last week saying they're now taking applications for next fall's Sports Management program, so I dug out my old notes and list, and have a list of four schools that I will for sure be applying to, likely to add a fifth one after weighing some factors.

The Certain Four (in no particular order)
1. Georgetown
I love Washington D.C. and the program offers a plethora of internships and a mentoring program. Alumni seem to report one of the biggest benefits of the program is how well they teach networking skills, which is something I'd definitely like to grow stronger in. The program's split into two specialization tracks - management and operations, or sports marketing, both of which are intriguing. The downside is there isn't much in the way of financial aid support, it seems.

2. Drexel
Philadelphia offers a ton of different possibilities for internships and Drexel's program seems to really emphasize engaging with the local sports community. Philadelphia is also one of the few cities where all four major professional sports teams are in the city limits. Assistantships are also available, which will be a key factor if I can get one.

3. St. John's
The program's quite new, but assistantships are available, it's in New York, which goes without saying as to the internship options available. Your capstone here is either an internship or a thesis. Naturally, I'd be doing the internship. One of the coolest things about this program is that it offers high school coaching certification with it, something I'd definitely be interested in getting, as I miss coaching terribly.

4. San Francisco
See a growing theme here of major cities? Most get some form of financial aid and assistantships are available. The huge factor for this program is that students have multiple internships, so students get a wide variety of work experiences.

Many of the other schools on the list I discarded because either they're A) not in major cities, B) don't put much emphasis, if any, on an internship experience or C) the biggest killer, your chances of getting in without prior work experience in the field are pretty slim. Since I don't really have that, with the exception of youth-coaching and my work with Wolverine Studios (and I'm not sure how much the latter counts), it's not worth wasting the time or money.

[Young Drachma]

What's your ideal job, you think? Like once you're done with this new masters?