mostlygoo

I'm older1 and looking to change careers, and knew this was a long shot, just because of my relative weaknesses2 as an applicant, even before I really understood how selective the programs were. So yes I'm excited (because there's always a chance!) but trying to think of it like I've applied for fellowships -- it would be incredible to win but I'm not really losing anything because it wasn't mine to lose. Plus I know I'd be in better shape next time if I don't get in anywhere and decide to go through this again. So that's what my brain's telling me. The rest of me is looking at the spreadsheet I built based on reporting times averaged over the last five years and ranking programs by expected response. 1 Presumably older, I don't know. Maybe the rest of you guys are all ancient too. 2 Like how I overuse footnotes

So I think I'll reply. I decided it was dumb to ignore the possibility of funding. And if I didn't think I could get into a program at all, or if I thought deferring would risk any chance I had of securing a spot in any program, then this wasn't the right path for me in the first place. I went back and told American I wanted to hold off and wait until merit/admission decisions were made early next year. That being settled, I reached out to the other programs to which I'd already applied, and asked if I could just have my application put on hold until the beginning of next year, and explained my reasons. Two days later I got a call from one of the programs, saying I'd been accepted, and offering me a pretty wonderful funding package. I don't know if that had anything to do with me basically pulling my application. Maybe I would've gotten that call anyway. So I don't know what the lesson is. Trust yourself, maybe. Plan your application process better than I did. And then just let the universe tell you what's what, and go from there.

Just throwing this out there because I'm a little stuck at the moment, and figured it wouldn't hurt to get other opinions. At least I don't think it would hurt. The situation: I've applied to several MFA (writing) programs with rolling admissions, to begin next winter/spring. I was not really expecting to get into any fully funded program, but I was looking for at least a little assistance, and then figured I'd spread the cost a bit and go part time. I was looking mostly at low-residency programs, but I also applied at American (here in DC), which is full residency. Anyway, I started hearing back, so far 2/2 with acceptances, which is nice. In one case, there's a good chance for at least partial funding. In the other case... that's where it gets tough. The other school is American. It's very close to where I live. I like the school a lot and have great respect for the program. The director emailed me yesterday saying no decision had yet been made on my application, but that I seemed to be a great fit. However (he went on), after looking at my writing sample, he wanted me to consider deferring the application until next year, when I'd be under consideration for a (fully funded) merit scholarship. No guarantees of anything, he just wanted to throw that out there. Which is great, and I appreciate it... but it doesn't give me a lot of information with which to make a decision. If I decide to wait it out, seems like I'm basically giving up on the other programs I've applied to -- I'd probably have to re-apply to all of them if I wanted to be re-considered. Is it possible to ask for a conditional deferment? (Thanks for the admissions offer, can I wait nine months to decide and start six months late?) There are a lot of variables at play, so it's not just about funding, or just about the specifics of the program. Cost matters but it's not everything -- except in this one case, it's pretty much everything. Because I can't go into this program unless there's a great deal of funding involved. So it's just the uncertainty that is going to make this tough for me. I expected (or maybe hoped) to have to make a decision between programs, and to consider trade-offs of locations vs. funding vs. faculty, etc. I just didn't think I'd have to make a decision about whether to put everything else on hold, just in case this pans out. Any thoughts or strategies? I've thought about calling the director of the program on Monday to talk with him a bit, but I'm not sure how much flexibility he has with the funding, or if he can tell me anything other than what he's already told me.

I'm involved in a start-up literary magazine that's launching this winter, and I wanted to pass along a call for submissions to the GradCafe group. We're looking for unpublished fiction, non-fiction and poetry from both new and established authors in any genre, any style. The focus is on originality of voice and telling a compelling, provocative story. The magazine website is http://www.northwindmagazine.com. Writer's guidelines can be found online at http://www.northwindmagazine.com/guidelines.html. Electronic submissions only. Thanks and we hope to hear from you!

Glad to hear you loved it, and congratulations on your acceptances! Good to know that AU prepares its M.A. students well...

I'm thinking about getting AU for the fall. Went to their Graduate Studies Day and really liked the program and the people I met. Anyone else going there or considering it for the fall?

I assume you're looking to share a place? For that amount I'd look at Petworth, maybe Adams Morgan. Even in Arlington along the metro (Clarendon/Ballston). Adams Morgan and that section of Arlington are all pretty cool places to live, too.

Thanks, grad2be. And you might be right - when I asked for a deferral last year so that I could try to come up with financing on my own, I was told that Georgetown doesn't allow deferrals that are solely "for financial reasons." I was also told I could reapply but there were no guarantees I'd get in... so I think I was forewarned. Good question about how much is too much. I agree that going to Georgetown without any funding seems far too expensive. And I have loans I've already taken out for both of my college-age children, so adding another $50K to that is not attractive to me. But now I'm in a situation where I've been accepted a few places, but funding is still very doubtful. And so my choices seem to be: pay less for an in-state school (assuming I get into GMU), pay (a lot) more for AU or GW, wait and reapply and try the whole thing again, or do it part-time and just spread out the cost. Right now I'm leaning toward the last option, even just a single class a semester for awhile. Doesn't change the overall cost, but it's more manageable, and I won't have to adjust my work schedule nearly as much. It's not ideal, but the truth is that I don't mind taking a little longer to get my degree, and it would get me in a program for the fall without the pressure of a full-time (funded or not) schedule. Plus, I really do like American's program. (Of course, it would have been nice to know last year that I wasn't going to be get funding anywhere. Then I would have had the option of taking the part-time approach at Georgetown.)

Heard back at the end of the last week via email, a standard rejection letter. I was disappointed and a little surprised because I got into the program last year, and re-applied because I'd missed the funding deadline and wanted to at least give it a shot... Maybe a more competitive group of candidates this year. Best of luck to those still waiting, and congratulations to those admitted...

Should have just thanked them warmly, and asked who you should contact to make sure your name is updated in their database. And then told them you've just quit your job so you can focus on the program 100%, starting now.

status symbol (I was gonna go with quo vadis... should have started a latin thing here.)

Every program is different. I've seen programs that send out all their acceptances in a wave over a short period of time (even the same day), and others that stagger them a little more. No reason to worry yet, just give it a little time. Best of luck...

Definitely an admissions offer if you're willing to give up the (apparently remote) possibility of a full ride. They don't give any more information on what "limited financial support" means, although I read the email as stating that if you accept, there are three possibilities: 1. You'll get some kind of limited tuition remittance, and possibly a T.A. position, though this is not guaranteed. 2. You'll only get a T.A. position, but again they're not going to guarantee it. But they're really, really, like 99% sure you'd get one of these. 3. You'll get little or no tuition remittance, and the T.A. thing falls through and you're stuck with the bill for everything. I think my questions for them would be: 1. What kind of limited financial assistance are you offering right now? 2. If I stay on the second waitlist and am not admitted with full support, how does that affect my chances of being admitted later under the terms you're offering now? (How much of a risk am I taking by not accepting this offer?) 3. When do I need to decide? Congratulations on the offer, though... At least you have a few options there. Best of luck!

Sounds a little different from the typical U.S. undergraduate situation (at least I haven't heard of anything comparable here), so it's hard to know how you'll fare. I'm sure international applicants are assessed differently just because the undergraduate accreditation (if any) is different from what we have here. I think the non-degree study option is a good one, especially because it can help you in other ways by providing another source of recommendation letters, writing samples, and so on. But I'd also contact the grad admissions office at any U.S. schools that interest you, and ask them specifically how they evaluate cases like yours. More information is always good. Good luck...

Just do it if it's what makes you happy. Some program will welcome you for the same reasons others will turn you away, or they'll ignore your age (and everything it implies to them) altogether. As for job prospects - I've heard all the same stories about how bleak the market is, especially in the humanities. But you know, someone is getting those jobs that do exist. Just go in with your eyes open and enjoy the ride.

That's my understanding as well -- it's really for funded programs and for early applicants. March/April deadlines are typically for non-funded consideration from what I can tell, and these seem to be handled differently. Last year I applied in early March to a school with an April 1 deadline for non-funded consideration, Jan 1 for funding. They responded to the early applicants by mid-March, but I didn't hear until mid-June. So the April 15 deadline wasn't an issue, but it also meant that -- because I'd applied later than the early deadline -- I wasn't guaranteed a response before April, so it would have been tough weighing multiple options, assuming I'd had multiple options. I also wasn't given a deadline for my response, just "as soon as possible."

I actually like the idea, although I might change it around a little to say something like this: Dear adcomm rep, Thank you so much for granting me admission to your program. I'm excited and pleased by this opportunity. As I evaluate my options, I'd also love to find out more about how I was selected for the program, what factors were most important to the selection committee. I think this changes the emphasis just a little. It's neither over-confident nor humble, but it does stress the idea that all these things factor into your decisions, and that it's a decision-point just as much for you as it is/was for them. And if you're being considered for any kind of funding, it also emphasizes both your interest and your concern with being matched with the right program. And I also think they'll most likely be happy to answer. (I'm reminded of Groucho Marx, though: "I'd never join a club that would have me as a member...")

Because rejections are heavier. Denser. They plod, while acceptances soar. Everything is explainable by metaphor.

Still waiting here, too. Although over the weekend I did have a dream that I checked my email on my phone and saw a string of messages with the subject line "Re: Georgetown M.A. admission and funding information." But I couldn't open any of them up. Damned subconscious. Best of luck to everyone else waiting, and congrats to cyborgmanifesto...

anti matter

eminem rap

I agree with all of the above... And remember that you're ultimately a client of the university, no matter how close your relationship with any adviser. They want your business and it's really their job to court you. That doesn't mean she isn't being genuine about her enthusiasm for you, but it does mean that she's hoping to sway your decision. They want the candidates who have the best shot at being successful in the program, and one way for a school to be attractive to a potential graduate student is by expressing real enthusiasm and interest. (And it's a smart move, too. I know that I'm leaning more toward one school in part because they've done such a good job making me feel as if they want me as much as I want to be in the program.) The more interesting question, at least to me, is just how important a consideration that should be. What if I get accepted to my top school but I don't get that same responsiveness between now and April 15? How heavily should that affect my decision, if at all? It may not mean anything about the quality of the program, but I do think your relationship with your adviser will go a long way toward determining the quality of your graduate experience. Schools should realize that they're dealing with potential clients, and I don't think this is always the case. Best of luck with your decision...

hidden fee

I ended up putting together a completely new writing sample, outside of class. That's partly because there was a gap after I finished my undergrad, but mostly because I just wasn't happy with any of the class papers I had. They weren't long enough or fully developed, and more importantly they weren't tied closely enough to the area I wanted to study. I probably spent four months on the writing sample, and did significantly more work than I ever did for any of my papers. I thought it would be easier in some ways because I was writing about something I really loved, but it was actually tougher -- the open-endedness of it was a little intimidating. And as history_PhD pointed out, you get outside, academic feedback on your work when it comes from a class. I don't think I appreciated that enough when I started working on my paper, but in retrospect it would have really helped. If you're taking film classes, I'd wait and develop one of those assignment papers as your writing sample. Even if you can't use the paper as-is, it might give you a focused starting point, and you might be able to get additional feedback from the instructor on how to develop it further.

You mean that email wasn't an implicit acceptance? (Weirder things have happened. Last year I didn't hear anything from one school until I got a request from their financial aid office for more documentation to put my package together. So I wrote back and said, "Sure, but do you know something I don't know?") But I was happy to get the AU email anyway. At least I know they didn't accidentally delete my application from their files. Which is something.