gollux

Malumat, thank you so much for this. I am actually just back from the Chicago prospective student's day, and the experience was overwhelmingly positive. Now seeing your response makes me feel sure that it's the right place! Thanks again and congratulations on getting into Chicago (I assume NELC?)!

UW does have a PhD, in interdisciplinary studies, which combines the Near Eastern Languages and the Middle Eastern studies program. It appears to be a great program.

Congratulations on your acceptances, cooperstreet! i wish that i could help, but i'm sort of in a similar spot, and could use some advice....except that I'm really not sure how to rank the programs I got into. I can't find any kind of comprehensive ranking, I just know that the schools are good, but I also know that a school's great overall merits and reputation don't necessarily translate to a strong program. I got into Chicago with half tuition, which makes it just slightly less expensive than Michigan and UW, to which I was also accepted (still waiting on funding info). All the programs have courses and faculty that match my interests (Turkish, with the hope of beginning another Turkic language; this is probably more true of Chicago and UW than Michigan). It seems a little bit like a no-brainer because Chicago is generally such a great school, and they gave me a significant amount of money. But I'm worried I'm missing something. I didn't start out on this track, so I don't really know an authoritative source to ask about how the various programs in this field are regarded (and by whom, and why, and so on). I've heard lots about the Arabic programs (basically that Georgetown and UT have very strong programs, but come to think of I heard this about UT mostly on UT's website ), but I don't know about Middle Eastern/Near Eastern programs as a whole. Any thoughts? Sorry I'm such a windbag.

Sibil, during my obsessive viewing of previous year's grad cafe results, i remember noting that people heard from Chicago over a period of about three weeks, with the latest date being March21. Their website also seems pretty stern on the subject of giving out results over phone/email "We will never, ever, ever do this," or something to that effect, so I would give it a little longer. I hope you get good news!

I applied only to MA programs. Rejected: UT Austin, UC Berkeley, Princeton (assumed, no invite to short-list weekend) Accepted: UW Seattle NELC (I think with no funding), U Chicago with half tuition Waiting: Michigan, NYU, Columbia. UW and Chicago were my top choices so I am trying to figure out what to do next. What about you? Were you the person waiting for UT?

The argument about affirmative action is always filled with ridiculous straw men. I really get a kick out of the one about the poor white person! and the rich black person! and the rich black person is super lazy and just coasting long getting awesome opportunities because he/she is black! and that white person has been eating shoes every single day and working so hard! And they will accept the lazy rich black student! And throw the hard-working white student into the dungeon! They are LITERALLY TAKING FOOD FROM THE WHITE KID'S MOUTH. Yeah, that's not how it works.

I think that trying to decipher the meanings behind the few scraps they give you throughout the process only leads to madness. Through their lens I doubt that I was a strong candidate, so I don't think the proficiency interview indicated elevated status on my part. Go for it and good luck!

Hi, I am probably not telling you anything you don't already know, but I think basically all of the major Middle Eastern Studies/Near Eastern Languages programs list FLAS funding as an option. When I was researching MA programs I can't think of one I saw for which FLAS was not named...I think any program offering an FLAS languages will be eligible (think, don't know). For Arabic/Semitic languages specifically, I think UT Austin is very highly regarded, Georgetown, Chicago, NYU. Arabic isn't my primary interest, so I can't tell you much more! Good luck!

Thanks, MiddleEastNerd! I got some good news the next day, so it worked out. I'm interested in Turkish, so I probably shouldn't have applied there to begin with. I hope it works out for you! Did you have a language proficiency interview at UT? I had one a week or so before I was rejected (wherein they learned that my Arabic sucks), but I don't know whether it was a short-list situation or a "you sound like you might suck but let's check" situation, or something every applicant went through. At this point I think you're well within safe territory to just email the department and ask.

I only found out by checking my status on the website, the spot where it used to say "your application has been forwarded to the graduate committee for review..." I still haven't gotten an email or letter (I was rejected).

I just got into a great program at a great school with a 2.68 undergraduate GPA, so I'm here to tell you it can be done! Of course, I'm in area studies, and I only applied for an MA (unsure if want Ph.D/unlikely to get one with said GPA) and thus, I was up against a lot less competition than a PhD applicant or someone in an insanely over-populated and cutthroat field. Still, though, it's not a completely obscure field, and a fair number of people want to be in it. I know facts are facts and acceptance rates are low for the good programs in any discipline. Nonetheless, it is preposterous to imagine that someone wouldn't perform well in graduate school because he or she had a poor showing in college, and I find it hard to believe that Admissions Committees always believe that is the case. I started college when I was 17. I didn't know what I wanted to do, and I didn't particularly care, and stuff happened, and it shows on my transcript. But then I got older, developed interests, had life experiences, pulled my head out of my ass and supported myself, and evidently, became a strong candidate. I did, it must be said, study hard for the GRE, and I did well. I figured that I had to, to compensate for the ol' 2.68. I've gotten rejected to a couple of programs so far, and I'm sure my GPA was a factor. But then I had the good news. Some programs won't make you pay for your youthful indiscretions forever. So don't lose hope. Then again, some programs will shun you over and over with a perfect GPA/GRE/experience combo. I only know my story, and it has (knock wood, spit three times) worked out pretty well so far. Good luck to everyone. This process is awful in a really specific and nerve-shredding way, and it can make you feel worthless. But no one (expect someone who kicks kittens, and a few other kinds of villain) is worthless. This ends my little PSA.

i should add that some people obviously take out only what they need to pay the tuition, because they either have savings or family contributions. you are not required to take living expense money or anything.

i also used to labor under that misapprehension. but i have learned. they definitely cover living expenses. my sig. other is doing a professional degree. even though i work full time, i don't make a ton of money, and we have counted on the semesterly infusion of cash to make ends meet. i suppose it just depends on how much you take out in loans, but most loan packages assume that the student will not be working (or not working enough to pay rent, etc.), and there are a few extra thousand dollars after the school has been paid. that's my understanding at least.

I am in Pittsburgh while my beloved does his MA, and as far as visiting New York, Philly, Chicago, you can basically rule it out for a quick Saturday-Sunday trip. I thought we were moving to the East Coast and would get to see friends all the time, but it turns out this is the Eastern Midwest. This is what I hate about Pittsburgh, but that's just me. If you are going to school and live near campus, don't worry about the car. If you have a partner who is going to work, he or she will probably need a car. There is hiking, skiing, and canoeing nearby. Lots of great museums in the city. Fallingwater is close and it is beautiful. Gettysburg not too far. Although, for the outside-pittsburgh stuff, you need a car. Rental? I am not wild about P-burgh, but it's because I have the breadwinner position and I work a job I don't like, and also work on weekends. If I had a little more free time, or was a student with a built-in community, I think I would find P-burgh sort of enchanting. Wouldn't want to live here forever, but a good place to spend a year or two. That said, people who are from Pittsburgh love this place beyond reason and seem never to leave.

*performs tentative happy dance*