donzelle

Congratulations Wj2011! I don't think I can go: the visiting days for Yale are exactly the same ones and I've never been there.. On the other hand, I also know some of the faculty at NYU personally from taking a class there recently, so a lot of the visit would be a bit lost on me. I'm not sure what that does to my chances of a real admit offer though: I mean, if they think of it as an interview of sorts, what happens when you don't even show up?? I am quite happy with the offers I got so I wouldn't be devastated, although their faculty is absolutely amazing. One thing that is a bit of a turn off for me, though, is the size of their incoming cohort - it's just so much bigger than any other graduate program and I wonder if that translates to a more competitive atmosphere once you get closer to the job market. Their stipend is typically very generous though, so the finances and childcare stuff might not be as terrible as you imagine (also, keep in mind NYU is in the village so living across the river in Hoboken or Jersey City can make it all much more affordable). Good luck!

thank you, Patrick and sandie. here's some news on NYU: I just got a mass email invite to their campus visit event the wording of it is... pour le moins interessant! they say that the email is an offer of admission subject to approval from the graduate school.. but also, "possibly" a place on their wait-list? what I'm getting from this is that all the people they are considering probably got the same email and after having visited, will be divided up into admits and waitlists, sort of like the Princeton visit I'm going to next week. that's not the way they did it the previous years, is it?

upon hearing I got into Columbia : "oh it must be because you're _my non-American nationality_.. Columbia loves exotic people!" another gem : "you also got into Yale, right? why don't you call both schools and pit them against each other and make them raise your stipend!" umm.. not sure it works that way.

Argh! I had meant to congratulate you on Indiana! So sorry, I really should probably try to get some sleep.. this week has been a killer. Congratulations on your top choice admit!

Tell me about it! Thankfully it's not yet an immediate concern, at this point, but it's certainly a major factor. I just keep thinking about how thrilled I would've been with any of these offers a few years ago when I was a carefree undergrad with zero attachments and responsibilities. I seriously would've packed up and gone to just about any of them.. now everything's so complicated. being a grown up sucks! (except for when it doesn't, of course! )

Hi everybody, sorry I didn't post when I updated the board but I'm the one who got the Columbia acceptance. I'm afraid I don't have very good news to offer: they had a very big incoming class last year which means that their funds are very limited - possibly enough for 3-4 offers, but maybe even as little as 2.. I really can't say because I was the first person they called (probably because I live in the area) However, I'm not sure I will accept. I promise to make my decision as early as possible (that is, as soon as I've had the chance to visit all the schools, so end of the month, probably), so whoever's in line after me will have the chance to also scout it out and make an informed decision. Like I said above, this is proving to be a much more unpleasant and anxiety-ridden process than I ever imagined it would be (then again, I never imagined I'd be worrying about stuff like commutes, inter-university politics, family housing or daycare options...)

michelle, wmb and Wj2011, thank you so much for the encouragement! I don't mean to sound ungrateful or disingenuous: I am very flattered and appreciative of my programs' early responses. It's just that I'm currently in a precarious situation for a variety of reasons (I am currently in a grad program, in another field, that is none to happy about my having applied elsewhere and I feel like I will be getting hell from them until may), so kind words are actually really appreciated! On top of that, I am thrilled at my Yale acceptance (dream program, in a way), but might not actually be able to go because it is so logistically difficult (my partner will stay in his program, at our current school, which is far away, and there's no way I want to be long distance.. been there done that and all). Anyway, sorry to hijack the acceptance discussion, I just had a pretty awful day, which somehow feels even worse given how elated I expected to be right now. Thanks for the support!

Hi! I've been lurking on this board for a while and just made an account. I just wanted to ask: did anybody else hear from Columbia? I got invited to what sounds like an informal interview/lunch/sit in on a class type of visit and am very nervous. Beyond that, does anybody know anything about job placement rates? I've been having the hardest time finding real data: the only places that have made that kind of thing publicly available are Columbia and NYU (and even that only vaguely: no dates or even time frame, just a list of schools where their alumni teach). I'm looking, specifically, at Columbia, NYU, Yale and Princeton. If anybody else applied there/is going to their open house/considering acceptances, please don't hesitate to get in touch on here or by pm! Congratulations to those of you that have heard anything and bon courage to everybody else!