FishNerd
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Posts posted by FishNerd
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6 hours ago, bumbleblu said:
I'm feeling really torn about my choices right now (and I don't even have all my responses yet), but I feel kind of weird knowing that funding will probably be the deciding factor. (I know it's a legitimate reason to accept/decline, but it feels...idk, weird.)
I agree so much! It really does feel weird to factor in funding because I feel like fit and how much you like a prospective program and area matters a lot too. Also my master's advisor has mentioned that at this stage in the game it's not about the money as long as whatever package you are given at a place is enough to where you are not going in debt during your PhD. However, when I told her about the fellowship I received at one of my schools (which is quite frankly a ridiculously high amount of money for a PhD student - it is almost double my offer at the other school) she said when the discrepancy is that much you kinda have to factor in the money. But choosing based off the money does make me feel greedy and weird so I really feel you Bumbleblu! I'm just really hoping my visits will help me figure out how much of my principles ("it's not about the money as long as I'm doing something I love!") I should stick to.
Also, if my partner gets rejected from the school with the fellowship I'm going to be really disappointed that that offer is kinda off the table then... But I worry by me being disappointed it will only make him feel worse about the rejection if that does happen (which I really don't think it will since he is such a great fit for his program there!).
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I have my top two choices very much trying to recruit me but this morning I just found out that at one of my schools I have received a competitive university fellowship! I just have the standard TA package at my other school (with the no confirmation of what I would be receiving for summer funding) so the amount would be receiving at the school with the fellowship is so much more so I guess my situation is a little different than yours.
See I really think I like a lot more at the school with the lesser funding package but the amount of money I would be receiving at the school with the fellowship is so much that it's kinda hard to turn away from. Also I do think the fit at the school with the fellowship should be good. I'm also going to have a really hard time turning down whichever school I choose not to go to since I will hate having to turn down the potential advisor at that school. So at this point I'm really hoping my visits to both schools (which are thankfully being paid for at each!) will help me in figuring out how much I need to factor in my funding amounts.
Also I'm still waiting on my partner to hear about his admissions decision at the school with the fellowship so that's also a complication in all my thinking about decisions (he is already received his acceptance at the other school). I just wish he knew there already so we can go ahead and start weighing our options a bit better!
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I would for sure wait accept until you visit like you say. When you visit you may find out it is not as good of a fit as you thought it might be and you might decide you want to wait and hear back from your other program and see if you can't also visit it and compare. Also I would personally wait to accept until I knew all the financial details of the top program as well since these details may also influence your decision.
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@ShewantsthePhD101 I'm kicking myself because I set the deadline of mid-April on myself by signing up to do my seminar (a 45 min -1 hour talk on my thesis) then thinking sure that won't be a problem.... But then winter break came and I lost all productivity due to the holidays and getting the flu for a week and whenever I hit points where I do nothing I lost the momentum I built up previously. I know I can meet my deadline, but winter break really messed up my plan and I'm gonna be much more strapped for time this semester than I thought I would be.
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20 minutes ago, ShewantsthePhD101 said:
Also, I got accepted to a PhD in January... and my focus since then has been awful. I can't concentrate on anything. But I have to.
Oh my gosh same!!! I have to finish my master's thesis and defend by mid-April so I'm simultaneously uber stressed while also having my head in the clouds dreaming about my options (and my upcoming visits to where I've been accepted).
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I'm not sure what field you are in but at least in my field (where I had to essentially find professors who wanted to take me on in their labs) I think it would be perfectly okay to contact my POI to let them know I had received an acceptance from graduate admissions and then maybe ask them for more information about your acceptance and such.
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I'm really not sure because I've seen instances on this site of people thinking they've had an implied rejection from a school only to find out that the acceptances were being sent out in rounds and they end up being accepted in a later round. This could happen by the schools having an "invisible waitlist" (which means they have people on a waitlist but don't actually notify them of this status), so once someone who was offered an acceptance maybe turns it down they dig into their "invisible waitlist" to offer acceptances to those people.
However, I do think others do end up being truly rejected from the school they thought they had an implied rejection. Since most schools do acceptances, rejections and waitlists differently I don't think what happens at one school will be what happens at another.
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@Warelin's response pretty much sums up what I know about campus visits and how those expenses are covered/not covered sometimes.
I'd also like to add that I don't think it is inappropriate to ask if the department you are applying to has any funds to help reimburse you for the cost of your visit. My partner did that for his department at a school and while they can't pay for upfront costs they can reimburse him up to a certain amount for the trip.
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Yes I think it means that people have seen several others post acceptances and/or waitlist for their school but have themselves heard nothing from that school. So it may not always turn out to be an official rejection but it can at times.
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So I was curious what the thread for my hometown was like and I was quite surprised to see how terrifying a picture is painted about Louisville. As someone from Louisville I really don't think it is nearly as scary as it has been portrayed on this thread. I actually attended middle and high school directly across the street from the University of Louisville's main campus and was still in high school at the time some of the original posts were made in 2010. I never once heard about such terrible crimes occurring in the area at that time (which you think I would have since I was going to school in the area) or if I did and don't remember I am sure it was not a commonplace occurrence like it has been portrayed. I'm not going to say that some occasional crime doesn't occur on campus because I know it does (the apartment and car break ins do not surprise me) but I do not think this is occurring on a daily or even weekly basis. I think the violent crimes that were cited in the past are not something that occurs regularly like they were portrayed. Also thousands of students attend UofL so of course there is going to be crimes of theft reported since the number of people in the area is high and thieves usually seize that kind of opportunity of numbers. Many of my family and friends have attended UofL and they have never portrayed campus as terrifying in the way some of the older posts do. Now granted most of them did not live on or near campus so maybe the key is to be aware and cautious if you are there late at night and maybe live away from campus a little bit (though I think many previous posters comments about Old Louisville being fine for the most part is true). Yes, there are some places near campus that are not the best parts of Louisville but I really don't think the campus is as crime ridden as it has been portrayed on here.
I currently attend a school that is situated directly next to one of the worst parts of the town my school is in (not Louisville) and crimes do occur near campus regularly. However, all of the students are aware of this and take precautions to be safe if alone or at night. In my almost 3 years at my current school I have only ever heard of 2-3 incidents that occurred on campus that would directly influence the safety of the students and none of these incidents have turned violent. We have campus cops that are regularly patrolling to ensure student safety and I'm sure the same is done at UofL. Just because crime is nearby doesn't mean that the campus is unsafe.
I just wanted to reassure any future lurkers that Louisville (and UofL's campus) is not nearly as scary as it has been portrayed on here. Sure there is some crime as there would be in any sizable city, but just be aware where the safer parts of town are when you are looking for a place to live - and I really think this statement holds true for any city. Cities generally have higher crime rates because of the higher numbers of people so if you are living in a city be aware of this and use common sense to do things like lock your cars, lock up bikes, have a door to your house/apartment that has a deadbolt, be careful walking alone, and other things that you should do anywhere you live.
Please look at the positive posts in this thread because I agree with them that living in Louisville can be really great because it has been growing culturally as a city for quite a while now. There are a lot of fun things to do in Louisville and a lot of cool parts of town to check out (the Highlands and Frankfort avenue are a lot of fun). Also if you like the outdoors there are some awesome parks within the city and quite a few areas near Louisville that are great to go check out for a day trip (Red River Gorge, Mammoth Cave, Falls of the Ohio, and many more). If any future readers of this thread have any questions about living in Louisville please feel free to private message me.
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I just happened to see this in the recently updated threads and so while I'm not in your all's field I am from Louisville. I just thought I'd throw out my two cents about the University of Louisville's campus and safety.
As long as where you will be attending classes and such is in the main campus of UofL, I really don't think safety will be an issue. I attended both middle school and high school directly next to UofL's main campus and never once felt unsafe. Yes, there are some areas a few miles away that aren't the best parts of town, but from everything I have ever experienced myself and from what I have heard from my friends and family who attended UofL I have never once heard of the campus being particularly unsafe. Be aware and take precautions as you would be in any larger city and you'll be fine.
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I may be going to DU in the fall for my PhD and just thought I would pose a few of my questions on this thread in hopes that some people have some possible answers. I want to have some better ideas about housing in the area as I weigh my decisions on where to attend this fall.
I've seen that the light rail connects quite a few areas of the city (different suburbs/neighborhoods?) and that it extends for some way to further areas. Does anyone have approximate times on travel from the different suburbs/neighborhoods to DU via light rail or car as well (since I will have a car)? I guess I'm mainly asking if commuting is still very traffic heavy if you don't have to take I-25? Are there any areas you all would suggest or avoid when looking for rentals? Lastly, does anyone have any tips for looking/applying for rentals in Denver since the renting market is super competitive?
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My advice would be to just be honest. I think most programs recognize that almost all of their applicants have applied elsewhere so just telling them that you are still waiting to hear back from a few of the schools you've applied to would be a fine option. As for how to tactfully say this maybe something like "I am unsure as to when I will officially let you know if I plan to attend your program or not because I have yet to hear back from several of the other programs I have applied to. Since I have several factors I am weighing in making my decision I would really like to have all my options on the table before I make any final decisions. However, I do understand the need for promptness in my decision and as soon as I am able to let you know my final decision I will." You could also probably throw in something about this program being one of your top choices too so that you continue to express your interest in their program.
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So 2+ years after my first publication was accepted it is finally officially published! While it took entirely too long to be officially in print it's super exciting to officially be a published author!
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2 hours ago, Cotton Joe said:
Accepted to rhet/comp MA at NC State with teaching assistantship.
This was one of top two choices for so many factors, but I am disappointed in the stipend amount they offer for MA, which is only $10,000. It's going to be a hard decision. NC State is the best match for my interests, has the most active faculty in my area, offers great support for the TA process, and Research Triangle is a great place for my SO to find work in her field. But the stipend is the lowest on my list. Any suggestions?
First off congrats! I would maybe take a look at @bpilgrim89's post above yours because they really cover some good points to think about when you are weighing funding packages.
I think the most important thing to do when considering a funding package is to talk to current grad students (in your case current MA students in the program at NC State) and see how they go about living off that level of funding. I personally did my masters in a program that funded me similar to what you would receive at NC State and was able to make do because the cost of living in my area was relatively low and I was able to split living costs with my partner. Since you would also be there with your partner you may be able to make due on that stipend with her help but it is dependent on the COL in the area so definitely try to see how current MA students do it.
I will likely be considering two schools with potentially drastically different funding offers but both are enough to live off of as long as I have my partner to help with the costs. When I went to my master's advisor for some advice she told me that while funding is important it honestly isn't the most important thing at this stage in the game as long as you are getting enough to live off of. She told me as long as I make enough to not have to take out any loans she said money shouldn't be the deciding factor for me. Instead, my master's advisor pointed out that the most important things are the other things you mentioned: best match for your interests, active faculty in your area, good support for TA's, and the personal factors that are important to you (like employment options for your partner). Master's and Phd's should be a time for education and growth as an academic so the funding doesn't matter as long as you can subsist on it for the time of your degree. It honestly sounds like you will really get the experiences you are wanting during your master's at NC State so unless you just don't think you could make ends meet on that funding I think it sounds like a great option for you.
Ultimately, I just wanted to throw it out there that while funding is extremely important, as long as you are able to make due on your stipend the actual amount doesn't matter. If you are interested in actually making some money though during your degree then definitely factor funding in more heavily, but if a good education is what you are looking for the most then go for the place that will provide you the best opportunities and environment to grow in.
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22 hours ago, fallfish said:
I am hoping when I meet him in person I will be more equipped to decide where I am leaning.
I definitely think doing that should help. I haven't yet met either of my prospective professors in person where I've been accepted and I'm definitely holding out final decision making until I make my visits. Hopefully those visits will help immensely in deciding!
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@TakeruK After reading the original post again I do think Professor A's actions mainly just come off as absentmindedness or awkward and perhaps I was reading a little too much into it after some of my less than ideal interactions during my application process. It's a huge deal that Professor A put the time in to help with the NSF GRFP and his interest in you, @fallfish, should not be ignored. I definitely think you should keep both of your options open going forward because they both sound like they could be great options.
Also I just thought I would throw it out there that my undergrad research advisor could be very awkward at times (he would even talk and joke about how awkward he was haha) but he definitely helped me get where I am today. Also as we got to know each other more through working together small talk with him wasn't awkward anymore.
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In this whole process of applications I have often gone to my master's advisor to seek her advice on things. On choosing a potential advisor she has told me time and time again to go with what my instinct is telling me about my interactions with a potential advisor. Most people know how to read interactions well and if you are getting a bad feeling about Professor A I would trust that. I ended up being encouraged to apply to a POI's lab but in the end did not apply because he said several things during my phone interview that rubbed me the wrong way (at one point he came off super arrogant and judgemental about my master's project and he pretty much told me that he judged me for asking if I would have office space as a PhD student).
However, I did just see TakeruK's response and I do think they have a good point that your somewhat off interactions with Professor A could just be a result of awkwardness and absent-mindedness but it may be hard to judge from just the handful of interactions you have had with Professor A. What I would suggest if you have the ability is to try and make an in-person visit to both schools so you can assess which advisor you think you might click with the best (since in-person interactions should be a lot less awkward). I would also recommend trying to talk (either by email, phone or in-person on a visit - and of course away from the professor) with both of these professor's students so you can get a student's perspective about that professor as an advisor and what it's like being in that professor's lab.
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9 hours ago, CulturalCriminal said:
There is benefit to getting an MA from an unranked university.
I really have to agree! My partner and I got our master's from a small state university (not sure if our programs are unranked but I am almost certain their rank is not high - there are no PhD programs in either of our fields at our master's institution either). Also our bachelor's degrees are from a similar sized school that is also likely relatively unknown.
While we are not applying to the highest ranked PhD programs we do have one school we have both been accepted at (University of Denver) and I have been unofficially accepted at our other top choice (University of Arkansas). I do recognize that school name recognition can help a lot but I firmly believe that if you do go to a relatively unknown school you just have to ensure that you are making the most of your opportunities and make yourself a stellar student where you are. Since both of the institution's we've attended are small and the programs have also been small we have been able to form extremely close relationships with the professors we've worked closely with and I'm sure that allows those professors to write much more personalized recommendations. I think as long as you make the most of the opportunities you are given unknown schools will not work against you. We both recognize though that we may not ultimately want to work as professors in a big name school so having smaller lesser known schools on our CV is not as big of a deal since we are likely not trying to break into those highly ranked schools. We have loved the smaller settings our schools have provided and would be very happy to work as professors in a similar environment in the future.
However, we did recently get the notice that my partner was rejected from the English PhD program at UMass and I have yet to hear anything from my program there. I do wonder if it is because it is the highest ranked school we are applying too and they judged the schools we had attended. But what I really think is that both of the programs there for us were the ones that we worried about fit the most and that easily could have come through in our SOP's, but who knows maybe they judged that we came from unknown schools...
Ultimately, I think we have benefited overall from attending these lesser known schools. We both received a full-ride at our undergrad and have no debt from undergrad. Also both of our master's programs were funded with assistantships and had tuition waivers and we only had to take out one small loan to help with living expenses since our stipends were a bit piddly. But because of this we are carrying almost no debt forward and have loved the school environments we have been in. So far not worrying about name recognition has worked for us and I firmly believe that as long as we continue to work hard and stand out from the pack it will continue to work for us into the future.
I do think prestige/name recognition does really matter if that's the type of school you're hoping to secure a position in the future but if that's not your concern I think hard work at little known schools can end up working out. Also this is not to poo-poo on those shooting for these awesome schools - that is so awesome and I am super impressed by all these acceptances at big schools I'm seeing! I just wanted to throw this out there as an example that lesser known schools may not always be a detriment.
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@Gradgirl2020 I was just about to post the one you put up! Such a great response haha!
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Congrats @Elle Coronaria, @Yanaka and @unicornsarereal !!!!!!!!!!
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@maengret and @OceansAreBlue Thanks so much you guys! It took a lot of research to find schools that were really good fits (or possible good fits) for both of us so we are thrilled that one worked out!
Again, congrats to everyone on their acceptances so far and I hope today brings even more good news for everyone!
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My partner and I are both accepted into one of the schools we applied to together! Such sweet relief to know we have a great option on the table.
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Was literally typing a similar comment to the above as it appeared. I think letting your POI know makes total sense but others in the admissions process maybe not.
Post-Acceptance, Pre-Visit
in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Posted
I've been referring to all the professors I speak with as Dr. SoandSo even if they sign off on their emails as their first name. I figure when I actually meet them in person they will let me know whether to call them by their first name or not, and only after that will I refer to them by their first name. Not sure if that's the right way to do it or not but I've been thinking the same thing as Klader says - better to "err on the side of respectful." I'm sure most professors ultimately don't care too much but I feel weird calling them by their first name until they explicitly tell me to.