africanhistoryphd

I can't recommend checking out the following link for info on loan forgiveness highly enough: http://www.ibrinfo.org/ If you qualify, it's amazing.

My just turned two year old son sits my lap as I type this and my wife is 6 months pregnant. Starting a PhD program in September! Peas in a pod we are, as Yoda might say. I'm just completing my MA, don't know if you've been in grad school while you had a child prior to the current job, but I will say this: it's not easy with a family, but it's super rewarding, and puts the whole process in perspective. Efficiency becomes the motto, and at least for me, family always comes first, even if that means my work isn't as excellent as it should be. Money-wise, I think unless your wife is working you will have to take out loans to supplement your stipend. I'm getting around 20k, they're providing health insurance for the whole family, but I still am certain, after this last year, that I'll need to take out additional loans to stay afloat. Anyway, keep in touch. We should start a support group called "Entering a PhD program with an infant and a 2 year old." We'd have millions of members! By the way: CONGRATULATIONS!

To be a bit of a devils advocate, check this article out: http://www.historian...10/0510new2.cfm It's a bit old, but as far as I know that data is still valid. To summarize, top 25 schools hire people from other top 25 schools and thats about it. Even beyond the top tier, "the representation of history PhDs from the top 20 programs is 1.7 times their portion of the PhDs conferred." If my math is right, and I'm a historian so it's probably not, being in a top 20 program doubles your "presence" in the job market. Just something to chew on as you make your decision. For all its methodological issues, USNWR does heavily weight, perhaps even over-weight, peer reputation perceptions.

Just one tidbit piece of explanation as to why I haven't formally accepted an offer: I'm visiting the school this weekend, and I'd really like to spend a little time speaking with my potential advisers in person, in the same room, before I make a decision to commit to being connected with them for basically the rest of my life. It's like a weird professional marriage, so even though this is my top choice, I don't want to commit to working with people who might recoil at my mere physical presence. Paper, email, and phone is one thing, eyeball to eyeball another. This isn't to take a side in this debate, but just to say that for me at least it's got nothing to do with more money, and everything to do about who I'm going to be going on this journey with for the next 5+ years.

Not sure if this helps, but I attempted to defer my acceptance to a funded program and was informed that they are not granting any deferral requests this year for any reason. They were very polite, and understood my reasons for requesting deferral. I do think, though, that you should absolutely try it. Even if they aren't allowed to defer, your situation is certainly not one that is trivial or not legitimate. My advice would be starting with your potential adviser. Explain your situation and see if they will support your decision. I imagine the DGS would first consult your potential adviser if they are able to consider your request. Best of luck, very sorry about your family health issues.

EDIT: I went on some WAY off topic thing to VampireLincoln about the spiritus mundi, Seth Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter and other baloney, but realized it was ridiculous. Better for a PM, but not really even worth that. Sorry all.

Also Hotwire. We stayed in a 4 star hotel in Baltimore for 50 dollars. Booked like 10 days ahead. Only pick stars not name, but it works out mostly.

I'm with origin415. When I first was strategizing about which schools to apply to Harvard, Yale, etc. immediately went on the list. Why not? Worth a shot, right? However, after even cursory research I realized that Harvard wasn't a top program in my field. Not even close. So although I would feel awesome, and my friends and family would think I was quite something if I'd applied and gotten in there (which very likely would not have happened anyway) my job prospects may not have been great in the context of people who actually knew who I was studying under and the quality of the program. The place I think I've decided to go is not nearly as impressive as a brand, but is ranked in the top ten in my broader field and top 5 in my specialty. Plus they offered great funding. No brainer. All that said. It's Harvard. Everyone in the world (I'm barely exaggerating) knows what that name means. Tough call.

I'd recommend rejecting both and re-applying next year to a little-known but exciting school but with tremendous potential in your field: the University of Phoenix. Joking aside, I'd say Stanford. I think even by describing it in your thread name as an "elite, jaw-dropping" school your decision is already made. It's a good one, so enjoy it!

I like this game! Good guesses dzk, and I think you're right about Michigan, but I'll try a few others for variety. School A: Minnesota School B: Yale

I'm attempting a deferral right now. I'll let you know how it goes, and if I learn any tough lesson, perhaps you'll benefit from my pain if it comes to that. Wish me luck!!!

Thanks for the heads up. Was this email or postal notification?

Hey there. Well, we're going to try and do it on a stipend, and just to up the ante, we've got a two year old and a baby on the way! My wife will probably pick up a few hours a week (she's a nurse), and I'll hang out with the boy (soon to be boys). I love time with him, and she could use time out of the house and finds work rewarding. My guess is we'll take out some student loans (hopefully only fully subsidized ones) to cover miscellaneous costs. Many well wishes and the best of luck to you! Family + school=wonderful insanity. EDIT: Sorry realize I didn't answer your question. I'm leaning towards Michigan. Ann Arbor isn't as cheap as the rest of MI, but it's not too bad. We're selling our house and cutting back on expenses like crazy. Hopefully we'll be a lean mean budget machine by the time we're through. I love the phrase "cooler-by-the-day son". Isn't that the truth. Every day he's more fun, more bizarre and more wonderful.

Anyone received their financial offer from UVA? Hoping to hear very soon...

Valid point. However, apologies if this is too trite, but I think it comes down to the question of whether this process is an end in and off itself, or its instrumental. Frankly, I think the whole idea of being payed to learn is somewhat surreal. Also, many many people pay a lot of money to get education (even a PhD), so yes, I would say it's a privilege.

I seem to be coming at this from a different perspective, which may be useless, but it makes sense to me: I worked hard/got scholarships/work-study etc in undergrad and still had to take out a buttload of loans to pay for the private LAC I attended. My wife did too. We get married and now we have all those debts together. After making money for a while I went back to school, and now I'm finishing up my masters, and took out a loan to help pay for living expenses for this year. Especially now that we have a child, and another on the way, money is very tight. I got a great offer from a school, but frankly, even so it will not be enough to pay for all the living expenses of a family of four, particularly as my wife will also be beginning studies in field that never offers a stipend: advanced nursing. All that to say, I fully intend to get a loan to supplement my stipend. Education costs money. I'm richly lucky to have tuition waved, health insurance provided to my whole family, research trips paid for AND be given a stipend. I expect to have to sacrifice something on my end. Just my $.02.

Yeah, a couple went to Harvard.

I'll admit I had a good chuckle on that one. Note to trolls: keep it light. I'd love to hear about your fully funded acceptance to the history PhD program at the Video Professor Institute.

I think that NYU result was a fake. Those outlier ones are always a bit suspicious, though I have no idea what jollies someone could possibly get by putting up a straightforward admission result to a school they haven't applied to/heard from. Folks is crazy...

This is such a great thread. This process is, ultimately, pretty ridiculous--some kind of bizzare brains pageant where nothing is substantively being judged, per se. I'm perhaps a bit older than some of you coming straight from undergrad, so my only advice would be not to let people who aren't deeply engaged in your academic field make you feel especially good or bad about where you go. We're all pretty lucky folks to get this far into this bizzaro world of academia; something like 3 percent of the nation ever gets a PhD in anything. You are deeply blessed and highly lucky: enjoy your expereience--it'll be tough enough without you or anyone else second guessing you for whatever reason.

Not sure if this is helpful, but I received word of admission to Michigan today, so don't give up hope if you applied there until the puffy lady sings.

seahistory (or anyone), Does Michigan do waitlisting in the straight History PhD? Thanks for info.

Yeah, I'd love to hear from Michigan, but the rumor is that all the acceptances got calls on the 23rd. Blerg.

First: many congrats! My question is: are any of you Africanists? I know I should be patient and just wait till I hear word from them in the next few days, but I'm afraid I'm getting a bit anxious (I'm sure no one else here can relate). Mich and UVa were at the top of my list, and I'd love to know which way the wind is blowing. Thanks for the help.

Is the assumption fair that all the Michigan admits got calls last night? I was kind of expecting another round of calls today, but on the results board: silence. Too bad, I got very positive responses from two PAs there...