Gethsemane

Thanks for replying! You are all correct, I was just being paranoid about the situation. I emailed my adviser and asked him about changing interest areas and he seemed totally supportive, almost like it didn't even matter. There is something about this whole grad school process that has, over the last six months or so, turned me into a hyper-sensitive monster.

I have a similar problem. I will be studying communication and rhetoric at UPitt (*ahem*, in the PhD program, I omitted that information before this edit) in the fall, and I wrote in my SOP that I was most interested in focusing on the critical study of media and culture (in the critical theory, cultural studies, race, gender, class sort of way). The writing sample that I submitted also had to do with this type of thing. However, after this last semester of my undergrad (during which time I took a gender and media studies course that really turned me off to the whole deal, and not just in a superficial way), I have, for very good reason, become disenchanted with that entire research paradigm. I would like to focus instead on logic and rhetorical analysis, which I also have a strong background in from my undergrad (in fact, it is more substantial than my background in critical media studies), and which is also emphasized by the department at Pitt. However, I hesitate to tell my adviser (who is only my adviser temporarily, until I pick a permanent one) because I feel like it is inappropriate- especially given the fact that I was probably admitted based on the strong interest that I indicated in my SOP. In our correspondences, he has insinuated as much by making little side comments about which advisers (including himself) that I would probably want to work with full-time "given my interests", and has recommended that I take a certain course in that area of study, and so on. So I feel like I will be somewhat of a disappointment when (and if) I tell him about this, which will have to happen, at the very latest, when I go to get my courses approved by him for registration and make a plan of study. I will have to tell him that I want to take "contemporary theories of rhetoric" instead of "media theory", and explain why I have changed my mind. Is this feeling warranted, do you think, given my specific situation? Or am I blowing this way out of proportion? In one sense, I think that it would be perfectly fine to switch my area of emphasis because it is still very much in line with the program, and the first year curriculum looks fairly lenient and exploratory. But I can't seem to get over the feeling that I have been deceptive, and that they might not have accepted me in the first place had my interests not been what they were in my SOP and writing sample. I would like to apologize (and thank) in advance anyone who actually takes the time to read this rather long-winded sob story.

Yes, hopefully I can find a church of the FSM when I get there!

Hey! As long as you go during the day, stay downtown, never leave your vehicle (unless someone with a gun is telling you to), and carry small arms, then Detroit is a pretty nice place to visit!

lol! Anyway, I am from Michigan (basically the state that defines the Midwest), and we have a couple of small mountains for skiing. I used to be part of a ski club, too! And no, for those of you with any lingering doubts, Kentucky is NOT NOT NOT part of the Midwest.

University of Pittsburgh, communication, PhD. Yay!

Hello! I am a comm person as well, although some of the programs I applied to are more oriented towards rhetorical studies and critical theory than the "communications" of my undergrad. I applied to UIUC, UPitt, Syracuse, UIowa, and UTexas-Austin. So far, I was rejected at UT-Austin (M.A. program communication studies), accepted at Syracuse (M.A. Media Studies), and "shortlisted" or waitlisted (or whatever) at UPitt (PhD communication). Haven't heard back from UIUC or UIowa yet. Anyway, congratulations to all of you on your acceptances! It's good to see that there are other people in comm on this board...I was beginning to wonder where you all were (after months of trolling, of course)! Oh BTW kdawg, I am attempting to go straight from my undergrad to a PhD program with no "work" experience, since you asked .

Thanks ! Yeah...I hope my theory is the right one, even though it is definitely possible that they could just have a bunch of people lined up in case those admitted first don't accept the offers. I will update when I get final information. BTW- do you think it would be appropriate for me to email this professor back to get clarification? Or is that considered a little tactless? At the end of the email, he said to let him know if I had any questions, so...

But that sounds pretty bleak then! However, that would mean that I am actually waitlisted in position 7- so why would he use the term "shortlisted" in place of waitlisted? Just to confuse me? :? Or make it sound nicer? In the info packet I got for the school, it states that they usually take 6-7 new students each year so that they will be able to provide full funding for each of them. Going by your interpretation, that would mean that there are actually 12-13 people ahead of me (six or seven already admitted for sure), with priority on funding. "Short" list indeed! This makes me think that just maybe I am the number 7 admit ("shortlisted" in position 7, but waitlisted in position 1), but he can't guarantee admission yet until the school can be sure that I'm fully funded. So I have to wait for one of the other six already admitted and offered funding to get a fellowship so that they can take me. I don't know, maybe I'm doing a little wishful thinking...ah well . Also, he says stuff like: and This makes me think that I am only waiting on one "firm" line of funding to open up, and not necessarily six (at least I hope not!). Anyway, thanks for the response.

Hey thanks, that makes me feel better. I guess I was just thrown by the "position 7" bit.

Hello everyone, I applied to the media and cultural studies Ph.D program at the University of Pittsburgh and recently received an email (with: "YOU ARE SHORTLISTED AT PITT" as the subject line) from the director of the program stating the following: Of course, he goes on to say how excited he and the rest of the faculty were about my application, and so on...but what exactly does this mean? Am I waitlisted for admission? Or just funding? Or both? Do you think this situation is hopeful, or what? Any advice on this matter would be appreciated .