GeoDUDE!
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Posts posted by GeoDUDE!
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So, I got my first acceptance offer yesterday. I am super excited because I was reaching the point of "Oh no, I probably won't get in anywhere!" so it is a big relief. It is a pretty good school, and I wasn't expecting to hear back so soon. They're also offering a nice partial funding package as well, which is a plus.
The issue is that I have until March 24th to accept or decline their offer. I am concerned that I won't hear back from my other programs before this deadline. Is it considered okay to contact the other schools and ask roughly when we could expect to hear a decision? Since I do have an offer with a time limit on the table I don't want to sit around waiting and then feel super rushed. I also don't want to risk getting my application rushed through assessments at the other schools and end up getting rejected...
you have a month. wait a few more weeks. visit the school if it is acceptable. if there is two weeks left, then start contacting other schools
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Honestly I think it'll be a trickle from here on out. It seems like if we're not rejected from some of these top schools we're just in second option limbo.
WHOI final decisions all come on the 28th i'm fairly sure.
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You get back from Davis yet?
Just now!
Davis, as a campus is simply awesome. You really dont know how many bikes there are until you see it; Imagine the 405 freeway in socal but filled with bikes. Downtown is pretty cool; lots of places with many brews on tap. Students seem smart, jovial. Still kinda processing it (traveled 16 hours today cuz of stupid airlines). Is there anything specific you want to know?
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Yes, it seems that a lot of departments are backed up, judging that I've only heard from two places (or that for some reason one school likes me and the others don't)
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My thesis advisor actually told me to be picky and "snobby" about rank. (That's hard for me to imagine because I'm just not a snobby person at all. So the most I could do was tell her I'd be picky haha.)
Anyway, she backed up that advice with this: if schools want you badly enough, they will literally have a bidding war over you. When she got accepted to multiple schools, School A told her that they would match anything School B would give her (School A was Vanderbilt. I forget what School B was). So, hopefully if you get funding from the lower-ranked program, the higher ranked program will jump in and say "Not so fast! We could match that!"
Another thing to take into account is fit. If you're accepted to a highly ranked school that isn't nearly as good a fit as the lower ranked one, I don't know if it would be worth it. I don't know how specific the areas of interest are in Public Policy, but in sociology, if I got accepted to a highly ranked demography program, I know it would not match well with my research interests in medical sociology.
It also looks like you're located in Nebraska but are applying to schools in the UK. I'm not sure how the funding input above would apply to international schools.
As you proposed before, rank might be even more salient since you are applying to international schools (if you plan on coming back to the US after you get your degree).
This seem strange to me; My instinct (and asking professors about this) is the opposite: Lower ranked schools will better the offers of higher ranked schools while higher ranked schools will expect you to take the paycut(within reason) because they have all the leverage. You seem to think that there are very few good students; The opposite is true as there are more qualified PhD canidates rejected every year than accepted. This is especially true if the high ranked school is public. Private schools tend to have more leverage, but why would MIT match the offer of no name state school when MIT knows they offer much just in reputation alone.
Graduate students are, for the most part, disposable. Post Docs, Tenure Track canidates are experts in their field, a much different situation.
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I have 13k... not bad since my ugrad was 55k a year.
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DU wants to consider me for the MA because they don't directly admit students to PhD.
Can I ask them to consider me for a MA and then decline later without looking like a jerk?
Should I ask questions about funding for MA and transferring to a PhD before asking to be considered for the MA or should I ask to be considered and then ask later?
I'm so confused!
My current institution is the same; and they made a big mistake IMO because they could have kept me if they offered me a PhD.
You need to ask about funding; chances are they fund MAs for 2 years as a TA/RA/Fellowship (we do). Chances are moving to a PhD will be the same as most; you have to reapply but if your advisor wants you its pretty hard to say no to them, especially if you have claim to that TA position already.
I would only do it if you feel like you want to go to a better institution after your masters; declining a PhD offer is risky, and i probably wouldnt do it, but the masters degree might elevate your application enough if your research goes well to apply to the MITs, Columbia's and Stanfords of the world.
So yes, i would consider it, but you have a PhD acceptance. Tell them you are interested in it, but only go if you dont like wherever else you get into (for example CU boulder is a great school which I would not turn down if you were to be admitted).
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You have already made up your mind then.
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You would be surprised at how much a difference a visit makes.
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If something is recommended is it a good idea to do it?
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Ok, I'm at right now studying for their Master's in philosphy, and I really want to continue in their Phd program. I have a good writing sample, and I have three recommendations, all from faculty in the department. I've spoken to a couple of faculty who aren't on the admissions committee, and they said Master's applications from get no special consideration, and that my application "goes in the pile" along with all the others. How much of this is accurate, and how much of it is them just keeping the lid on to protect themselves in case I do get rejected? I mean, if I'm doing fairly well in the program, have mostly As in my courses, have a solid writing sample, and have recommendations from professors in the department, doesn't that count a little more? Won't they be more inclined to accept my application?
Many programs value diversity of ideas; They don't want the same people in their programs over and over. Adding new blood into the mix is a great way of adding new ideas to a departments research.
It could be fairly accurate, but to say you dont have an advantage would be a stretch.
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Thanks everyone for your responses.
I'm definitely prepared for, and expecting, a rejection from University of Chicago. I applied to other schools I feel more hopeful about, but this school would've been my dream acceptence.
As far as the importance of test scores.. I do adamantly believe I am much more intelligent, creative, and capable of research/abstract reasoning than my test scores give me credit for. I'm a strong visual-spatial learner, and generally, visual-spatial learners have a harder time with memorization (vocabulary) and mathematics computation, but are especially skilled at the "whole picture," identifying the underlying purpose, and understanding abstract concepts. I can only hope my letters and writing sample shine.
Do you have proof of this? I would think that spatial learners would be excellent at both math and generalized tests. Most offical IQ tests use spatial examples.
I am also a visual/spatial learner, and while I have had some problems with memorization, I have had no problems (more than normal) studying physics, math, chemistry, computer science and geology.
I don't think your attitude will get you to the places you want. Most people are probably better than their test scores, but i'm sure that English departments want competent people. If you think you have a learning disorder in mathematics, you really should get an official diagnosis, because if not the test scores tell a story that you don't want the adcoms to believe.
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One of my physics professors (at a small liberal arts school) does Ocean/Climate modeling. He did have a physics undergrad.
I'm sure you can get a professorship in a series of departments if you model, and if you don't you will be limited to Earth Science depts.
Moreover, if you have a great mathematical background, the financial district can be your friend; as well as the sports analytics world.
I'm sure Areospace, and the military also hires climate scientists.
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History, recruitment is the 8th. I'm not sure if I'll go or not. I live 30 miles from Davis and have been to the campus lots of times. I plan meeting some of the professors i would consider working with during their office hours. Maybe i'll go to recruitment just to meet possible future Davis grads.
Yea, I would go to get a feel for the department.
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How often are MS/MA degrees funded? I'm under the impression it's fairly rare, unless the applicant is exceptional and qualifies for merit scholarships.
Mine currently is, as is almost everyones in my department. I had a very poor ugrad gpa. I am on a TAship
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Congratz crazy, UT is a great school.
I have more info on the WUSTL waitlist... seems that its a nonlinear waitlist and they try to create a well balanced incoming class in terms of interests. Therefore, it seems to me that there arent people on the waitlist in my field of earth sciences, but acceptance is highly dependent on who drops out.
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You will not succeed in an unfunded PhD program; I wouldn't even pay for a masters degree. Most people who haven't been in graduate school have no idea how hard it is emitonally without the finacial strain. I think it is unethical of graduate departments to offer an unfunded PhD position as it sets its students up for failure: any such department could not be considered good at all. What is weak about your application? Can a masters program improve those weaknesses ? Are the masters programs thesis based ? What about applying again next year?
Paying for graduate school that isnt med school IMO is a big mistake.
- rising_star, themmases, TakeruK and 3 others
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2014 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results
in Earth Sciences Forum
Posted
They emailed me that I would know by the 28th.... didnt everyone get that email ?