kaoticfen
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Posts posted by kaoticfen
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On 3/6/2016 at 3:46 PM, gradswag said:
Has anyone else made their final decision yet?
Not yet but getting close to a decision i think.
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6 hours ago, Cat_Robutt said:
Those are all important, and difficult, choices to make. If you have not already, I highly recommend making a PRO/CON chart and analyzing these factors. Choosing a school is a combination of hard data (funding, cost of living, program metrics) and soft data (the 'feel' of the program, liking of faculty, quality of area), and understating the importance of either can be severely detrimental.
USC is a fantastic program. It is either loved or hated in the city, as I'm sure you know. I'm of the latter opinion for reasons you can PM me about if you're really curious. I don't know nearly as much about the NY program, but for the PRO/CON chart, perhaps factor in the following:
- How much funding is available? Are there opportunities for grants, fellowships, and additional resources?
- What is the cost of living in X area? Is it reasonable when compared to funding?
- What courses, resources, and faculty does X program offer that are a good fit with research area? Are those unique to X program?
- What cognate area does X program offer that is a good fit with secondary research area?
- Is program more competitive or collaborative (e.g. equal funding split, assistantships)?
- How important is reputation? More or less important than overall fit?
- What is immediate surrounding area like?
- Are there things to do that I find important like hiking/biking/eating/watching movies/etc. when study breaks are needed?
- How supportive is program?
- Are there resources available to deal with graduate stress?
- What is overall quality of life like in X area?
Also, consider things you would absolutely hate or love; do you like driving? Is having a pet important to you? How do you feel about roommates?
There are so many factors to consider, and it may be tedious and stressful to consider each one, but I'm sure you want to feel as confident in your choice as possible.
This is awesome. I came up with a few questions on my own but I really like these questions and will used them for my own evaluation. Just got back from my first visit to Michigan State and it was awesome. I thought i knew a lot about the department since i did my MA there but I had no idea. Hope everyone else is having a good times at visits and decisions.
- Cat_Robutt, smw0805, practical cat and 1 other
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8 hours ago, smw0805 said:
Just received acceptance from USC!! YAYY!!
No word on funding though
Anyone know how long after they let people know about it?
For PhD programs if you get admitted the funding and acceptance are the same at Annenberg as all their PhD students are considered Annenberg fellows. For the MA however, I think the funding is pretty limited.
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10 hours ago, maktoob101 said:
still no news from UPENN. I thought they usually send out all decisions at once so I'm clueless on what's going on. Is there a possibility that they accidentally missed out my decision email?
Man everyone seems to want to go to UPenn :-) its funny cause when i looked at it i couldn't find anything i was interested in. It just shows you how diverse the field of communication is.
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So in the interest of sharing something personal, I currently work full time and I thought that getting offers from universities would be the hardest part. I was wrong. I'm learning that it is significantly more difficult to remain working while you have been accepted. If i had been rejected, the disappointment would've been tough but ephemeral. I would then focus on work knowing that next year i would try again. However, I'm finding now that its really hard to care about work at all. This is due largely to the fact that i will be leaving this job and my career as a software developer in the near future. I think the real difference is that instead of putting in two weeks notice I am waiting for the next 3-4 months before i do so. I've never had to wait that long before starting a job so i suppose this is all an exercise in patience? Anyways, this was just a thought i had rolling around.
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3 hours ago, A Librarian said:
No idea. Trust me, I wish I knew.
I think it has to do with the department wanting to keep the MA as a distinct program, instead of allowing it to be seen as a pipeline directly into the PhD program. By making it so that the PhD program isn't filled with former MA students it kind of creates the expectation among MA students that they'll need to look elsewhere for PhD programs.
I think that MCC is a bit of a weird department (I don't mean that in a bad way), it's almost like there are multiple little departments within the department. As a result it seems like each little sub-department gets to pick one student - one for STS type work, one for visual studies, one for media studies, and so forth. Granted, I'm not sure if this makes MCC distinct or not (I really don't know) - I had always been under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that most PhD programs try not to recruit from their own MA pool.
I agree with @A Librarian that there are mini departments within a department as i've seen evidenced by several schools and that most seem to not pull from their own MA programs. My own department at MSU would let in about 1-2 students from the MA program into the PhD but i think that has to do with how the department is structured. The Comm school at MSU contains Communication, Journalism, Advertising and Media & Information. There are several MA programs within the school but only two PhD programs: Communication and Media and Information Studies. The Media and Information Studies PhD is shared between the three departments: Journalism, Adv, and Media and Information. Each department gets around 5-7 students to admit to each department so from what i can tell most of the students are not from the MA programs. This wasn't clear to me until i was told by one of my committee members at my thesis defense that i was only one of three students in my MA program that was doing a thesis where most had chosen to do comp exams or project. Since most PhD programs require a scholarly written work as part of an application requirement it makes sense why so many were not from my department. Either they didnt desire to put in the time to do a thesis or they simply viewed the MA program for what it was: terminal. I'm sure there are other factors that i'm leaving out or unaware of but this of course is my understanding... I'm sure there is also some voodoo/magic/prayers involved there somewhere
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1 minute ago, cotes_du_groan said:
Womp womp, don't have to live in Philadelphia for 5-7 years now!
im assuming this response means you aren't going to UPenn? :-)
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3 hours ago, meizheling said:
Hi @kaoticfen, it is so glad to know you are studying in MSU and get the good news from them. I got email for a campus visit invitation. Is this means I am admitted to program? Thank you for help.
i would double check with the department. you should have gotten an acceptance email too.
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10 minutes ago, cotes_du_groan said:
Everyday around 5-7pm has been.......................not so fun.
Sorry to hear that
I know you've posted some of the schools on here but what do you have left?
11 hours ago, the_queer_ecologist said:Another Friday is here..........................may the odds be ever in your favor.
hahahaa I like the hunger games quote but only the sentiment
cause if we adopted that analogy wouldnt that mean we would be killing each other for a spot in a program? hahhaa
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1 hour ago, lyrehc said:
I look forward to meeting you then.
Who else is it who applied to OU?
Definitely! I have so many questions. I think it was @gradswag
Anyone else apply there?
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Also got into more Humanities-based Media Studies programs, but won't list them here.
DO NOT ERASE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
1) Click quote on the most recent acceptance list.
2) Delete the quote messages at both the top and the bottom.
3) Find the school of interest on the list. If it is missing, add it in alphabetical order.
4) Write your name next to the school you were admitted.
5) Click submit.
6) Once you make your final decision, change the font of your name to green beside the school of your choice.
Arizona State University: Gradswag
Michigan State Univesrity: kaoticfen
Northwestern University: cikkatikkaskwarr
Penn State University: Gradswag
Rutgers University: Gradswag
University of Connecticut: Gradswag
University of Michigan: cikkatikkaskwarr
University of Oklahoma: kaoticfen
University of Oregon - Cat_Robutt
University of Pittsburgh - cikkatikkaskwarr
University of Texas-Austin: Gradswag, cikkatikkaskwarr -
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2 minutes ago, God said:
Greetings, My Child:
Thank you for your interest in Graduate Studies at the University of Oklahoma. We received many interesting and excellent applications, only some of which we were able to accept this year. We reviewed your application very carefully and note several strong features. There is rigorous competition for entry into our graduate programs and your application was not among those that we were able to accept.
Please send more money next year.
Best,
God
Hahahahahaha..... this is great though of course I'm hoping its not prophetic.
Also nice work on setting up the grad cafe member as God. I'm a bit surprised that name hadn't been taken yet.
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Alright I just received an email notice that OU released my application to the department for review. Does that mean that they are just now reviewing it? I need to pray more now right?
This is my prayer "Dear God, I pray that my application may be judged on its merits and that i get accepted with funding. I pray that you help everyone else here in this forum get in to the program that they want. Amen"
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10 hours ago, TWD2016 said:
Just received acceptance to University of South Florida fully funded as well! Michigan vs. USF is going to be a tough decision. I hope everyone is holding on strong during this process!
Congrats! My initial response is to go for Michigan. Nicole Ellison is one of my former professors and she would be awesome to work with.
6 hours ago, ahaidaris said:Accepted to UC San Diego's Ph.D. in Communications! Anyone have any insight on the program here, I've seen basically no chatter about their department on this thread. My background is in Feminist Studies but I focus on security/surveillance/border studies (with obvious feminist/queer direction) which has led me to apply to Geography/Gender/Communication/etc. departments since my focus fits a niche of a specific department and not something as overarching as just Communications, etc.
My other admissions acceptance is at Univ. of Arizona's Ph.D. program in Gender & Women's Studies program which has more name recognition for me since my background is in Feminist Studies but would really love to hear anyone's opinion on UCSD's Comm. program/why nobody is talking about it!?! Seems like a great fit for me...
(Don't know how to edit my "signature" which is from a previous application season but my "about me" has what would be typically there)
Congrats as well! Is the Gender & Women studies at UofA in their comm dept? I would say that UCSD is an awesome place to live but super expensive (la jolla)
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3 hours ago, cannedheat said:
Have you emailed?
I've had good results with just sending a quick email. I usually get either an acceptance (lol!) or a nice email telling me the status of the adcomm decisions.
Yeah i've wanted to know but I kinda want to live in ignorance =)
57 minutes ago, cotes_du_groan said:I am always so afraid they will think I am annoying then reject me so that they don't need to deal with me for the next 5-7 years... Am I the only one this paranoid?
Yeah maybe a little paranoid but this whole process is crazy. =) I don't think they get annoyed cause they get hundreds of emails a day unless you are emailing them everyday that is.
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7 hours ago, lyrehc said:
They don't interview.
Thanks! for the feedback. Alright well hopefully i just get good news then =)
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2 hours ago, Cat_Robutt said:
It's a new thread! On the main Communication forum it should show up. You're given credit, of course, as this is academia.
Just added mine! It'll be interesting to see the list as it gets filled out.
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DO NOT ERASE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
1) Click quote on the most recent acceptance list.
2) Delete the quote messages at both the top and the bottom.
3) Find the school of interest on the list. If it is missing, add it in alphabetical order.
4) Write your name next to the school you were admitted.
5) Click submit.
6) Once you make your final decision, change the font of your name to green beside the school of your choice.
Arizona State University: Gradswag
Michigan State Univesrity: Kaoticfen
Penn State University: Gradswag
Rutgers University: Gradswag
University of Connecticut: Gradswag
University of Oregon - Cat_Robutt
University of Texas-Austin: Gradswag -
17 hours ago, cannedheat said:
What they say is they do not have an assistantship to offer as of yet. There are other options, like as ASU, they have part time internships that come with tuition waivers and there's always the option of part time teaching (adjuncting) and that can come with a tuition waiver. At NC State last year, when I asked, I didn't get any other options so I deferred enrollment to there instead. The director said I'd be reconsidered next year for funding.
The problem I run into is that even if I take on a PT adjunct position that comes with a waiver the first year, what happens the following year? How do I get any security that I'll be able to continue my education. I can't just uproot my life and relocate to another state without some sort of guarantee that I'll be able to continue my degree each year.
I see what you mean. I think the idea would be that you move up the pecking order and they would secure funding for you first before the next incoming class. That is the logic that i've heard used before. Its a difficult decision leaving without a guaranteed funding but where does NC State rank on your list of schools? My best friend a few years ago faced a similar decision where he was accepted with full funding to a MA program at the Claremont Graduate School but was also accepted to Yale with 1/3 scholarship. He ultimately chose Yale as the job prospect post graduation was much better. I know for me I consult the NCA doctoral program guide like its a COMM bible. I don't think I've seen anyone post on it so i'll share the link here http://www.natcom.org/DoctoralProgramGuide/ For me it has become essential on where to apply.
I think from what i can tell @cannedheat , you are a person of great character as it really takes fortitude and determination to apply two years in a row, improve your gre scores, and get accepted to more schools than the previous year. To me that is the quality that is required to complete a PhD program and i think if you did go to a program that funding was not guaranteed you would be able to secure it someway somehow. Didn't mean to write all of this but just wanted to encourage you and by extension everyone else in similar positions =)
- cannedheat, gradswag and Hugs4Hugs
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6 minutes ago, meibanfa said:
Hi @kaoticfen glad that I saw someone who also got admitted into MSU as well. I received my admission last week from Media and Information Studies PhD, and was told that the funding decision will be made on March. Do you have any idea how likely we will be funded?
If you look at the http://cas.msu.edu/misphd/ They have a link that has program statistics http://grad.msu.edu/apply/PHDDataReporting/PhD%20Data%20-%20Communication%20Arts%20and%20Sciences%20Media%20and%20Information%20Studies%202012%20cohort.pdf It basically says that 93% of PhD students have funding. That being said I have several friends who are there now who are all fully funded and im not sure i know anyone there that was not funded. Are you going to the visitation weekend?
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3 hours ago, cannedheat said:
Keep in mind, this is the second year NC State has done this.
Kind of a shitty feeling that 3 schools are saying "Hey, we like you enough to teach you, but not enough to fund you like we fund everyone else." I suspect it's because I don't have any teaching experience as the sole teacher.
Hmmmm that is curious. Usually schools take notice of applicants they didnt admit the previous year and make an effort the second year. I agree that @the_queer_ecologist go and do amazing things for free. Quick question though did they say they haven't given you funding? cause Im still waiting on my funding letter as they make the funding decisions at a later date.
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14 hours ago, lyrehc said:
I didn't receive admission to the program until March in 2013 so hang in there.
I haven't heard about offers being sent out yet, but I've been super busy the last month so I'm not as in the loop as I would normally be.Okay! The difficult part is waiting of course. Do they interview students there for the PhD or is it an outright admit? This whole admissions cycle has been interesting how each school responds with offers, funding and rejections
7 hours ago, Swans said:Yes to both, being international makes the funding harder as well which is why I focused on those two first (and the fit seemed good in particularly USC). I'll expand my options now though.
Yeah international makes it difficult but not impossible. More than half of my cohort in my MA program at MSU were international students and most had funding opportunities (usually the ones who did had good GRE/TOEFL scores) If i was not successful this iteration i was hoping to apply to LSE PhD in media and communications as I've always welcomed the opportunity to study abroad. Well hopefully you'll hear good news from UPenn and you wont have to worry about next year =)
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1 hour ago, gradswag said:
I have not contacted any of the schools that I haven't heard from, but I would think that a polite email to the director of graduate studies inquiring about the status of your application, or an approximate date when you might hear about your application would be appropriate! Some schools have a graduate advisor that serves as a point of contact for inquiries of that sort, so it might feel a little less daunting to reach out to them first
Yeah the only one i really care about is Oklahoma. Have you heard anything from them yet?
Communication/Media Studies Ph.D Fall 2016--Apps, Decisions, and Waiting...
in Communication and Public Relation Forum
Posted
Well hope everyone else is doing good. Im headed to MSU! It was a tough decision as i received funding offers from both schools but ultimately went where the funding was the greatest. Thanks to everyone for the advice and support through this process!