monfemme

hey -- I am sorry I didn't see this earlier, but I haven't been on gradcafe in a while.. so I hope this helps a bit. Anyway, a few months ago at a phd interview trip, I was the roommate of a girl who had been flown from Oxford for the phd interview. She *loved* her master's program and wanted to stay at oxford save for the funding issues. She told me--and this is just me recounting so take it with a grain of salt--that it was easier to get funding for MA programs in the UK and phd programs in the US. And that the phd programs in the UK are harder to secure funding for. that said, I am moving to the UK in a month to start a funded phd. so that in itself disaffirms what she said. but, as for the central question, she thought her program was the best thing since sliced bread so you might as well consider it. hope that helps some. **oops I should add that said phd interview was in the US, not Germany

hugs to you colorless. i am so sorry your day started off like that... I must admit I am shocked by how absorbed into this process I have become and can imagine how you feel. again hugzzzzz!!!

all quiet on the western front (berkeley). *sigh* a girl can dream. thanx for the update, jigsawyouth!

I got an Emory invite and am jumping around the bedroom!

I know it is a for-profit university, but how do you know it's spam?

I know I have just never hated waiting more than now! arghhh

also dana, if you are basing the score thing on what it says on the berkeley website, I have the same 'issue': it also says under submit on my application that gre scores never arrived. I have emailed Ned twice about it, but never got a response, while when I emailed him about something else I got an immediate response. So, I am guessing that it frequently says that on their site. in an unrelated topic, has everyone heard anything from Emory? I am dying with anticipation over here...

NoSleep --congrats on the good news! Also, everytime I see your screen name the beastie boys song starts playing in my head.

anyone who does critical studies/med. anth would be good. i am told that the department has two main 'camps': the critical and the symbolic. do you know anything about that?

hey, so I am curious if anyone knows anything about who is on the admissions committee at Berkeley this year. according to a professor who helped me extensively with my application, Berkeley rotates the professors on the committee every year, which makes it the luck of the draw who gets to see your application and if they are in your field. just wondering if anyone had any more info on this. thanx!

well i'll attempt to answer part of this. FLAS or the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship is given out by different schools that have been approved by the government to recieve Title VI funding under the Higher Education Act. each school tends to apply for funding from the federal government for certain regional areas. so, for example, i am applying to a lot of schools that get regional funding for east asia, because I want to do research and get funding for korean. the list of the different regions approved for different schools are listed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Resource_Center not every school has every region of the world approved. so in that sense, certain languages are favored, because different schools are only allowed to give out FLAS fellowships if you applied for a language in a area that they were approved to grant grants for based on federal approval (phew! long sentence). and yes, you do have to specialize in one language or regional studies area to get the FLAS (again based on if the school you are applying to has that region approved). hope that answers some questions.

yyyyyaaaay daykid! high5!

I'm not sure. I'm gonna guess they'd have to really really really like you for them to pay for a trip to the states. but it's not unheard of.

Emory invites semi-finalists to their interview weekend, which tends to take place around the first weekend of feb. then, as far as i know, notifications are sent out almost immediately after. in another thread someone mentioned a results posting for an interview as early as the 10th of jan (aka tomorrow). so i guess if you are in the lucky bunch, then you can expect to hear from them pretty soon about interviews but not about finalization.

it was nice and sunny in berlin today! unfortunately that has absolutely no bearing on the process. poor us and our anxiety-ridden selves.

yeah, I am going for cultural programs and best of luck to you too! that means we can update each other on which schools update when and the various waves. i hope we both get into our dream programs!

alright seems like i might have gotten a little overexcited about any response from chicago. if you check the results from previous years it seems like next to no one gets in. i interpreted any sign of life as positive . i did end up applying for the flas for korean. you only had to write an additional one page description of why it would augment your graduate experience and i figured it wouldn't hurt. i would encourage anyone who can to go ahead and do it. i wonder if previous year applicants also all got flas emails from chicago or if they are just flas-loaded this year.

hey all! everything submitted and i heard from one uni about a writing sample and another about a flas application so things are a rollin'! <3

hey aboutdesouffle, did you ever get an answer regarding this? i just left it blank and cause of the format of the application it was submitted anyway. but the second page still says incomplete application.. I messaged the department and still have heard nothing.

why do you need a language recommendation for spanish when you are applying fro quechua?

hey--so i am going to 'out' myself as the person with the emory request. i didn't turn in a writing sample because the application says don't do it unless the department wants it and the website said optional. so, i got a request for one stating that they wanted all 'qualified' applicants to be on equal footing. i got the feeling from it that they had made the first round and were choosing interview applicants and needed the same information from everyone. but, you know, could be pure speculation. also, i checked the email, and it definitely said the 2nd. that said i also got an email a week ago from chicago with a strong suggestion to apply for a FLAS for funding. I saw this as a good sign and it means that programs are definitely starting to look applications over. I second what archaeostudent said about the strong possibility of programs getting back to us way earlier this year.

haha, i had exactly the same fear when i posted the first entry on this thread... and had about two weeks where i wracked my brain over this problem. but i came to the conclusion that most of the "last minute" places i would apply to were schools i really didn't want to go to anyway... or if they were, the fit was bad and thus I would probably be less happy/satisfied there. so, instead i decided to take a trip to the countryside with friends, which gave me perspective.. maybe try to get away for a few days? i wouldn't apply to all of those schools. seems like you are a good candidate and, despite the possible horror scenario of getting in nowhere this term, you would probably ultimately be better off if you waited a year to get into the best possible option than to go to a less-than-satisfactory school cause you couldn't wait...? of maybe that's just me. my two cents on my conclusion.

Hey Emily, I can't speak to UC Riverside specifically, but when I was applying to Chicago there was a difference of about four pages between the university-wide guidelines and those of the specific department. So, if I were you, I would just e-mail the department directly and ask for specifics to make sure. Although, one page sounds reasonable (one application wanted 300 words from me).

Congratulations Eriatarka! That is so exciting!! You gave me hope that we don't have to wait very long. Fingers crossed for everyone!

So, I have already started compulsively checking the results board (although I am fully aware that I am a little early--blame the boredom), but based on the notifications in previous years most of the schools start contacting for interviews around the middle of January and informing of acceptances/rejections mid-February. Although if you get waitlisted or are in that pool of candidates between definite acceptance and definite rejection then you could end up waiting until April/May. Let's hope it doesn't take that long though. As for visiting, I never went cause I wasn't sure about the procedure. Bump on that question! Also, what have been other people's experiences with visiting schools? When in the process/How was it?