jonebone
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Posts posted by jonebone
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Thanks to everyone for the input. I really appreciate it.
SeanDustin. Let's meet up and cry over some alcohol lol.
I have never wavered back and forth so much as I have with this decision. I've been over it a hundred times and every time I talk to a different person, I am left learning in a different direction than before. I'm really conflicted. NYU could give me a second chance to get into my dream PhD program. My mother told me I could live with her in Jersey and train in every day. Actually It might be worth it to pay an extra 30k in living expenses each year lol.
It's a gamble, because who knows what the PhD application field is going to look like in two years. What if I go through all of this and I can't get into a better program than OU anyway. I'm back to square one but with lots of debt and two years wasted. Then again, the debt is certainly scary but imagine the possibility of making 50k more than I would with a degree from Ohio. It would really easy to use that salary increase to pay off the debt with little interest. Could get it done in as little as 10 years.
I think I should worry less about the money and more about what educational opportunity is best for me. There are definitely ways to reduce the debt and make this work. Living at home (if absolutely necessary, part time job to help with costs, loans that don't accrue interest while in school, TA and GA opportunities if available). I still really don't know what I'm going to do.
I definitely understand your excitement at pursuing that goal but you really have to sit down and do some hard number calculations. I find it a huge gamble to pursue the NYU MA route (leading to a PHD program) in hopes that you will do better than starting the Ohio PHD now. There are a lot of moving parts in this equation and any of them going in a direction you do not expect could screw you royally down the line. Your line of thinking is contingent on three crucial facts: (1) you will fit in really well with the NYU program and do some excellent research there and (2) your application will improve enough that you get into a top 10 research program, and (3) there exists a job market after the PHD that will allow you to pay back your loan. Without knowing more about your situation, I can't say how successful you might be in taking this risky route. However, I can say that doing good work in a research lab (at a solid middle rank program like Ohio) and doing the necessary networking will not preclude you from getting a good job after you graduate. Let us know what you decide.
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I got accepted to a full paid PhD program in Psychology at Ohio University. Living expenses paid and all. I just heard from NYU that I was accepted to their masters program in psych. But that program is not at all subsidized. So I have to decide between a mediocre, but fully paid PhD (which may not offer me great job prospects) or a great MA program that would cost $110,000 from two years of living expenses and tuition (after which I would be very competitive for prestigious PhD programs and eventually very attractive in the job market)
It's so much debt. But NYU so much better.
OU is ranked 101 in psychology and 120something overall
NYU is 30 in psych and something like 33 overall
What do you think?
Would love to hear your thoughts
Education debt pretty much follows you to the grave so, if I were in your position, I would ask myself what I would really gain from doing the NYU program and how it would help my career. If you're really unhappy about doing the PHD at OSU, consider working on your app and reapplying in a year.
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Hey there! I heard back from them perhaps a week ago? I was accepted to the Korea Studies program, but I have yet to hear anything about funding.
That's what I heard - Korea Studies decisions are out but not the Japan or China Studies ones.
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I've been lurking around these forums for the past 2 years on and off. So, I finally decided to go ahead and make an account to help maintain what sanity I have left after submitting all of my graduate school applications. The waiting is torture, but I'm sure everyone already knows that.
However, I have a question that I attempted to answer on my own with a Google search, as well as through this forum. However, I didn't have much luck. Hopefully someone can answer it here. It probably seems like a stupid, obvious question. But, I'll take the fall for it.
In regards to LoR, would it be unethical/rude to ask a professor for a personal copy? I vaguely remember reading an article or blog entry about this and they stated that it was fine to ask for a copy to have for personal records, in case you ever need to submit another copy to a department and do not want to ask your professor to do so.
Most university career centers maintain a recommendation letter service where they will hold on to a copy of your letter for several years and send it other universities and institutions on your behalf when necessary. Keep in mind though that generic recommendations are generally inferior to personalized letters.
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Has anyone heard anything from the University of Washington Jackson School Master's programs in East Asia (Japan Studies, Korea Studies, China Studies)?
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Waiting a year is WAY better than working for this guy. I would have no desire to work for someone who acted like that.
I agree with this. Graduate school is a big commitment and you really don't want to work for a jerk. Your advisor will shape your entire career, it's not a decision to make lightly. When applying, it's really easy to get into the attitude that you will take anything that comes your way, but you really have to be willing to say no to a bad choice.
I've been there, not with grad school, but with work. I took a job offer for a company that gave me a ridiculous work schedule (I was doing quality assurance and worked on first, second, or third shift depending on the day of the week). I was desperate for a job so I took it without hesitation. This really was a bad idea, the money just wasn't worth it. I lasted about half a year before the stress of the job forced me to quit. It also did same damage to my body (I got regular shoulder pains as a result of that job and it's still not what it used to be).
I know this isn't an academic example, but I don't care as the principle is the same. If you want to succeed in graduate school that requires mutual respect. A professor getting pissy over a title like that does not impress me and is something I view as a major warning sign.
I had a professor who grew up in an environment where you never address your colleagues or uppers with their first names unless asked. Calling him by his first name was frowned upon but, all in all, he was one of the most attentive and thoughtful professors I've had in undergrad. He was a really good mentor figure.
Moral of the story is that you don't have enough information to judge and you shouldn't exaggerate by saying something like "Waiting a year is WAY better than working for this guy."
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I've used the Magoosh GRE website many times and heard many good things about their online program.
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Your post reminded me of this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/magazine/how-to-get-a-job-with-a-philosophy-degree.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Hope this piece gives you some ideas/inspiration for possible ways to present yourself to the real world.
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Hi all! This is my first time posting on Grad Cafe, but I've been lurking the forums for a while... Figured it's time to start talking.
I've received acceptances from USC and Georgetown for East Asian Studies (MA), but I'm quite torn over the two. USC has offered me the TA Fellowship (a generous stipend and tuition remission), while Georgetown hasn't offered me any funding (MAJOR kudos to you, Sukasa). It seems obvious that I should go for USC, but since I wasn't expecting to get into Georgetown I'm finding it difficult to part ways with what could be a very exciting and totally different experience.
ANY insight from current students at either of these programs, or people in the same boat?
If I were in your situation, I would think about what I want to do with this degree after I graduate. If you're aiming to join the government sector or the policy-making world, I would lean more strongly towards Georgetown because of its central location relative to nearby think tanks, government agencies, and embassies. If you're aiming to follow through with a doctorate, you're best bet is to draw up a list of target faculty at each school and make some inquiries about their current research, availability, etc.
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A high school English teacher of mine told me something that I will never forget. He said that, in a relationship, one person must sometimes ask the other to make sacrifice on his/her behalf and that such a request, while justified in a relationship, must not be taken lightly. My advise to you is to ask yourself whether your relationship with your spouse is strong enough that you can ask him/her to make a sacrifice on your behalf. If it is, you should go with your heart and make the choice that is best for your career. You should also remember the sacrifice you asked of your spouse and pay it back ten times as much in the upcoming years.
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army troops
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So I just talked to the PhD coordinator at the UW Jackson school, and he told me that last week they were deciding the funding issue, and that candidates will be contacted this week. Hope that helps.
This is very helpful! Thanks! Do you know if this applies to MA programs also?
U Washington FLAS awards from the East Asian Center are out, I'm placed on an alternate list for Korean, and I'm applying to the Masters program. Looking forward to hearing some of you out there announce plans to accept other offers!
Good to hear! I can also confirm preliminary FLAS offers are coming out. Good luck to you Blooscorn! Keep us updated on your app!
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Hello guys! Has anyone heard anything from the University of Washington Jackson School Master's programs in East Asia (Japan Studies, Korea Studies, China Studies)?
East Asian Studies 2015
in Interdisciplinary Studies
Posted
FLAS decisions are made by the university so you should look for the FLAS coordinator at each program you've been accepted to and ask about it.