twincinema

Accepted for India ETA! Message me if I'll be seeing you around!

Hi all! Long time lurker, first time poster. First, congratulations to all of you on your many acceptances! From your posts I can tell they're well deserved. I'm just finishing my BA in Cinema and English and have applied to several MA/PhD programs in Film Studies. So far I haven't had any luck with PhD programs. I'm still waiting on 3 programs, but I only care about one--Iowa. I'm really hoping it works out, but I also recognize how difficult it is to be accepted right out of undergrad. Is it worth contacting Iowa and asking where they are in the process/what my status is? Also, if anyone would like to weigh in, I'm seriously debating whether I should attend a MA program first or do something else. There are many reasons to go, but funding is an issue. One program has reached out to me on several occasions, but funding is tight and I'm not sure if it would be worth it. I do have a job offer at a 2 year fellowship, so if I did that I could save up some money and have time to work on my application (though not much time). I'm still waiting on Fulbright, so hopefully that works out because I'd be in a much better place. Still broke though. Any thoughts? Feel free to PM me if that's easier!

Hello! I've been recommended for the ETA in India as well. Unfortunately, I also have not been able to find much on when final decisions are released. I did see that in 2011, a university posted that one of their students had been accepted on 3/29 (I think. I'm sure it was the end of March). For 2012, the only postings I saw were in May. It's not much, but maybe it'll help a bit.

Thanks for all of your input everyone! I spoke to my professor/advisor about it briefly, and he told me not to send 4 because it could annoy some schools. Also I began explaining the situation to him, and once I said the instructor wasn't faculty he cut me off and said don't use him. That was very discouraging to say the least. I was too embarrassed to tell him I had already asked him 2 months ago. I don't know. I can see where my advisor is coming from, but I had asked him in Sept. so I'm worried he'll be annoyed if I tell him I don't need it anymore. But he must understand since he has been through this process himself, right? Or maybe some schools wont mind 4? Also I don't know why I said I was applying to 5 schools... I'm applying to 10 haha. I guess I thought about splitting it in my head and typed that instead.

I hope this isn't too long, but I've made my situation a bit complicated so if anyone can read this in its entirety and give me great advice I would appreciate it! I'm applying to graduate programs in film studies. My school's department is a bit small. I've formed solid relationships with two professors in my department and I know they'll be great. However, there are only 3 film studies professors (as opposed to production... not what I'm doing). I have two choices for my third and final recommendation. My first choice is my instructor for this honors seminar in the humanities I participated in. I formed a great working and personal relationship with him, but unfortunately he's not a faculty member. My second choice is a full time professor for a women's studies course I'm taking this semester. I spoke with him and he told me he could write a pretty good letter, but obviously not the best one. He said that although I've only known him for this one semester, he could push it to a year and incorporate my work in the class with my goals for graduate school (I incorporate quite a bit of feminist theory into my work). The seminar instructor could write an amazing recommendation about me and my studies, but he's not a full time professor (or faculty at all). My other professor does not know me as well, but he is a full time professor. I guess it really comes down to which is more important: the quality of the letter or the recommender's position? Also I may have already asked the seminar instructor to write me one (whoops!). I asked him to do it in September and now it's November, so there's a good chance he's started working on it. Should I maybe split the recommendations between schools to avoid an awkward conversation? (I'm applying to 5) I'm not sure what I should do! Any advice is appreciated!