rising_star

I would just wait and apply again. Is it worth it to pay half of the tuition to take courses that probably wouldn't even transfer?

Look at where there graduates end up, the professional development offered, how they view class papers, and the interaction level between MA and PhD Students and MA students and faculty.

Well, if I go to UofA we can go hiking together... Does that help? Um, you won't have to suffer oppressive summer humidity? You're close to Mexico and San Diego and not too far from mountains and the beach?

Can anyone provide some info on Michigan State anthro? Thanks!

Ivy League U. Talk to current students though to get some info on the atmosphere and how realistic living on the stipend is.

Could you leave MSU with just a MA and not do it by burning any bridges?

Definitely Stanford.

We took vastly different approaches. I had a similar thing when I applied out of undergrad of applying to a new field with no one to give me advice. I ended up only applying to six schools, and getting into four of those somehow. I was completely burnt out from that! I can't imagine doing applications nonstop from August to december! I assume you're going to do the state school MA? If so, good luck with future applications!

Oh, I have no issues. Just looking to get exposed to more ideas since I didn't do an undergrad degree in geography. The problem with my gut is that my gut says thinks like "Snow sucks. Move someplace warm"

I know that I for one am still deciding between several offers. I have already turned down the ones that are not in the running and hope to turn down one more by tomorrow (sat) afternoon.

Well I think they don't tell you so that you don't feel disheartened about being low on their waitlist.

redwine, don't avoid her at conferences. These things happen and everyone knows it. No worries!

I agree with all of this. Every word. If School B lady is likely to get tenure and you like it there, why not go? Famous profs switch schools all the time and they don't always take their students with them. Plus given the job market now, lots of profs have to get other offers just to get a pay raise where they are so don't be surprised if it seems like the young prof is ALWAYS on the market... That said, my advisor was on the market this year (again, trying to get a pay raise) and it didn't affect me at all.

Not in philosophy but my advice would be to contact the program that rejected you to get more info on why you were rejected. Maybe there was something in your letters or elsewhere in your file that you need to address in future applications.

i haven't picked yet... can't decide whether to stay where I am or go elsewhere. Any advice?

To answer your questions, yes 15-20 hours of work as a TA/RA is reasonable. That's the norm at most schools. Not all offers include insurance so that is a plus. In my mind, it's a fair package. If you really want to know how it compares, go take a look at the offers posted under the "History" forum and also under the thread "How big is your discipline's package?" Would you really be able to finish a PhD that fast at Cambridge? My understanding is that history PhDs take a LONG time. Also, I think you should consider where you want to teach. It will be harder to get a good US teaching job with a Cambridge PhD than with a Georgetown one. It will be harder to get ANY teaching job without any experience in the classroom, which would be your situation if you went to Cambridge. Personally I think of being a TA as training for a career as an academic.

I think it's better to have a Masters than to transfer from one PhD program to another one. I say go with the fellowship, get the master's, and if you want to leave then leave with just the master's. you could go and discover that this school is the perfect program for you. at any rate, having a fellowship on your CV will give it a boost. I dunno about the institutional fellowship and transferring. I think the point is that you'll stay and I'd imagine that leaving without earning the PhD there isn't common. That said, a department I applied to for my MA admitted me into their PhD program because it was the only way they could fund me. Then they said that I could leave after getting my master's. But that was department funding (with a special one-time university fellowship), not an institutional fellowship.

We're deciding, I swear.

I think CUNY Graduate Center has a good reputation. Sometimes the funding can be tough and the teaching load heavy though.

Definitely go for Calgary. Do everything you can to make yourself a better applicant then apply broadly (and to ASU again) for your PhD after you finish the MSc. I definitely wouldn't attend a PhD program without any funding.

You could always email the program to let them know the letter is on its way. That will allow them to offer the spot to someone on the waitlist today, rather than on Monday. Agreed on Tallahassee. It's a pretty cool place to be.

santana, You bring up an interesting point about assistantship cuts. Should one maybe pursue an opportunity at a private univ rather than a state univ because of this?

Ummm... do you have funding to go to Calgary?

I don't think you can defer them, particularly if you're accepting somewhere else. It may not be forbidden but I'm pretty sure it is unethical.

Did you really do 27 applications? Maybe the sheer number had an effect on their quality, which did you harm when it came to admissions. Definitely be more targeted. Good luck!