Summit_Bid
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Posts posted by Summit_Bid
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Poker Face
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#2 would be a lot better if it had the three velvet arm bands/stripes most doctoral gowns sport.
I concur.
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I applied to that program my first year because my thesis idea involved doing both research and practice but last year and this year, since my interest has changed, I applied to the traditional research program.
From reading biographies of the students currently in that program you are refering to, and the other information on the site, I gather that that program isn't really for people like me who like to make traditional narratives and do research. It's more for people doing experimental media. Like mixing video games with some other technology or doing media stuff for mobile phones. For those of us who like making mainstream hollywood stuff and doing hardcore research I didn't think that program was a match.
On my apps I played down my production background and highlighted my interest in soley focusing on research but I think my transcript shows my obvious extensive background in production.
On top of this I still don't think the quality of writing is up to par with others who have been focusing on research so I think that's where the real problem lies.
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For sure, I'll be sure to check around this forum.....there isn't really a centralized place for us!
As your third time applying....what do you think has been the issue? Is it 'fit'? You certainty applied widely.
I doubt an adcom would take the time to come on here snoop, I'm sure you are being considered at UC Irvine!
I love all the schools for different reasons, but I'm coming straight from undergrad so I know it's a longer shot for the Ph.D
Master's programs seem like they take forever to notify.....
I think my heavy production background/nearly no research background is the problem. That's what all my professors say. I have little research experience and I'm trying to get into a PhD program. I think the adcoms think all I care about is making movies...not research. Because of my little writing experience I also suspect my writing sample and SOP aren't as polished as others.
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Thanks for starting the post. There are a couple of other threads about film studies somewhere so check those out too while you're at it.
So far I have 4 official rejections from:
UCSB
USC
Rochester
Berkeley
I know others have been invited for interviews or accepted to:
Northwestern
Irvine
Indiana
Wisconsin
Chicago
Iowa
UT Austin
I've heard nothing official from the above mentioned schools.
This leaves the following schools up in the air:
Harvard
Brown
UCLA
Michigan
So I'm 0/15 with 11 more to go. It's tough out there. I'm scared becasue this is my third year applying. I was rejected across the board twice. I think I gotta move on to other stuff now...
I'm paranoid I'll get rejected from UC Irvine because one time someone was here asking me about it and I admited it was only a "safety" school. I'm paranoid that person was an adcom posing as a gradcafe junkie.
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I don't think they do. They have too many applicants and other stuff to worry about so they wouldn't go through all that. I once heard an adcom say they they just want to know to see who their competition is. Schools compete with each other too. If everyone starts applying to Yale, Harvard is gonna start thinking, "What can we do to get everyone to apply here". Schools like to brag about how many people apply to their school so really this question is all about them--not the applicant.
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Hopefully this is self explanatory. Let's play and see where this goes. Here goes nothing:
Olympic Fever
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Haha, these two comments cracked me up for some reason. My partner thinks I've gone insane--I was laughing for like five minutes.
lol
Now I'm laughing that you're laughing.
I didn't think it was funny but when I looked at it again I started laughing too. I don't know why. I actually think it shows just shows how bitter I am I guess....and actually that's kinda funny....HaHaHa!
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What happens to you get rejected from everywhere and then can't get a job? Thats what I'm worried is going to happen to me. I feel like I'm really not worth anything to employers with just a B.A. and I can't afford to work a minimum wage job and continue living off my parents for another year or possibly more if I can't get in. That is my real fear.
I graduated with an MA from the #1 school in my field and was unemployed for a year so I temped. I got rejected from every internship, fellowship, teaching program, Peace Corps and all 15 PhD programs I applied to (for the 2nd year in a row). I had to move back with my parents. A year to the day after I graduated I finally got a temp to perm position doing something completly unrealted to my major. For the past two years I've been looking for jobs (applied to thousands) and applying to PhD programs (I applied to 15 this yea--my third year in a row-- and so far have 6 rejections). The job I have now is not enough for me to be on my own or even save--I break even each month. Basically life is hard. Everyone's situation is different though. I'm just warning you that it could be rough. Things will get better though. I think this economy is screwing things up for everyone. It will end and soon, things will get better you'll find your way and be stronger than ever after going through this.
Thanks to the original OP for the inspiring post. Good luck to all of you.
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I cannot help but check GradCafe constantly.
And, yes! The Olympics will at least let me think about/do something else for the rest of this month in which I am constantly freaking out and anxious about my interview in March. I am very thankful to have an interview lined up, but I am also going crazy just waiting, waiting, waiting... knowing I won't be getting any decisions for over a month.
1) Finding out what I need to do to train to climb mount Everest...apprently it's a lot and more $ and time than I can afford...
2) I work full time and only get 5 days off a year. It's been almost a year and so I'm carefully planning every moment of my 5 days of freedom.
3) Olympics
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4) What topics do you want to study?
Auteur theory via semiotics. Mostly focusing on contemporary directors. Haneke, Wong Kar-wai, etc. I'd love to focus exclusively on Wong Kar-wai, but that's not certain.
Thanks for answering the questions! Cool topic too. I also like auteur theory stuff. I'm interested in a few things but one of them is how a director's life parallels the films he makes and auteur theory is slightly related to that. Also, thanks for posting your stats that's very helpful to all of us I think.
Yes, it's nice to see other film junkies on here. Hopefully, more of you will come out of the wood works and chat a bit with us.
I love the smell of film.
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I've contributed so much to the "negative thread" but I decided that to get me out of my rejection depression I should force myself to contribute to this one. Perhaps the positive energy from this post will send cosmic cyber rays of good thoughts to the schools who are reading my apps now. PhD Admissions committees, feast your eyes on this!!!:
- Clear, focused, tailored and PERSUASIVE SOP
- Scholarly and professional writing sample demonstrating abilty to properly research topics
- 4.0 GPA from #1 grad school in my field
- 3.799999999999 GPA from undergrad school
- Improved GRE scores
- Fair amount of language ability
- 4 great recs
- 3 major department scholarships for grad school
- 3 major department scholarships for undergrad
- Well-drafted resume showcasing professional field-related affiliations, 3 internships in a related-sub field, "portfolio"
of research conducted, field-related jobs, membership in 2 honor societies
- Some TA and teaching experience
- Presented at two school conferences
Take that, adcoms! Ha!
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Hmm. Teaching English at a hakwon in Korea can pay quite a bit (around $2,000/month), and your housing is typically covered by the employer. It's not an easy job, but doing this would be a great way to knock out some of your loans while having a bit of an adventure!
Also, as others have said, programs like AmeriCorps pay you in part by reducing a percentage of your student loan debt in exchange for a two-year stint. I'm pretty sure you don't have to pay off the loans while you are in AmeriCorps.
I'm not into Americorps but I do believe in PeaceCorps and similar programs...sadly enough my Peacecorps app wasn't accepted. Who doesn't get admitted in the Peacecorps?!!! I guess people like me that have useless film degrees.
My student loan payments--which are on an "income sensitive" plan-- are $1000 a month so that I guess that's okay if they pay for housing and Korea is cheap. I'm not that into teaching English in Korea or other country but you're right: it's a an adventure and I suppose I can't be picky in this day and age.
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You have an MA and you're temping?
This is my worst nightmare, one that will probably come true.
I used to read a blog written by an actor on the TV show Mad Men (Harry Crane, for fans of the show); he started the blog after he got his masters in drama, but before he got the gig on Mad Men, and he was - wait for it - temping. It was actually kind of fascinating reading about this normal guy who got an amazing opportunity, stuff like, "Just got home from another horrible day temping at some office. Tomorrow I have an audition for some new show called Mad Men...the script is good, I wonder if it will work out..."
I got an MA in something completely useless: film.
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Any school. Berkeley was a top choice tied with UT Austin (this if for a PhD in Film) but I just got rejected today so I'm hoping for Austin (although they already sent out admits and so far I'm not one of them!). Why? Lots of awesome professors in my field, great location, great funding pacakge. Not really a hoity-toity place so I think I will enjoy being around really nice people. They have a good rep of placing people in prof positions after graduating.
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Most Useful: Cinema/Film Studies
Least Useful: Cinema/Film Studies
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Finally some talk on this board!!!! Where have you all been? So nice to be around other film junkies!
I'm having bad luck. so far only 1 official reject from UCSB...14 more to go. No interviews or anything else. I bet I'm an across the board reject for the 3rd year in a row. I don't think a PhD is for me.
Congrats to the rest of you though.
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I'm $80,000 dollars in debt from my master's so I feel trapped. I'd love to travel etc. but how do I pay loans each month when I'm overseas? I break even each month with my paychecks so it's impossible to save unless I get another job or one that pays higher--not likely to happen now. I think everyone has great ideas like traveling, moving to a new city, WWoof etc. but I'm stuck with these loans. I have a usless MA and BA, can't afford getting another agree and was unemployeed for a year. I guess I have to just keep temping and job searching like I have been...fruitless.
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1 rejection three weeks ago but since then nothing. I check the results page and see others getting interviews or acceptance only (strangely no rejects). No news is good news for now? I feel like nothing but air--dirty, smoggy Los Angeles air.
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Dude, you must be applying to some awesome programs if there are hefty stipends in exchange for not having to do a lot of work. Clearly I've gone into the wrong field...
I guess what I'm saying is that I think one of the fallacies of grad school is that you get to make $15K (or $20K or maybe even $25K in the hard sciences) in exchange for sitting around in coffee shops while thinking and reading. That has not been my experience as a graduate student. My friends in the hard sciences spend no less than 50 hours a week in the lab, coming in on the weekends and staying into the evening, in exchange for their ~$20K/year. I don't make nearly that much, have a 20 hour a week TA position, take 2-3 courses per semester, and do my research and reading for comps outside of that. If I were on the ball, I'd probably be putting in a minimum of 40 hours of work per week, probably closer to 50. That works out to minimum wage, more or less... Sometimes I think being a receptionist/administrative assistant might be easier because then it's a straight-up 40 hours per week and probably pays $25-30K/year.
While being a receptionist might seem easier, it's not always...bordem sets in and you go crazy! In the end, as a PhD and doing 50+ hours if it's something I like doesn't bother me at all. Classes, papers, research, it's all fun and games for the most part if it's about what I like. When I got my MA, I thought it would be hard. It really wasn't. In my arts field I've still felt grad school was a breeze. I see your point though. A PhD is different than and MA so it's still something to think about. BTW, I make $18K year as an admin assist and all my programs' living stipend plus a grant I won on top of all this would mean $39k/year living stipend--plenty for me.
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Thats amazing. I guess that will help remove the temptation to bite your nails in anticipation?
Probably.
I think the nail clippers were also like a pocket knife kind of and there was this thing on it that you could use as a letter opener (I assume it's for use for when we get our desicion letter)...or maybe kill someone on the admissions committe if they reject us?
In real life, just before I went to bed I used nailpolish remover to take off some paint on my nails so that's why I probably dreamed about the nail clippers.
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I've heard different things. I know people who applied the day before the deadline and got it. I know people who applied months before the deadline and didn't get in. I've heard every combination so I don't think there's a really good solid answer.
I recommend applying early. I've heard from someone in my cinema studies field who does grad admissions that you should apply early for the following reasons:
1. The earlier you apply the more chance you have of getting in. This is because
a. They aren't tired of looking at apps yet. If they see one they like they choose it and already
start building the class. If you apply late, they already have a good class put together and won't
know where to put you, so they will probably reject you.
b. some schools are strict and if you are missing something from your file they reject you if it is
not postmarked by the deadline. Submitting your app early will catch mistakes that you can fix
BEFORE the dealine and keep you in the race.
Everyone finds out if they got in or not at the same time. Submitting your app earlier doesn't mean you'll hear earlier. the committee does all meet at once and makes the descisions at once and lets everyone kow at once as well for the most part. They do look at apps in the order they were recieved. I know alady who turned her app in after the deadline and still got in!
An admissions book I read once said send them in early because some schools do look at apps a few times throughout the season and most people apply later so sending in your app early means there are less people to compare your app too which is a good thing.
I once worked briefly in an office at a top school that dealt a little with admissions (this was undergrad admissions though so it's probably different) and this lady there said sometimes they don't even get a chance to look at apps that came in on time--but they still cash the app checks!
Despite everything I said above, I think that generally speaking it doesn't matter when you turn it in so you'll be fine if you turned it in later.
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I agree with the above poster. They will tell you via email or snail mail that you got in. Or, they will email you and tell you to check the application status page to find your results so you don't really need to check.
Some schools/departments, while they have these update pages to let you know what's been recieved and what hasn't, they don't use them or only use them to post something like GRE scores that's been recieved. When they do update them, it's after you've recieved your acceptance or rejection sometimes!
Some schools do use them so you can check on those schools. There is usually a date on those pages that says when they've been updated so if the date is 10/1, you know they aren't really using it.
In general, I wait for schools to email me that I got in or am missing something.
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I finally had an admissions dream last night!
In my dream I came home from work and as usual checked through the snail mail. I saw four special envelopes from I think it was UCLA, UCSB, USC and I think maybe NYU (I'm not applying to NYU in real life though). The NYU one looked the thickest so I figured it was an acceptance. I decided to go for what I thought was the bad news first and opened up the flatter envelopes. When I did there was a letter in there reminding me to send the schools my FAFSA info and that this was just a formality not related to a descicion by the department. Then, there was another little note that something like this:
"Sorry to bum you out. You probably thought this was an acceptance or rejection letter-that will come in another month. Every year we have students who call in and complain to us that these Financial Aid letters get them excited because they think it's going to be an acceptance. Understanding your pain of realizing you're going to have to wait longer for a desicion, we are sending you this consolation prize..."
and inside the envelope was a shiny nail clipper that you could attached to your key chain! All three envelopes had the exact same thing inside.
I was so excited in my dream that I woke up before I got a chance to open that final fourth thick envelope from NYU!
Film and Media Studies Application Cycle 2009-2010
in Humanities
Posted
Got it! Thanks. That's really nice. I'll keep an eye out for more stuff like this.
Good luck to you with all your apps. I hope you get in somewhere.