Kamisha

That’s what I’m here for. Haha.

I do have a couple of acceptances, yes. I realize that I’m very, very lucky. I think that my LoR’s probably had something to do with acceptances, but I can’t say to what degree. Bear in mind, though, I’ve also been rejected from a lot of programs. Note to those folks who may be preparing applications and maybe made the same mistake that I did: ALWAYS submit a writing sample in your area of interest. When I emailed and asked what I could do to become a more competitive applicant in the future, I was specifically told by most schools there wasn’t anything “wrong” with my application or qualifications, but that they couldn’t evaluate my ability to succeed in my area of interest because I submitted a writing sample that wasn’t related to my proposed field of study. Yep, I’m a total idiot.

Remember: it’s honestly all about “fit.” You can be the smartest, funniest, most promising, and most enjoyable student to have around, but if the department doesn’t feel like you are a good “fit” for them.....then they are stupid Trust that someone will recognize what you bring to the table!

I honestly have no clue. It might depend from department to department? I’m definitely no expert on any of this.

I had this same experience. A few of my schools were pretty clear on the “No Interfolio” thing. I wonder why some universities like it and others don’t?

I doubt that it’s a formality Have a little confidence!

I don’t know that a generic LoR is technically a bad thing, but I think the preference is personalized. I know my LoR writers requested specific information about each school so they could tweak their recommendation for each school. One of them compared it to tweaking the SoP: if it’s generic, the schools understands you, your history, and your interests. What they are missing is why that school is for you.

Could you still “Waive Your Rights” to view the letter? A lot of schools still consider that big deal. If the letter comes from interfolio, will universities know that you’ve been able to see it? Moreover, do all universities accept Interfolio letters? It seems like a few of mine this season specifically said that they won’t accept inter folio letters. It honestly seems like a great option if grad schools are behind it.

I’m sorry But that’s great news that they invited you to apply to the MA! I doubt they would have unless they felt like you were a strong applicant.

Does anyone else find it odd that CU-Boulder is only taking four admits this year? Last year there were 6 acceptances for the PhD program on GradCafe and the year before that there were 9. Is this downward trend going to continue next year? Oy vey.

The graduate school emailed me and then my online account was updated.

Hahaha! Frantic nerdy sharks. I love it. If we had a GradCafe mascot...

I called the department about a week ago and from what I understand, they were doing rolling admits. So they admitted and rejected a few people a couple of weeks ago (first-round offers), and then they are doing it again right now (second-round offers). I’m not sure if they are doing a third round after this. I hope that helps.

I hope you get good news soon! Rationing upvotes just seems silly to me. Let me be positive!!

So sad. It looks like his family is optimistic about his recovery, though!

Did you apply to FSU’s Lit program? Me too. The waiting is killing me! I’ll root for their teams if it means higher stipends.

I know nothing about sports, but I'll proudly rep my home state: Go Utah Utes!

Oaksterdam University in Oakland, California is the proud home of the nation’s first “Cannabis College." Also, Indiana University offers a PhD in “Decision Sciences.”

Haha I’ve reached my upvote quota as well, which is funny because it’s only 9AM where I am. No more positivity today, folks.

That’s good to know. If I reapply, I’ve stick right around 12

Did anyone else read Graduate Admissions Essays by Donald Asher? It’s definitely got its strengths and weaknesses, but one thing that really helped me was his idea of 3-3-3 (that’s my name for it, but I don’t remember what he calls it): 3 shoot for the stars schools 3 schools where you feel like you have a decent shot 3 schools that you feel pretty damn confident you can get into (bearing in mind that there really is no such thing as a safety school) My mentor broke it down for me like this: 3 top-tier schools (though I ended up applying to 14 schools total and top-loading them with about 8 top-tier schools) 3 schools ranked between 25-75 3 schools ranked below 76 In trying to structure my applicants this way, I learned something I’d never expected: there are a lot of wonderful schools with big-name faculty and incredible placement statistics that fall well below Top 50. Two of my schools that fall in that last category (ranked 82 and 121, respectively) have better funding, shorter completion times, and higher placement statistics than many of the first-tier schools I applied to. I feel very blessed two be sitting at a couple of acceptances right now, but am still debating on reapplying in the Fall and, should I do so, I guess what I’m saying is that, I’ve decided to focus a good deal more not only on “fit,” but also on location, and--most importantly for me--student outcomes. What I care about at the end of this is that I have a remote shot at finding a faculty position somewhere and while university reputation definitely plays a roll in all of it, it isn’t my preeminent concern anymore. Caveat: I want to end up at a teaching university rather than an R1-type of school, so my perspective might be a little different than others. Best of luck to everyone on the boards today. We should realistically only have a couple more weeks of this painful waiting, right? Edit: clarification on numbers

Have you considered enrolling in one class a semester for those four years while you teach? You’d earn your MA or PhD slower that way, but it’s doable. That way, you can still get into more of the deep stuff that you’d like to learn and you are still bringing in an income and fulfilling your fellowship. I’m a huge proponent of that.

This is a fantastic point. Most school districts (at least in my state) do a 3-year tenure system. If you teach for those three years, you are tenured and basically come back to teaching whenever you want if there is a job opening. It might be smart to do that, get your tenure, and then go back and get your Master’s/Doctorate. That way, even if the market is still crap by the time you graduate should you decide to do graduate school, you still have a wonderful backup plan and walk back in at a higher pay scale. If I haven’t said it before, Katia_Chan is brilliant and everyone should listen to her.

I actually have been in a very similar situation. I earned my teaching certificate while completing my undergraduate degree and then taught for a year before starting my Master’s. There are a lot of pros (and cons) on both sides of the equation. What it comes down to (and this is purely my opinion) is environment is the right “fit” for you. I actually really enjoyed teaching high school, but it never quite felt right and I always knew that I wanted to teach at the collegiate level. For me, it wasn’t even a question to go back and do the PhD thing because it was what I always wanted and because my interests and desires meant that I needed to continue research and publish forever. I think hj2012’s question is a valid one: why do you think you won’t go back and continue your education later? That also brings to mind another question: why do you want to complete the MA and PhD? I think answering those two questions will likely move you toward the right answer for you--and there is no right or wrong answer. Both careers are wonderful, noble, fulfilling, challenging, frustrating, exhilarating, rewarding, etc. I’m sure this jumbled mess of nonsense didn’t help any, but best of luck as you make your decision. Do what’s going to make you happy! PS: To “ditto” another comment made by hj2012, taking the year out of academia and getting some teaching experience dramatically helped me in my Master’s program. It opened up a lot of opportunities that I didn’t even realize I would be missing without it.

I’m seeing more Utah acceptances on the boards! Hooray! If you guys are out there, let me know if you have any questions. I’ve lived in the SLC area my entire life and can try to answer any questions you might have.