<p>@afromnc, I completely agree with your point regarding communication skills. I work with many professionals with science training and it is really shocking how poorly educated they are regarding the ability to write. Remember that writing is more important than ever in professional life, regardless of your job. You will be emailing constantly and perhaps even blogging for your job. Being well-read and having the ability to write well will serve you very well in the future. Do not be solely focused on the job out of college. Many people who get those high paying jobs leave them soon after they get them. It’s not a sure ticket to a successful future.</p>
<p>I’m an English major at Michigan. I won’t comment on the value of the degree (though it should be pretty apparent given the fact that I majored in it), but I wanted to add my thoughts on the strength of the program. I have nothing but praise for almost all of the upper level courses I’ve taken. There were only two classes I didn’t love. One of them was a required poetry course, but the professor I took it with was wonderful, and I think it was more due to the subject matter. I hate poetry (don’t shoot). I also took a course with a professor who had just gotten divorced (at least that’s what everyone in the class thought), so his class was understandably lacking. Other than that, they’ve been nothing short of amazing.</p>
<p>The lower-level writing courses (e.g. Eng 125, 223, 225) aren’t necessarily the greatest, and it’s hit or miss based on whether you have a grad student teaching it or a professor dropping down to teach a single section. But I still thought I improved as a writer, and I would hazard a guess that across the board, most majors’ lower-level courses leave something to be desired, too. I did, however, get to take English 298 (required in order to enter English degree program) with an awesome lecturer II (just below full-fledged professorship I believe) who was probably the most encouraging person I’ve ever met. I went to her office hours essentially lost for a final paper and told her I was worried about turning in a garbage essay. I bounced all of my ideas off of her, she found a common thread through some of my ideas, gave me her thoughts, and I ended up getting an A+ on the paper. She even pulled me aside after a final exam to congratulate me. She was from Princeton/Harvard undergrad/grad or something like that, and left immediately after my semester to become a professor somewhere (maybe Berkeley?). I hope she comes back.</p>
<p>Some of the professors will completely alter your view of literature and the English language. Some of the names that come to mind - the “you-can’t-graduate-without-taking-their-course” - are John Rubadeau, Ralph Williams, Enoch Brater, Theresa Tinkle, John Whittier-Ferguson. If you look at Rubadeau’s ratemyprofessor profile, he’s got a 4.9/5.0 with something like 50 reviews. I didn’t get to take a class with him, but my roommate did and I regret not taking a class with him immensely. Enoch Brater’s Samuel Beckett class is apparently unbelievably good, and I took a Hamlet class with him a few semesters ago that still stands as my favorite class of all time. </p>
<p>The professors are accommodating, truly care about your development as a writer, care about you as a person, and almost all of the upper-level courses (probably 95%+) are small, with 20 students are less, so you get to know them intimately. They’ll meet with you outside of class any time, respond to your emails quickly, and I’ve heard of one professor holding extra office hours on a Saturday while he walks his dog at a park. And you can just walk with him and bounce ideas off of him. Pretty awesome. I’ve heard of professors holding final “exams” at their house where it’s really just a discussion, which might sound strange, especially if you’re an introvert, but they go above and beyond to stimulate your intellectual growth. And I’ve personally had professors that allow you to do whatever you want creatively for a final. Then I’ve also had professors that require you to go on a roadtrip to write about it. And of course there’s the typical “write a paper” finals, too.</p>
<p>I imagine NYU probably has a similarly awesome English program, especially if it’s housed at Tisch. Definitely ask over there on their forums. I don’t mean to diminish BU’s academic strength, but I don’t really think it’s in the same league as Michigan or NYU.</p>
<p>The RC sounds like a strong fit. Excellent post kc and OP</p>