adaptations

UWSpades: The advice that the CIR advisors give is to wait until you finish the program and then apply. I think this is sound advice and gives you the best chance of success and maximizes the value of your time at CIR. That said, I ignored their advice and applied while in the program, which is a crazy amount of work, but doable. The problems with reapplying while in the program are 1) you won't have grades from the program in time for your applications 2) you won't have much time to build relationships with faculty to get strong letters of rec. and 3) you probably won't have a new well-developed writting sample. If I were you, I would wait to apply until after you have finished the program. Also, it might be nice having a year off between the MA and PhD to give you some down time and the time to concentrate on applications. I hope this helps. Cheers,

I'm still waiting on NW... they are the last holdout.

I am currently in the program and know a number of other posters on the board (who have had great success applying this year) also did CIR. I think it is a great way to continue your education, make connections within the academe that can lead to great letters of rec., and it definitely looks good when reapplying to PhD programs in the future. It also gives you a great feel for what a PhD program will be like, which is great for people who thought they wanted to do a PhD and decided it wasn't for them (saves them allot of time, plus they have a good MA for the job market). In my case, CIR simply affirmed my desire to earn a PhD and helped me get into some great schools. If you have specific question feel free to PM me. Also, I recommend coming to the visit day to meet current students, advisors, and faculty and to get a feel for the school. Cheers,

Check out: viewtopic.php?f=48&t=16119 Also, "The Bank" section has similar conversations. That said, gettinig funding for an MA program is generally harder than for a PhD program (yes, I know there are exceptions). My thought is, it can never hurt to ask. Good luck,

Aubstopper: were you applying for MA or PhD? I only ask because I was under the impression that Chicago did not offer 1/2 tuition for the PhD program, but I do know they offer such packages for the MA. Thanks,

I can't say for sure, but I think the estimate of OSU having a cohort of 40 students is exagerated. If this is a concern for you, call the DGS.

There certainly seems to be allot less to post about these days. I am sure some people will report back on impressions about visiting weekends and funding issues, but now that people are narrowing their choices, there is allot less general comments and speculation that is relevant to all. I will say, I am eagerly awaiting OSUs funding details along with a few other schools, but other than that, the drama, suspense, and excitement of the application process has died down - that must mean it is time to finish the paper I am working on. Ciao,

I can't generalize to how all wait lists work, but I can tell you what I was told about Michigan's this year. They have a wait list for each subfield. They plan on enrolling 5 in each subfield. They admitted 5 in each subfield. Thus, if someone declines the offer, the top ranked person on the waitlist (yes the wait list is already ranked) gets the next offer.

After talking to faculty and adcomm members at my school, I doubt that many spend much, if any, time on this forum. For that matter, most don't even know about it. On the other hand, I wish people form Northwestern would read it. Maybe they would understand that a slow admissions processes deters potential students... Then again, maybe they don't want those students anyway.

DC is great. Try to live in NW DC if you want to have easy access to the city. Living in VA is fine, but it is an entirely different experience. It may just be across the river, but suddenly it is much more inconvenient to go out, walk the city, and make the most of what DC has to offer. Sure there are dangerous parts (every city has them) and yes the summers are hote and unpleasant, but the city i great! One of my favorites anywhere.

I had a number of semesters below a full course load. I don't think this is a concern at all, so long as you still graduate (preferably on time). I've had reasonable success applying, so I don't think it hurt me at all.

To those people who are already accepted, my suggestion is, have has much fun as possible! Sure the background reading might make the transition a slight bit easier, but to be honest, I think that is more important for people who have been out of school for a while. Instead, you are about to embark on at least five years of challenging and arduous work, go have some fun... (although now that I think about it, maybe that is what you've been doing for the last four years anyway )

The short answer, yes you can definitely live on it. I am at Chicago and my opinion is that 18K is workable. You are on the extreme graduate student budget, but everyone here seems to get by. Good luck!

Just to give some additional info on the UW situation. I applied in IR, and was contacted earlier by phone. I had essentially the same conversation that expatbayern had. I recently received admission and an invite to the admitted students weekend. The letter also says, "We can not bring everyone to visit who has expressed interest so please let us know if you will attend by Friday March 6th." Additionally, I have not been guaranteed funding, so I am concerned about that. I hope this info helps. Cheers,

WOW - way to take things into your own hands and get this looked into! Talk about a life changing decision and initial mistake. Congratulations on the acceptance!!!

For those interested, I emailed NW yesterday. I got a standard response that essentially says most decisions will be posted next week. Nothing too interesting, and certainly nothing that revealed anything helpful. I also emailed the DGS at Rochester. As most of us know acceptances went out a while ago. They took 13. No decisions have been made regarding a wait list. Cheers,

For those who haven't heard from U. of Michigan, don't loose hope. I just received via postal mail, notice that I have "been placed on a short, select waitlist." The letter states they do anticipate taking some from the list, but they can't say how many. I really have my fingers crossed for this one! For those who care, my sibfield is I.R.

I would contact your recommenders once you know the final results and express to them your intention to reapply. I don't think you need to walk through the mistakes you made, but let them know you are going to concentrate on making improvements for next year. For the recommenders you trust and value their opinion, ask them if they would review your application and help make improvements. Just so you know, I am one of those people who is reapplying this year. After a rough cycle last year, I have three very good options and am still waiting to hear from a couple schools. The knowledge you gain from going through the application process is invaluable, but you should also make every effort to get GOOD input on your SOP and writing sample. I stress good, because there are allot of people who will be happy to help out, but allot fewer people who actually know what Ph.D. admissions committees are looking for. Best of luck,

Keep in mind Chicago only accepted 6 people total! I don't think you should over analyze what it took to be one of those six. At some point they just have to choose.

Regardless of their funding offers, I think the program is really on the upswing. If you look at the faculty they recently hired, there are some impressive people and I think their reputation will continue to improve.

The word is that Glaser is going to GW.

This is the problem with online posting. It is so hard to tell when someone is being sarcastic, or when they are just confused. At any rate, for anyone accepted to Chicago who wants more info, feel free to PM me. Cheers,

As a current student at U of Chicago, I am curious why you think Chicago is going in a constructivist direction? I think you might want to do some more research on that one. (Or are you trying to mess with the guy who got in?)

Does anyone find it odd how Plisar seems to have immediate, accurate, and useful information on virtually every school in the country? thegradcafe.com should have him on their payroll.

While, after all this talk of rejections, I am looking forward to hearing some news this week (hopefully something good). Last week was surprisingly uneventful for me, so I am ready for some official rejections and acceptances. Yes, even the rejections - I'd rather know now and start figuring out my plans than be kept in unnecessary suspense. Plus, I had a dream last night that Harvard accepted me, so who cares what happens until I hear from them :-) OK, a long shot, but I can hope - right?