blooscorn

I received it on March 17th in the same e-mail as the Dean's letter, and it was a pdf file with 14 pages dubbed "an electronic version of your admit packet". I'm abroad now, so perhaps the same thing was mailed to those in the US? There isn't anything in it all that important, but it would certainly be something I enjoyed looking over.

The University sent out a list of suggested summer reading material as part of the admit packet thing they e-mailed us post-acceptance. I've already started on it, but it seems a bit easy.

I committed to UCSD today. Looking forward to the fall!

That kind of retort usually only comes to me in the shower the next day.

I'd love for them to get on that as soon as possible. I'd love for someone ahead of me on a FLAS waitlist to go to Georgetown instead and pass on their funding offer!

I would be shocked, but pleasantly so, if UCSD thought I didn't need to take a summer math prep course. I haven't taken a math class since my junior year of high school, almost a decade ago! If GRE's are worth anything, I did get a 162 on my quant section. Fingers crossed they think that means I'm competent in the numbers.

Hey all, I wish I had found this forum a few months earlier than I did. I'm hoping someone here might be able to offer some advice and perspective on my options. I've never been in a place where I've found myself vacillating between convictions quite so completely so rapidly. I've long been interested in pursuing a Ph.D and entering academia at some point in the future, but in the short term I'd love to work in a think tank or with the Foreign Service. An undergraduate adviser of mine suggested I pursue a Masters and work on padding my resume a bit before considering applying to top programs. He vetted my choices, but I'm worried that my current choices might be so professionally focused that I would handicap myself in the event I do decide to attempt to complete a Ph.D. I applied to and was accepted at Masters programs at American SIS (dual degree program between SIS's Comparative and Regional Studies and Korea University, where I'd likely aim for Korean Studies), UCSD's IR/PS, and JSIS at the University of Washington (International Studies - Korean Studies MAIS). My funding options are unfortunately limited; I was wait-listed for two FLAS awards at U Washington and received about 12,000 at UCSD. I am fortunate enough that my family will give me some limited support towards further study, but regardless of what I choose to do I will likely graduate in two years with a not insignificant level of debt. Would it make most sense to go to JSIS for Korean studies if I am interested in going for a Ph.D, and could anyone comment on how well regarded their Master's program is? Would IR/PS or degrees from SIS and Korea University be useful preparation for further study, or should I consider them a frivolous and extraneous pursuit in that regard? I appreciate any advice any of you'd be willing to give me.

I'm curious to know if anyone knows the specific date the summer prep programs start? I'm contracted with an ESL gig in Korea until late August, and I've got three years of severance and a month of pay banking on being able to complete my contract reasonably well. UCSD will get a lot more relatively expensive if I'd need to relinquish that pay.

Did any of you hear about FLAS funding even if you haven't heard about your acceptance to the programs? I was also accepted to the MA in Korean Studies at Jackson a couple weeks ago, and have been wait-listed at both the NRC's for FLAS. I contacted the program director and he said that funding is very limited, and even for FLAS the Korean Studies department can only sneak in a couple students each year. I'm stuck between this program, IR/PS at UCSD, and a dual degree program between American SIS and Korea University. I'm not sure I can justify the expense at Washington without funding, especially since UCSD would be so much cheaper, and American/Korea would give me fantastic connections in both DC and Seoul.

I applied to American and not GW because of the opportunities in my region of focus. They offer not one but two dual degree programs in the country I'm focusing on.

Which fellowship? I received the 12K "fellowship" that knocks off the difference between in and out-of-state tuition a couple weeks ago, but I suspect you might be referring to something else.

I've heard some not so positive things about the SKY schools since I've been over here, and I'd be worried about somehow being unable to get into the dual degree part of the program (they only send a few students it looks like) and just getting stuck with the Korean degree... I can't imagine it would be nearly as useful as an American degree. If I was trying to backdoor a dual degree from an American University that way, I'd probably opt to go Yonsei/Chicago... From this side where I am guaranteed to recieve the American degree is a lot more promising. That, and the Korean schools are still not all that cheap or convenient for foreign applicants. You're still looking at least $20,000 a year, and since their application cycle is several months after the US one, I'd have to skip applying to schools in the US if I wanted to go to the Korean schools. Too much risk without enough promise of reward. As far as UCSD's ranking... it's not significantly lower. 13th to American's 8th. It still clocks in higher than Oxford, Yale, and Berkley, which is impressive.

Cost is certainly a consideration for me. I've heard anecdotally that IRPS does well supplying their applicants with TA/RA positions, and that their career services are on point. The bit of funding they gave me certainly sweetens the pot, and since I'm considering an academic career in the future in political science, the UCSD brand name I believe will be helpful. While not associated, their PhD program is a top ten, and at IRPS I can work with some of those faculty. I think this gives me more flexibility, especially pursuing an academic track if I so decide in the future. For American, the greatest draw and the reason I applied there and not to GW Elliott or Georgetown, is their dual degree program with Korea University... I'm not sure I can easily turn this down. I'm also trying to get some funding from JSIS at the University of Washington. I applied to a pair of FLAS fellowships and was waitlisted through both. They have a fantastic Korean studies program, and I was actually considering that my first choice before the funding seemed to dry up in front of my eyes...

Has anyone heard anything about TA/RA positions yet?

No SIS funding for me, I might be seeing some of you at UCSD in a few months.

I got waitlisted there as well. Would it be prudent or annoying to check with them to see how long their waitlists are?

Best of luck to both of us then, I for one am hoping that a number of people accepted also applied for PhD programs somewhere and get accepted with full funding. I'll have to hope that my Global Center application is stronger than that of my East Asian one. I'd be very unpleasantly surprised if after this I was denied admission to the school. I figured this would have been my strongest application, and the wait list for a FLAS is quite a good sign. This waiting is terrible!

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!

I applied for Korean at U Washington and got the same notification. I'll cross my fingers for the application that went to the Global Center then, and for others to decide on attending other universities. Anyone know what the odds for being awarded the FLAS after being declared an alternate?