rising_star

My advice would be to visit both programs, talk to the professors and graduate students at each, then make a decision about where to go. I had the misfortune of getting into all the PhD programs I applied to, but visits helped me figure out where I didn't want to go.

My private university transcripts were covered by a one-time transcript fee (I think it was $50 or something) paid freshman year. Now, I just go online and request them whenever I need them. I actually have a stockpile of like 5 or so at my house that I can send out whenever I need them. My study abroad transcripts are $6 each, plus a processing fee of $5. My MA (public) university is $2 each. And my current (PhD, public) university is $6 a pop. I prefer what my undergrad did, obviously.

The first one is better than the second, imo, but I'm not a huge fan of either option.

Hmmm... I dunno. I'm where I am now because I came here to work with a specific professor. But, he's the kinda guy that would only leave for a higher-ranked program and always takes his grad students with him if they want to go.

This really varies from one department, and one university, to the next. My discipline (as I've already said) is really laidback. BUT, my former department, at a Southern school, was quite conservative particularly in terms of how grad students dressed when teaching. We were specifically told at the meeting for TAs not to have strappy shirts, anything short, or any midriff showing while teaching. Moreover, guys were told not to wear hats or shorts while teaching.

You might want to ask if they are changing directions for their future work. I only say this because my advisor has predominately written on two topics in the past and is now focusing on something different, although he's using the same methodology and theoretical framework that he has been using for the last 15+ years. I mean, I don't care whether he does research on lions or bumblebees (not the actual topics, btw), but someone interested in lions and NOT bumblebees might.

When I applied for a national fellowship in the first semester of my PhD, my inclination was to get my PhD advisor to write one letter then profs from my MA program to write the rest. My advisor immediately nixed this idea--his argument was that I needed to show the people reading my application how connected and supported my interests are by the faculty where I am *now*, not where I was. So, I got profs who were teaching me for the first time to write my 3 of the required letters, and my MA advisor to write the fourth. I didn't get the fellowship but I don't think that had anything to do with the letters.

Does the community college professor have a PhD?

I don't distinguish between forthcoming presentations and those already given in my CV. I list the title of the presentation, the name of the conference, then the month and year of the conference. So, for example, the paper I'm giving in April is already on my CV, just above the two I gave back in October. They are all under the heading "Conference Presentations".

Honestly, 4.5 minutes per essay is a lot. I spend about that much on 4 pg (double-spaced) student papers when I grade because you can easily get a feel for about where the grade is, then narrow it down by reading closer. FWIW, I got my 6 on the GRE AW by using the same five paragraph format I was taught starting in 4th grade to pass the state writing test. I would never have thought such a format would work but, it seemed to be about what the Princeton Review book was calling for when I read it before taking the test (this was fall 05).

I got mine gift certificates to this vegetarian restaurant in this town (for 2 of them, who I know like to eat there and who are vegetarian) and a gift certificate to a local wine shop. I should clarify that my 3 LOR writers were also the three members of my MA thesis committee, and that I got them these gifts after I had defended and submitted my MA thesis. I didn't get them a separate gift for the applications...

I think I watched a lot of Law & Order while working on my apps. But, if I had been listening to music, it would've been original cast recordings to any number of musicals.

gay

I had a letter arrive a month late and got admitted to that department with funding. Don't despair guys and gals!

I have no idea about your acceptance chances but basically all funded offers are made by early April because the deadline to accept/decline them is April 15.

Any specific mixers you use to go with the rum and nutmeg? Because that sounds like a delicious idea... I typically drink water or wine while writing/brainstorming/reading. I drink wine or beer while grading.

Are these conferences ones that accept only some abstracts/papers or ones where everyone who applies gets accepted?

Alright, I'm not in Classics but I'm going to chime in anyways. I'm a PhD student in a social science department at a state university. This semester, for the first time ever, my department is worried about tuition waiver money. What I mean by that is yes, it may help if you're in-state because in-state tuition waivers are a lot less than out-of-state waivers. Unfortunately, per university rules, it's impossible for any of us to become in-state for tuition purposes unless we marry a state resident that is not a full-time student.

I wouldn't worry about it. My mom started her PhD at 33, after having had 3 kids, and finished at 41... You'll be fine.

I was 21 when I started my MA and 23 when I started my PhD. I just finish everything on time (4 years for BA, 2 years for MA). Last year I think I was the youngest person in my dept (younger than the MA students too) but this year we have a bunch of MA students who are straight from undergrad so I'm no longer the youngest.

I think "good" really depends. In re-reading my SOPs last year (at the request of someone that asked something similar), I realized that I don't think my own SOPs were very "good". As in, I can reread them and tell that I didn't have a clear research direction or reason for wanting a PhD. I didn't have a strong personal voice, use a compelling anecdote, or sound (read?) witty. But, obviously other people thought differently about it since I got in everywhere I applied. I think the SOP is really about being you. What is your research? Why do you want to do it? And how can that department and its faculty (and in some cases, the broader institution) help you get there?

In my discipline, there are only about a handful (maybe 5-6 max) that will accept you for a PhD if you don't already have a master's...

I probably wrote this on the old post but I might as well contribute here too. Granted, my discipline is really outdoorsy and stuff so keep that in mind. Many of my colleagues have tattoos, though I've never seen any on faculty. These tattoos include: Virgin Mary, butterfly, bird, weird symbols I don't recognize, etc. Most are on arms and legs, though some are on people's backs.

Yea, it's too soon to call it quits. Give it at least a year. Go see a therapist.

In my experience, this only happened when the letter writer and the person reading the recommendation knew each other well (ie, were friends, had written a paper together, etc.). So yea, it does happen. I think it happened with 3 of the 7 schools I applied to (and no, I'm not counting the fact that I applied to my MA program and that recommender was on my MA thesis committee because that would make it 4 of 7).