Wisdom-Lover
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Posts posted by Wisdom-Lover
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Go with the fellowships. You don't need THAT much teaching experience. Not teaching will allow you to focus on what matters (research!)
Well, I want to teach, so I'm hoping for some experience... But I understand what you mean!
Research is certainly a major component! haha -
Thanks, everyone! I opted for the fellowship at Purdue!
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You're probably better off with the fellowship. Also you should take note of how long the fellowship lasts. Say it is 4 years and you take 5 to complete the degree. I admittedly know next to nothing about philosophy, but a fellowship is nice if you want to avoid undergrads.
Haha! I can't avoid them forever (and I can't say I want to) because I want to be a professor of philosophy!
Thank you for that, though. I will definitely use that as a decision-making factor! -
I feel inclined to say that if a professor in the department contacted you to offer funding, then you've been accepted. Have you tried to contact this professor directly since receiving the offer of financial assistance? It seems to me that that would be the best course of action in terms of clearing up any confusion.
Also... congrats on Purdue. I can't fully express how jealous I am of anyone and everyone who will be attending Purdue in the Fall...
I guess that would have been the easiest course of action. I have become a little skittish when contacting professors from my other options... The fear of accidentally burning bridges when I have no intention of causing problems is a bit nerve-wracking, especially since philosophers need to stick together!
It would certainly have been nice to have had another friend at Purdue, but LSU is a good school! I have a friend who attended there. Not for philosophy granted, but you can certainly make the most of your time to have the best one possible!
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I am extraordinarily sorry if this is the wrong thread... I have searched for the right thread but nowhere seems quite appropriate for my question.
There is a particular dilemma I am facing: I recently received an email from a professor offering funding at a school from whom I have not been able to get word as to my acceptance or rejection. Do I count this as an acceptance?? I am just unsure what to think of this, and hopefully you all can give me a better understanding... I was told that all applicants have already been notified of their admitted, rejected, or wait-listed status, but I never received word (I live away from home but neither address has received anything in the mail, and my email has been utterly devoid of any contact save what I initiated and save this latest communication). When I tried to contact the person in the philosophy department (listed as the contact on the department page), she merely said that she can only safely tell me I am wait-listed until the Admissions Office gives more word. I have not received further communication from her or from the Admissions Office; the only communication since then was the email informing me of the offer.
I have already accepted another offer, so I assume and grant that this should not be a concern or anything of mine. However, I guess for my own sense of dignity (if such a thing exists), I want to know how I stand with the school before sending an email along the lines of a decline when I might in fact have only been waitlisted. (I feel safe in assuming I have not been out-rightly rejected at this point....) I just want to have a sense of what is going on in this situation...
In happier, more easily understood news, I was accepted to Purdue's Ph.D. program with a TA-ship which I plan to turn down in favor of a fellowship they recently offered me that will give me later opportunities to teach and gain that experience!
I am blissful in the wonder at being able to attend such a wonderful school! The faculty are fantastic in their scholastic work, and I have been pleased at meeting those I have had the pleasure of meeting and look forward to those I have yet to meet! This whole process has been a roller coaster, but I am certainly excited for the future!!! -
Yes, it would make sense if the part that covers tuition is either the same or more for the fellowship. I would definitely say go with the fellowship! I am guessing that they offer everyone (or nearly everyone) a TAship, but they offer fellowships for people they want to support more.
I would guess that most first years take 3 classes (3 credits each, 9 credits total), and that the fellowship will be in effect as long as you take the normal amount of classes. If first years normally take 2 classes, or something less than the minimum number required to have the fellowship, then I might reconsider, based on how able you think you are to take and do well in multiple classes.
I'm not a grad student yet though, so if anyone else has advice, feel free.
I assume that the norm is three classes, at least earlier on to finish sooner! Thanks for that! I'll definitely keep that in mind.
A fellowship is usually more prestigious. You will be able to teach later.
Prestige is good. Since I have the teaching opportunity later, it sounds like the fellowship is the way to go!
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Is the fellowship equal to the TAship in terms of amount of funding? Edit: how many credits do first year students usually take? You may find that they normally take 8 already.
I would personally go with the fellowship, because of the reasons you mentioned (focusing on studies; time to acclimate; later opportunity to teach).
It is about equal, if I understand the two letters correctly. The stipend is a bit less for the TA-ship over the fellowship, but not terribly less. I am not sure about the tuition-paying portion (I'm not sure about terms in this sense; forgive me). I believe the fellowship offers a larger scholarship part (the tuition-paying part). I am asking my graduate correspondent. (Does that answer the question at all?)
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Hi! So, I have accepted Purdue University as they have kindly offered me a TA-ship, but I have now been offered a fellowship in place of the TA-ship. The fellowship requires that I take 8 or more hours of credit per semester. This will be my first year as a graduate student, and I will be teaching in the later years if I maintain the fellowship. Therefore, I will still have the opportunity to gain teaching experience, which I want.
I am leaning towards the fellowship because it would give me the first year in grad school to adjust and acclimate to the new environment (moving in from out of state into a city when I'm from a suburb area), as well as be able to focus on my studies more for the first year.
Which one is preferable to graduate students? Both are incredibly wonderful opportunities and will be blessings whichever way I decide, but I would like to choose the one that is most optimal and more preferred.
Thank you so very much for your help!
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The graduate students I talked to when I visited said it was a generally safe area to live in.
That's fantastic to hear! So, what places are best to live in either West Lafayette or Greater Lafayette? Any favorites from current grad students?
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Go to Oxford for study! You can always look at opportunities in the U.S. to study or travel in short stints. But for a long term situation, Oxford seems to be the happier choice.
Also, I might be wrong, but I think it is common for universities to offer "study abroad" options. Oxford might have something similar to offer. Regardless, Oxford would have to win, hands down. You shouldn't miss a wonderful opportunity like this, that might be a one-time deal, when you always have the option to travel and study. -
Hi, there! So, there's a strong likelihood I will be attending Purdue in the Fall 2014, going from undergrad to grad. I was curious (or more so, my over-anxious mother is
) if there are areas of Lafayette and West Laf housing to avoid, as far as crime goes. Specifically, she was just wondering if there are any areas that are known for being "problem areas" with drugs or violence or if there are "better areas" for living. (Obviously, there is no clear-cut idea, one way or the other but just as a general idea.) Trying to help my mum worry less, you know? haha -
I will be attending in the Fall in the PULSe program.
Awesome! What will you be doing in that, specifically?
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I still need to contact two schools, but, coming from a rather small undergrad philosophy program in West TN, I applied to a number of Ph.D. programs and got a positive variety. However, for top 50 PGR I was rejected. (One of those rejections is assumed, but I still need to contact for verification. Also, one might be an unofficial waitlisting but won't be sure until I call. I'm not overly optimistic but still hopeful!) It seems my writing sample has been a big influence in the process of admissions.
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Hi guys! Just wanted to throw in my two cents because I just finished undergrad at Purdue and have some experience with housing and all that. First off, I think living across the river (in Lafayette, not WL) is a good idea, especially for grad students. I transferred in from out of state so I rented an apt sight unseen in West Lafayette that advertised it was an easy walk or bike ride to campus, turns out it was about 4 miles away down the hwy with no bike path. I moved to a place near downtown that was cheaper and much bigger and was actually within walking/biking distance. There's also a fairly decent bus service that is free for students which I'd recommend because parking is a bit of a mess as permits are really expensive and are only valid in certain lots so most people end up having to take a bus in from the parking lot anyway. There is some free 2 hr parking near campus but they are very serious about that time limit!
If you do find a place to rent downtown, be cautious of places in old historic looking houses. Some of them are lovely and well kept but a lot are just run down and in really bad shape and pictures can be deceiving. Get it in writing in the lease that everything advertised will be in good working condition and check out the property management group's reviews because there are a few that are really awful to deal with.
As far as the town goes, it is a nice enough place and there are some good bars and coffee shops and what not on both sides do the river but it is far from a bustling metropolis. The campus is diverse and there are lots of international students and different kinds of people but once you leave campus you are still in rural Indiana so keep that in mind lol!
Hope that helps and good luck with your grad studies!
That's exactly the kind of thing I want to know! Thank you so much, rsilver!
Good luck with your studies, as well! :3 -
Thanks! Will do.
I'm almost certainly going to live off-campus. I've also heard that the east side of the river is better for grad students in general. I'll be getting a car before I head out there. I'm still trying to piece together how best to find a location -- I've never gotten an apartment in a new city before!
SaschaA has more experience, so I don't know if you'll want any suggestions from me because this will all be a new adventure for me as well!
But in the City Guide forum for Lafayette, someone posted this link for finding apartments. You can narrow the searches based on such things as whether you want it North of State St. in West Lafayette or if you want it in Greater Lafayette or if you want to be able to have cats or dogs or no smoking, etc. It's really cool, and, unless suggested otherwise, I will probably use that website for renting. (You can "message" the apartment owners and such, which I thought was sort of neat.) I am thinking of living in Greater Lafayette as well, but I guess we'll see! -
@Wisdom-Lover
Thanks for sharing your experience there!. This actually helped a lot!
At the moment, I'm probably tending towards living in Lafayette rather than West Lafayette.I just hope we will have some updates on funding soon. It feels like the waiting game never ends when it comes to graduate schools/admissions.
Definitely agree with your "waiting game never ends" comment... It makes me tired thinking about it.
I'm glad that helped, though. ^^ -
I would mostly focus on sociology and issues of sexuality, gender, race, and class. Already got my B.A. in American Studies and I miss being in school and actually being able to use my brain.
My wallet doesn't really allow me to see (West) Lafayette and Purdue before August. Could you maybe tell me a bit more about your experience there? I was a bit worried about the small town aspect and how open/accepting people were there (I'm gay). I guess Purdue would be a bit different anyway though because there are so many people from all over the world. I'm mostly just really excited!
I would miss being in school, too! (I plan to be a professor, though, so I guess that shows how much I'd miss it! haha)
I understand lack of finances. I just happened to have an opportunity to visit, though for only a short time of about 2.5 days... So, I will describe to the best of my ability. (N.B.: I go to school at a small university that very few have heard of and give credit to as a good school. It's also in a small rural town. If any bias comes out (and it will be a positive bias), I apologize and hope I do not mislead much, if I end up misleading at all...)
Lafayette has many older homes that were colorful and looked well-kept. It gave the town (the part I drove through) a sense of quiet suburbs while having the atmosphere of city life. There is PLENTY to do on the Greater Lafayette side: chain restaurants, Target, local places, I was told about bars, and more. I did not visit anywhere on the Greater Lafayette side, staying exclusively on the west side of the river by the campus. I stayed in the Union Club Hotel on campus (it was VERY nice as was the staff). There is one parking garage across from the hotel which is where visitors park as well as students (I think). There is more than one parking garage, if I remember correctly. (Here's a map.) I am not used to this next bit, so I was highly impressed with it: the buildings were all very impressive and/or prestigious feeling. My current school is relatively young, so it doesn't have the nice "old and established" sense. (That is probably a bias. But you might get what I mean if you see the pictures of the buildings on the website.) I can't say much more about the location itself.
The people I can say a little about, though, I am not sure about all aspects as I stayed within one sphere, mostly. However, if this gives you an idea, I will admit that I got lost 3 or 4 times, and each time a student of their own volition approached me to offer me directions. To me, that spoke volumes. But the campus is CERTAINLY diverse, ethnically-speaking at the very least. There are students from many countries. Again, though, I was mostly within the small sphere of the graduate philosophy students/faculty... They were absolutely wonderful, though! I felt like I was already a student there because they were so open and accepting! I'm sorry I cannot offer much more... And I hope that you will find a similar atmosphere/sense.
It felt rather "hipster"--though not the snooty, "I'm cooler 'cause I'm not mainstream" version sometimes portrayed--which I am rather pleased with personally.
It just felt intelligent and accepting and fun and mature all at once. I most definitely had rose colored glasses on at the time. All the same, I think Lafayette is a good city to move to, and I cannot wait, it being my first true extended city living adventure! -
I'll actually be starting at Purdue this summer, at the beginning of May. I'll be starting early as an RA for a computer science PhD project.
That sounds awesome!! Are you living on or off campus? (Assuming you're living off campus and have not found a place to live, Greater Lafayette is cheaper as far as housing goes, but I heard the parking pass is $250 (per semester or year, I'm not sure). Of course there are the bus systems and the options to walk and/or bike to campus.) Good luck with your research!
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Yes! I am in the same boat! I am waiting on word about funding, which I am hoping to hear about in the next week or so!
So, what does American studies entail exactly? History, language, sociology? It sounds interesting! I hope you get the funding you need because I visited the city, and it is wonderful! -
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Like job postings, schools are not "required" to notify you at all. But I think most schools will eventually send you a reject notification if they did reject you. Sometimes they just have far too many rejections to be able to respond in a timely manner (they might wait until they sort out all the details of the accepted people first). I agree that it would be best to hear bad news sooner rather than later, but as an optimistic, I'd like to think that it's not like they are purposing being cruel, but limited time/resources makes some responses very delayed. It's not like they have anything to gain by being mean to a bunch of us!
As for April 15th, if you are on a waitlist, it usually means that they are waiting for the accepted students to decide first. These students generally have until April 15, so if people decide earlier, you might hear before April 15, but if everyone decides on April 14, then you might not hear until shortly afterwards. As you can imagine, the week of April 15 can be a very hectic and stressful time as people might need to hear back before making decisions.
So, I think the best practice is for applicants to make decisions as they have enough information. If you (the general you) e.g. get into 6 schools but are on the waitlist for your top choice, it doesn't make sense to hold onto all 6 offers while waiting for your top choice to get back to you. Instead, while waiting, I'd encourage you to think about the current 6 offers and narrow it down to just 1 or 2. Once you've done so, decline the other 4-5 offers so that people on those waitlists can make their decisions. Maybe someone who is holding an offer from your top choice is on the waitlist at one of your accepted schools! While I don't think anyone should be forced into making a decision before they are ready, I don't think something like a 6-way tie between schools is reasonable for most people. There has to be one or two that you prefer more (unless it's really early in the season and you haven't had any info yet).
I guess I never thought about it like job postings.... They feel fundamentally different, and I would expect a rejection from a school, whereas I don't expect one from a job... But it makes sense. I mean, it's still a little bothersome, but I understand you're right. Would it be bad form to call on April 15th any schools I have not heard from just to know for sure so that I can go ahead and make my choice on the fifteenth? Or it would probably be more problematic because I would not be the only one calling, right?... I guess, my next question would be "how long can you wait to give a final acceptance response?" If some schools don't get to give final offers until after the 15th, then is it really bad for the student(s) to hold off (although declining all but a few as you advise)? I don't want to do that, and I will probably make a decision on the fourteenth or fifteenth, but I'm just curious.
I completely agree about narrowing the choices down! I am on a wait-list for funding at my top choice right now, so I would prefer the accepted ones go ahead and decline! haha That said, these are hard life decisions that some are making in the middle of full-time attendance to classes and part-time jobs and kids/family and so on. So, I don't fault them for not being sure, too. I guess it's just really difficult waiting so one wants to find out information in any other aspects possible! haha
Thank you for your response. It really helps!
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Rejection sucks, of course. And the existential questioning is natural. But you shouldn't feel bad about having those questions, nor should you take it personally. Sometimes schools reject you because your interests don't align with their program. Look at that as an opportunity! They are saying you're not quite a good fit for them, but you could be a great fit elsewhere and they have now given you that opportunity to attend that better fit!
Honestly, I think you should apply to a large handful of schools. (I'm not familiar with your area; I don't know how many programs of note there are, it's true.) But with more opportunities, you have more possibilities of acceptance!
Furthermore, having more schools can help account for any of the "whimsical note" that admissions committees might have. I mean, not all of them are going to have those notes, but you'll still have some.To put it simply, the adage of "don't put all of your eggs in one basket" may be the best bet here. My professors even made sure I had more than 5 baskets in which to put my eggs... :/ It was expensive, but it's been beneficial so far.
Hopefully, that helps... Good luck! I hope things work out for you!
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So... I have a question. These "unofficial" waitlists I've heard about: how do they work? Do the schools notify you by April 15th of their final decisions? Are they required to notify you at all?
It just seems a little cruel to make anxious applicants wait without any word.
You would think that schools would try to be considerate of applicants' feelings. (I understand they're busy and get a lot of applications, but even a form rejection letter (even simply copy and pasted in email!) would be an act of kindness, I think...) -
There is a lot that one could say in regards to the application process and how everything went... All I know is that I failed to start early enough (lack of foresight on my part). So, I submitted a number of my applications last minute. In fact, I was working on my writing sample paper up until the day of the deadlines for some schools. That probably hurt me to some extent. However, I was able to submit all of my applications on time.
Here is a list of things one should consider in applying:
- Talk, talk, talk with your professors/recommenders. They are a valuable resource for much of this process because they have been through the process before (at least if they have a Master's or Ph.D). The younger professors especially will have more up-to-date information as to the application process and what schools might want from applicants. NOTE: Make sure you ask your recommenders to write the recommendation letters months in advance. The best way to approach them so no social faux pas occur is to ask, "Do you feel that you know my work well enough to write me a positive recommendation letter for graduate school?" Something like that.
- Take the GRE early (maybe as early as June or early July). Because, if you are unsatisfied with your scores, you will need time to (i) study and (ii) retake it in enough time for the scores to reach the schools before their application deadlines.
- Speaking of studying for the GRE: DO SO. I did not, and, while I feel like my first set of scores are acceptable, they are not where I wish they had been. (When I retook the GRE to try to improve, I did even worse... Again, I failed to study as I should have...)
- Also, research the schools to which you might wish to apply. Thankfully, philosophy has the awesome Leiter's Report: The Philosophical Gourmet Report which is incredibly handy. For better or worse, jobs want "pedigree." They want to be able to recognize the name of the school and know that it has a good program. The Gourmet Report is a good source for figuring that out yourself. NOTE: Be realistic about your abilities and your goals, but don't sell yourself short. Apply to schools on a tier-basis: lower, middle, higher. Higher-tiered schools (e.g. Harvard) will be harder to get into, but to give yourself a variety of opportunities apply to one or two of the higher ranked programs. The middle-tiered programs should be schools that you have a better shot of getting into. The lower-tiered schools are the ones you possibly have the best shot getting into. However, these tiers are fluid, and the ranking or whatever of each school you pick will be entirely based on your ability and your stats. Be honest with yourself while being confident.
- Pick anywhere from 8 to 15 schools. This will get a bit expensive, especially considering the cost of the GRE, sending GRE scores, purchasing transcripts, money spent on copies or prints of things like transcripts, costs of envelopes and postage, etc. etc. However, you want to give yourself the best shot possible. By applying to only three schools, you run a severe risk of not being accepted anywhere. At least with more schools, you have a wider variety of programs as well as a variance as to what kind of applicants schools are looking for. (That is, if you only apply to Harvard, UNC Chapel Hill, and Boston University, you cut off other possible schools such as UIUC or somewhere else.) NOTE: Just because you might have the stats and everything else to get you into a school does not guarantee acceptance; schools have your interests in mind as well as their own. If they don't think you would receive what would be beneficial to you at their program, you might be rejected/wait-listed.
- Save your money to pay for this endeavor. This seems like a weird piece of advice, but applying for grad school is an enormous financial endeavor, honestly. When application fees are ranging from $40 to $150 and the GRE is almost $200 itself, you will want to make sure you have some cash set aside just for all of these expenses. I was told that I might even consider taking out a loan if necessary. (However, I recognize that is a dangerous piece of advice. Be judicious about that, please...)
- Lastly, make sure you compile lists of application parts for each school. All schools will have the main application (where you will put information like your name, birth date, graduation date, mailing and permanent addresses, etc.), but many will also require any combination of the following: GRE scores (self-reported and officially sent), transcripts (official and/or uploaded/unofficial), resume/C.V., a writing sample, recommendation letters, and a (personal) statement of purpose. For some of these things, you can just have one copy on your computer (like the writing sample) and simply upload where appropriate. (Make sure you are sure that all of the information they ask for is on each document, if they ask for any at all. For example, Boston University gives each applicant a number that they want on the top of your writing sample, resume/C.V., and your personal statement.)
That's most of my experiences, anyhow. Hopefully, that helps.
...not excited
in Officially Grads
Posted
Oh my goodness! I'm terrified! But I'm super stoked for all of the new adventures and exciting things like that! I love traveling, so living in a new place (especially a city when I've been in a suburban town most of my life and attended a school in a rural town) will be crazy and scary and absolutely awesome. Plus, I will be on my own for the most part. That will be a new sensation. However, I certainly cannot wait to get into my classes. Not looking forward to all of the homework and stuff, but I cannot wait for the amazing discussions that I will get to listen to (and hopefully feel confident enough to participate in!).
Hopefully, everything goes smoothly for all of you and that it starts out exciting and entrancing!
Good luck!