misskira

I think this will vary by field as well... I'm in special education. My MA was 15 very intense months (8 hours of classes, 4-5days/week for 2 summers, then full time field work during the school year with an evening class.). The phd program I applied to assumes you have a masters, and takes 3-4 years on average. The first 2 years are coursework heavy, with light coursework and dissertation focus in year 3, dissertation only after that if needed. They don't transfer any classes.

I have a husband and 2 kids, so location and funding are top of my list unfortunately. I can't even consider a school if it doesn't provide good funding and is in a good location for husbands work and kids' schools. Once that is sorted, post grad placements is pretty important to me, as well as department fit. This year I only applied to one school, but if I don't make it in and we decide that I will apply elsewhere, those will be my first considering factors.

I think it's shady that they PURPOSELLY set the deadline ahead of a competitors notification date. That would make me feel uneasy about the program in the first place. Why aren't they confident in their ability to matriculate students on their own merits? Other than that, I don't really have any real advice. Good luck making a decision!

I emailed the department admissions secretary to ask if admission decisions went out. She let me know they had, and that she wasn't able to get my application into the on time pile. (I applied late, so knew this was likely.) she told me not to give up, and I would likely be waiting until April 15 for a final decision.

University of Oregon? I'm wait listed and my application status hasn't changed. I know when you're rejected it will change to admission declined, and when accepted it should say something like recommended to graduate school for admission. The admissions secretary for my department said initial acceptances went out, and admitted students have until April 15 to respond. Then they fill in any openings from the wait list. I don't know if it works the same for soc, but I hope that helps.

I wish I would have thought of phd school soon enough to get my 1 application in on time. Sigh.

Once you decide what you want, you can sign up for a deal alert on slickdeals. They will email you any sales that are posted for whatever keyword you want. Quite handy if you have a little to wait for a good price.

Have you looked into straight talk? They use the AT&T network and have an unlimited everything plan for $45/mo. Otherwise I would look into a basic talk/text plan. That's cheaper for me than a landline with long distance.

The program I applied to has this on their page as explanation: "Funding All doctoral students in special education currently receive funding including tuition and a monthly stipend. Funding options include graduate teaching fellowships (GTFs), federal leadership training grants, and federal research grants. Each student application is reviewed to determine the most appropriate match between student interests, professional goals, and funding source." I am guessing they wait until they have a general idea of who their cohort is and award funding accordingly.

Awhile you feel resolved today, there's no saying what you will be doing in 5, 10, 15 years. Leaving mid semester will leave you with all failing grades, essentially tanking your graduate gpa. It would be difficult to return to any school/program with that record. For that reason at least, I would recommend finishing the term. As for the rest, talk to the graduate school for advice on how to leave professionally.

Eh. Graduate school is a lifestyle choice. I am choosing to reduce my pay for the opportunity to go back to school and further my education. Its an opportunity cost decision. My choice to leave my teaching job (that does qualify for eventual loan forgiveness) shouldn't be the responsibility of the tax payers. Making interest payments are figured into my budget, as well as much larger payments once my phd is completed. Iwould much rather see a complete overhaul of the system making school much more affordable in the first place,so that future generations aren't in the position we find ourselves in.

I saw this post in the recent topics... I'm not English but I am waiting on their special education notifications. So I can at least empathize with you. Have you checked your status online?

Can they give you any idea on the average funding rate of previous years? For example, the program I applied to guantees full funding +stiped to all accepted students. However they don't determine the source of funding until after their cohort is figured out. Then they match funding sources to candidates based on fit. They have fellowships, grants, and ta positions as funding. Another program I looked at boasted that all students for the last 10 years have been fully funded, even though they don't specifically guarantee it. Also, can you find out the rate of funding as you progress? I would be willing to have some loans my first year as a masters level student with the understanding I would funded for the remaining years.

I wouldn't be able to accept under those conditions.

Find out where their graduates end up employed or postdoctoral if you can. See if it fits with your goals.

(I'm not linguistics, but this thread showed up as a recent topic so I clicked on it. ) Unless you are 100% sure you will not attend the program for some reason, I would still go. You were interested enough in their program to apply, so it's worth it to give them your full consideration. I've read quite a few times about people not thinking the program will be the one they choose, but they change their mind after the visit. As for the bidding war... I wouldn't necessarily volunteer the information unless it seems relevant or you are asked. After the visit, if you are interested in attending there are ways to bring up the financial package that doesn't leave you sounding like a jerk. Even if you don't attend the program, you don't want to leave a bad impression. You never know when you're going to meet these people again, so it's worth making the effort to decline on a posittive note.

Reason number 462 why I refuse to answer any phone call from unknown numbers. They are going to voicemail. I am absolutely certain I would have some major foot in mouth moment from being flustered and excited. I bet they hear all kinds of goofiness... I wouldn't worry too much.

Is there a counseling center at your school? The thoughts you are having are alarming. And if your anxiety is interfering with your day to day life, it's not a "normal" level so talking to a counselor may be of help to you. I'm sorry this is stressing you out so much.

This doesn't really seem like a decision any of us can answer for you... I would say follow the field you are most inspired by and where you think can make a career.

One application per major. All schools get together with all applicants, and selections are made draft style. Only the applicants choose the school, not the other way around. And instead of a ball cap you put on a hoodie. No more waiting for decisions, filling out 73 applications and spending 12 zillion on the GRE.

I think freshman need to sign that they've read these statistics BEFORE taking out student loans. At 18 years old, perception of money, bills, degrees, careers, cost of living an adult life, etc. are so different than reality. Students really need this information before pursuing a $40-200k education. I think it's a great idea. Add in a breakdown of a typical monthly student loan payment for a given amount with a comparison of first year working salaries, and it's very valuable information.

I would say treat this like a job. In a job, you can't switch supervisors. I would email and ask for a scheduled meeting to continue the discussion. Go in willing to listen. Ask for clarification on the critique, and ask what your advisor is looking for. Discuss your goals for your MA, and ask your advisor if they feel they are the right person to support those goals. Try to leave the emotion out, and try to have an open mind. It could be there is a miscommunication somewhere, it could be your advisor thinks you have different goals than you actually do, it could be you and your advisor just aren't a good fit. I would try for a professional conversation before going to the director or requesting a switch. If the conversation doesn't go well, then I would request the switch. I was in a very small program so we only had one advisor.

If it works for you, it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks. But since you asked, I think there is a difference between living with your parents as a responsible choice and living with your parents because you have to emotionally depend on them. If that makes sense. I wouldn't think poorly of you.

They hang them on the wall and throw darts. Like those poster games at the fair.

29. I was 22 when I started my masters program though. I was by far the youngest. There were some 20s, most were in their 30s and 40s, and 2 were >50. But education often has an older crowd.