Shake829

Genuinely hoping that everyone landed at their ideal spot. If you didn’t, I’m very sorry, and I hope that you find your place soon. These results say nothing about your worth, and I’m sure that the next cycle will be both fulfilling and worthwhile for you. Are people willing to share where they ended up going!? I want to be happy for all of y’all, since this online forum has been so supportive and kind. (I think someone made a forum about final results, but I could be wrong!) I accepted my offer from CUNY a few days ago. I’m here to see if any other members of the incoming CUNY cohort are on this forum. I know they sent that email out with all of our email addresses visible, but I don’t want to be that person who initiates contact with the entire cohort at once ?.

Friends! I got off the waitlist at CUNY. I’m so happy!!

I’m supposed to speak with a DGS via Zoom later this evening, but I woke up feeling incredibly ill. (Not COVID, thankfully). I can’t even sit up without feeling weak and cold. Should I push through it or ask to reschedule the meeting? I just don’t want to seem unprofessional with a last-minute cancellation.

I would think it matters quite a bit. We’ve all heard that where you go is independent of the research and the work that you do, and while they may be true, it seems like an anomaly. I would think that the only time a lower-ranked program alum is chosen over an ivy alum is if the prior has published extensively to the point that they are seen as an expert. Otherwise, if two applicants have equal qualifications, I would think it boils down to ranking. At the university from which I received my masters, all of the professors in the dept had a degree from a top 20 school; there wasn’t a single exception, which is both crazy and scary to think about. It also seems to depend on the schools to which you apply for jobs. Research universities seem to be flooded with top 20 graduates, whereas university’s that focus more on teaching seem to have a lot of the “mid-tier” graduates. Community colleges seem to be a mixed bag, so to speak, but it seems that lower-ranking applicants have more success there. There’s nothing wrong with any of those options, but it does seem that where you graduate from affects both your options and your prospects. I know that you said only a few programs do studies in your field, so I assume that when a job opens up in that field, you’d have a better chance.

Congrats!!

Has anyone officially committed anywhere yet? It feels like all of us are waiting on waitlist results ?

I think an MA program complicates the situation further. I have an MA, and I feel that I was trained really well. I was also able to gain teaching experience from my program. My stipend wasn’t the greatest, but I didn’t have to relocate for the program, and I already had a support system in place. A lot of people advise against MA’s unless they’re 100% fully funded. (I’ve even given friends this advice). Personally, I wouldn’t have financially burdened myself for my MA. You also have to think about after your program. PhD programs are hard to get into. This is my third cycle. And here’s the sad reality: Jobs in our field are hard to come by. I’m adjuncting and have been doing so for a while as I wait for the opportunity to start my PhD. If you want to do a PhD after, you’ll likely look for temporary work while you fill out your application (like adjunct work). You’ll tell yourself that you’ll temporarily do the adjunct work because you’re going to start a new program in the fall (trust me, I’ve convinced myself of this three times and have been adjuncting for three straight application cycles). Depending on the university’s pay, it might keep you afloat. I’m personally fine, but I also know of colleagues who are working at 4 different schools and teaching 10-12 classes a semester just to get by. It can be stressful if you’re on your own. A lot are older folks with just an MA—some are also filling out PhD applications like myself so that they can move on to something else. Here’s my biggest advice to avoid waiting after you get an MA. In your first year, approach a professor with similar interests and ask for an independent study. Be transparent and say that your goal is to produce a PhD worthy writing sample. A lot of my cohort did this and got accepted to good programs before I did. I wish I had done this! If you know you can make that second offer work (always calculate the numbers!!), you should go for it over the one that will burden you. Either way, good luck—you’re going to grad school, and you should be proud of yourself.

This is quite the dilemma! Sorry that you’re going through this. There are many variables in place to give you a more definitive answer. Both stipends seem a bit low, but a 10k stipend is very low—is this an MA or a PhD? Can you add to this by tutoring at a campus writing center? Would you be on your own, or do you have a support system in place? Is one of your friends willing to come with you and be a roommate? My biggest advice would be not to do anything that will financially burden you. You say “pretty low” when discussing rankings of the 10k program. If the program is going to financially burden you AND make it difficult for you to get a job after, I think that makes your process a little easier. I was in a similar situation last year. My only acceptance offered me 13k with no insurance; the state had a VERY high cost of living, and the ranking was also pretty low. All of my friends were also telling me to take it, and I was seriously considering it. Before doing so, though, I spoke with a former professor on the phone, and she expressed concerns that the combination of a financial burden and an even more bleak job prospect after graduation (competing with those who went to high-end programs) made the offer quite bad. I sat down and did the math and realized that I just wouldn’t be able to do it. I would’ve needed to adjunct in addition to performing my teaching duties with the program just to barely get by. It wasn’t worth it given the program’s ranking. Was it disheartening? Yes—very much so! I had to hold off for yet another year. I felt so lost; I was going to be three years removed from an MA and haven’t yet started my PhD. However, I made my application stronger. Now, I have a great offer with insurance and a pretty high stipend with an additional fellowship on top of it. The program is also pretty good in terms of ranking. I’m also on a waitlist for another top 20 program, and no matter what, I’ll have an offer that I can live on. Please just know your worth and do not do anything that will burden you. If you can make the dream program work, you should, of course, follow your dreams. But nobody should financially burden themselves to go to grad school.

Hey! You’re correct—I am in the same boat. I don’t have kids (do my dogs count? ?), so I won’t be helpful with that. I’m in a position where I can pick up and go, so to speak. I have until April 15th to accept the other offer. I’ll be waiting probably until the second week of April, but I plan to reach out during that first week to get another sense of how realistic my chances are at that point. Have you reached out to the waitlisted program yet? I did. I was really transparent with them—said I had another offer but was still interested in their program. They replied quickly and we’re understanding and forthcoming. They told me my position on the waitlist as well as the number of offers available. This can give you a realistic view of your chances, and perhaps give you more room to speak with your family about what is more likely to happen.

I’m a bit on the fence about whether CUNY will become a reality. It’d be great since their faculty members perfectly align with my interest. However, when I received my other offer, I reached out to inquire about the waitlist. I didn’t get the most assuring response. They only have two spots for my subfield, and my spot on the waitlist (third), from what I was told, seemed too low for that to become a reality. I was also told that if a early modern student declines their spot, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll pull an early modern applicant from the list. They want balance, so they might take someone from another field, so long as they still have at least one early modern applicant. I remember telling myself “well, guess that’s not happening!” But something told me to go to the open house, and there were SO many early modern applicants. They put us in groups based on our specialties. Our group had about 20 or so people, and like half of them were early modern, give or take. No idea why they keep so many on their list when they only have two (maybe even just one from what he said) spots; I was talking with a friend about this, and she suggested that they must know that a lot of people say no given the combination of the location and the stipend amount (not exactly livable funding for NY!), so they buffer their list to assure that they’ll have a cohort. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Hello again, friend! Three offers! Wow! Remember when I said you would be on this forum posting multiple acceptances? I’m glad that came into existence! I’ll offer my two cents, but I’m no expert. Some people will tell you that rankings are arbitrary, and while that is true to an extent, at the end of the day, there are certain programs that are more valued than others. This is a sad reality for all PhDs. I had one professor tell me that if the program wasn’t top 20, it wasn’t my worth my time. I had another professor say to worry more about the program’s post-graduate placement results. She said don’t dip too low in ranking, but don’t be afraid to give number 40, for example, a chance if they’re finding their graduates a job. It seems that your issue is that the school offering you more money is ranked much lower than your top acceptance. Here’s my advice: Consider how big that gap is, and see if the gap is countered by the placement results (and also the quality of the placement results). For example, let’s just hypothetically say your acceptances are ranked 50 and 35. 35 is certainly more enticing—15 spots! However, let’s also say that number 35 reports 10 tenure-track jobs secured for graduates in the last few years. Number 50 reports 20 in that same time frame (I know TT jobs are not at all common for this to happen, but just hypothetically), it wouldn’t be completely crazy to go with number 50, as they’re lower ranked, but they’re still providing better training for faculty positions. You know? Do the programs to which you were accepted have an “alumni success stories” page or something similar? Assuming that you want to work in academia, count the number of tenure-track jobs reported by alumni. This will allow you to compare ranking AND job prospects. That will help you make the choice that is best for your future. But also be sure that you’re picking a program at which you’ll be happy!

I’m going through something similar, but for the opposite reason. I’ve been offered one of those competitive uneven funding packages. While I’m still waiting to hear about the waitlist at my top choice, I’ll (very) likely take this offer if it doesn’t work out. But I’m nervous. My extra fellowship is a competitive one that is given out each year. If I lose it to a peer, will the program look down on me? Are they expecting me to immediately come in and out perform my peers? If my peers find out about my package, will they try to compete with me? The anxiety goes both ways, believe it or not! I think my biggest worry is entering an environment that is toxic. If we’re all competing for that extra funding, will we ever be truly happy when someone in the cohort succeeds, or will we feel the need to out perform them, so to speak? A cohort should be a supportive group, and I don’t want to constantly compare myself to them. However, I’ve come to determine that this is likely my anxiety talking. You are valued, friend. You were taken over so many other people. Your POI probably signed off on your acceptance, and someone whom you admire wants to work with YOU! Take the offer that you feel is best for you. At the end of the day, they valued you enough to send you an acceptance offer. We also don’t know how these fellowships are really rewarded. Are they random? I was rejected from nine programs, waitlisted at one, but then accepted to this other one WITH a competitive package? Seems arbitrary to me! There’s also university-wide fellowships where the program nominates you but the school decides. If your peers have this type of fellowship, it definitely says nothing about how you’re valued. Keep afloat, friend; you’re going to graduate school—congratulations!

I just want to say that I was on this forum last year, and many (many!) talented people were shutout. This year, the positivity has been overwhelming, and it’s been great seeing so many active people on here get good news! You’re all clearly very talented, and I’m sure that you’ll produce stellar work and go on to distinguished careers! And, for those who are receiving (or have already received) the unfortunate shutout: I’ve been there before; this is my third cycle. My first year, I was completely shutout. My second year was the first pandemic cycle, where offers were scarce and hard to come by. I had an offer, but I turned it down because I knew it wasn’t right for me. This year, I’ve so far received one acceptance, and I’m on the waitlist for my top choice. I’m also still waiting on two decisions. I suppose what I’m saying is that good things will come to you—I’m sure of it! Don’t look at this cycle as failure; look at it as a means of bettering yourself and coming back stronger than ever!

Thanks, friend! It was a relief to receive that message early in the morning. I’m still waiting on the specifics of the offer. Also, I replied to the message with some questions and have yet to hear back. A small part of my anxiety can’t help but to question if the email was a mistake, ha!

So, I know that you and I are not in the same field, but did CUNY reply to your message about turning down your offer? Did you send an email or just decline via the portal? I’m just curious as to whether they replied, as it might suggest that the waitlist has already started to move. Just curious as to how fast their turnaround might be.