BuddingScholar
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Posts posted by BuddingScholar
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Tufts
in Art History
Would any of the Tufts admits be willing to speak with me regarding the school, program and funding? I would love to compare notes, share thoughts, impressions, etc, but of course completely understand if you are not comfortable doing that.
If you would like to talk, please PM me. Thank you and congratulations!
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I am beginning to cut down on my options and was hoping you guys could give me your opinions about a few schools.
Main Goals: to attend an MA program that will help me get into top PhD programs (of course, provided that I do my part), and will prepare me really well for doctoral work.
The following schools are offering full funding with stipend and health insurance:
1. UMass, Amherst
2. Wisconsin-Madison
3. UC Riverside
4. Penn State
So, in your opinion, which school(s) is (are) more likely to help me accomplish my goals? I want to become a professor and researcher one day.
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Tufts
in Art History
I'm just wondering about people's thoughts on Tufts. I got an offer from them and am seriously considering going. They offered me a good amount of funding but I'm concerned about the cost of living up there. Any opinions on whether it's worth it? My goal is a PhD so I'm taking that into account when deciding where to get my MA.Thanks.
I am in the same position! Any advice would help.
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I'm so glad I only applied to four schools this year, I have all of my answers in now (even though one of them is waitlist and I had to email to get that).
Now looking back, I wish I had not applied to so many schools. But after last year's disastrous experience, I thought I needed to hedge my bets and applied to 11 schools. Now Williams is the only school missing, and though I have more than redeemed myself from last year's experience, I am still nervous AS HELL. And once I noticed that someone had already been accepted on the board, I felt like I could not handle the wait anymore, kid you not!
I am having to restraint myself to the chair to keep me from emailing them and asking for the result. Hence my writing incessantly here.Anyway, I say all this as an attempt to convince myself that I need to stop worrying and whining, and be happy that excellent programs have already accepted me with funding. And if Williams acceptance does come through, that it would just be the icing on the cake--I must confess a predilection for icing though.
In any case, I am truly glad for your success this time around. As I said before, we had similar experiences last app season and I know exactly how it feels to have had a considerably better outcome this year. Congratulations again!
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Completely random, I know. But I could not help but notice your profile name and wonder if you were Brazilian by any chance? ; )
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Could the person who emailed Williams tell us if they mentioned when the official news will be coming out? Feel free to PM me if you prefer.
That's the only school missing from my list! : (
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Does anyone know if Lowell, MA is near "enough" (i.e. doable) Tufts? I am considering an offer from Tufts, but I do NOT want to live with roommates; I need my very own 1 bedroom apartment--or even a studio as a last case scenario. I will have a car and am willing to live farther away if it is not impossible to get to school during the week.
Any advices?
Thank you!
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Thanks! I'm over the moon!! One of them was one of my top choices: a PhD w/ full tuition remission, big stipend**, and a curatorial track. The fit is perfect and I'm going to accept (they even said they thought they were perfect for me and I may have blurted that I was glad they agreed with me). No point in going to an MA when the PhD program I want is already on the table.
**It's so silly, but I'm so excited I'll be able to afford a cat! And not have to work two extra jobs on top of being a student. My boss gave me a big hug when I told her.
Huge congratulations!!!!!! It is such a relief to get an offer with funding, isn't it?
On a different note, I hope you will choose to adopt a kitty cat, instead of buying one from a breeder. Huge animal lover here, so I am very excited for you. He or she will make your life in grad school a lot better, I promise!
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First of all, I will second what has been said on this thread before: (1) funding for MA students are "usually" not as good as it is for PhD students (2) info on financial packages often do not come out right away (3) many schools do not openly advertise that they "may" fund MA candidates; sometimes they even claim otherwise.
Based on my own experience thus far for this app cycle the following schools try to fund their MA candidates: UC Riverside, U New Mexico, UW Madison, UMass Amherst, and Penn State. With that being said, the level of support varies tremendously and I don't think they fund "every" MA student that they accept. Of course, I could be completely wrong about the latter.
I also heard that Williams and Tufts fund their top candidates.
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Any suggestions of great restaurants (breakfast and/or dinner)? I am here now and would love to try something local and nice.
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Interview request from Penn State! Yay!
Congratulations! Good luck!
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Meh. I legit did not want to move to Texas for reals. No love lost here.
UT AUSTIN reject
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Wild cat
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I was on my way to class and saw the message on my cell... I turned around to look for a computer to check my email since I didn't believe what I was reading. Confirmed what seemed absurd, then cried, got a headache, felt dizzy, etc.
Missed all classes that day to go to bed and sleep in peace for a few hours. Woke up and checked my email again to make sure it wasn't a dream. Posted the news on GradCafe.
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Fat ass
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Hi guys, and best of luck to you all! I'm kinda new at this whole application process and I was wondering… I see that some of you already received your acceptance notice from the same programs I have applied to. I haven't heard anything yet … does it mean I should expect a rejection? do people get their acceptance letter at the same time more or less?
Some programs try to announce their acceptees around the same time, but there are programs that spread their decisions over time. If you haven't heard back yet, it could also mean that you were wait listed. Hope you'll get some good news soon! Best of luck.
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Well I for one cannot wait for April 15th. I knew I was setting myself up for a lot of rejection letters by applying to 15 odd schools, but damn.
15? Wow... And I thought that I was crazy for applying to 11. ; ) That was a full time job, wasn't it?
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Yes, I feel confident that you'd be able to live comfortably spending $1,500 a month. I go out to eat almost every day (bad habit of mine), spend ~$800 a month for parking/rent, and drive a gas guzzler yet I spend no more than about ~$1,300 a month. Granted, I take the bus whenever I can in the winter, ride my bike around town in the summer, and go grocery shopping at the Farmer's Market so I do try to save money when I can.
Madison is great. I moved here for a great job opportunity, and I'll be sad when I leave.
When you say that you eat out often, do you mean chain fast food sort of places (McDonalds, KFC, etc)? If not, then Madison seems like the town for me!
Being able to eat out in non-chain, locally owned restaurants every so often would be unbelievably awesome! Currently I eat out every night, but would be willing to stop this bad habit if needed.I drive a hybrid (~42 miles/gallon in the city), but would definitely ride the bus/bike and/or walk to school/everywhere else if possible--I would use my car only for weekend trips and stuff like grocery shopping, etc.
I don't have full details on funding yet, but I am hoping to net at least $1,500/month. Besides, I'd probably look for a part-time job to supplement my income. So it looks like I wouldn't be living hand-to-mouth every month, right?
UW-Madison is looking more and more appealing; overjoyed here!
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What should I wear during visitation days? I have been accepted already and will be visiting the school this week during their prospective students visitation days. There will be a welcome reception in the afternoon of the first day, and I believe that it will be an all-day deal the following day. Any advice?
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Gosh... I thought that after receiving a few good news, the whole waiting anxiety would subside. But no, it's been quite the opposite for me! How are you guys handling it so far? I still have 5 more schools to go, though there are only 2 schools that I care to hear back from.
I am ready to know what my options are so I can make a decision... aaaaghhhh!
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You don't really need to worry about being in a bad area when it comes to living in Madison, whether you're referring to crime or "homophobia". It's a very safe city, and probably the only one I've lived in where I feel comfortable walking around at night by myself (female).
As far as being away from rambunctious undergrads, don't live in downtown Madison then. You'd probably be better suited for Middleton, Midvale/Tokay area (west side of Madison), or maybe Fitchburg. I recommend living near a bus line if you want to save gas money, as the bus system is one of the best in the country.
Renting a one-bedroom in those areas is maybe ~$800 a month with parking. Renting a decent one-bedroom in downtown Madison with parking is at least ~$1000 a month, if you're lucky. Rent and parking is expensive in downtown Madison compared to a lot of other college towns because the area is already built out, so there isn't much room left to build big, new apartments.
As far as cost of living in Madison-area, it's relatively cheap compared to the national average. I'm still shocked at how expensive parking/rent is in downtown, but everything else is pretty cheap.
If y'all have any other questions, feel free to ask away. I can pretty much help you out with most areas except finding specific apartment complexes, as I've lived in a house for most of my time here.
Thank you so much, that's very helpful! So do you think that ~1,500/month would be enough to live 'comfortably' (covering the essentials and not eating Ramen noodles only)? I am visiting Madison this week. I am looking forward to get a sense of the town. So far, I've only heard good things about it.
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This is a bit random, but does anyone know if there are any particularly good coffee shops near campus? I'm a bit embarrassed of how much weight this carries in my final decision between schools
(No, Starbucks and similar chains don't count. I mean independent shops, preferably ones that do their own roasting.)On a different note, for those of you that have been admitted to UCR and are considering attending, what programs would you be there for?
Nothing to be embarrassed... I am in a similar situation... Perhaps worse, because in my case there needs to be a Starbucks in town otherwise I am likely turning down the offer. ; )
On a different note, mine is art history.
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I grew up in Amherst and it's a very safe place to live. I would say for a 1 bedroom place you're looking at 800-900 in rent alone. Everybody is super liberal there so you shouldn't really feel uncomfortable based on sexual orientation. The areas I would avoid are the North Village apartment area (lots of low income housing, and graduate student housing there so it's usually not very safe). Gas right now is about 3.40-3.60/gallon based on the last time I visited a couple of weeks ago. If you're trying to live peacefully there are a ton of people who rent out single room additions in their homes, I would keep an eye out for situations like that. There is an independent theater in town as well as a regular cinema in Hadley (about 10 minutes drive away). I would say budget $1,000-1,200 to live comfortably. Amherst does charge excise tax on vehicles so maybe live in one of the neighboring towns where rent is cheaper.
Wow, that's super helpful! Thank you so much!
Those single room additions are like small one bedroom apartments (separate entrance, with its own kitchen, bathroom and living room)? If so, that sounds like a good idea! Do they tend to be cheaper than apartment complexes/condos? I am VERY quiet, don't drink, don't smoke and my version of partying is going out to eat and see a movie. Besides, I foresee being in school or busy working all the time.
cheers,
2014 Applications... waiting room.
in Art History
Posted
I am going insane! I have also been wait-listed by my top choice. My doctor had to increase my blood pressure medication.
Unfortunately, I don't drink or smoke, otherwise I know where I would be drowning my anxiety and sorrow right now. 
Hang in there guys, let's keep our fingers crossed!