rising_star

There's no aspect of the topic whatsoever that you could study in a year? I'm not saying that you have to collect primary data yourself but, could you do a project which focuses on what isn't known and, for example, develops a model study design for filling in the existing gaps? Like I said, going back to what got you interested in the project in the first place might help you discover ways to study aspects of this topic even if it isn't your original ideal project.

My advice is the same as the above. Pursue your interests and find people outside your program or campus who share your interests. I still have friends from grad school who I met through a hobby (training a martial art) who I talk to more frequently than some of my friends from within my program. If you're on Facebook, that can be a good way to find events in your area that you might not otherwise hear about. Go to those events and try to meet people. As someone who likes craft beer, I've made a bunch of friends by simply hanging out in breweries or craft beer pubs by myself on various nights. I sit at the bar and generally someone will talk to you. I actually joined a social group that way, because something I said to the bartender led a person to talk to me and then invite me to join a social group they organize. It's all about actually getting out there and doing things which will enable you to meet people.

It's only unethical if the school is in the US, has agreed to the CGS resolution, and has offered the OP funding. There's nothing in the OP's post to indicate that all of those criteria have been met.

If you want a basic example of categories, the budget templates in Excel might be helpful. @Adelaide9216, the easiest/ best way to save is to pay yourself first. I have an automatic monthly transfer from my checking account (where my paycheck is direct deposited) to my savings account. Once the money is in savings, I try not to touch it other than to invest it into my retirement account once I have a sufficient emergency fund (the amount I deem sufficient has gone up as I've made more money and had more expenses). The automatic transfer is basically what all financial advisors recommend.

So, I've been thinking on this since I first read your original post. I'm wondering why, if you're so invested in this topic and have gotten grant money for it, you aren't trying to think about ways to address the critiques of your committee to build a stronger, feasible project. If I were you, I would meet with the two representatives of the community (the one who was at the meeting and the one who wasn't) and talk to them about how you can do your project in such a way that it addresses their concerns and (ideally) meets some of their needs as well. That is, what do they think you would need to do to have closer ties with the community? Could you volunteer alongside the workers and incorporate that into your research design in some way, for example? Second, you need to speak to your committee rather directly about why they think the only appropriate community for you to study is one you are already a part of. I'm not sure about your field but there is tons of scholarship where people write about communities they aren't a part of. I mean, that's the foundation of anthropology to some degree. There has been a great deal of pushback against that more recently but, that also doesn't mean people have to exclusively study those of the same ethnicity as them. Or, to be more blunt, if that were the case, a whole lot of white academics would have to stop what they're doing immediately and start studying white people instead of all the other things they study. I highly recommend that you read up on this and prepare them a short memo explaining why you chose this community to study and why it is perfectly valid to study a community besides the black one. Be prepared, have references, etc. This goes for the question of why you'd study sexual violence when you haven't experienced it too. Third, go back to what it is that you got you interested in this topic in the first place. What are the questions that you wanted to know? Is there another way to approach answering these such that you meet your own intellectual curiosity while also addressing the concerns of your committee? Good luck!

For me, it was part of the budget. I knew I couldn't let the total number go above a certain amount or I wouldn't be able to pay it off. But, that also meant not having to worry much about which categories I was spending money on.

This is a tough one! I spent a chunk of January watching and reading about the Nassar trial and MSU's lack of response. I haven't been in your shoes of considering MSU or other options though. I guess the question I'd ask myself is whether anyone will be thinking about this or if it will matter 4-6 years from now when you're finishing your PhD and on the job market... My guess is that people will have largely forgotten about the scandal by then so going to the higher ranked program and/or the program that's a better fit for you will be to your benefit.

You didn't answer my two questions. Why are you interested in UA? Is it just the money? Have you talked to potential advisors at each institution? Does your planned research fit well with what folks in either department are doing?

Highly recommend talking to current students to find out what "invested and active" entails. In my MA program, that meant being seen regularly around for events (e.g., colloquia, guest speakers). In other words, you couldn't just show up for your classes and leave, even when on fellowship.

I used a less common bizarre budgeting method in grad school. I put everything I bought on one of two credit cards, both of which I earn cashback on. I used one for essentials (grocery, gas, rent, utilities) and the other for everything else. I paid them both off in full every month.

You may also want to check out sabbaticalhomes.com.

I would apply for internships and/or look for other opportunities to enhance your learning and graduate school experience.

What do you think you'll get in one year at UChicago that you can't or wouldn't get from the PhD program you were admitted to? Also, as @toear5 has said, you should make sure the funding package would be deferred if you were to get a deferral. It's pretty common for the admission to be deferred but not the funding (which would mean you are basically reapplying for funding along with everyone else trying to get in for fall 2019). Frankly, I would go ahead and do the PhD program unless you're having doubts about that program and are thinking that you might reapply while doing the MAPH.

Hi @alm21, for future reference, there's no need to cross-post to multiple sections of the board. I've deleted your duplicate posts.

Someone thinks Tallahassee has a lot of crime? WOW! That genuinely surprises me. I'll also note that if you look at a political map, it's pretty clear that Tallahassee is the liberal city surrounded by more conservative rural areas. There's a big LGBT community there. Whether it's a serious PITA to get to other places is really a matter of perspective. Tallahassee has an airport that offers connections to the major hubs of several airlines (Charlotte and Atlanta are the most frequent flights). It's also within a five hour drive of Atlanta, Orlando, and Tampa. That said, it does get warm there in the summer (climate data from Wikipedia). But, has anyone pointed out that Colorado is also warm in the summer? It's definitely drier in Colorado but the summer highs average in the mid to upper 80s in Boulder (per Wikipedia). There's actually not a big difference in the July and August average highs in the two places (much to my surprise!).Just something to consider. I would see if current students can give you a sense of what level of funding you'd be likely to get in Boulder. Then, ask them if they're able to live comfortably on that. My guess is that the answer is no because you said the cost of living is high. But it's definitely worth asking. If you think you'd be happy at FSU, are you willing to be more stressed to live in Boulder? That's a question no one here can answer for you.

You may not be asking the right questions then... or lots of reasons, people can be happy with their decisions. But, what should really be important to you is about what kind of training and experience they're having in classes, informally with colleagues, and in terms of professional development. My guess is that once you get into the details of the actual experience of being in each program, you'll have a better way to differentiate between the programs. (E.g., it doesn't matter if you're all in love with Purdue's faculty if those faculty are never around, don't teach, don't read student work, etc.)

I bolded the most relevant part. I would so some digging online and by talking to the career center at each to verify that this is truly the case. Because your thinking on this could very well be wrong.

I would rule out UW based on the finances. $24K is good but, as already suggested, you should use a cost of living calculator to see what that really means for you. In terms of location, there's a train you can take from South Bend to Chicago, plus I hear South Bend has a pretty vibrant arts and culture scene because ND is there. I've also heard good things about living in West Lafayette from folks who worked at Purdue. Have you talked to current students and/or recent alums of these programs about their experiences? Do you care what kind of teaching experience you'd be getting during your MFA? (There's a difference between getting to teach creative writing or a literature class and teaching Intro to Composition.) Do you have prior teaching experience? (Also, I'd ask current students about the teaching load and the effect that has on their ability to complete their own writing.) From what you've written, it sounds like you want someone here to talk you into going to the more prestigious/well-known programs. But, if your heart lies elsewhere, follow your heart. That's the path to doing the best work you can do.

My guess (without knowing either program) is that you wouldn't have to extend your time to do a thesis at CU. You'd probably come up with a proposal in your second semester, collect and analyze data in your third semester, and do the final write-up and defense in your fourth semester. (That's a pretty standard timeline for completing a thesis in a 2 year master's.) Some of the course credits you need at CU would come from the thesis (it usually counts as a course a semester in your second year), so that would reduce the total number of graduate seminars you would be taking. When you talk about getting a job in Boulder being more difficult, are you basing this on talking to current students in the program? Have you looked into assistantships in other areas on campus (e.g., student affairs, residence life, language departments, etc.)?

Well, there's the deadline for accepting/rejecting funded offers of April 15 but that doesn't mean people will wait until then to decide. It's likely that some will decide in advance that they either will or won't attend that program. If they do, then you may hear before April 15. If you've already accepted another funded offer and you hear from UCLA after April 15, you would need to ask to be released from that offer before you could accept the offer at UCLA. This recent discussion may be helpful:

The good news is that you've been admitted. They also are clarifying why you weren't admitted into the PhD program by saying that you need a master's first to be admitted to the PhD. In this case, I would contact them and ask when they'll have an update on whether an assistantship is available. I would also start investigating other departments (e.g., student affairs, residential life, other STEM fields) on campus to ask about the process of applying for any open assistantships they may have if you're interested in attending this program. If you aren't actually interested in the program, thank them for the admission then decline the offer.

Is there any particular reason why you wouldn't choose the higher ranked school? How's the research fit at each place?

The other thing I would say is that you don't want to overpractice or go through it too many times (yes, there is such a thing). In my experience, that leads to a presentation where everyone feels like the presenter is just going through the motions.

If at all possible, practice in front of a friend or two in advance. This is something that I think is key. They'll help point out where you could improve as a presenter but also any weak spots in the slides or the content you've included. Buy them a beverage as a thank you.

Personally, I dislike rural areas so I'd probably go to Georgia Tech. Did you visit them? Have you talked to current grad students to get a sense of your fit with each program? Have you considered the post-PhD placement of each program?