engguy

hey-- I suppose I can troll on this thread one more time to say -- congrats! I'm glad it worked out for you. Sounds like it really came through at the last minute. And congrats to both of you for saying you're doing it 'cause you love it. That's the only thing that will make you "rich" (cue sappy music...). Sometimes it doesn't make the decisions any easier, but I think it makes coming to peace with them afterwards a bit easier. Best of luck!

@santana Ah, leave the guy alone. He's trying to make decisions on the biggest freakout day of all. And your thinly veiled -- or not at all veiled -- jibes at the intelligence of Humanities majors / relative "ease" of Humanities is junior high level stuff. I could break out the old saw about lies, damn lies, and statistics, but that would be sinking to your level . Best of luck -- I'm sure you'll be a shot of sunshine to the others in your cohort.

@southeast penn: so, does that mean you're heading to SUNY? if so, back-channel me -- if you'd like.

ethically no, legally yes. here's the relevant portion of the cgs agreement: as I read that, you have through today to withdraw without requiring written release. it's your life and your education, so if you feel that compelled to reverse your decision, i would begin drafting a very apologetic letter right now. good luck.

Agreed that you should look at the letters if at all possible -- in a tactful way, because some profs are wary of sharing them -- but to me this is another potential problem, especially given that your stats look really solid. Apply to more places, and either do one of two things: fit your statement to what you perceive to be the kind of research/scholarship going on at the programs where you apply, or only apply to places about which you can say, 'my project fits very well with the types of things going on there.' If the schools to which you applied don't have anyone who's interested in working with the philosophers/issues you outline, they will be unlikely to admit you no matter how good everything else looks. You've got to make it sound as if the program needs you as much as you need to study there.

I would send an e-mail. More formal, less intrusive, less chance of saying something out of nervousness that might be misconstrued. Start by saying that you understand it's their crazy season and you don't mean to add to their difficulties, etc., and that you are just writing to say that you remain very interested in the program and hope to hear something from them soon. That you are especially eager to work with this supervisor and excited about the project that he/she has in mind. That's it. Don't mention the issue with marks. That will only remind the person again that you have an issue with marks, whereas you want him/her to focus on your potential to help with the project. And if you have anything at all positive to add to your CV, you might mention that -- awards, pubs, good papers you've written, compliments in the bar (just kidding, but you get the idea). Anyway, that's what I would do. Good luck :!:

Just a couple more thoughts here: first, I have to concur with previous posters who've said you're NOT too old to start a PhD -- and you won't be next year, either. Second, while I do agree it's a bad idea to start one program with the idea of jumping to another, I don't think it's as morally reprehensible as some have claimed. And I think there are cases when it could even be justified -- for example, imagine starting a program with the idea of working with a certain professor; that professor jumps ship for another school, leaving you and your research in the dust. OK -- one could argue that you shouldn't put all your intellectual eggs in one basket, but I believe this kind of thing happens all the time. And there are many other ways universities could pull resources out from under you part of the way through -- if that happens, and you feel the terms of your initial understanding with the program is violated, I believe you'd be justified in leaving. And no one would blame you. But the situation you've laid out just doesn't sound wise. I had a friend who was thinking of doing the same thing -- starting his PhD at a really low-tier university and then switching later on -- I tried and tried to talk him out of it. Finally he got in to one of his top choices. I think all he would've gained at the first school was a lot of debt and some credits he would have difficulty transferring.

sounds to me like you can't go wrong here. I have a friend at NWestern -- not in complit, but English -- she says it's fantastic. What swayed her to choose it, in part, was the partnership they have with neighboring universities, inc. U-Chicago and UIC and Depaul, Loyola, allowing her to take classes at any of those in addition to N-Western. You might want to check that out today if you've time. I also know someone who went to JH for a year and reports that it was extremely rigorous and challenging. In the end, I'd think being in Chicago might count for something -- it's a wonderful town, and supposed to be the most "affordable" big city of them all. And no, I don't think you'd be losing anything in terms of name recognition by going with one or the other. They're both top schools.

That's just it -- I don't give a damn about stats. If I paid attention to stats, I wouldn't be going back to school at age 35+. I'm doing it because of a love for my subject, and because the straight world -- in which I grinded out a living for 10+ years doing a variety of work, from the marginally rewarding to the downright humiliating -- has nothing better to offer me. Education isn't about age and statistics and angling for the best possible position from which to extract the most money and security from the academy. Sure, I think about the future and finding a decent job, but I've never navigated my life that way and don't plan on starting now. The people I've met who are like that are exactly what's wrong with higher education. Still, as I say, it's preferable to life in a cubicle. And just for the record -- it's not your stats I object to, it's the defeatist attitude that comes with them.

@firecolon: Amen. I've been waiting for somebody else to challenge this joker, and you did a damn fine job. santana is a master of the incendiary remark, fear-mongering "bottom line" thinking, and faux-insider authority. For some reason -- perhaps because so many of the participants in the grad cafe are young and impressionable and willing to listen to anyone who seems to know what they're talking about -- his posts have gone largely unquestioned, let alone criticized. Even when I have (rarely) agreed with something he's written, the presentation of his advice is so grating that I can't stomach it. And I can't imagine how anyone who's truly that cynical about higher education is actually pursuing it.

as wacky as hannah's solution is, it's a relatively good one in this situation -- and after all, as a philosopher, s/he should know. 8) I wasn't able to make my own choice until I realized that deciding yes or no to one option was more about talking myself out of something i was leaning towards, while another was talking myself into something i was leaning away from. that said, if you are already imagining transferring to another university after a year, and facing the prospect of going into debt -- unless there's a compelling reason to go right now, why not wait? strengthen your application and have a go at those schools you really want to attend, with full funding.

hardkore: the short answer -- I wouldn't go into this much debt for a degree in the humanities. the long answer -- I dunno. I'm a bit confused by your post. Is that 30K tuition for the entire degree, or per year, or what? The scholarship sounds decent to me, but obviously it's quite inadequate for what you're paying out. Generally scholarships do not "increase," but really it depends on the school, the program, the resources they have, and whether they're willing to supplement what you're getting as you go along. As for the loans, yes, unless you get some kind of outside work, you will need money to live on, and that will have to come from somewhere. But here's another point of confusion: you mention a financial aid "package," but it sounds to me like the $6500 IS your package; are you getting some kind of tuition waiver along with that? Is there no possibility of doing a TA to earn money on top of the s-ship and getting a tuition waiver? More info is needed here.

@Gringatica: Not sure what your husband's background is -- from your handle I'm guessing Latino, but that's just a guess -- no matter; whatever his background, you should know that one good thing is you're moving to one of the most diverse and tolerant areas in all of the US, so that should be some comfort. I don't know about UC-Irvine in particular, but by and large ESL classes should be very plentiful and relatively cheap. It's a pretty booming educational industry throughout California. As for the social thing, I don't think there's any getting around that, no matter what your partner's profile is. My wife and I opted for the more distant option, and to her credit she seems eager to start somewhere new and face new challenges and make new friends. Still, I'm worried. There's a good thread about this stuff from the Chronicle forum: http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/t ... 93.30.html Good advice there about keeping in touch and making space for the relationship, etc. Finally, my wife is International too; different, because she's quite fluent and highly educated. But if you have any questions about the immigration process, pm me and I can try to help. We've already been through it.

dude or dudette-- hope that was you that just posted about UT on the results page -- looks like that was my spot :!: thanks for the good wishes and I hope you make it.

The sky is falling! & all that. The economy's bad and it's going to get worse, no doubt about it. But big statie schools have been dealing with budget cuts for a long time now, and most have learned how to make do. I spoke with one DGS who told me flat out that he wished the school would go private -- the state has been whittling away at its contribution for probably 20 years, now it only provides a fraction of the school's budget but still wants control. By and large I actually agree with Santana about one point (gasp!) -- don't expect super funding offers to show up after the 15th. But I also agree with Minnesota -- every school is different and generalizations are useless. And I don't think it has much to do with the economy right now; it's been trending this way a long time.

with much reluctance and a heavy heart, i've just said goodbye to UT austin. hope this helps someone. and good luck

Relief is what I feel, mingled with a strong sense of remorse at what I've turned down. This has been one of the most stressful, tough decisions I've ever had to make. And in the midst of it I've had to defend my master's thesis! :shock: My friend who's also gone through this process gets to feel the elation. But, boy did he have to pay for it. First got turned down at 12/14 schools, the two admits were no funding at 3rd tier regional programs. Was waitlisted at the 15th -- a very well-respected private with loads of funding. Fell in love with it during the visit, then had to cool his heels for a solid month waiting. Just heard he got in. Previous posters are right -- probably for all of us it needs a little time to sink in. Right now I'm still a bit numb.

santana, i haven't agreed with a damn thing you've written on this forum, and the only difference now is that it's not just your usual blowhardiness but it's potentially scaring lots of people who are in the midst of making painful and difficult decisions. On a different thread, you whined that over-35 folks (of which I'm also one) would be discriminated against in this process -- how did that one work out? (I mean for you, as well as for me.) Listen folks, ranking is important, placement is important, these are not things that should be overlooked. But the attitude of "go to the highest ranked school that accepts you -- period" is so mercenary and cynical that to me it defeats the whole purpose of pursuing a higher education. Make a list, rank items according to importance for you, personally, go down the list and score your choices and make a decision as best you can. To go solely or even primarily by ranking is to admit that you are already one of those soulless individuals who haunt all too many halls of academia. And good night. :twisted:

First of all, congratulations! :shock: You're embarking on a really exciting and challenging journey. Frankly, I don't know how you youngsters do it -- I was 30+ when I did my first TA-ship, and very nervous. Just know that you will be nervous, you will make mistakes, and it will be overwhelming at first. There's really nothing you can do to properly prepare yourself, so given the amount of work you'll soon have to do, perhaps you should just relax and not worry about it. But if you're really fastidious and want some practical advice, maybe talk to / observe some of the TA's at your current school. My advice is simply this: Be organized. Between your TA duties and regular schoolwork -- most programs require three seminars with TA -- you will have to be really on top of your time. Know that the students you teach (depending on the type of TA you have) will most likely be freshmen, and thus even more nervous than you are. Know that although you must take the TA seriously, you are primarily there to pursue your studies -- so make sure that remains your top priority. Many's the time I've had to come to class less prepared than I wanted to be, because I was up late finishing a paper. (See the first item -- be organized.) Finally -- have fun!

OK, I just let go of UC Santa Cruz, and it was very emotional... I still have lovely memories of the campus visit, the program and the people, and in another life I think it might have been the school for me. But not this year. There was an "official" decline that I had to do via their web site -- my finger did not want to press the "confirm" button -- and then I wrote a brief note of thanks and regret to the DGS and the program coordinator who'd sent me the offer. There are others I will write to as well, but there's no hurry. I agree that holding on to multiple offers once you've already accepted somewhere is a selfish and weasely thing to do, but it's also a bit weasely for waitlisted folks to pressure others -- and the distinction needs to be made between those who are genuinely agonizing over a decision and those who are just being selfish. Those who are waitlisted -- I feel your pain, but there are so many variables at work with each individual program and in many cases you probably won't hear until April 15 or after. It's ironic to me that people like santana are advocating for accepting multiple offers just to cover your ass, and others are supporting that, yet some of those same people seem to expect those with multiple offers to make a quick decision and free up space! I didn't feel obliged to cut SC loose, for example, until they suddenly offered me more money, money that they now can use on someone else. Prior to that, it was my understanding that they had no waitlist, just a selection of admitted students with various levels of funding. The increased offer added urgency to the process, for obvious reasons. At any rate, at this point it's down to two and I'm not going to hurry. In my mind (& heart), it's not so much worry about making a wrong decision, but about what I'd give up and miss out on in either case -- and that's what makes it so hard.

Studymom: Congrats! Hearing good news about people I don't even know, but whose stories I've been following, is one of the few excuses I have for lingering on this forum. CIIP: I know you're waiting on SUNY, right? I think it's safe to contact them. Not going to affect the decision either way. And you shouldn't feel angsted out about the prospect of moving; it might seem late, but in reality it's not. It just seems that way because we're all torturing ourselves with this site! best of luck to both of you--

Sounds like a tough decision. Some thoughts: 1) I realize UNC is a bigger name to the world at large, but everything I've heard about UCD indicates it's a top program, well respected in the field. I don't think you're losing much there. The faculty's supposed to be out of this world. 2) As for the money, have you done a cost of living comparison? http://www.bestplaces.net/Default.aspx You can plug in the amount each one's offering and see how they compare. Davis is not the coast but I'm guessing it may be a tad more expensive than Chapel Hill. 3) Jobs --have you looked at placement records of each school? They must have an officer in charge of such things, and that person must have up to date stats. 4) location -- if you've done all your work on the east coast, you may want to consider this too; I've had more than one person tell me that doing all your work in one general area may brand you as "regional" in the eyes of some hiring comms. Though with the quality of the programs, I doubt that would be too big an issue.

I know how excruciating it is waiting for that last decision. i would start with a polite e-mail to the DGS of the program to which you applied, as well as any admissions officer you may have been in touch with -- but don't do cc, as they will both assume the other will respond, and neither will. Urgency is the wrong tone to strike, I think, because it's not going to make them hurry and it may just annoy them. And they've heard it all before, surely. They may just be taking a long time to make / announce decisions -- yes, even this late -- or you may be unofficially waitlisted. As for your scores etc., there's nothing you can do about that, and if they were good enough to get into one of your top choices, you've got to assume they're good enough here until you find otherwise. As long as you don't fly in there like a wrecking ball demanding answers, nothing you say or write will hurt you at this point. Something like this: "I applied for admittance to program X and was wondering if you could tell me when decisions will be announced. Receiving an answer from LSU will greatly help me in making my own decision by the national deadline of April 15. I realize it's a busy time of year, and thank you in advance for your response. best, X" If they don't answer within 24 hours, I'd say it's time to start calling.

Please keep in mind that you can claim moving expenses on your taxes. I did this when I moved cross-country several years ago for grad school. Keep all your receipts. You can claim pretty much everything, including mileage. Also, I found it was cheaper to box and ship all my books and whatever else I could fit into boxes via USPS or UPS than to rent a UHAUL, which, you're right, are pretty expensive. But if you have furniture you may have no choice.

See below. I've turned down DU and WSU, which doesn't help you at all, commoner. Will probably turn down UCSC, that leaves UT and SUNY. (Hey, it all rhymes ) Anyway, it might matter what your concentration is, esp. at UT -- as you must know, it's a vast department, and I think they rank and accept students based on the various disciplines. They took me as a medieval lit student. I'm trying hard to decide in the next week or so. Good luck.