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AspiringScholar17

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  1. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to Baloch in How to frame your SOP? Please help   
    No. You need to have a "theme" from the start to the end that connects with 3 faculty. It's like pitching a project and that you're the best to pursue it. Read this book: https://www.amazon.com/Graduate-Admissions-Essays-Fourth-School/dp/1607743213/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493514157&sr=1-1&keywords=graduate+admission+Essay
  2. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to Ilspflouz in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Personally, I would not go somewhere unfunded if I had other, funded choices. The intensity of a PhD program usually means you will not have any time to work. This means you would have to borrow not only for tuition, but also for living expenses (unless you have a spouse or parent or something you can live with who is able to support you). IMO it is not worth going into debt to get a PhD, based on the competitiveness of the job market and the amount you will make coming out of school with a PhD (e.g. it will likely take a very long time to pay back the amount of debt you will have). If I had to choose between going into a PhD program unfunded or just getting a job and putting my PhD dreams on hold, I would probably pick the getting a job part. If I had to pick between 2 funded schools and 1 unfunded, I would definitely go with one of the funded ones. This is just my opinion, so please don't take it as gospel. But I do want to preface it to say that it has been heavily influenced by advice I have received from my major professors over the years. All of this advice has pretty much been consistent with what the previous poster said. From what I remember, the reasoning for it has been due to a combination of the reasoning I have typed out here, along with this reasoning: that if a school really really wants you, they will find a way to fund you. You want the school you go to to look at you as an investment, be invested in your future, and treat you as a priority. Of the few students I know who went to programs unfunded, the main complaint has been that they have other peers who were funded at their programs and that it can feel like the funded students are given priority. But if everyone in the USF program is unfunded, that probably won't be the case - so take that with a grain of salt.
    Good luck making your decision! I hope this helps! Again, this is just my opinion, so don't take it as gospel! ;-)
  3. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to warwick in C&CJ Decisions 2017   
    Hi everyone! 
    Just wanted to post that I'm attending UAlbany's PhD program starting this fall. Albany was my top choice for awhile, and after attending the visiting weekend I knew my decision was made.
    Good luck to everyone else who is contemplating decisions and nervously waiting replies. Just remember in the long run nothing is ever worth worrying about because we are all in the same situation. Everything happens for a reason! ? 
  4. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to warwick in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    You can PM me if you want specific information.
    I got accepted with full funding to a top 3 PhD CJ program and it was my first time applying. My grades are nothing special. I have lots of work experience as a security guard and recently as a mental health case manager, but that's not what got me in.
    My point is, getting into a PhD program is much more than grades or work experience. Your statement of purpose is the MOST important thing, followed closely by your letters of recommendation.  
    If you don't know how to articulate WHAT you want to study, and how it is original AND important to the overall understanding of your field, you won't get it anywhere. If your professors cannot say anything positive about your academic rigor or insight into a specific research topic, you won't get in. The purpose of a PhD is to conduct groundbreaking research, and if you cannot convince the admissions committee of your ability to do this, then you are never getting in.
     
    BTW I don't mean to be facetious or blunt, but I am just trying to help you out. I'm sorry if you're frustrated. Keep revising your research interests and rewriting your statement of purpose. Ask previous professors to critique your writing too. Last but not least, make sure you go into it with a positive attitude. It will only help you if you remain positive.
  5. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to OptimiscallyAnxious in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Now that I've received my revised funding offer from UCI, I'm ready to submit my SIR. It's a relief to finally be done with this part of the process. 
    Best of luck to all those still waiting and in the decision process. 
  6. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to kiki_2_4 in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    No offense Brooke, I know it can be hard sometimes, but don't you have two offers? If it makes you feel better at all I'm an academic and nobody picked my up at all. Straight rejection. Being down on yourself won't make your situation any better. Maybe try to get a job with the Department of Public Safety at a school you could possibly go to and take classes on remitted tuition until the professors know you and you can apply again.
    I'm gonna have to be smart about going to school since they don't think I would make the cut/aren't willing to pay for me. If you want to feel sad for yourself and work at Walmart you definitely can, but it's a little hurtful to pretend that everyone with an academic focused application is just getting into all the schools. We're not.   
  7. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to Ilspflouz in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Great Q! I'm wondering the same. My priorities at the moment:
    1)Fit with # POIs and their current work
    2)Ability to publish with faculty
    3)Existing research-practitioner partnerships with opportunities for student work
    4)POI mentorship style/availability (how busy are they - will they have time to meet? Does their apparent mentorship style mesh with mine?)
    5)Program Quality/Job placement after PhD
    6)Attrition Rate for program
    7)Comp Style/Pass Rate
    8)Expectations for assistantship and type of work (GA/TA/RA, etc)
    9)Funding
    10)Quality of life/program style (What's the program like? Cutthroat? Supportive? Competitive?)
    11)Location
  8. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to RoadtoPhD in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    For those of you who applied to UT Dallas - admissions decisions are on the galaxy portal
  9. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to wknd_worrier in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    I heard back from Cincinnati this wknd— accepted w/ funding :)) 
  10. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to wknd_worrier in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Thank you!! 
  11. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to CJPHDHopeful in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Got a call from UMSL. Accepted:)
  12. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to Waitingforgrad in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Whenever I see on the admissions results page that someone has heard back from a school I haven't, I always feel super anxious and sad. I would rather the school just reject me than play this waiting game sometimes. 
  13. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to OmarComin' in What do you think?   
    Probably a very small percentage
  14. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to Brooke2016 in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Thanks for the great news!
  15. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to PhDorBUST in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Umm I got invited to the preview weekend  
  16. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to Waitingforgrad in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Thank you both so much!
  17. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 got a reaction from Waitingforgrad in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    @Waitingforgrad Totally agree with @PhDorBUST. I would email them to see if they would be willing to do something on Skype. I would make sure that they know it's because of financial constraints as opposed to a lack of care or unwillingness, but I would totally ask. 
  18. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 got a reaction from wknd_worrier in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    I just got it this afternoon at around 2:06pm to be precise!
    I wouldn't lose hope though, as there are many people with other offers that might choose other places!!
  19. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to PhDorBUST in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Do I think anyone meant to be braggy? Nope. Do I think people got wrapped up in their success and maybe forgot about those of us who are still waiting? Probably. Was it malicious? Of course not. 
    By the way, I edited my response because when I went back, I realized that I overreacted and took my anxiety out in the wrong place. This was a great lesson in not posting with a torn ACL before taking my pain meds I apologized and tried to make light of it with a little self-deprecating humor. I know that I will end up in the program where I am supposed to be, as we all will.
    While I love feeling like I'm so important that everyone gives 2 shits about what I think, can we drop this? If not, that's cool, but I'm out of it.
    Like I said previously, my sincerest congratulations to those of you with acceptances with funding. I saw another person got into UC and truly think that is wonderful. 
     
     
  20. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to Ilspflouz in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Wow, so it seems like this thread kind of exploded since I have been here last.
    I get the sentiment that some of you are expressing. The last time I applied, I applied to 10 doctoral programs and I didn't get into a single one of them. No "waiting list." No "acceptance without funding." A complete shut out. Meanwhile, my co-workers and friends around me each got into multiple programs and each selected the program of their choice. Rejection sucks. Period. It's a tough pill to swallow and it makes you feel like crap. Especially when you have worked your butt off on building your application for months (or years for some of us) and writing all your app materials forever. For me, I tried really hard not to take any of my rejections personally or let it get to me, but it's next to impossible sometimes. So I get why some people are lashing out. To those of you who application season is not treating well right now, I just want you to know that even if things don't go your way this time - don't give up hope. If you dream of getting into a PhD program, you can. If you get shut out and decide you would rather do something else, that's fine and you can do that too. Rejections don't mean you are shut out forever, they just mean you might have a delay/setback to overcome. I hope that everyone hears good news soon who hasn't been hearing the best. & Please treat yourselves kindly - application season takes a toll on you. 
    I do also want to say though that I also agree with Square. I don't think that anyone on this forum has been trying to do anything but express their statuses, celebrate their accomplishments, and hoping their info helps someone else who is eagerly looking for information about the programs they applied to. Can I see how people with multiple acceptances might come off as braggy? Sure. But I am also 100% sure that isn't their intention. We're all just excited and sharing it with people who have gone through the same process and therefore understand how big of a deal it is. Either way, thank you for letting us know that you have been put off by the way some of the acceptances have been being expressed. I will make sure to keep that in mind in the future.
    TL;dr: This process is absolutely brutal, and this thread was created for support. That applies to acceptances AND to rejections/ acceptances without funding. Anyone who is experiencing a setback or who is frustrated by the whole process should feel free to post and express themselves! That is after all what this thread is supposed to be hear for.
  21. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to Ilspflouz in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    To get onto another topic - am I the only one who thinks the idea of only funding certain applicants is kind of a shit move by schools that do so? I personally feel like if you like an applicant enough to accept them then why the heck are you not doing your damndest to get them funding? I may be biased because in my previous field the majority of schools didn't do the accept without funding thing - they only accepted you if they could also afford to provide some type of monetary assistance. 
    Totally get if its just me but I just don't get it...the only exception I think for me is if a school accepts you without funding for the first year but kind of guarantees you get some later down the road if you got there (like in 2nd or 3rd year).
  22. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to Square49 in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    I simply do not agree that anybody here has displayed a lack of empathy. 
    I mentioned Dr. Bloom as more of a side note, I thought it was it was interesting but it doesn't necessarily fit into the context of this conversation. But Dr. Bloom argues that empathy increases prejudice and discrimination because it is more or less is applied arbitrarily, people are more likely to empathize with people "like them". Something I think can be seen in segments of society in regards to the Syrian refugee crisis. He instead argues for using "rational compassion". So I don't understand how I'm making that assumption. But all of that is beside the point. 
     
    I don't doubt that everybody here worked hard and is capable of fine scholarly work. I just don't know how accusations of lacking empathy and humility entered the equation. While I could see if you think that someone is being a little "braggy" or even somewhat arrogant would make you think they lack humility, I don't see how that's connected to empathy. Expressing your excitement about being admitted and feeling bad for someone who didn't get into their dream school are not mutually exclusive feelings. But again, I don't think anybody here was trying to show off per se. Rather, I think people are just joining the conversation and keeping it going because it is the thread where you post decisions. While I was certainly excited whenever I got an acceptance email or whatever, I joined this site with more of the intention to connect with other incoming PhD students, not to simply gloat. 
     
    On a more sanguine note, I just want to express that just because you didn't get accepted into a school or offered funding doesn't make you less capable. Admissions is an imperfect process- full of politics, subjectivity, and ambiguity. And I agree with @HedgieLove, I wish funding was attached to admissions at all schools. All of this seems to be a big misunderstanding of intentions. Contentious definitions of the situation if you will. But, and I think I speak for everybody, nobody is rooting against anyone. It is not necessarily a zero sum game. And back to another previous point by @HedgieLove, if you want to vent it is totally fine. I think an expression of dismay or stress would be met with empathy from most people here. 
  23. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 reacted to Square49 in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    Just to speak honestly, I don't know where this all came from. I do not think we have lacked empathy. We all congratulate each other when good news is received, and that is simply what this page is about. We post our results so that we may be congratulated, and in turn, we congratulate others who receive good news.But nobody has ever kicked anybody while they're down. I've been rejected as well. None of us would get accepted to every program with funding, assuming one of us did apply to every program. You may not be accepted to or get funding from every school you want, but I think we are all here to encourage everybody and give advice. I understand it may be difficult to stomach, but the purpose of this thread is to announce the decisions you receive, but not to necessarily rub it in anyone's face. 
     
    Also, just to throw it out there, empathy may not be such a great thing according to Dr. Bloom of the psychology department at Yale.http://www.vox.com/conversations/2017/1/19/14266230/empathy-morality-ethics-psychology-science-compassion-paul-bloom
  24. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 got a reaction from Ilspflouz in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    JUST GOT INTO CINCY TOO!!! Full funding! 
  25. Upvote
    AspiringScholar17 got a reaction from aml149 in Fall 2017 PhD Thread   
    The campus visitations are paid for by the schools normally -- I've only gotten two, so those are the only one's ill be visiting so far.
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