skaforhire

Akron can be cheap (I never lived there, but that is where my family comes from.) 1300k a month is a decent stipend depending on your field. I would take out another 5k in loans my first year as "oh crap" funds... Knowing your field will also help us answer your other questions. If you were talking History, I would say forgo Akron for any of the other choices if you have money. Go to the best institution that will give you money. Also, is this a PhD or a Masters? Only give up what you have now if you really think you can do better next year. Can you raise your GREs, get some publications or whatever your field looks at, and come up with a strong year of work to show on your resume / CV?

Wish I would have found this forum way back when this post was made... I waited forever for Temple and didn't hear anything until April. I guess that means I could have been on the second string list or something, but they should have told me! lol.

I kind of wish I had that huge dilemma of "should I go to this top 25 or this top 25 school?" Although, if the one choice is the mecca of your field, it seems like a no-brainer if there is no real outside factors involved. Going to such top notch schools you will get the interviews (of course it is up to you to get the job, but you will at least be at the table). Some of us less fortunate History PhDs with no major rep behind our degree, will have to beg to get the interviews. Actually, this forum seems overly abundant in those who attend or will attend Ivys or near Ivys, which I think is sort of interesting considering that I am guessing there are more History PhD grads out there that are not attending Ivys. Also there does not seem to be much representation from major phd producing schools such as OSU, PSU, UT, or UF? Just an observation.

Even though this is a month out... I wanted to reassure you that you probably can get into a program somewhere... I did. I had a GPA 3.1 for my BA and a 3.8 for my MA, at the same crappy r4 school. (I went for free, and at that time money was more important than prestige). I also had a horrible verbal on my GRE... in fact I never raised it over 600 the three times I took it. The first year I applied places, I only sent out four apps. My adviser talked me up, and told me I will easily get in a couple places (one of which was his alma mata), and I had great LORs. Not to mention I was published, had presented at five conferences and had many extra curricular activities. I didn't get into any of the programs that i applied to that year. I didn't cast my net wide enough. It turns out I applied to one institution that recieved 500 aps for 13 slots, and no one was interested in my topic. Two of the others I probably did not have the reqs to get in on a solid foot, and if I had I was not going to get funding. At my Adviser's alma mata I had been in contact with the prof I wanted to work with, and he was interested. He apparently told my adviser later on that he had accepted me, but his department's politics caused him to be without a new student this year. So I sent to four, got rejected for various reasons and had to try the next year. Going into this last application season, i prepped 15 different packets (overkill probably) ranging from top 20 to arguably some of the poorest (financially as i wont say any department is necessarily bad) and most neglected departments. I also made various contacts with professors, and found a few that really wanted to work with me. I raised my GRE up a little, but yet again it was under the benchmark of 600 on the verb. (My strengths are not vocab or standardized tests...) I got into four schools and had successfully received funding from one before i even sent out the last four applications, so in all I applied to eleven places got into four. I received full funding at two, wait listed full and partial funding at one, and the forth one was just so horribly managed in the process, I don't know if I got funding or what, I just kind of ignored them after a couple conversations with the graduate department. I ended up committing to a school which was in the middle of the spectrum, with a good albeit mostly regional placement rate, with a very good stipend for a history program, and working with an adviser who is dedicated, pursued me, and is well known in his field. So I figured my situation was similar, so if the post is long. I think the moral is that there is a fit for everyone. My advice is if you are applying next fall, to try and get some conferences or publications under your belt. It shows that you are motivated to move into the academic world.

Hello, I will be attending TCU in the fall, unfortunately I am coming from over 1000 miles away. I wondered if anyone knew of a decent complex around SW Fort Worth I should look into? also is there certain parts of town I should not look for housing in? I found a relatively cheap duplex, only to later discover it was one of the only areas with a giant red blip on the map for violent crime in Ft Worth! Anyway, any help at all would be appreciated.