katiegud

I applied for a PhD place this year expected that I would probably end up not going until 2015. I thought I would not get any funding (because I guess I'm a pessimist). I ended up getting an awesome scholarship though, and there is no way I'm turning it down! That said, I need to tell my boss soon that I'll be leaving the country. I'm super nervous about it! I was going to tell her today, so she can start making plans for replacing me, but will have the weekend to cool off if she's mad at me. I need suggestions for what to say! I will have been at this job for 2 years at the time I'm leaving.

Thanks for those, but they are all for North American moves. We've moved throughout the US several times, so it's the ocean part that is concerning.

I'm going to be moving from Nebraska to Leeds, so I need advice on coordinating this! Anyone have good experience with a moving company? What should I bring and what should I get rid of? Any tips?

Off the waitlist! I officially have an academic home this fall!

AHHH! My status on the scholarship website has been updated from "Reserve" (UK version of waitlist) to "Award." NO official email from the school. Does that mean I got it? I'm freaking out right now. This would be full funding for me, vs no funding at my other offers.

Have you checked out European universities? I know that some German universities have later deadlines, and they often teach in English.

Aside from just applying again next year, you should also look for external funding sources. I was accepted without funding, so I deferred for a year to find other options. There are a lot of different funding sources that are not directly linked to the university. If you can defer, you could do that and then apply for external funding and internal next year without having to go through the application process again. Otherwise I think you should try to get a job that is as related as possible (not sure what that would be in philosophy - maybe you could adjunct with your MA?) to get experience and then reapply.

I guess I get to join you all now! I have been accepted to 4 programs, but turned down for funding at 3 of them. Found out this morning that I'm on the waitlist for funding at the 4th. I REALLY want to go there, so someone needs to decline their offer! It's also in the UK, and I'm in Nebraska, so the longer I wait the higher the plane tickets get.

I'm kind of in the same boat. I was accepted to 4 programs, but I have been rejected for funding by 3 of them! I still don't know about the fourth. If I don't get any funding, I'll defer for another year so I can try to get the money together and reapply for scholarships (and probably a few more programs) next year. If you aren't sure if you will get funding, I would say defer the acceptance. Then you can apply for other programs next year, but still have NCSU to attend if you don't get into somewhere that you would prefer to attend.

I'll be 36 when I'm finally done (35 if I'm quick!), but I'm already married, so I don't have that one. My Mom does hint regularly that she'd like more grandchildren though. She said yesterday that she'd move to the UK to be my nanny if necessary!

My Dad just keeps telling me that if I don't get funding in the UK I can apply to UCSD and ASU, since he'd actually want to visit me if I lived in those places.

I have a friend that will be heading to Ohio State next year, too, and she is really excited about it! Apparently Columbus is a great place to live and the university has a good atmosphere. Have you been able to visit it? I also don't think the prestige of the school will matter that much if you can get some work published while you're there. OSU is a well-known university, so if you are productive there I wouldn't see it as being strikingly negative. Obviously it's not Harvard, but it's not a small school that no one has heard of either.

Yep, like the other person said, they should let you know if there is anything available. I had to interview with a panel for funding, and then I didn't get it, so I'm likely not going there! I know exactly how you feel! My first rejection was a highly ranked institution, in a field that I've never studied, so it was a long shot. This last one was not highly ranked and I was pretty sure I'd get in, but they decided that my topic didn't fit well enough with their supervisors. It hurts more when you feel like you should have been accepted!

Second rejection today! No funding at my acceptances yet! Please someone give me some money...

Some people don't like doing this, but have you looked at partisan political jobs? Working on campaigns or something? Most of the people in those positions are poli sci BAs, and it would help you make connections that you could possibly use to get into grad/law school.

I just got an email rejection for a studentship I didn't apply for. They are now rejecting me from things I didn't even know I could get.

The day after I was rejected for funding by one school, they sent me an email about how great they are and how I should go there. Gee, thanks.

I think you could email them and say that you have had papers accepted for publication after you sent in your CV. They might not add it in for consideration, but I don't think it could hurt your chances.

Look at the people that have the jobs you want and see what degrees they have. A lot of jobs don't require a PhD, but might be more likely to hire someone that has one.

My method is eating tons of junk food until I feel sick, then I get distracted from worrying about PhD funding.

Maybe you need a career change? Something drastically different than what you are doing? Personally I had a crisis like this during my first round of graduate school, and ended up dropping out of my doctoral program, but it was a great decision for me! I would have been miserable in that career. It took a few years of experimenting to find a career path that really interested me again, and I did feel like I was just floundering for awhile. You sound pretty depressed, so a major life change might be what you need to bring you back to "life."

I've heard back from all but one university now (and I have an interview at that one), but I know very little about funding! At two universities I know I would be completely unfunded, so that leaves three that I am still unsure about. I might not know until May (!) if I can get my PhD. That said, for lunch I had a giant peanut butter/M&M cookie and diet Dr Pepper. Anybody else going to gain 100 lbs by the time this is over?

I bombed an interview, too. I think you just have to suck it up and hope that they didn't have anyone better than you!

I just got invited for an interview yesterday at one of mine (I applied there in late November). It says on the website that interviews will be in March, but they won't be releasing funding information until May, so some of them are just a long wait!

Personally I haven't, but I have seen people on here that have. If your research topic matches the higher ranked program better than the lower ranked program it is entirely possible.