GeoDUDE!

I'm just curious - pulled up my application and noticed the day I first started the process on the checklist.
 
I've been getting this hammered out, letters sent, transcripts processed, etc.. since 8/31 and i still have one letter of rec that's unaccounted for.
 
How long has everyone else taken so far? I never expected it to take this long to get everything together and submitted. I thought a week or two, max, when I started.

Some do say "list your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice schools" or other things that are asking you for an inclusive list.

But I will

So I want a degree that recently popped up, created from the ground up new - an MFA.
 
It's a design degree but intermingles with film and performance as much as it does visual art.  The primary reason I want it is because of the internships the students in the program are doing, which are great connections in a closed industry that's near impossible to break into without "knowing" someone.
 
But as I alluded to, no one even has the degree yet (the program isnt old enough) it's the only program of its kind and only offered at one school....
 
I don't know, my app is in and i'm being considered as we speak so there's no turning back in that sense. I'm going if I get accepted. I guess it's that I wish that there were more options or even a backup plan. It's pretty much "please take me.. you're my only hope Obi Wan.."
 
And it feels so weird to be in that position. For background, I went into an MFA theatre design program originally. My undergrad is theatrical design. I've been doing boring "day job" work for a few years after having left the theatre program I was in because I was fed up.
 
The new program is actually the career I wanted. It just didn't exist before so I went into theatrical design as a "related" field.. only to get constantly picked on because of my interests and career aspiration "That's not real art!"
 
So.. I'm very torn on the whole thing. I think going after what I want, and have wanted, is the right move. An opportunity is presenting itself and i'd be silly to ignore it. At the same time, I'm worried with it being a new program at a private school it might all end up being a very expensive waste of time with far more promises than actual rewards.
 
What do you think?

Ask yourself the fundamental differences between the Ideal PhD candidate and an MS candidate.  Do you know what subfield you want to study ? Do you know what the contemporary problems are in your subfield? Do you know what types of methods are used to solve these problems? Do you know what journals are currently publishing projects based on solving these problems. Could you put down in words  what these problems are, what methods are used to solve them, and how those methods have the ability to solve them? 
 
If you can't do all of the above, that doesn't mean you aren't ready for a PhD; but seeing as you don't have any teaching or research experience you might find answering those questions daunting. I think going for a funded MS, especially if you have good stats, is the right way to go. If you are successful in your MS it probably makes you a much stronger candidate than applying directly to undergrad. 

Erm.... Our basketball team was last amazing when they went to the Sweet 16 in spring 2007. Since then, they've not made it past the MVC spring conference. There's a new coach, in his second season, so maybe they'll improve, but it will take a while. Our football team has made it to playoffs several times in the past few years, but there has been a decline in the team the past 3 or so years. They're not sure if they football team is going to playoffs or not this year; it depends on the results of other teams' games, today. Games are fun to attend, though. I went to every football game while I was there and nearly all of the men's and women's basketball games.

I agree, I don't want to make it seem like i'm siding with the graduate student, i'm just proposing solution and logic behind it.  Like I said, I am prone to snapping, but I do apologize after I do it (maybe like once a semester when people start asking me too many matlab questions).  Anyway, a person like that isn't a good mentor if you are feeling abused.

I do not think that is correct.

And adults should be able to handle being told they're wrong and not coddled.

When you consider this, consider the number of people on Grad Cafe alone who say they're applying for 10 or more schools.
 
If the schools all accept someone.. and having limits, reject someone else.. that's 10 schools and only 1 is getting the student, while the other 9 are scrambling to either pull from the waitlist or actually backtrack and admit people they rejected. It happens all the time.
 
It's not a position anyone wants to be in.

I did not mean it to be taken too seriously, but I guess my point was to give a sample of schools that you are applying to - one or two higher ranked, X, and one or two lower ranked.
 
 
Loric, cut people some slack will you. No offense, but your tone sounds a bit accusatory. Anyone can have any set of reasons to consider which schools to apply, and can rank them in any way they like in their minds. If you have a suggestion for our friend here, I believe there are more amicable ways to drop your nuggets of wisdom.
 
Also, this issue is not nearly as important as much of the comments on this thread suggest.

Then my question would be why you're going through with all these applications and why they're on your "final" list in the first place. Schools can tell when you're just applying for the sake of applying. They do not look kindly on it. 

Purely based on city, i'd choose Chicago. I'm from Florida and I think Miami is too hot, and i'd not be caught dead in Minnesota. Nothing against Mass, just no desire to go there either.
 
This is not based on their programs, school, quality, or anything of the sort.
 
Have you been to the schools or know much about them? Since you're in, you do get to be picky about it now. Who has horrible parking? Who has nothing but a Walmart for 50miles? (had a friend who went to a "good" school with great funding that fit that bill.. and visiting him was.. an adventure..)
 
Have you had many dealings with the office staff who handle things? If i knew then what i know now, my first grad school would have been quickly crossed off the list as the office staff, administration, etc.. are absolute jerks. It's like being at the DMV 24/7 and there's not a single helpful, friendly, etc.. person in the buildings.

I'll just point out that I've been accepted to more programs and offered more funding than you have, if you want to pull people's history into things as a means to belittle the advice they're giving. 
 
The goal here is getting in and getting funded, is it not? I offer sound advice for that. It is not presented in a manner to spare your feelings. 

Blindingly fast off the starting blocks...

I do not think that is correct.

My stipend at SIU after taxes is ~ 13k a year... and i end up saving ~5k of it. Its very livable.

Ask yourself the fundamental differences between the Ideal PhD candidate and an MS candidate.  Do you know what subfield you want to study ? Do you know what the contemporary problems are in your subfield? Do you know what types of methods are used to solve these problems? Do you know what journals are currently publishing projects based on solving these problems. Could you put down in words  what these problems are, what methods are used to solve them, and how those methods have the ability to solve them? 
 
If you can't do all of the above, that doesn't mean you aren't ready for a PhD; but seeing as you don't have any teaching or research experience you might find answering those questions daunting. I think going for a funded MS, especially if you have good stats, is the right way to go. If you are successful in your MS it probably makes you a much stronger candidate than applying directly to undergrad. 

My stipend at SIU after taxes is ~ 13k a year... and i end up saving ~5k of it. Its very livable.

I have a hard time thinking a higher level academic has such vehemently negative feelings toward marijuana. This coming from a "prude" who never partook. But it's like expecting someone who comes from an all male boarding school to be violently opposed to the concept of mutual masturbation. They're more like "meh" - cuz such is life. 
 
I just watched "Another Country" on netflix so i could be coming at this from a completely skewed perspective.. but pot isn't that big of a deal for most people, even those who don't use it themselves. 

I guess what I was really trying to say is nobody is perfect. Just like every other relationship in life, you need to evaluate if the pros outweigh the cons. I'm willing to be if she went to her advisor and said, man I have all this work, I have no time to teach this UG or help this UG, the advisor would tell her to get her own work done. That's how grad school is. my first semester I complained about my teaching load, and they told me to stop spending as much time teaching and essentially do a shitty job. This is why small liberal art schools can get away with costing so much; they don't have any of these problems. Research universities will always focus on research and teaching 2nd. Thats just the way it is. There are some distinct advantages to your situation; not everyone has them. Remember, what you have here is truly a "first world" problem. 
 
Have you ever thought about talking to her about it? It probably won't change anything though.

I guess what I was really trying to say is nobody is perfect. Just like every other relationship in life, you need to evaluate if the pros outweigh the cons. I'm willing to be if she went to her advisor and said, man I have all this work, I have no time to teach this UG or help this UG, the advisor would tell her to get her own work done. That's how grad school is. my first semester I complained about my teaching load, and they told me to stop spending as much time teaching and essentially do a shitty job. This is why small liberal art schools can get away with costing so much; they don't have any of these problems. Research universities will always focus on research and teaching 2nd. Thats just the way it is. There are some distinct advantages to your situation; not everyone has them. Remember, what you have here is truly a "first world" problem. 
 
Have you ever thought about talking to her about it? It probably won't change anything though.

graduate students have deadlines that undergraduates do not have. she might  be unloading her stress in a mature way, but you should just get out of her way. It isn't a graduate students role to be friends with you, or mentor you. I've been known to snap at people close to deadlines.... its just something that happens.

Yeah, I understand she has things going on. And after writing that novel up above I think I kind of realized I should just let her come to me during the day. I felt so guilty though when she asked me why I haven't been talking to her! This is why I think I should stop hanging out with her.
 
I don't see what you're trying to say about it's not a grad's job to be friends with me... it's no one's job to be friends with me! She first invited me to go with her places. And as far as mentoring goes, that's kind of how it works in our lab... I don't know, the PI is too busy to get the undergrads up and running himself, and since he cares about exposing us to research he kinda pushes the grads to take care of us. It sucks and I honestly feel bad when I have to take time from their schedules because I need help. But that's not the problem here, I guess.
 
Just realized you used the word "role" instead of job, but close enough I guess

graduate students have deadlines that undergraduates do not have. she might  be unloading her stress in a mature way, but you should just get out of her way. It isn't a graduate students role to be friends with you, or mentor you. I've been known to snap at people close to deadlines.... its just something that happens.