Bluemonochrome
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Posts
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Posts posted by Bluemonochrome
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7 hours ago, niazche said:
I think it's all depend on which state you are going!
And I think it also depends on whether your school gives you assurance with their policy and aids (regarding testing, quarantine, staggered class schedule, housing and all these things)
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@niazche @darkclouds Congratulations it's great to hear that it finally worked out for you! It gives me hope that things might turn out the other way anytime..
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This thread has been quiet for a while now. Is that a sign of people are going well with their visa and visa appointment? Hope that is the case and would love to hear news from anyone.
My appointment had been cancelled and had no luck to reschedule it until late September even under a expedited appointment request...
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I’d love to share with you what I know. But I just got back from one current PhD student only.
Please me DM you!
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On 3/6/2020 at 6:31 PM, renforall said:
I’d first address the glaring issue with these programs, as the poster above mentions. I’ll give my two cents bluntly: please do not attend the Columbia/NYU programs unless you can seriously offset or justify the cost in a meaningful way. These programs are the notorious cash cows in the field (I would put Chicago’s MAPH in the same bracket, too) and rarely give any advantage in applying to the same departments’ PhD programs. Other users might be able to attest to this better than I, but it’s known that these academic environments are grossly unkind to their MA students and access to faculty remains a particularly troubling subject. This isn’t to say that there is any wrongdoing at the hands of faculty directly, but advising for MA students is generally a low priority and competition with other students—especially from what I hear about Columbia—is not worth the intellectual, financial, or personal investment whatsoever.
If your ultimate goal is a PhD, it’s imperative that you enter and exit this long process with as few financial setbacks as possible. You’ve likely heard this before, but you must realize that self-funding an MA is a misguided step that many unfortunately take and should be avoided at all costs. If money isn’t an issue for you, then do some serious research about your potential advisor(s) commitment to their relationships with MA students and the departmental culture around advising at each institution. Talk to current students, if possible—they will likely be frank about their situations and offer more insight than anyone here can. It may prove more beneficial to investigate other programs for the subsequent application cycle that offer more funding opportunities and maintain a serious dedication to training MA students.
Sure, you’d leave with a nice degree in-hand from a reputable program, but it’s questionable if these programs provide the individualized training necessary in order to secure a proper footing in this field. Only you can make the decision re: preparedness for the PhD, but ensure your reasons for pursuing are true to heart if you go that route eventually. If it turns out to be a yes, I’d say your time is better spent reading literature in your sub-field, building language skills, and refining your SOP/writing sample for a program that will make a deeper, genuine commitment to you as an emerging scholar. Consider your personal circumstances—whether you’re coming straight out of a BA or if you’ve already been living the post-grad life for a few years. If it’s the former, do not rush into this decision given these options.
I wouldn’t say to take this as a hard and fast rule, but I will reiterate this as the most sound advice I’ve received: do not attend a program that doesn’t value you enough to fund you fully. Deciding to take the MA route comes down to a number of factors, but only do it if you believe that the experience is a necessary step and if your finances permit. Do not go into debt for an MA program. At this stage, concern yourself less with reputation and focus more on what will make for a meaningful academic training. I know plenty of students with mid-tier MAs who have gone on to fantastic PhD programs. Because you’re considering the PhD, think very carefully about this next step and do not make compromises when it comes to your wellbeing, intellectual or otherwise.
As far as SAIC reputation goes, I know little about the program. But your post suggests that you’ve already recognized what the obvious limitations might be. Approach this with open eyes. Congratulations on your achievements and always keep in mind what will be best for you moving forward—it’s not always clear at first! ?
Thanks for the great advice! I am now in the same spot as @vnswang and considering the IFA MA offer since it's my only option at the moment.
Many people also commented on the lack of advising for MA students at IFA. I am now asking for some current student contact and hoping to ask them about this.
To judge their comments fairly, I am curious about what a great MA program would do for its students in terms of advising. What is a good advising? Like answering emails promptly and enthusiastically, easy to arrange for meetings, actively organizing workshops and lectures about career and research? Anyone has any thoughts or experience?
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3 hours ago, Modconart said:
They’re all skype or phone call. You won’t have less of a chance to interview by being abroad.
Thanks! I am now making all sorts of justification for me not getting any interview call lol
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Congrats to the ones who got interviews!
I am just wondering if the interviews are in-person or Skype. Because I applied for US grad schools but I don’t live there. So I am thinking if I might then have fewer chances to get asked for interviews. Anyone who got interviews can let me know? Thanks!
My field is contemporary. Applied for Princeton, Yale, NYU, CUNY, Berkeley, Stanford and UCLA. The whole waiting process is very distressing!
visa appointment
in IHOG: International House of Grads
Posted
I just had my visa appointment two days ago too and my visa was approved on the spot! I think your consulate website should list out the additional documents that they need or you should email them to ask about it. During my appointment, the staff did not ask me for anything apart from what they said they need.
But preparing more is always nice and you should bring anything additional if you think it's helpful to explain your situation.