[Fall 2014 applicants??]

I'm perplexed as well! My status is still "submitted and paid." I think someone posted on the results page last year (or the year before... I can't remember which even though I just left the page) about the process. They say "all UW admits are being made on a sliding basis as of a few weeks ago. 2/3 of applicants were initially declined. The final 1/3 are being sifted through until all spots are filled. The committee wasn't scheduled to start meeting regarding funding decisions until 3/18/13. They did say that as soon as their admission decisions are made, the online profile is automatically updated, so that will be your first notification."

I'm not sure that really helps, Kamisha, but I feel your confusion!

 

Your an absolute gem. This is hugely helpful. 

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

I seriously don’t understand U of Washington’s notification process. Haha. Who else is still waiting to hear something? 

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

Since the Government in the UK has cut back grants even more radically this year (while pretending that there are more) I think there is little hope of getting one anywhere in the UK. But some universities (though not UEA) do have private funding, so you might be lucky.  

 

This is both sad and interesting. I’m an American student and was accepted to a second MA in Film Studies at UEA for this upcoming semester. As of this morning, they've actually awarded me a half-tuition scholarship. I’m now wondering where those funds are coming from. 

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

Kamisha, I found out one of my schools won't defer and I probably won't know the outcome until after the national deadline, so it is a bit tricky. 

 

That is SO frustrating. I’m sorry I hope it works out. If not...you’ve been successful this year! Taking what you know and reapplying with what you’ve learned will probably make you unstoppable! 

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

So it looks like I may have to reapply next year (LONG story), but I'm trying to find programs for Victorian Studies that I could feasibly get into. I'm also wondering what overseas funding is like. For instance, if I got into Oxford, should I even go, since they generally don't incorporate teaching (at least, from what I have heard, not like the US does)? Sorry to bring it back to round 2 time. Maybe things will work out and I don't have to reapply!

 

What?! Oh no! I hope that’s because you are doing the Fulbright somewhere fabulous. 

 

The UK actually does offer some overseas funding for PhD students....sometimes. Typically, though, you don’t get to teach. That’s my understanding, anyway. I’m considering completing a PhD program in the UK and, if I do, I’ll adjunct online for a US school while I’m there so I can keep up the record of teaching, albeit in a different way. That would probably be my recommendation, though I’m no expert by any means and have no authority to comment on the subject. 

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

The US News 2014 rankings come out tomorrow. Any predictions?

 

Note: I’m not one who buys into the idea that rankings are absolutely everything. I just think it’s interesting to watch the trends! 

[Do they do financial aid reviews on all applicants?]

Hmm...I’m not sure. Perhaps cautiously optimistic? 

[Should you get a humanities PhD at all?]

I think the long and short of it is this (as many others have brought up): if you know what you’re getting into, then you understand that there’s a good possibility you could be working as an adjunct for the rest of your life. You have to make the decision for yourself.  

[Should you go at all?]

I think it’s significant that the OP has posted this same “discussion” on four different pages here on GradCafe. We’re all beginning to wonder what the true motivation is here. 

[Should you get a humanities PhD at all?]

A poignant reflection:

 

http://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2014/03/10/essay-about-inability-find-tenure-track-job-academe

 

Dude is a lecturer at UC-Berkeley. I’m not feeling too bad for him. 

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

Am I the only one here who doesn’t care if I never land a tenure-track position? I have a dream of teaching two classes a semester (preferably pop culture related) in an English department and owning a coffee shop. Couple that with having a family and I think I would be happy for life. 

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

I have nothing constructive to share. I just want to say that I hate being on wait lists. I also want to say that, though I'm mostly a lurker, the cybercommunity running throughout these threads has weirdly meant a lot to me in the last month.

 

Solidarity in stress; good luck to all still waiting. & thank you. 

 

Welcome, friend. We’re glad you’ve joined us on the dark side  

[When did you realize your topic wasn't original?]

I'm struggling to find a novel topic for my thesis. I think I may be trying too hard. Nearly everyone in I know is studying something, which in my opinion is not novel. I feel like people bury their heads in the sand or they think making one minor tweak makes it a completely new topic.

 

I find this post confusing. Can you clarify what you mean by “nearly everyone in I know is studying something, which in my opinion is not novel?” You have to study a topic before you can produce new information about it.

 

The question “When did you realize that your topic wasn’t original?” is one that should only come at the very, very beginning of your research and when you stumble upon it, you need to move on to a different topic.

 

In graduate school, you are expected to master the scholarly research on a topic before you begin writing and proposing new information about it. Thesis projects/dissertations include a literature review wherein you are supposed to illustrate that you have become an expert on your subject matter.

 

So say you want to write something about Shakespeare, for example. Sure, there’s a LOT of information out there about Shakespeare and if you just have an idea off the top of your mind, chances are that it might be written about. But if you master the scholarly research on Shakespeare, you realize that there are still a lot of holes in the scholarship, a lot of questions that still need to be answered. You should focus research where there are holes, not where there aren’t. 

[Staying Healthy Through the Stress]

What do you recommended for drinks? I obviously know water is great, but sometimes I want something flavorful. I love juices but they always tend to have a ton of sugar (which is probably what gives it that flavor). I do drink 1% milk too, so mainly that, water, and juice. I cancelled out soda, so I'm thinking if I restrict my diet to better food and reduce portion size I might be able to make my goal by june.

 

Make sure to avoid any and all drinks with aspartame. This is going to be most of your diet sodas, Crystal Light, etc. 

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

And there's my Brandeis rejection.

 

But hey--you have Duke and UConn! That’s HUGE! 

[Deferring an Offer?]

Do you think you'll end up doing a film studies dissertation? If so, do you have a sense of which faculty would be able to advise?

 

Also, I bet you could propose a film studies survey course in a couple years if you do take the offer. Maybe you can bring film studies to the university!

 

Yeah, I have two faculty members in mind who could advise me  

[Deferring an Offer?]

Good luck, Kamisha! That seems like a valid reason to me.

 

If I may ask, why are you so keen on this program if they don't have film classes? Is there a professor with whom you want to work?

 

That’s a good question. It’s a really great offer that’s difficult to turn down. There are a couple of faculty members there who I would really enjoy working with and I was able to meet some of the graduate students and really clicked with them. 

[Deferring an Offer?]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I am hoping to defer for a year so that I can first complete a second Master's in Film Studies in the United Kingdom (which I can do in about eight months) before I start my PhD.

 

The program that I’m thinking about deferring doesn’t have a wide range of film classes (or any, for that matter), which is going to make it difficult to work in my area of interest. My current Master’s thesis and my undergrad thesis were both film-related, but I don’t feel like I have enough experience in what I’m trying to do to make it work without more in-depth knowledge about the subject.

 

I’m hoping that the school in question will consider that a valid reason for deferring. They know that their courses are limited in my area and maybe having a student with two strong Master’s degrees will appeal to them? Hmm... We’ll see what happens. 

[Deferring an Offer?]

What do you guys know about deferring offers? I have a friend who deferred an offer last year, so I know it’s possible.

 

How would you go about asking a university if it’s an option? How likely do you suppose it is?

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

Ugh. I know I’m usually very positive, but I’m feeling like a pretty spectacular failure about PhD programs today. 

[Should you get a humanities PhD at all?]

Getting your PhD in English from one of the top 10 schools in the country (like Harvard) is probably a bad idea. Getting your PhD from school outside the top tier is just insane. Sorry, but this cannot be said enough. At least some of the Ivies offer stipends of over $30k/year so you're not totally wasting 5-7 years of your life if (and when) you have to switch careers. The schools that will actually replace the jobs vacated by retiring faculty will be elite private universities (like the Ivies, Stanford, Duke, Vandy, etc) and private LACs with big endowments (Swarthmore, Williams, Amherst, etc). You need, at the very least, a PhD from a top school just to compete for those jobs (let alone teach there). And even these schools are increasingly relying on visiting lectureships. Public universities across the country are under siege and the first jobs that state legislatures are eliminating are in the humanities. I have no idea what would compel someone to slog through a poorly ranked PhD program on $15k/year with no job prospects. I'm absolutely baffled by people who take out loans to pay for an MA. In both cases, you're better off working at Starbucks and reading literature the way it should be read (for fun).

 

I’m going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. What you’ve put forth is a blatantly false dichotomy. Some of the lower-ranked schools have far better placement records than the top schools these days and offer better stipends and benefits to students. Top schools are wonderful, to be sure. I would love to go to Berkeley. I mean, who wouldn’t? But this sort of academic elitism simply doesn’t reflect the reality of the job market. 

 

 

You can get a good job without going to a Top 10 school and you can not get a job coming out of a Top 10 school.  

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

bgguitarist--Is that second acceptance post you as well, or is that a new person? Congrats again! 

[Fall 2014 applicants??]

After posting, I checked my UDub app and I WAS ACCEPTED TO THE PROGRAM! Check the website NOW guys!

 

Congratulations! That’s wonderful!!!

 

Mine is also still showing Submitted & Paid, so I’m taking that as a bad sign. Haha. 

[Staying Healthy Through the Stress]

No it isn't I'll have to garden...

 

Have you read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver? It will make you want to garden. Seriously. 

[Staying Healthy Through the Stress]

Hi all! I'm jumpin' in on this. I totally gained weight during app season and am now pushing myself to drop some lbs (or just until I'm happy with mah weight/body). Any ideas on eating on a budget? I love most fruits and veggies, but I find them to be super expensive (and you know...college). Any thoughts?

 

Is Bountiful Baskets available in your area? It’s incredible--$40-$60 worth of produce for under $20 bucks (and only $10 more if you want certified organic everything).