fj20

Has anyone heard of this? Apparently they give interest-free loans to graduate students who: attend an in-state school; have financial need; and have impressive academic records. I'm wondering though, is an interest-free loan all that valuable? Wouldn't a Stafford or Perkins loan be just as good, since there's no interest on them so long as you're in school? (Also, just how severe does one's financial need have to be in order to qualify?)

I've already applied for a PLUS loan, thinking it was my only option, but now I think I should cancel it, because hopefully I'll be eligible for a Stafford or Perkins loan. Will I still be eligible for Stafford or Perkins loans, even though I've already registered for a PLUS loan? Or do I have to cancel it first? Also, when do people typically hear about their financial aid package? I filled out my FAFSA in March...

Thank you so much for all the detailed information. I have one other question, about the PLUS loan: why is it preferable to take out the kinds of loans offered with your financial aid package, like a Perkins loan for instance, than to take out a PLUS loan? (Is it because PLUS loans are unsubsidized? And if so (I'm embarrassed to ask) why is an unsubsidized loan worse than a subsidized one?)

I have a related question, I think: I filed my fafsa a couple weeks ago, before knowing which school I"d be attending, so obviously I didn't give them any info about the amount of tuition I'd be required to pay in the fall. So my question is, do they need this info in order to decide how much aid to give me? Should I / Can I give it to them after having filed my FAFSA? (I imagine this is a common problem, since the deadline (isn't it?) is March 1, which is before many people know where they'll be attending school.)

Topic description says it all; I'm referring to a MA in the humanities here. I've searched a lot of lists, but couldn't find any scholarships or grants or fellowships for this type of student, wondering if they're just plain on their own here.

topic description says it all (i'm referring to the MA program though, since Binghamton doesn't welcome PhD applicants who haven't got their MA yet - isn't that strange? I wonder if they really won't accept BAs... any thoughts?)

Regarding Rochester's "invitation to apply" to the Master's Program: I followed through on this, and was told by the DGS to re-submit my online application, only this time checking "English MA" instead of "English PhD." So it doesn't look like this is just an automatic admission, although this application could just be a formality. My guess would be that waitlisted PhD students have first shot at the Master's Program: if they don't get into the PhD program, then they'll probably be invited to apply to the MA program. They probably don't expect too many rejected PhD candidates to apply. On a different note, does the general reputation of Rochester as a science school really matter? Isn't it common for individual departments, such as its English department, to be strong in spite of weaknesses elsewhere in the university?

I have some questions/theories, based on an examination of the results from SUNY Buffalo the past couple years. Looking at them, I'm kind of doubtful that there are going to be any more admits to the PhD program, except off the waitlist: the trend seems to be that in March they accept a few PhD applicants into the MA program, as well as a few into the PhD program off the waitlist. Does anyone have reason to believe there's a good chance they'll send an actual PhD acceptance? Also, does anyone know Buffalo's policy on unfunded PhDs? Do they offer much opportunity of funding or fellowships in later years, or is it pretty much out of your pocket all 5 years? (Although frankly, in Buffalo's case, for a state-resident, an unfunded PhD doesn't seem all that impractical: it's basically the cost of 1 undergrad year at a private school (about 8K a year). Sorry about all the questions; just trying to predict what my options will be.

Okay, sorry to harp on this point, but, re-reading the letter I received, I'm becoming more and more convinced it's simply an offer of admission to the MA program. In addition to what I quoted, it repeats again and again phrases like, "should you elect to enter the Master's program," leading me to believe that, if I want to, I can. And it says that "they've chosen to invite me and a select number of other PhD applicants to the M.A. program." Not official, but isn't this pretty much saying I'm in? As for whether an MA program is profitable or not, here's one other side of the question: wouldn't it be a great boost for an applicant to Rochester's phd program to have earned his or her MA at Rochester? It would certainly make the argument that you "fit in" with the department more convincing...and a LOR from a Rochester prof would probably weigh pretty heavily on the ad com.

I don't exactly disagree with your last statement, but it seems something of a contradiction: if they just wanted my money, they would offer me admission, without caring much about my credentials. it's not like they can trick me into giving them money without actually being accepted into the program. p.s. the program is the Master's program in English at the University of Rochester; is that the one you're thinking of?

good advice . . . any thoughts about the first question though, whether or not this is an actual offer of admission?

As stated in Rochester thread: I was denied admission to the PhD program but "invited to apply" to the master's program; I'm not entirely sure that this means I've actually been accepted to the latter program though. It does sound encouraging when it states that they've "been authorized to invite me to apply to the master's program so that they can offer me admission to their department as a member of the MA class." Any thoughts? More generally, what are people's thoughts on accepting tempting offers like this on the rebound, after being disappointed by PhD rejections? Isn't it a good investment to stay active in our field while we apply for next years PhD programs?

I was denied admission to the PhD program but "invited to apply" to the master's program; I'm not entirely sure that this means I've actually been accepted to the latter program though. It does sound encouraging when it states that they've "been authorized to invite me to apply to the master's program so that they can offer me admission to their department as a member of the MA class." Any thoughts? I know someone else reported receiving the same letter. Also, what are people's general thoughts on accepting tempting offers like this on the rebound, after being disappointed by PhD rejections?

There was an acceptance to Binghamton reported; would the poster mind verifying it/giving us some details?

you're probably right. I guess I'm just hoping that, if they do read my letter, even if they decide to disregard it for fairness' sake, they will be impressed enough to give my application another, closer look...sort of the way the jury is influenced by evidence even after it's been thrown out as illegitimate. Egotistical i know, but we always think we're special, right? Do you know if they actually ready your addendum?

The topic description kind of says it all: if I'm on the waitlist, but in a kind of hopeless position, couldn't it help to send a sort of second SOP, just stressing what I consider to be my assets as a candidate, not to mention just showing how much I stand out from other applicants, simply by dint of being willing to break all the rules in my application? Especially when I feel that this "second SOP" really will convince them that I'm not your average bear?

Wow thanks a lot to both of you, really appreciate it (and am relieved to hear your opinions). Although I'm rather worried by what you say about the importance of taking more than one course with a recommender, because I'm afraid not one of my 3 recommenders knew me for longer than a semester. I knew this wasn't good, but I simply didn't have any repeat professors - I was abroad all junior year, and most of my time was spent in just taking survey courses, since I double-majored in French. (Incidentally, won't adcoms take this into account, that I put a lot of effort in this other, equally viable direction, and so could not get an honors degree, etc.?) For what it's worth though, one of my recommenders was from sophomore year, and still remembered me positively, and he read a lot of my senior year work before writing his letter, so he could judge my improvement since sophomore year. Any more thoughts? (although really I hesitate to ask for any more of your time, you've been too helpful already, and really this is mere obsessive curiosity at bottom.) in answer to your question, i used the letter for this season, yes, and to be honest it doesn't seem to have helped me yet: 4 applications, not a word from any of them, even though 3 of them are almost or possibly entirely done notifying...1 hasn't even begun though. Could this be due to my other problem, the lack of repeat professors?

One of my recommenders let me read their letter, and I can't tell whether it would hurt or help my application. Obviously I don't want to quote it verbatim, but the gist of it is that, at the start of the semester, although I was clearly conscientious and deep-thinking, I was "an awkward, slightly grumpy (but always polite) student" who "thought so hard and so elliptically that his comments were incomprehensible to the other students." But then, after a talk with the professor, I made great strides and become more communicative, and my final paper was "a tour de force - witty, carefully-written and marvelously intellectually capable." It ends by saying that I "will never be able to run with the herd (I have the sensibility of the auto-didact) but I am teachable, tractable, and very very clever." He or she "recommends me in the highest terms." So on the whole it's a positive letter, but is it unwise to have an LOR with any negative comments at all? Shouldn't it be entirely positive? More specifically, won't admissions committees be turned off by the thought of a grumpy and awkward TA who has trouble communicating his thoughts to the class, even if this image was only the "before" of this "before and after" scenario? Sorry for such a self-involved post, but I'd really appreciate anyone's opinion. ...If you don't feel like getting into it, a simple "hurt," "help," or "either/or" would help.