archy_grad

Finally got the letter today! As a Canadian applying abroad, I was awarded "C" funding, meaning I can have the CGS if I stay in Canada or the regular scholarship if I follow the original intentions of my proposal at the American school. So glad it's all finally over! I can't remember the info everyone was supposed to post, but here's the basics: Program: beginning 1st year PhD in the fall Letter: May 10 (3 business days after it was mailed, May 5) Offered CGS (but will have to take the basic scholarship) Score: 22/30 Field: Archaeology/Anthropology I believe my GPA (4.0) and references were probably the major factors, as well as a "sexy" topic and the presige of the American school I applied to within my field. However, since they assume students may change topics or even schools (since they have provisions in case I pursue studies at a Canadian school) I don't know whether it's the project itself or simply the quality of the written proposal that gets judged, at least for those of us at the entry level. I've got a few conference presentations under my belt and had a paper under submission review when I applied. I'm so psyched! 4 years of semi-worry-free study! To move on to future worries: how important is it that I stay on the same topic I used to apply for the grant? I threw it together at the last minute to meet the deadline and it may not be viable, though I will try my best, but by the end of next year I may have gone off on a related but possibly less "sexy" tangent. What is the procedure for notifying SSHRC if you change your research focus? Edited to add: Forgot to mention I am in Alberta, so west coasters should get their letters tomorrow I imagine!

Well usually I would have gotten mail by this time in the day, when there is any, so I'm assuming I have to wait until Monday for sure. Edmonton. Are there any lurkers from Alberta here? I'd really love to hear when I might be able to expect something in this province since I don't have a grad department to hear thru. Edited to add: I'm also a little confused: when I got the news about my MA SSHRC in 2007, I heard directly rfom SSHRC through email before I heard anywhere else, told the department, and a few weeks later the department announced the results. I didn't get the letter in the mail for a month. Why is it different now?

I'm going to repeat my question since I've checked the mail 4 times today and it doesn't even usually show up for another hour... Those of you who got responses directly from SSHRC, what email address did you send your question to? I haven't even gotten a response to say, "wait for the letter," I've gotten no response at all and it's been 2 days.

I emailed SSHRC on Wednesday explaining that I needed the answer so I can send in my certification of finances (American school).. no response! My school is also waiting because they want to give me a TA ship if I don't get SSHRC. Those of you who got answers, where did you send the email? I am in Alberta and don't expect the letter until Monday or Tuesday *sob*

Is saturday mail an Ontario/American thing? We don't get that here (Alberta).

I'm hoping that since I didn't apply through a canadian university and don't have a department to tell me the results, they might be nice enough to send it thru email. Otherwise i'll be waiting until next week for sure...

oh yeah, and congrats to the first positive result on the board! Let's take it as a good sign

I've just emailed with as polite and ingratiating a request as possible. I've been getting government tax documents, and stats canada survey notices, in the mail all month. sheer torture every time I see the little canadian flag in the top corner of the envelope, only to realize it's yet another useless thing I am don't want to see! Even worse than bills!

What? I thought they didn't give results out by email? Not sure if I am believing you.

I have 3 presentations, only one at a "real" conference, and finally got my first publication confirmed 2 months after sending in the SSHRC application, so that sucked. But for next year, I will be ready! By the end of my PhD (which I'm starting in the fall) I hope to have at least 2 more "real" conference presentations, and 2-3 papers in good journals. They will probably all be co-authored though. I think that when the mail comes on any given day just depends on where you are in someone's mail route. I used to get mail around 10 every morning, now it's around 3 in the afternoon. I bet the ealiest is around 9:30-10 after they've picked up all their mail for the day and driven out to their route.

Well it's only supposed to take 2-3 days to mail a letter anywhere in Canada, right? The only problem is, how long will it take them to send out 8000 letters? I am at the end of the alphabet and on the west side of the country, so someone please post as soon as they get their letter, because then I will know mine is coming in 2 or 3 days! Just wondering... am I the only grad out there who's really worried that not being in law/business will affect my chances? It's hard to argue that archaeology is useful to Canada in a concrete sense. But I did get a SSHRC in my MA program, so who knows?