TakeMyCoffeeBlack

BEYOND EXCITED FOR YOU!

Or why someone going into social work would use the pejorative "uneducated," "tard," or "uneducated tard."

I can also claim a Pitt acceptance. Thrilled! 

Really, the maturity and sophistication of MY responses? Wait, you mean pointing you and interested others in the right direction to more effectively bring about your desired result? And I know you're not referring to the overly pompous and hostile response that the aforementioned post elicited from you. A hostile response, I might add, which ended up being without grounds. Also, I like how you infer that I'm a member of the department. I said no such thing. I hope this Masshole attitude of yours really gets you far in life–– your reasoning abilities sure as hell won't. 

I can also claim a Pitt acceptance. Thrilled! 

I can also claim a Pitt acceptance. Thrilled! 

The really annoying part about all of this is that Pitt is my favorite college for sports, and their really good quarterback recruit just switched his commitment to Vanderbilt.  AND NOW THIS IS HAPPENING REGARDING PITT, TOO. 
 
Note:  those of you that got into Pitt and go visit MUST get fries at the O.  Just ask the students.  They'll know.

I can also claim a Pitt acceptance. Thrilled! 

I can also claim a Pitt acceptance. Thrilled! 

Why get a PhD from Pitt?

Or why someone going into social work would use the pejorative "uneducated," "tard," or "uneducated tard."

Back to PSR please

Or why someone going into social work would use the pejorative "uneducated," "tard," or "uneducated tard."

I'm sorry, but "that sometimes things aren't fair" is no legitimate argument. Sure, finding a job as a philosophy professor is to an extent a bleak prospect for everyone. That, however, does not mean that it is not infinitely more difficult for women and other historically excluded minorities to go to grad school in philosophy or that it must continue to be so. You cannot simply acquiesce to systematic injustice simply because that is the way things are or because "not everyone can be a philosophy professor." That is the worst kind of meritocratic fatalism.

And I think it's wrong to suppose that the government is the sole entity responsible for correcting historical injustice. It is also incumbent on individuals and other institutions, including universities to correct the wrongs in which they also have historically partaken.
 
Independently of everyone's particular experience with MA's, the bottom line is that funded MA's are far scarcer than funded PhD's. Even if funded spots in PhD programs are already scarce enough, it seems to me that few people would be inclined to go into debt to get an unfunded PhD, whereas many, given their professional goals, would feel forced to do an unfunded MA, if they think it will improve their chances of getting into a funded PhD. Now, you could say that it is their own personal choice, for which they are responsible, but I think there is something really unfair about a person having to either give up on their professional goals or acquire huge amounts of debt to achieve it. To me that is a problem to be contended with, despite the scarcity of academic positions. That sometimes things aren't fair just won't do it.

I am again deemed the low man on the Rochester grad student totem pole and accordingly have been named student Grand Poobah of All Things Rush.  If any of you admits (whom I think I've contacted via PM pretty comprehensively, but lurkers persist) have questions, please PM me.  I'm happy to start a dialogue.
 
And for the non-admits, I'm sorry.  The downside of being a post-application-season gradcafe citizen is that you get to know people that apply to your school that end up not getting in.  In some instances, they've got time to kill and are persistent and then apply again, get in, AND THEN GO SOMEWHERE THEY LIKE BETTER.  Not naming names BUT YOU MADE ME CRY SO HARD WHEN YOU SPURNED ME.  But other times, you know that was the one chance to become their Brother or Sister in the Order of the Knights of Differential Topology, and it's a bummer, because you knew they'd be a fine Brother or Sister in the Order of the Knights Differential Topology.  But, I guess if you do it right, the individualism in the business, when coupled with the cheapness of communication (and increasingly learning), means that we get to be colleagues all the same.  This all sounds like bullsh*t to make things seem better, but it also happens to be true.  CLEARLY WE ARE ALL GOING TO WRITE IMPORTANT PAPERS TOGETHER.

Apology accepted.

"...after several desperate messages/emails hence I wrote a rather intense email to them. I wrote how i was getting really really anxious about my application and that their late-submission could cost me one full academic year."

After writing that kind of email to them, I wouldn't ask either of them to be references in the future. The one who backed out sound like she's doing it because of the email you sent. The other one probably wants to, but doesn't feel like dealing with the consequences of telling you.

I wish I understood why so many referees wait until the last minute or even submit letters very, very late. So many do, that this is what I've come to expect from referees.

Stop it, IRToni! No news is just that - no news.

Stop it, IRToni! No news is just that - no news.

Stop it, IRToni! No news is just that - no news.

Still dealing with this impostor syndrome, eh? I don't think they just feel bad for you because you're black. I think this indicates that they see incredible potential, and have some questions that weren't obviously answered in the application packet. Seriously, this is good news, even if it doesn't lead to an offer. 

I like this rule.

I like this rule.

Please NO negativity allowed...!

Bump.