woolfie

Ugh, I'm dying here! This is my last phd program. I'm pretty sure it's a reject, I'm not delusional. But I'd like to put it past me and know for sure. UVA is my dream program and I want to stop fantasizing that I get in there!

The governor in my state has vowed to cut funding to public education and has said publicly "Ohio doesn't benefit from research papers lost in a drawer somewhere." I don't want to offend or argue about politics, but just as far as public education goes, politically right now it is not valued at all and schools, at least in the Midwest, are quickly losing more and more funding because of attitudes like this. It depresses me so much that bank bailouts are okay but public school teachers are the enemy of fiscal responsibility. Sorry for the politics rant- I agree that paying to do a PhD is probably the worst investment of all time. GETTING PAID to do a PhD is slowly become a bad investment as well, when you taking into consideration the time spent living on patlry stipends (I think some people do take out partial loans when they've got a stipend of 9K) compared with the rates of finding a job after the PhD. They ain't that high right now.

Yeah, that's not on the website at all. If someone gave you sass about emailing them and not reading the website, that's just dumb. I love UWs program for what I know about it, but that kind of stuff leaves a bad taste in my mouth about their organization. Though big state schools just sometimes are like that...

Bleh. That's what I thought. I should have applied to the phd program. Though that would have been even more of a long shot. I want to live in Seattle!

Does Washington ever fund MA students? I think I've heard that they don't and I'm wondering if I should just forget about them. I'd love to go to UW but I can't do it without funding. Anyone know?

I'm getting so antsy waiting for Illinois. Has anyone heard anything? Judging from previous years results, there should be offers made by now, no?

I'm very interested in Miami and Oxford, but right now I'm concerned for my partner who will be going with me. He needs to find a job and it seems like the university is the only option. How likely is it to find jobs in the town/university? Is it managable to commute to Cinci? Thanks!

Thanks guys, I've decided to visit. It's only an hour and a half away, I can do it in one day. I thought it would be weird, but it seems like it's not. I don't want to wait until the last minute to visit, so I might as well right now. Thanks for the advice everyone!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned what I see as the most important part of a decision like this: teaching. I don't think it's that professors "look down" on people who pay for their own MA, that's not the issue, but this profession is based in teaching and phd programs like to see a decent about of teaching experience which you can only get from a funded MA. Plus, don't you want to teach? Don't you want to get some experience teaching to see if you like it? Teaching should be central.

I dunno, I thought the same thing this weekend and they said I'm high on the waitlist. I think that they are spreading them out, taking their time. So you might still be in the running. Good luck!

I spoke too soon, I got an email last night. So that's great. Anyone thinking about turning MU down? YOU SHOULD

I'm second on the waitlist at a school that I'm really into. I live really close. Okay, you can obviously tell from my profile that it is Miami University and I live in Ohio. It would be easy and cheap to visit them and I was told by the DGS that the second person on the waitlist usually gets in, at least in previous years. I have another offer and I am visiting their campus this weekend, but I don't feel like I can make the right decision without visiting. The visit is really going to help make or break a decision for me. I need to know what the town is like that I'd be living in, what the people are like that I'll be studying with/under, etc. Should I wait and see if I get in and then visit? It seems like that could be very close to April 15th and I have other offers. What do you guys think?

Ugh, there's a bunch of waitlists posted and I didn't get one! Are they done making offers to admits? I've only seen one admit to the masters program...

Has anyone been accepted? I only see rejections. I'm waiting for mine. It'd be nice if it weren't a rejection though...

So they've already made their first round of offers?

Nothing- I'm also really eager to hear from them. Only one notification on the board right? I bet they are going to space it out over the next few days, since there wasn't a flood of them. Here's hopin!

What in the samhill is going on with UNC? They are my last great hope for a PhD program, and have been bumped up to top choice. I just wanna hear SOMETHING. Has anyone gotten rejections? Has anyone heard when notifications are going out? I'm dying here...

If it were a 9-5 I'd say do it. But a PhD program? Ever second is valuable when you are in graduate school; I personally think not living within walking distance of a campus is too far, I need to spend ALL of my time devoted to research, writing, and teaching. Especially since, why do you want to live on Manhattan? It seems like you will only be paying through the nose to live in a place you can't enjoy because you are in a PhD program in a different city.

Oh, pssh, go to Penn State. They are still very highly ranked. Yes Michigan is prestigious but you need to go where you will be happy and functional, you need to go where you will do the best work for your abilities and it seems like Penn State is the best fit. Thought I will add that Ann Arbor is also an awesome, beautiful, college town. Though, either way, I hope you like football...

I think we might need more details, it depends on which schools, and how much of a difference in ranking. I think that the most important thing, which can affect ranking but not necessarily, is that your specific area and whether or not has prominent scholars in the field. It could be possible that a lower ranked school has a strength in your specific area because of a prof with prominent publications. I'd ask your professor whether or not there are specific profs are good in your field, regardless of the rankings. That, and I'd need to know the difference in money and the difference in standards of living. I'd suggest comparing both salaries to the current city you live in, using a cost of living calcluator online, and if one is significantly higher well... do you have a lot of debt? Are you someone that has lots of help from parents? Has money never been an issue? Personally, money is a huge issue for me and I have been making very little money for the past three years and I am more swayed by money. Also, as far as if you like the city or not, have you already recieved an MA? Are we talking about a PhD program? How many years would you be living in the town, etc. I need more info!

Has anyone else recieved an acceptance to the Master's program. I got a very nice email with funding details, but not word on visiting the campus or more info. Just wondering what's going on...

I applied to the MA program. I've heard both bad and good things about funding there.

I still don't understand why we haven't seen more acceptances. There are only four and they're fellowship recipients. Do you think that they've finished with their offers, it's just that those acceptances don't use grad cafe? Or that there's another round of offers to be made? The email about contacting by March 1st if you havent seen word makes me think that, if you haven't been contacted by March 1st, you're rejected. Because if you were accepted, they wouldn't forget to tell you....

Why are they rejecting people before admitting people? Seems like a weird way to do it. Has anyone gotten in yet?

Wait, where did we get the info that today is that last day for decisions? Is this speculation or did I miss some crucial info?