siue16171617
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Posts posted by siue16171617
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I think you did pretty well with this. When I was applying to master's programs, I was told that for the most part, they were cash cows for the university. I got a scholarship that covered half of tuition and felt pretty lucky to get that much.
Agreed. MA/MS = $$$$$ for universities. If you get any kind of aid for an MA/MS, then you are one of the lucky few.
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I'm railing against the genre more than the specific writer. It is quite obvious that school isn't for everyone. And it is for some people, but only to a certain level. And I do agree with StrangeLight that because someone decides that academia isn't for them does not make them deficient or a failure - they just figured out what works for them. But this whole genre of blogs about how awful grad school is just becomes so tedious when they repeat all the problems as if they were the only ones to suffer them, or as though all of us applying are ignorant rubes unaware of the risks. The fact that they are making so many complaints while being so happy with their new life is even more suspect. Every couple of days someone posts a blog telling everyone how it really is, but completely overlooking the fact that most of us applying are aware of the dangers of this path, and we need to find out if it is right for us or not, and the blog cannot be our only information in making that decision.
But even those who go to grad school and quit to become happy elsewhere are actually better off for having attended; they discovered it wasn't for them. The people who went and found the whole experience awful and soul-destroying can go on with their lives knowing that academia is not for them, and in fact the trials of a PhD program often makes them realize what really makes them happy and what is truly valuable to them. If nothing else, the attempt helps direct them towards future happiness. The Chef and the girl at the animal shelter both were still improved by the experience, because they were able to figure out what to do with their lives. These kind of blogs overlook this fact. And also want to offer a told-you-so to anyone who fails in grad school, even though the only way to truly know if it fits or if you will be one of the rare successes is to actually try.
I totally agree. It's a free country. People should do whatever they want. I hate the bloggers who take it upon themselves to tell young people (or older people who want a change in their lives) what to do. We all have access to job statistics, failure rates, etc.
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Some schools don't send out anything if they reject you, period. You might end up having to contact them to find out about your rejection. I speak from experience...
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I'm bumping this thread because I was hoping others had replies. I was waitlisted at my top choice and I want to email the director of grad studies. His email didn't say anything about a rank, so I don't know how far down I am on the list. If I'm really down there, I know the waitlist is an implicit rejection. If so, I'd just like to know now so I can move on.
Anyway, if anyone's sent an email, is it kosher to say that this school is my top choice and I'd accept an offer of admission immediately? I think I should state my enthusiasm for the program, but I don't want to sound too pushy...
Emailing the DGS won't hurt anything. Making it onto the waitlist is, in my opinion, a huge compliment, not a rejection! Usually, depending on your field and the particular school, hundreds of people get rejected, a handful get waitlisted, and a handful get offers. Most likely you were in the top 10% of applicants, but office politics meant it was someone else's turn to get a grad student. Send the email and say you would love to go to school there, etc. etc.
I got waitlisted at a top program, and into two other ones. I was told I was first in line should someone decline an offer. I visited the two other schools, fell in love with one of them, and moved on with my life before April. Haven't regretted it for a second.
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I was recently accepted to UW-Milwaukee, so anything anybody could tell me about living in Milwaukee would be *really* helpful! I've spent the last six years in Boston... anybody know how the winters in Boston compare to those in Milwaukee? My bf and I are really into good food, music, beer, and low-key living, so it sounds like Milwaukee might be our kind of town. What's the cost of living like?
Water Street Brewery is good. You will hear people talk about Rock Bottom, but I never liked it very much. Sobleman's is over in Marquette's neighborhood, but well worth the drive. It is in the old industrial part of the city, and it looks rundown, but its a real gem. UWM is a nice area, so anything on the north side is going to be good (probably expensive).
To be blunt, Milwaukee is one of the most racially segregated cities in America. Generally speaking, UWM and the immediate area surrounding Marquette are good, as well as the "3rd Ward." White people usually live there. Milwaukee's south side has a large Hispanic population, and the west to northwest areas have large black populations. Personally, I lived near 25th and State St., which most (white) people will say is a bad part of town. I would have to agree. I wouldn't live there again if I had to move back to Milwaukee. I don't want to scare you-- I never had a problem, nor did any of my friends. But some of the characters who I would see at night...they did not make me feel the safest.
Lots of beer-drinking opportunities in Milwaukee. Ethnic-fests happen all the time, and are worth going to. The Brewers should be good this year...
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It is finally over. I applied to seven schools in 2010 and got no admission. Quite frustrated. All rejection mails mention that I'm not competitive enough. I don't figure out what it means "not competitive". This term is so vague to me. I got good GRE and TOEFL scores, have three not bad recommendation letters,and a strong SOP. Is there anyone here who can kindly tell me what does "competitive" mean?
I have no idea. But with History PhD programs, your letter-writers really have to know someone on the admissions committee. It is more who you know, not what you know, in my opinion. You can have the most dominant application of all time, but if your writers don't know professor X, then I don't think they will look at you. Even if they do know professor X, he or she has to be on the committee, AND it has to be his or her "turn" to get a graduate student. Anybody who thinks the process is democratic...they just don't know what they're talking about.
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Honestly, to be very frank, taking our 80,000 in loans is a terrible idea for a master's degree...in just about anything. Look at the job market. Look at your expected salary after you finish the master's degree. Look at all the other debt that you are carrying--car, credit cards, undergraduate student loans, etc. How much money can you make next year without a master's degree? Now add 40,000 to that number, and that's the opportunity cost of going to graduate school.
This is my personal, cynical, biased opinion. Master's programs in the humanities and social work are full of people who take out HUGE loans for comparably little reward. These master's students take classes with PhD students who are not only on a full scholarship, but are also getting paid a (barely) living stipend. You are sinking into debt, they are treading water.
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Hi, there.
I'd check out Craigslist to see what's going on first. I currently rent from Hodge Construction, which is, in my opinion, the best leasing company in Iowa City. I am not sure if they allow dogs in any of their properties, but you should check them out regardless. STAY AWAY FROM APARTMENTS DOWNTOWN!!!!!! They are the WORST, and anyone living here who has rented from them will agree.
I seriously want to second the "Avoid Apartments Downtown" warning, and also add Kacena Real Estate Management to the list. Both are pretty bad companies. You can probably split a two-bedroom condo on IC's far east side. North Liberty is also a good option if you don't care about being close to campus.
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So I accepted the offer from Iowa! I am plannign on going to Iowa City in the next month or so to check ou tthe housing situation. What exactly comprises downtown? I want to live close, but not in the craziness. I've heard it has calmed down since a law passed not allowing anyone under 21 in any of the bars past 11 or 12 (not sure on the timing).
Do not rent from either Apartments Downtown or Kacena Real Estate Management. Both of these companies have bad reputations on campus. The former has a class-action lawsuit filed against them (yeah, I know, right?), and the latter is sleazy. I would stay away from the "downtown-side" of Dodge and Benton streets. This is where undergraduates drink and party. University Heights, on the other side of the river, is nice, but you will need someone to split the rent. Personally, I would not live near Willow Creek Park--if murders happen in IC, they happen around that area. I know a lot of people who live on the far east side of IC in newer condo units, which are nice. They just take the bus to campus--semester passes are $40.
I'm just finishing my first year at Iowa in a dumpy apartment in Coralville. I know that I am generalizing, but Coralville (south of the interstate) is full of large apartment complexes. It is not the best situation, especially because you just don't know who your neighbors will be (impoverished grad students who read all the time, or Goodyear mechanics who party all the time, you really take a chance). But I am about to move to a house in the Longfellow neighborhood-- south and east of Governor and Burlington.
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Yes you have a shot. GRE scores don't really matter that much. I would apply. Georgetown will be a VERY expensive place to live though.
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I would seriously caution against saying you are uninterested in academia-- the reviewers are all academics.
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Well, I'm kind of pursuing both veins. This fall, I'm beginning an MA at a very small regional state university, in a department where there's only one or two faculty per broad. regional/thematic area. The required curriculum is very much geared toward attaining a broad historical knowledge. So I'll be getting a strong foundational knowledge of global history and research methods. But I'm also going to do at least two independent studies with the professor in my specialization, so that I can begin to develop a specific focus in my area as well. I'm hoping that will help me to get into a PhD program with a strength in my area of focus.
Broad is the way to go in my opinion. The only way to get a job in academia is by demonstrating your usefulness to the department-- the ability to teach different time periods and topics. Frankly, undergraduates will not care about your dissertation topic or specialization. The ability to teach broadly will serve you well, while specializing in one topic will handicap your employment prospects.
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I ended up signing for an apartment out in Coralville. I think it was a smart move. I do not want to be by undergraduates!
The company that I signed with is an absolute joke. They are called Kacena Real Estate Management, also known as K-REM. If anyone else is looking for housing in the Iowa City/Coralville area, then stay away from properties owned, operated, or associated with K-REM. They keep security deposits based on bogus claims, and many of their tenants have sued them in the past. Their office is basically a machine shed in the industrial sector of the city. Expect shoddy housing if you sign with them. But my advice is to simply stay away. There are numerous vacancies all over the place, so K-REM is not the only game in town. River City Property Management is also a pretty crappy company (I have friends who have dealt with them). But please, stay away from Kacena Real Estate Management. Renter Beware!
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I also highly recommend avoiding any properties managed by Kacena Real Estate Management (K-REM). This company offers cheap housing, but you get less than what you pay for. Seriously, these people will rip you off. They keep the security deposit based on bogus claims. They are being sued and have been sued by multiple parties. Of course, most tenants would rather let the money go (or don't realize that they can sue) than take them to court. K-REM is absolutely ridiculous, so stay away.
@Immajean: I mostly agree w/ColorlessGreen. Avoid Lucas, Dodge, Governer, College, Market, Gilbert (basically everything a few streets north and south of burlington from the river to the edge of town). A little North of town on the East side tends to be more residential house-like (Brown St. historic district). West of the river is the medical/dental campus...it is quieter but you'll tend to find more massive apartment complexes than affordable houses.
If you REALLY want an affordable house, or 2 bedroom apartment try Coralville (CHEAP! BIG!). There's a decent Coralville bus system that gets to campus (I know at least 2 grad students who do this daily). There are also a few commuter lots where you can park and bus (the cambus is free, and it's a discounted rate for parking). It's absolutely ridiculous to park on campus. So if you want to be in biking/walking distance stick with the West side and the Northeast parts. Otherwise, driving from Coralville will be no longer than 15 min.
@lo22 START LOOKING NOW. For whatever reason, it's an incredibly tight rental market. If you want to be at all close to campus in a decent place, check craigslist ASAP.
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I just got back from apartment hunting and was wary of places too close to the tracks as well. I'm sure the UI undergrads on here can speak to this better, but the tracks are for freight trains that seem pretty active. I managed to ask a girl walking out of an apartment building near the tracks how bothersome the noise was, and she said that the trains go through late every night, and blow their whistles (eek!). She was apparently woken up every night for about the first two weeks she lived in the apartment, and then got used to it.
I ended up signing for an apartment out in Coralville. I think it was a smart move. I do not want to be by undergraduates!
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The undergrads usually just party in downtown Iowa City. They can't easily get to coralville---nobody wants to drive drunk. I haven't commuted from coralville via public transportation myself--i know its possible with iowa city transporation, I dont' think it is with UIowa transportation--personally, I find that I get really nauseaus via busses so I avoid it. I don't really know of anyone that takes the bus regularly from coralville to iowa city--if they live in coralville, they usually have a car. Biking isn't really plausible from cville to iowa city--it would be a pretty long ride with all of your textbooks and the like, not to mention, you can't really bike from november through march. The horror stories you hear about the snow in Iowa are very accurate. I swear the period from early December to Mid-February is just one long, horrible blizzard. Especially this last winter. It actually can be quite amusing--there's a really large hill on campus, when its snowy out the busses have to serpentine across the road to get up the hill (often they end up sliding back down)
Does anyone know anything about the trains? I see a lot of apartments that are RIGHT next to the trains, and I am wondering how frequent the trains are.
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I will agree with everything that has been said about going with the best people over the best university name. The US News rankings are seriously flawed and incredibly misleading. The job market for PhDs in the humanities will be determined by who you know, not what you know. Also, consider teaching experience available to graduate students. It seems like big name institutions will treat you much worse than a "top 100 program." Consider the workload they are asking of you in addition to the coursework and research. If you are the hottest thing coming out under Prof. "Giant-in-the-Field" then you will have an excellent chance to secure funding beyond year 5, get published at journals, etc.
I also agree that all the posters on this forum are hyper about US News rankings, to their own downfall. These are the same people who seem to go with "quantity over quality" in the application cycle, i.e. they applied to a ridiculous number of programs (like, 12) as if it increases their chances. That's how universities like Yale make bank each fall. I am just sorry people haven't had better advice as undergrads.
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I couldn't agree more. I certainly wouldn't feel confident making a recommendation about a decision I don't know as well as my own. Nevertheless, don't underestimate the importance of working with well-respected professors in your sub-field who are eager to oversee your research. If your top 50 can offer you that opportunity, you're far from crazy for considering it over your top 10s.
I had a similar choice (top50 v. top10 in my sub-field) this year. And I did more than consider the top 50 program--I chose it.
I will agree with everything that has been said about going with the best people over the best university name. The US News rankings are seriously flawed and incredibly misleading. The job market for PhDs in the humanities will be determined by who you know, not what you know. Also, consider teaching experience available to graduate students. It seems like big name institutions will treat you much worse than a "top 100 program." Consider the workload they are asking of you in addition to the coursework and research. If you are the hottest thing coming out under Prof. "Giant-in-the-Field" then you will have an excellent chance to secure funding beyond year 5, get published at journals, etc.
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I am still waiting to hear from the University of Pennsylvania about their MA program. I don't even want to attend, and I have already officially accepted an offer somewhere else for a program I would much rather attend. Still, I put time into my Penn application, and paid the application fee. The online application confirms that my app was submitted successfully and completely, but I have yet to receive a single email from the department about my application, let alone a decision. I'm starting to wonder if maybe they don't get many applicants for their MA program, and don't even realize that someone actually applied this year. I haven't seen anyone post anything here about the Penn History MA. If I don't hear anything by 15 April, I may consider demanding my money back.
Sorry to all of you waiting on NYU and other programs that have no respect for their applicants. If universities like Yale, receiving 10,000+ applications overall this year, can get their decisions out by early February, then I don't think it's too much to ask for other institutions to respond by a reasonable date. Good to hear that is seems you all have pretty good programs to fall back on if NYU doesn't happen.
Email the director of graduate studies. Same thing happened to me, and I became fed up with it. They sent a letter to me after I called and emailed several people, and it seemed like it was in response to my inquiry. So contact them. Since it is this late, there is still an outside chance that you will get in, but I would not count on it. Ohio State was also very late in letting me know, and I still haven't received an official notification-- only in response to my own requests for information. All of this doesn't matter-- we are headed somewhere else!
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I asked a grad student about that (I am planning on securing housing in mid-April) and she said there will be housing available until about May, after that it would be really hard to find.
I would like to ask those in the know about snow. How much? How often? Is it a constant companion all winter? Or does it come and go?
I would expect snow from late December through March-April. It will all melt in the middle of March, and people will think Spring has finally arrived, then a late-season blizzard will dump over a foot. All in all, I think you have to worry about snow 3 months out of the year.
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Hey, I'm an undergrad at Iowa. Regarding those discussing housing options--the downtown area is obscenely noisy (I live right downtown and constantly have to listen to drunk college students screaming and sirens, you'd think we didn't live in the middle of where-the-fuck-are-you, midwest.) Nevertheless, the winters are bad enough that I think its better to live downtown and put up with the noise rather than have to walk to class in during the middle of January. There's also very little in the way of parking--and its expensive, so you don't want to have to drive to class. I have a single with Apartments Near Campus--I've been living there for two years. Originally I liked the apartment company, however recently the security has gone to hell. We have homeless people sleeping in the laundry room in my apartment building, and I've had two of them try to break into my apartment (they got halfway through the door before I pushed them out). Even though Iowa City is a relatively rural, we still have a rather extensive homeless problem. Anyways, when I informed the apartment company what had happened, and asked them to get better locks on the building (any key opens any of ANC's apt buildings) they told me they weren't responsible for security concerns. You might want to avoid them.
That is a horror story! Personally, I would hate the noise more than the walk/commute. As a graduate student, I will not have to be on campus every day (more like 2-3 days/week). It looks like Coralville might be where I'm headed. In your opinion, do the drunk undergrads primarily party in downtown Iowa City? Also, is a commute from Coralville via public transportation/U-Iowa transportation plausible? How many people do this? Also, riding my bike is a possibility, weather permitting.
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I just found out that I was accepted at Iowa, and would echo the above questions. Where are good, reasonable priced places to live? Any suggestions greatly appreciated!
I found this at another thread:
As an undergrad in Iowa City, I've been living in the dorms, so you may want to take my advice with a grain of salt. However, I can give you a bit of basic advice, if you like.
If quiet is what you want, avoid the downtown area to the east of the river, near campus. That means Market, Burlington, Gilbert, Dodge, Van Buren, and Johnson streets, essentially. From what I know, however, the area south of Burlington is pretty quiet - the people who tend to hang out near the bars don't really go into the residential areas unless they live there, and most of them tend to be undergraduates living in the apartments nearer campus.
Just about anywhere on the west side of the river is great. Quiet, relatively close to campus, etc. The Cambus, which is the free busline run by the university, stops at several places on Melrose Ave that I know of, so I'd guess that UniversityHeights would be a great place to live for convenience, if you can find any houses to rent there. If you live farther away from campus, you might want to invest in a public bus pass - even if you have a car, the parking on campus can be a real pain, and expensive as well.
I'm not sure about pricing, but Iowa City is pretty cheap in general. I think that renting a house for somewhere between $1500 and $3000 a month is common, but I'm not that sure about the quality of the house.
Good luck to you! Iowa City's a pretty nice, affordable place to live, so you should be able to find a place you like at a decent price.
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Does anyone have any suggestions for housing in Iowa City? I am looking for a quiet part of town, since I will be reading all the time! I know that it is a college town and that there will be parties everywhere, but are there any streets/neighborhoods in particular that I should stay away from? Also, how much would you say is a good price for a one bedroom apartment? I am moving from a big city, so the rent prices are much lower than what I'm accustomed. I don't want to pay too much!
For Humanties Grad Students - Is it really this bad?
in Officially Grads
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That's awesome.