AmityDuPeuple

I wish I had an answers for you as to whether that is good or bad. I honestly have no idea. I hope you hear back soon!

Thanks! I really appreciate your candor. I do know I would regret not earning (or at least trying to earn) my PhD, though I am well aware of the current academic job market. I am drawn to Anth because it is one of my undergrad minors and I have always been fascinated by it as a discipline. I also see its utility in procuring a non-academic job, maybe one in a museum. (I am pretty naive about the non-academic prospects for a Soc PhD, but I do know for me personally working in or with the government is not acceptable.) That being said I do want to research and teach, and I feel that I have come the long way around to studying Soc. I can't foresee limiting myself to one particular location for research and Soc wouldn't limit me in the ways Anth would. I am admitted to Brandeis as a stand-alone WGS MA student, but I can ad a focus in Soc or Anth my second semester and still honor my fellowship requirements. There are WGS professors in both departments that I would love to work with and would be able to do so if I kept the stand-alone MA. That being said, I feel a pull to work in a discipline because I see a need for strong feminist professors to make sure women are represented in course work both as subjects of research and as researchers, as well as to complicate the oppressive binaries found in so much research. (Short note: I recently had an Anth prof use sexed terminology to explain gender in a very binary way.) My passion is with WGS/Feminist Studies, but I also want a tenure track position if at all possible.

I received an email stating that the status changed and instructed me to log in to see it. It was a formal rejection.

Exactly. I have a friend who earned her PhD in philosophy. It took her a while to get into a program but she was very determined. She has a lot more gumption than I do. Her last (and obviously successful) round of applications she took a super pro-active approach; I am not sure I have it in me to be so forward. She emailed the programs and/or the POIs she wanted to work with and asked who was accepting new graduate students, what their strongest applications in the past looked like, and what they wanted to know/see in the upcoming applicants. Her advisor said it was rather unusual to do what she did but it showed that she was serious about getting in and she took more initiative than most. I really believe that her being so candid and frank with her questions is what landed her a spot in her program. Good luck! I will be rooting for you!

I would suggest seeing if there is any way you can improve on what you have. I am of the opinion that nothing is ever perfect and can always be improved upon. I think this may show the reviewers that you took the time to work on your writing but that the subject matter is what you would like to continue working with in the future.

Does anyone have suggestions or advice for etiquette when declining offers? Also, does anyone have any idea about the academic prospects for Anth and/or Soc PhDs?

Hope it is going/went well!

I am on a visit to Brandeis as we speak. Do you have any questions I can answer for you? Speaking about the Graduate Consortium of Women's Studies would be a bonus, prof I spoke with talked about how amazing it is.

Manders816 - and anyone else who applied to the MA program at UT Austin, I just received an email from the director of graduate studies. She stated, "Our admissions committee is a bit behind this year due to the flu. We hope to post decisions by next week." Just thought I would let you know.

I must admit that I am envious that you know where you will be eating. I do not. I am a total foodie too and usually quite adventurous in my eating, but it would be nice to know what to expect.

I am not currently in an MA program. However, I am making my first visit in one week (EEEE!). I think it depends on what you have scheduled. I am attending a class and meeting with several different professors, current students, and faculty in other departments so I am packing mostly business casual, which can be worn comfortably across several different settings. That being said, I am also attending a symposium at which there will be professors from other schools and I may choose to dress in business professional attire for that event. In general I think it best to ask questions about the things that mattered most to you in undergrad: research, relationships with professors, general campus culture, city culture, etc. I think a lot can be learned by soaking-in a place and trying to get as full of an experience and picture of the program, university, city, etc while you are there.

I called UT (and UW Madison) today. Both programs said it could be as early as this week or up to a few weeks before they make decisions.

Has anyone heard from UW Madison? I checked my app status last night and it said there was no application on record, despite the fact that I have obsessively checked my status a couple of time each week since I first submitted it and the status continually saying: Pending. Thoughts? I emailed the Office of Graduate admissions but I am sure they are really busy and might not get back quickly. Thoughts?

Thanks Guillaume! I have to admit the name alone--Brandeis--is probably swaying my decision at this point. I go on my campus visit in a little over a week and my imposter syndrome is already causing some anxiety. I am sure it will go well. I just hope I can continue to impress them.

I am not sure where. I was just digging around on the UT site. It may have been through the grad school site or on the program site.

Nothing yet. I looked at their acceptances from last year and it said only 4 people applied and they admitted 0. I hope they make decisions soon!

Facing a bit of a tough decision. I love Brandeis (and am going to visit in a bit over a week). I would be living in Boston (maybe Waltham) and it is uber expensive. DePaul is in Chicago (which is closer to my friends and family) and may be a little less expensive to live there. I can't help but think, that Brandeis would still be the better pick because of the opportunities they afford their grad students and because of the name. A prof told me that if I get my MA from Brandeis it will go along way in getting me into my PhD program(s) of choice. Thoughts? Is DePaul as reputable as Brandeis?

Oh wow! It really isn't uncommon for people to get my name wrong even if they are just repeating it after I had just said it. And I must admit it did leave a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. But at this point the school would have to give me a full tuition grant and a stipend for me to think about choosing it over Brandeis. (Which worries me, because Boston/Waltham is expensive but I feel like I can't really pass up the opportunities Brandeis offers or their name on me CV.)

Congrats Guillaume! Maybe they loved your dossier so much they wished you were there now!

What do you make of a university spelling your name wrong (multiple times) in an acceptance email?

Congratulations to everyone who has received an acceptance lately! Has anyone made a campus visit yet? I am just wondering what questions you asked or will ask when you do go for a visit. What types of activities etc do you think gives you a good feel for the program? Thus far, I have scheduled to sit in on a class, attend a symposium, I am meeting with a fellow WGSer and writing center consultant, and having dinner with some of the grad students. I am hoping to work in several meetings with professors I am interested in working with. Any thoughts/tips/advice would be much appreciated! Thanks in avance.

Who has gotten accepted?! Made your final decision yet?

Does anyone know of support forums for grad parents? I am a single mom heading to grad school this fall and would love to join or start a support system for others. I am assuming the amount of single parent grad students is fairly low. What are your thoughts?

I was accepted to Brandeis but would like to live in the city and commute. However, my situation is a bit different than most because I am a single mom. Does anyone have any suggestions for an affordable, yet young and active area of Boston (or its suburbs) with good schools?