IndEnth

Who would have thought! I really thought I was gonna be far older than the rest here. But, as I'd like to stress again at this point, so far in basically all talks with faculty I've had (interviews and after-admission-info-skype-calls), people have stressed that they appreciate the experience and maturity that I'll bring to the program, and that they expect me to be more focused and hit the ground running because of it. So don't think of you age as a hindrance - think of it as an advantage!

Hahahaha, totally. Like a safeword. Like, if you meet someone for the first time at a conference and they say "pineapple" - probably entirely out of context - you know it's one of us, or something

That's a highly personal decision of course. But as I said before on this forum: It's my second cycle, and last year I was admitted to only one school which turned out to be a bad fit for me (and my worst nightmare to live in). With heavy heart, I turned it down, acknowledging that I just wouldn't be happy there. I was 28 at the time, so you can imagine it wasn't easy. But I pulled myself together, and reapplied, and this time I have 7 admits, 4 of which are great fits, fully-funded and interesting places. I'm not saying pass on it. I'm saying be honest with yourself about what you want. There's no shame in trying again. And: it's never too late

I can tell you from personal experience that it's not any easier to balance the stress of an application cycle with a full-time job, especially one where people aren't supposed to know that you're applying (until it's settled) And I thought I was the oldest here I've been out of my MA for four years now, and also had a gap between BSc and MA.

Argh, I can hardly take it anymore. Already juggling researching at least four of the unis and trying to plan a visitation trip - but haven't even heard back yet from all unis I applied to. Of course I want more admits, but most of all I just want to know, so I can move forward...

Question: to how many open houses are you planning to go? I so far am planning on three, but still waiting on notifications. Would be terribly awkward if I had to drop a uni I sort of already committed to because a better one invites me too...

No, not yet. But they are really eager to talk, scheduled a skype call for Friday already. I assume I'll hear about it then.

That's true of course - foreign students are restricted to 20 hours of paid work per week. But even if you don't exhaust that with your RAship/TAship, some unis will forbid you from taking up other work, because they claim you get your funding so that you can fully concentrate on your studies.

Also, got an offer from UMD. Very nice letter. And first school that said they're open to negotiations because they really want to compete for the best students.

The funding really differs from place to place. I have both kind of offers: NYU for example offers a stipend, and should I do a TAship, I'll get extra cash. UCR on the other hand only offers a TA spot, so that I can use that money to pay my own tuition (with no basic stipend guaranteed). About work: Some places (like Notre Dame, for example) are super strict and prohibit anything that's not TAship or RAships. Others, like some lower ranked UCs, allow a number of hours, and beyond that you need permission (which will probably be based on the kind of work and your grades). But it's an important factor for me to find out about opportunities to work as well, considering that I'm a working professional right now, and with just a couple of hours of freelance work per week, I could considerably up my stipend.

Was gonna ask the same thing!

Yes, I sure will Have to rearrange my travel schedule, didn't expect it to be so late, but I'll fit it in. I assume you'll be there too?

Hahaha! Yes, I would totally love that letter too! So far, all the unis have been very friendly and pleasant in their communication, actually. And as a rule of thumb, the lower in the ranking, the more of a fuzz they've made about reaching out and trying to get candidates interested (at least that's the experience I've made so far). Which I think makes sense: I was only considering UCSB despite my other options because they made such an effort, and I felt that I would really be welcomed and looked after there. I guess it has something to do with the vibe I got. With NYU, I'd consider the offer one way or the other, even if I got an email saying "hey derp, here's your offer." Anyways, considering that they are only guaranteeing three years of funding (two of them through mandatory TAships), UCR is not really an option at this point, regardless of the communication.

Just got an acceptance from UCR. Worst notification ever, dry, standardized email by graduate school with official funding offer attached (worst offer too, only 3 years), without anyone from the department reaching out first.

I got into UPenn! So exciting!

Same here. Well, they told me when the visitation day is, but I won't be able to make it because it's only 2 weeks from now. Looking forward to the funding info.

Haven't officially heard anything in more than a week (even though two likely rejections, based on acceptances on the board) - it's so weird to just sit around and wait for weeks on end. I just want to know already, so I can start planning!

Woah, that's torture! Good luck

I was in that same situation last year (and then again this year for a while, before the NYU offer came). Last year, I decided against it, but not because it's not a top 25 school. It wasn't the right fit for me, and I just couldn't see myself living in that place for 6 years (considering that it wasn't my dream school). So I figured I really want this, but I was convinced I could do better, and tried again. This year UCSB was my first offer. I was a lot better about selecting my programs this year, and I knew that I would have a great, young, motivated supervisor there, would get the funding I need and - added bonus - really enjoy living there. So I was going to take it if nothing else came it, regardless of the ranking. Rankings can only provide so much guidance - it so happens that someone really up'n'coming in my field is at UCSB, so for me, it is a good choice. I think asking advisors is a good idea. And of course research the lower ranked place you're considering - how much funding is available, where have graduates gone to, how many other advisees has your potential advisor, how well do you click with them, how many opportunities (TA, RA, summers, field work, etc.) will you get there? And, not entirely unimportant considering that you also want to be happy over the next five to six years - what does your gut tell you?

@Eobard Thawne I assume it's your alma mater, or how come you know so much about the program?

Seriously, how does a program like UCR think they can be competitive if they send out decisions so late in the process? They don't have the prestige to to be able to afford it...

Also waiting on UCR, they contacted me three weeks ago for some documents, but haven't heard since. Was bit surprised to see the acceptance today...

@VMcJ I'm a 29-year-old non-American without research experience, with degrees in economics and journalism from Europe and a MA in politics from Asia, who didn't contact any POIs beforehand (and has far from famous recommenders who are far from even knowing the schools I'm applying to, let alone the professors). A year ago, I was exactly where you are now. So I was 28 at the time, still not doing my PhD, and realised I had just spent thousands of dollars for nothing. But I was determined to do it, so I tried again. And the second time, I did it better. I still don't have anyone to mentor me, but I found grad students who were willing to help, and I was on this forum, which also helped. I improved my letters of recommendation and, most importantly, my SOP - doing much more background research and tailoring them much more this time. And I was more strategic about selecting my universities. That's highly personal of course, but doing my PhD with a POI with very similar research interests for me outweighs a lot of rank considerations - I could be happy at UCSB as well, I figured. A year later, I already have 4 admits - including NYU, which outright rejected me last year. I'm not saying give up this cycle, nor am I telling you you have to do it again. I'm just saying in case you want to try again - it's definitely not too late, and the second time you're likely to fare much better than the first, because of all the experience you've gained this time. It's possibe Don't lose hope! PS: In the interviews and after-admission-calls I've had so far, many professors actually told me that my age (and work experience) worked in my favor, as they appreciate the experience and maturity I'll bring to the program, and expect me to be focused and make quick progress because of it. So no, your age doesn't actually work against you (I was worried about that exact same thing last year).

Yup. Having the same experience with UCSB - the professor who is the best fit for me emailed me, and has already skyped with me twice, to clarify any questions I might have, talk about research interests, and to discuss strategy. Makes you feel really special and excited. The only reason why I'll visit both schools in March.

Prefer not to share publicly, I think.