holi10

Thanks for the response! I understand that it sounds "strange," but they did offer me a post-doctoral fellowship due to their hopes of me completing the PhD with them and even went on to explain (what you explained as well) that I would be awarded the funding after I finish the PhD. I think that they would think that studying abroad would be valuable experience to help propel my research, however, it just makes me "nervous" to ask for a gap year or in the terminology of the graduate school a deferral.

It would be the same school yes. Even though I have been offered a post-doctoral fellow, I still have to "apply" for admissions into the program. After they accept you into the program, I believe (or so I have been told by other grad students in our department) that you can defer admissions for a year. In other words, they will hold your position (funding, health benefits, etc.

I am writing because I was hoping to get some opinions from other graduate students on my current situation. I am a second-year MA student in Hispanic Linguistics and I will be finishing up my MA in the spring of '18. I have already been awarded a post-doctoral fellowship that will be granted to me after I finish up my dissertation in the PhD program. Currently, I am wanting to take a year after completing my MA to study in Spain for a year at the Universidad de Salamanca to complete a year Master in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language, given that it would give me time to make some academic contacts abroad, take classes associated my areas of study (Second Language Acquisition and Spanish Pedagogy) and better my Spanish. In our program, a lot of students take a year before the PhD or during the PhD to study and work as an English teacher in Spain, Mexico or Costa Rica. I am interested in doing the same, however, my option or "program" would not be associated with the University. In other words, I would be going about it on my own and asking to defer entrance into the PhD program. Many people ask me why I do not want to do one of the University programs and it is because you have to teach English. I taught English for a year in Spain and I truly did not like it. My passion is teaching Spanish and not English and I do not feel "comfortable" spending the majority of my time devoted to planning English classes when my goal of being in Spain is to better my Spanish. I have talked to other graduate students in the department and they said that (they think) I would be allowed, but I have to gain approval from the graduate studies director. However, before going to do that, I was wondering if others have been in similar situations and if you have any recommendations or suggestions. My main concern is that I do not want the University to think that I am not wanting to continue on in the PhD program because this is simply not the case. I do not see myself completing my PhD in another University. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks

They explained that it was for when I graduate with my PhD that they would keep me on for a year to do research.

I applied to an MA in Hispanic Linguistics program and they accepted me with a full graduate package. That means I work as a Graduate Teaching Assistant teaching Spanish and only pay university fees. So, I do not pay tuition. I got expected into my program by the admissions director of the department who then had me officially admitted by the graduate school. I received a letter for that and with a contract. After I had excepted the offer, about a week letter the director of graduate studies of the department from which I belong said they they had extra funding and due to my very strong application for the program that the committee had offered me a postdoctoral fellowship for if I was to continue into the the PhD program. He just wanted me to give an answer of a yes or a no and a signature which would be held onto until the time came for me using the fellowship. He said that during my fifth or sixth year, I would be relieved of my teaching to be able to work on research in the department. I find it confusing since know one else that I have talked to has been offered this package and just wast not sure if my case is special, etc.

I also have found myself confused on the offer. I am a first year Masters student and I did indicate wanting to go through to the PhD program. Once I accepted my initial offer with them they then came back with a postdoctoral fellowship offer and stated that I would receive the funding for when I finish and would be relieved from teaching responsibilities to just focus on research for a year. I think it is really interesting and I don't want to discuss it with my colleagues because I think it is a personal situation.

Hi everyone, I am writing because I am a first year graduate student in a Masters program and was offered a Post-Doctoral Fellowship and I am just curious as to know what that actually means and if that is offered to everyone in the program? If anyone has any knowledge about this, please let me know. Thanks

I applied to Indiana University, University of Georgia, University of Arizona and University of Florida. All of them accepted me except for University of Arizona. Overall, I am very happy with the results!!

I just wanted to tell everyone my final scores for my third GRE test. I did the best on this one and I am happy with the results. Analytical Writing: 4.5 Verbal: 153 Quantitative:144 I believe that for an MA in Hispanic Linguistics the two most important scores are AW and V. Any opinions about my new scores? Also, if anyone is taking the GRE, the test measures your knowledgeability of the questions. After reading so many questions, you start to guess the answer that they looking for. I think if I studied for a few more months and took it again, I would improve. Overall, I am happy with the results!!

Hi, I will read your SOP if you will read mine! If you PM it to me, please send the school that it is for or the prompt for the SOP. Thanks, Nick

Hi, Everyone, Is there anyone that would be interested in reading my SOP and giving me some feedback? I would also be willing to read and critique your SOP if you would like! Let me know on here and I will PM it to you! Thanks Nick

I signed up to take the GRE again next month. I am going to just study verbal, so I am reviewing the Magoosh lessons and I bought the Manhattan prep book for extra practice. I will post updated scores when I take the exam. Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I am going to do some more research into what each school is looking for as far as for verbal scores. Also, some of you have asked what kind of prep I did for the GRE and I did Kaplan and Magoosh. Kaplan was very easy to me and Magoosh was very difficult. I am probably going to retake it again to see if I can raise my verbal score to at least the 50% percentile which would be a 151 (one point more). If anyone has anything they would like to add, I am open to opinions! I appreciate the feedback. Thanks ~Nick

Firstly, I am a horrible standardized test taker. I took the ACT five different times and the highest score I received was a 20. I have been oscillating with the idea of going back to grad school since I graduated in the spring of 2013 in hopes of doing my MA in Hispanic Linguistics. So, I took the GRE last year for the first time and I was completely disheartened by the results with a V-148 Q-143 and AW-4.0. After these results, I waited a year and just took it again and received a V-150 Q-141 and AW-4.5. I have e-mailed various universities that interest me and asked about the GRE and they always say they care about the V and AW, so although my scores are lower, I don't know if it is worth retaking again. In continuation, when I prep, I prep. In other words, I have spent over 100+ hours studying words, learning math properties and practicing writing. I don't know if I should retake at this point. I believe that the other pieces of my application package will suffice. I will mention those below! Should I retake or not?! GPA 3.94 Studied abroad twice (1 month) and (1 year) Taught Spanish at the Secondary Level. President of the Foreign Language Honors Society Outstanding Spanish Major for 2012-2013 Took and passed the DELE C1 exam (which states that I have a native level of Spanish). Leaving to teach English in Spain for a year. Currently, taking Catalan classes. I have multiple professors for recommendations who I have known for 3+ years and can demonstrate my academic achievement. What should I do? Do I retake the GRE or not?

Hi, Everyone, I am going to be applying to do my MA in Hispanic Linguistics and I am trying to come up with a good introduction for my SOP. First, I want to give you guys a little background into my research interests so that you understand why I thought of using a brief dialogue in stead of a formal introduction. I am interested in studying the intersection of Spanish Sociolinguistics (variations in Spanish grammar) and its intersection with Spanish Second Language Acquisition (in study abroad situations). In other words, how variations in Spanish grammar affect Second language learners of Spanish. Therefore, I wanted to introduce this idea using a dialogue that I heard between two natives while studying abroad in Spain. The dialogue would include variations in Spanish grammar which would be a good segue into how I became interested in the two fields and what I want to research in graduate school. If anyone has any opinions, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Nick