rising_star

A friend of mine was in a somewhat similar situation. What he did was ask and get permission to do an additional rotation. I can't remember whether he split one rotation into two or if he just spent an extra X weeks doing another rotation but, it worked ended up that one of those last two worked out and he was able to stay in the program. If you're trying to decide between two labs for your fourth rotation, you may want to see if it's possible to do an "extra" rotation so you can have another option, especially since two of the ones you were in don't have funding, which isn't really your fault.

It can be done if you want to do it. I gave up both coffee and soda during graduate school and have never looked back.

It seems like you've eliminated a lot of options here! I mean, why would you take the GRE AND go get another undergraduate degree in the same field? Is there any particular reason you have to be in some sort of degree-granting program next year? Based on what you've said here, it sounds like you would be better served getting some work experience and then going to school later, especially if you can get a job which deals with economic or financial data/research. I think your current two options just don't make sense at all. Doing a random degree program won't help you advance your career goals, neither will doing a second undergraduate degree. You really should take some time to think about what it is you want to do and talking to your professors about how to get there.

I would go to School A, assuming the funding is equivalent. My logic is this: you know you're interested in X but not sure about other areas so the research breadth you could/would be exposed to at School A would help you make sure that X is what you really want to be studying. If it isn't X, you have other options without having to transfer. And, if you stick with X, there are resources available to you.

There are lots of great books out there on surviving teaching. Many have titles like "Your first year in the classroom" or something similar. Find and read through several of those which are targeted to new college faculty because they'll have plenty of tips about how to ease your way into the classroom, get comfortable being in front of students, etc. I also highly recommend The Courage to Teach, which is a good read. In terms of resources, McKeachie's teaching tips and Elizabeth Barkley's books on student-centered learning and classroom activities are both resources. I've found that, regardless of the discipline, engaging students in active learning activities takes some of the pressure off of you because you don't have to speak the entire time. In history, this could be running a Reacting to the Past game, having students read and discuss historical documents, or having them prepare for and participate in an in-class debate. If you're really worried about the anxiety factor, you may want to talk to your doctor about anti-anxiety meds. There are some which can be used situationally, which could be an option if the anxiety isn't pervasive in your life. It's really about finding what works for you, which could be listening to certain music before you teach, the level of prep and notes you need for class, etc. Sometimes my overly planned classes are some of the worst and the improv classes are some of the best, other times the improv classes flop and having a meticulous plan saves my a**. Even after teaching for years, I can't always predict which is going to be which. At a minimum, I like to have a bulleted list of what needs to get done in each class and some discussion questions to ask in case I lack other material. I also show a lot of clips (many of which I find on YouTube). You can do this!! You need to have that self-belief. Good luck!

Rutgers, hands down. If the UCLA prof would seriously throw away a relationship that you've built because you decide to expand your network by attending Rutgers for your PhD, then they're being ridiculous and showing their own pettiness. You have to do what is best for you in terms of your career and that points to Rutgers. FWIW, I did my MA and PhD at two different departments, in part because the PhD program offered me the chance to work with THE person to work with for my interests. I don't regret that, ever. My advisor helped me become the scholar that I am and, when I've needed them, I've been able to go back to my MA advisor for advice, feedback, etc.

I would say that campus visits aren't absolutely necessary, though I realize others would disagree. For a MA program in particular, it's two years of your life, which really isn't that bad when you think about your life as a whole. You can live almost anywhere for two years, you know? If you're planning to go to a PhD program afterward, I'd say that going to the program with funding and avoiding the $25-30K in loans you'd otherwise need, is a wise career move, in addition to being a wise financial move. I never visited the PhD program I ultimately attended and I don't regret that. I talked to current grad students on the phone and via email, had met my POI previously, and used the internet to get a sense of what the place would be like. I don't know anything about your field so I can't provide advice on which program is the best for you. Good luck!

I would make the decision about whether or not to visit based on your finances, rather than concerns about your social awkwardness. That is, can you afford to fund a 2 day visit to this department/city? If so, then you should go. If you cannot, then don't go. While you're there, you'll want to try to minimize your awkwardness, some of which can be done by letting others take the lead. Good luck deciding!

What do you want to do after graduation? Where do you want to work and live? American and DU have the obvious name recognition. Clark is a very strong international development program. I don't know much about the programs abroad but, they could be a great choice if you want to work in Europe after graduation.

Sometimes the professors call applicants before official decisions are released and sometimes they don't. There's no way to say whether not having heard anything yet is good or bad.

That's going to be a very expensive investment. You may want to take courses part-time while working to gain some of the prereqs so that you can get into a master's program with funding. Starting a PhD program with $50K+ in debt is going to make life post-PhD much more difficult for you.

What are your post-degree plans? Do you want to go on to a PhD program? Why are you considering MA programs, rather than other options?

If you don't love New York, then maybe you shouldn't go to school there.

Did any of the programs offer you funding? What is your specific field/area of study? Which department has the strongest faculty in your area? Where are the research opportunities the best?

I wouldn't do an unfunded MA. How much debt will you incur in that one year? What do the post-MA employment options look like and how much do those pay? Are you certain that doing the funded MA would hamper your career opportunities?

I would go with the lowest priced program. I have heard great things about studying the Middle East at UT-Austin, so it seems like a good choice to me. You might want to investigate where the alumni of each program are working to get a sense of how the program relates to your career goals.

Your in-state vs. out-of-state tuition status isn't determined by things like whether or not you have a GA position typically. But, how that is determined varies from one state to the next. In some states, it's basically impossible to establish residency for tuition purposes while a full-time student but in others, it's expected that all students will do so. Funding renewal is similar, unfortunately. I would talk to current graduate students to get a sense of what the norms are.

It would help to know what field you applied to...

I would go for the German professor, personally.

In general, I would advise doing everything you can to take care of your mental health in advance, so that you're in the best place possible before you go. Depending on where you are, you may be able to keep in touch with your support systems via phone, Skype, FaceTime, etc. You will have to develop a new routine so spend time before you go figuring out what that might look like or how you'll develop it.

A few thoughts: 1) Convincing a school that they need to hire a Southeast Asian historian by creating a position to do so is very, very unlikely unless you are a true rockstar who they want to recruit. That is, they'd be coming after you, not you trying to convince them. I wouldn't count on this happening at all. Consequently, you'll want to develop other, marketable specialty areas if you want to be employed. Take a look at the AHA job listings and H-Net's Job Guide to get a sense of what kinds of jobs there are and the qualifications they are looking for. 2) It's not about how the general public sees your school. It's about how others in your discipline see your department and advisor. That's the currency that academics work in and it's what matters for getting an academic position. If your advisor is well regarded by those in your subfield and others in the field, then you should be fine, regardless of what the actual name on your diploma says. 3) Ultimately, your geographic restrictions are going to make it difficult to obtain full-time employment teaching college students. You may want to consider other pathways to get you to your ideal geographic area...

You should probably be open to living outside NYC, if you really want to take out less in loans. I wouldn't do an unfunded MA, especially not in NYC. Between tuition and living expenses, you're looking at at least $40K/year in debt.

Take option B. You need to go somewhere else, you really shouldn't live at home as a grad student, and you don't want to be $20K in debt for a MA if you plan to do a PhD.

I wouldn't mention the absence at all until after you've decided where you're going to pursue your degree. You don't want to tell them something which might cause them not to offer you funding, do you?

For more on negotiating/leveraging funding, see these previous threads: