litzzie
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Posts posted by litzzie
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On 20 March 2016 at 9:47 AM, Hemmelig said:
Hi Litzzie,
Awesome news about UVic! Do you have any idea when they will forward you info about funding? Surely, they don't expect you to make a decision without knowing how much you will be awarded!
I found out this past week that I didn't get into UBC -
. I am disappointed because it was my first choice and since I thought the interview went well! Oh, well! I do have options with UofC and, I have been waitlisted for SFU.
Hey Hemmelig! Thanks! But funding isn't looking so good. The POI told me the fellowship is more like 5000 here and 3000 there...wont' make a huge difference; and he couldn't get the funding he was hoping for. He would have to reapply and until his funding came through I would have to go unfunded. He said I could still apply for other scholarships but they super competitive. In the meantime my husband got a job offer in Switzerland and it complicated things even more (seriously!!! the timing!!!!) I am still thinking what I should do...
So sorry to hear that you didn't get into UBC. I am with you about how things looked just a few weeks back -- things did look pretty positive. That said, UofC is a very good uni, and the lower cost of living in Calgary will be a plus.
Do you mind if I ask about the funding you are awarded? I just kinda want an idea what is considered acceptable. I asked about whether TA-ship comes with tuition remission, but was told that we don't get TA-ship at all...is it even possible???
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On 17 March 2016 at 11:54 PM, lackingpatience said:
Hey litzzie - first of all, congrats on your offer!
Obviously, as I'm sure you know, none of us can tell you what to do one way or the other - but as a Canadian studying abroad in the UK I'm happy to offer up my two cents. I was admitted to my program with a partial scholarship that covered tuition and fees and had to decide whether I was willing to take the risk and try to pull in living costs from other grants, bursaries, and scholarships as I went along.
I was in love with the program and it was a great opportunity so I took the risk, moved overseas and started applying for scholarships. Though I'm happy with the choice I made in all honesty it's extraordinarily stressful to be in this position. Constantly having to pinch pennies and stretch one funding source to meet the next takes away from energy that could be focused on your research if you have a full ride scholarship or fellowship. But I had half-funding guaranteed at least, and I can only imagine that having a husband and child in tow would multiply this stress. You also need to consider what you would do if you accepted the offer and then no funding sources came through. Would you have to drop out? To do this last minute might burn your bridges with the school if you wanted to try and reapply again next year for a fellowship.
In the end you have to decide whether its a risk you want - and can afford - to take, and be prepared for many hours of money stress. I totally sympathize if you do want to take the plunge - we're all mad for research
but if this sounds daunting I'd urge you to consider reapplying again next year instead. Best of luck!
Hi lackingpatience, thanks for your comment. I really appreciate it. My husband thinks I should reapply next year and if I got an offer again, apply for deferment for a year, and in the meantime he would try to look for jobs and see if we could go with at least some financial support. It's not ideal but I guess that's just what we have to do now...thanks for sharing your experience, once again!
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18 hours ago, rising_star said:
I would be incredibly nervous about that decision and, in your situation, would probably go with the job offer. A bird in hand is better than two in the bush, as they say.
Yes, rising_star! The husband is offered an attractive enough package, and he isn't willing to pass that up. Fair enough...I guess I will discuss with the prof and look into deferment. Thanks for your input!
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On 18 March 2016 at 4:04 PM, MathCat said:
I think it's a choice you and your husband have to make. There is a real risk that if he passes up the job offer, you could still end up with no funding. Is that a risk the two of you are willing to take? I can't answer that.
Yes, you are right. It's a huge risk to take. I think the choice is pretty obvious...thanks!!!!
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Hi, I got into UVic (BC, Canada), but my GPA isn't competitive enough for me to be qualified for the fellowship, so long story short, no funding at this point. The grad secretary gave me a bunch of info regarding bursaries and funding that are due in June and August. I have 2.5 weeks to accept the offer. Should I accept first and see if I could somehow secure some funding between now and September??? Or it's just way to risky? I have a 4yo child and will go with my child and my husband if I accept. Thank you in advance for your insights!
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On 28 February 2016 at 0:12 PM, Hemmelig said:
Hi Litzzie,
I just saw that posting on the results section and it's not me! I am getting a little more anxious now!
Hey Hemmelig, any news? I got into UVIC, but no funding at this point...
sigh...not sure what I should do...
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16 hours ago, MathCat said:
You should just ask them. This is especially important if you have time constraints with your husband's job offer.
I did, MathCat. They replied really quickly. Funding isn't available at the moment but the secretary gave me a bunch of deadlines between now and September. I know it isn't a lot of info for you to work on but do you think I should give it a go and try to get funding along the way? Would appreciate your input. Thanks.
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7 hours ago, Nirvik said:
I am currently in a similar situation. I got the offer, but the POI says she is working on getting me funding. Since, I have not received an official admission letter, I am hopeful that the funding comes through.
Good luck to you, Nirvik. My POI confirmed his funding application didn't come through. But he said he would continue to apply for fundings in summer and fall. It's just that RA-ship is probably out of question at this point. I wonder if there's still possibility of funding coming my way between now and September....
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Hi, people who are in the know, please help!! I got an offer from UVic yesterday and for the formal acceptance letter today. On the info list of my offer the funding info was listed as 'unknown'. What does it mean? Does it mean 'none'? Or does it mean the department/faculty didn't offer such info so I should contact them directly? Or does it mean I will know later?
I heard that most offers from Canadian unis come with a funding package. If I don't get it at this point does it mean it's likely to be an unfunded offer?
When I put together my application my potential supervisor mentioned making me his RA if his own funding came through. Does graduate studies admission handle this sort of funding as well? Or it requires me to find out on my own?
Thanks for you input! We have to make up our mind pretty soon as I would either have to go with the PhD or with my husband's job offer, and the job offer won't be around forever. Would really appreciate your thoughts on this! Thanks again!!!
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On 6 March 2016 at 0:03 AM, Tianmeihua said:
Hello,
First of all, I apologize for any mistakes. English is not my mother tongue.
I graduated two years ago from a Canadian University, and gained some work experience in the meantime (research and paralegal). I tried applying last year to different masters in my field, but did not get accepted anywhere. I persevered, and this year I actually got accepted to every school where I applied. However, I really have no idea of which school I should attend.
I also made somewhat of a stupid move: I did not wait to have all my offers in hand to accept an offer. USask offered me 48 000$ in scholarships over the course of two years for an MA in History. I never thought I would get so much funding, and I had to accept within a tight deadline, so I jumped on the occasion and accepted this amazing funding. There is a fieldwork course I could do in BC, in addition to my research, which will most likely be taking place in BC as well.
However, three weeks after, I got accepted at UVic (no funding), and UBC Vancouver, with a 5000 dollars scholarship for an MA in Anthropology. Both supervisors from USask and UBC are well-known experts in my field, and offered me to work on projects that fit perfectly with my research interests.
I feel extremely happy to have been accepted everywhere; yet at this point, I have no idea what to do and I feel very conflicted. I made pros and cons for both UBC and USask and both choices are equal in my mind (in terms of interest, research projects etc). I know UBC is more prestigious overall, but Vancouver is also a really expensive city to live in and coming from a poor background, I don't want to make any financially unwise decision. Should I defer my admission at UBC for one year and try to do my MA at USask in one year? I should note that I got permission from my current employer to keep working from a long distance during my studies and return to her firm once I graduate. I only have until March 10 to decide.
Thank you everyone for your insight
Hi Tianmeihua, when you said UVic didn't offer funding, do you mean they didn't offer funding with the initial offer letter? Did you ask if it means no funding at all, or funding info to follow? I just got my offer and there was no mention of funding...just wondering what I should make of it.
Thanks!
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10 hours ago, BeaLaCuriosa said:
Hello, just joining in here. I have been looking for a thread for U of T Education for ages. Did anyone get in yet? I am an international student (not american) but I received an offer for the PhD in LLE although I was also warned it was very rare, I went ahead and applied. I've also got into HGSE but it looks like I may turn them down for the U of T because I have always wanted to go there and I am happy with the faculty in that program. Does anyone have more information on the practice aspect of the programs at OISE? I wish you all the best. And I hope you hear some good news soon.
Hi! Congratulations on your offers!!! Good for you to apply to OISE!!! I didn't because a couple of faculty members told me funding opportunities are very limited for international students, and I really don't wanna fund my way through the whole programme. Did they also offer a funding package?
I just got a formal acceptance letter from UVic, but am still waiting to hear from them regarding funding...the waiting doesn't seem to end....
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On 7 March 2016 at 6:15 AM, Cayella said:
Hey @litzzie! Thank you soooo much for the energy you sent my way -- I got accepted into the MEd in TESL today. If you get into UVic, we can grab a coffee! Now I need to figure out the visa application process...
I most certainly hope we can meet in person!!!! Fingers crossed!! Congrats, Cayella!!!
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5 hours ago, Hemmelig said:
Hi Litzzie,
I just saw that posting on the results section and it's not me! I am getting a little more anxious now!
Hey Hemmelig, fingers crossed for you! I supposed it does take a while for all the results to be sent out...hang in there!
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On 25 February 2016 at 8:29 PM, Cayella said:
Thanks! I'm pretty much expecting a rejection at this point. I just want to know already! Oh well...
Hey Cayella! You don't know that! Won't know until you hear back from them! Crossing my fingers for you!!!
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On 26 February 2016 at 11:13 AM, Hemmelig said:
Litzzie!
Sorry to hear about UBC...I am keeping my fingers crossed for UVic. I haven't heard anything yet from LLED. The wait is starting to get to me!
Thanks, Hemmelig! I I was a little disappointed that I didn't get UBC, but like my husband tells me all the time, there are always more rejections than acceptances, and I shouldn't lose my heart.
I saw an acceptance in Language and Literary Education! Guess that's you??? If so congratulations! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for UVic as well. But to be honest I am not betting my hope on that at all...I guess I should start thinking about another round of apps next year
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11 hours ago, Cayella said:
I haven't heard from them yet, I am still anxiously waiting for a rejection... I just want to know already. I really hope you get into UVic! Keep us posted!
It's probably a good sign...I heard they usually hand out the rejections first...
sending you good vibes!!!
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2 hours ago, Cayella said:
Hey litzzie! I'm so sorry to hear about the rejection... I hope you get into UVic!
Hey Cayella! Thank you for your post!!! I am in the habit of checking email first thing I wake up in the morning, so I saw the message this morning even before I got out of bed! I had thought that I would be bitterly disappointed if I got rejected but when I read the message I felt more relieved than anything...at least I know the result now and know that if I got admitted into UVic that'd be it...if I didn't then well...at least I have tried!
How about you, Cayella? Have you heard?
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On 17 February 2016 at 4:34 PM, Hemmelig said:
Hi Litzzie,
Thank you for the good vibes! I had my interview yesterday and it was pretty standard (I think!). She asked me about my previous experiences, both education and work related. We spent a lot of the time talking about my research interests (i.e., RQs, methodology, geographical area, what age group, etc.). She also asked me about funding - if I have outside funding, would I be applying for SSHRC. It seems all a blur now, but I hope I was able to clearly articulate my thoughts to her!
About applicant interviews, she said that she contacted me because of her potential role as my supervisor (i.e., UBC does not randomly assign faculty members to interview applicants). In your case, maybe because you have already spoken with the faculty member you would like to work under and they "know you'', they don't feel the need to talk with you again??
Most importantly, the professor said that the committee will meet next week to finalize their decision and applicants will know w/in the first 2 weeks of March -as the Grad Cafe data suggests!
My general area of interest is minority language learners and their impact/relation to policy and pedagogy. UBC is the best fit for me and I like the size of the department. I think you have to go where you feel you will learn the most and where you find a supervisor who will really mentor you - regardless of ranking.
Let me know if you hear anything from UVic. I applied to SFU and their deadline was also Jan 15th, so I am curious as to when the schools with the later deadline send out their decisions.
Hey Hemmelig, just got my rejection email today! I hope you will hear good news from them soon!
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On 17 February, 2016 at 4:34 PM, Hemmelig said:
Hi Litzzie,
Thank you for the good vibes! I had my interview yesterday and it was pretty standard (I think!). She asked me about my previous experiences, both education and work related. We spent a lot of the time talking about my research interests (i.e., RQs, methodology, geographical area, what age group, etc.). She also asked me about funding - if I have outside funding, would I be applying for SSHRC. It seems all a blur now, but I hope I was able to clearly articulate my thoughts to her!
About applicant interviews, she said that she contacted me because of her potential role as my supervisor (i.e., UBC does not randomly assign faculty members to interview applicants). In your case, maybe because you have already spoken with the faculty member you would like to work under and they "know you'', they don't feel the need to talk with you again??
Most importantly, the professor said that the committee will meet next week to finalize their decision and applicants will know w/in the first 2 weeks of March -as the Grad Cafe data suggests!
My general area of interest is minority language learners and their impact/relation to policy and pedagogy. UBC is the best fit for me and I like the size of the department. I think you have to go where you feel you will learn the most and where you find a supervisor who will really mentor you - regardless of ranking.
Let me know if you hear anything from UVic. I applied to SFU and their deadline was also Jan 15th, so I am curious as to when the schools with the later deadline send out their decisions.
Hi Hemmelig! Glad that the interview has gone well. Your conversation with your potential advisor sounds very promising! When I spoke to the prof that I would like to work with, she didn't ask me much about funding. It was mainly about my area of interest and hers. I hope it was because the conversation was in November and she thought funding wasn't the most pressing issue back then...Do you feel the prof you spoke to is somebody who would work well with you?
When you say you like the size of the department, do you mean you like it small, medium sized or large? What do you think are the advantages of departments of different sizes? I still find it a little hard to judge which place is a better fit for me. For UBC, because it's a bigger uni, I'm sure there are more opportunities, but UVic isn't exactly a small uni either...I really have no idea how to rank the two places...
UVic's application was Feb 15!!!! I am pretty sure I won't hear from them until April. But if I did receive an offer from UBC I might just email them and see if I could hear from them a little sooner...
Let's stay in touch!
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5 minutes ago, Cochleah said:
Hello everyone,
I'm attempting to apply to graduate school in the fall and I've reached a bit of a predicament. I've been working as an Audiology Assistant for a few years, and I've been out of school for a while.
The requirements for the three letters of recommendation state they must come from a professor who can vouch for my abilities as a student. However, I'm 100% sure none of my old professors remember me.
How do I go about obtaining quality letters of rec. from professors who don't have the time or are not willing to do so? This is literally the last piece of the puzzle and any insights you may have would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Hi Cochleah, I had the same question when I put together my applications. I emailed the secretaries of the departments directly explaining that I graduated from my BA and MPhil a long time ago and the only prof with whom I had stayed in close touch with just passed away. Both schools replied saying that for mature students they handle the references differently, with the understanding that it might be impossible for people who have left school for a long time to obtain any references from their teachers. They both said professional recommendations will work just fine in my case. So my suggestion is email them and explain your situation, and see what they say.
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1 hour ago, Cayella said:
Hi collegebrandi83! It sounds like you have your academics to make up for any shortage in experience, so I, personally, wouldn't worry about that, especially if that paper is also related to your area. I completely understand why you only applied to one school, I applied to two, but the other one didn't charge application fees (thank god).
I've been checking out the site of Grad and Postdoc Studies, more specifically, the deadline section. Now, there it says:
Deadline for guaranteed consideration by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies of recommendations from graduate programs for overseas international students to be admitted for registration in September 2016. Later recommendations may be accepted upon special request from a graduate program.
DeadlineFriday, 26 February 2016So, I suppose it means that whoever the programs want to recommend for admission will be submitted by that date and, I'm hoping that it also means that applicants will find out as well. For American applicants, it's a different date though, as I think they are in the same category as domestic applicants:Deadline for guaranteed consideration by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies of recommendations from graduate programs for North American students to be admitted for registration in September 2016. Later recommendations may be accepted upon special request from a graduate program.
Deadline Thursday, 31 March 2016
Do you think this makes sense? Or am I trying too hard to make sense of every tiny bit of info available to me?
Thanks for the info, Cayella. Looks like we will know by March after all! Fingers and toes crossed!!!!
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4 hours ago, collegebrandi83 said:
Hi! I also applied to UBC, for the M. Ed program in Educational Studies SCPE program. I am from the U.S., and currently finishing up my third undergrad degree here. (A.A. Teacher Education Preparation, A.S. Math & Science, B.A. Linguistics [minor in Education]). The waiting game is insane!!! I only applied to UBC because it was the school that I really wanted to attend for graduate studies and because I honestly could not afford the application fees to apply to any safety schools. So, needless to say, I am really terrified of not being accepted. I graduated my previous degrees with honors and am expecting to do the same with my B.A. when I graduate in June this year. I currently have a 3.7/4.0 GPA and internship experience as an assistant teacher. I have also spent this academic year as research assistant for a professor of education at my university and co-authored a paper that we just submitted for publication to an academic journal this month. I am really hoping that this is enough to get an offer, but, I am worried that they might say I do not have enough experience. I am also worried because I am an international student, and earlier posts mentioned that they do not tend to accept international students. Does this also hold true for American students?
Hi collegebrandi83, did you check if they require experience before applying? You may not have much teaching experience, but your academic qualifications sound quite strong. Not too many undergrads have co-authored a published paper.
I can understand the application fee issue. Before I started putting together my applications I thought I would go for 5-6 programmes, but the app fee worked out to be quite unaffordable. So I decided instead of applying to all of them blindly I decided I would put in an application only when a faculty member agreed to support my application, and that's what I did. So in the end I only applied to two.
As far as I remember UBC didn't mention anything about not encouraging international applications. OISE of U of T specifies on their website that they don't take in many international students and don't have much funding for them, but out of the 6-7 places that I have looked, it seems like they are the only place that specifies that. Not to say other schools don't have the same policy, but the website of UBC certainly seems to want international students to apply...
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2 minutes ago, Neist said:
I manged by asking if any of a program's students have children, and if I could talk to those students. Most programs ask if you'd like to contact current students, so it really wasn't too difficult (assuming they had some parents in their program). After I got into contact, I asked what life was like in the area from the perspective of a parent. I've found that programs I've looked into are more than willing to help, but often they aren't unfamiliar with the graduate student/parent experience. However, student parents tend to be much more frank and pragmatic, and I found their comments helpful.
More than any factor, I've been careful to consider the living expenses of the programs I've applied to. For example, Bowling Green State, one of the programs I've been accepted into, is very affordable. Graduate student stipends in any program aren't significant, even if single, and they're stretched quite thin when supporting three or more people. However, if it only takes a few thousand dollars extra a year to support my family in a theoretical city "A" versus tens of thousands of extra in theoretical city "B". I've pretty much avoided any city that's closer to theoretical city "B". It's just not realistic, at least for me.
I think relocating as a parent is definitely doable, but is it more difficult. The advantage that those of us with children and spouses have is that I find that parents with children tend to be incredibly motivated. I'm motivated to finish my degree, and not simply for personal satisfaction. I want to be a good example to my daughter and provide for my family. I know that if you can find a program that works for you, you'll excel. It just takes some work to find the right program.
My thought exactly!! I am in my late thirties and sometimes I feel it's a little crazy to wanna go back to school at this age--most people my age will just get on with their lives and devote their energy and money on houses, children's education, and, if they have some spare cash, family holidays. But I have always wanted to take on the challenge of a PhD, and I would like my daughter (she's four) to know that her mom isn't afraid of going out of her comfort zone and making unconventional choices to go get what she wants. Hopefully, it will be a good example for her to look back on when she gets older and wants something that doesn't look like it is immediately within her reach.
My husband and I are also taking the cost of living into serious consideration. I have applied to two schools in BC, Canada. Even as I was putting my applications together I already knew that the cost of living there is quite high there. However, juggling between two jobs and a high-need four-year-old, I made the decision to only focus my energy on schools in which I could secure faculty support, and I only managed to secure the support of two faculty members in UBC and UVic. I don't think in terms of cost of living Vancouver and Victoria is going to be much different, but I am leaning towards Victoria for the slightly lower cost of living...once again, if I got accepted in both...
Did you ask them to put you in touch with other student parents after they had made you an offer? Or do you think I can start asking now?
Have you made up your mind on which programme to enrol?
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15 minutes ago, Neist said:
My wife has been quite understanding as well. I can definitely understand that it is a little bit of a gamble.
My daughter is three. I have asked about child care in the area, if I deem it necessary, but I've only gotten vague answers in that regard. A few graduate programs have put me in contact with other non-traditional students that are currently attending and they've been incredibly helpful. There's a lot of considerations that one with a family should know that a single student might not need, such as the quality of schools.
This is really helpful of them. Perhaps I should email the schools and see if they could put me in touch with anybody whom I could talk with regarding childcare as well. I never thought of that.
You are right--going for grad school is a huge decision for everyone, but for people with family it's a much harder one as we are also making decisions for our spouses and children. I actually haven't asked many questions on the childcare front--perhaps I should look into it even before I hear back from any of the schools. The only problem is that I have no idea who to write to. I have emailed a couple of people (e.g international office) and they kept referring me to other departments....
Got an offer, but no mention of funding...
in Decisions, Decisions
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I agree, Need Coffee in an IV! If it was just the two of us I guess we could handle, but with a child in tow it is a lot more complicated...certainly don't want her to see her Daddy only over the holidays...