Jump to content

t_ruth

Members
  • Posts

    1,075
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    8

Reputation Activity

  1. Like
    t_ruth got a reaction from PinkTeacher901 in Ed.D in Teaching English or PhD in Curriculum and Teaching?   
    It sounds like an EdD might be better for your goals. You are right, a PhD is a *research* degree, and if you aren't interested in research, not a good fit.
    With an EdD (or even a Masters and experience) you can find adjunct faculty gigs, but unless your EdD is a research-focused EdD (there are some places that do these), you are unlikely to be able to obtain a full-time faculty job at a reputable university.
    As you look at programs, see where their graduates are working now. If they don't have this highlighted on their website, it's definitely ok to ask.
  2. Like
    t_ruth got a reaction from 01A in Some process insight from a Grad Director   
    Hi all.
    I remember how tough on the nerves January and February can be, so I thought it might help to lay out a detailed timeline as to what happens after you hit submit with an illustration from my program. I know there have been other similar posts like this, but probably doesn't hurt to add another one. Not every program does it the same way, but this might shed some light on one way it is done and how long it takes. The dates are not the same every year, so I just chose dates *around* when we do this.
    Context: My program is a mid-ranked R1 in our field with some top-ranked faculty. I'm in Education, but we have a lot of faculty who come from other social sciences: psychology, sociology, economics...
    Dec. 15 Deadline for our apps (like many places)
    Dec. 16 As grad director, I check all the applications, download them for the faculty who can't (or won't) access the online system, organize them into specializations, and create spreadsheets for faculty to review the applicants.
    This is when I also have to note who has missing materials or a missing fee. Some people enter a fee code that isn't valid and think they are done (not sure why the system allows that and shows us fee is missing), others have entered a valid fee code, but slightly wrong, and these have to be hand-processed by the grad college. Similarly, some applicants who should get TOEFL waivers didn't exactly follow instructions, so these also have to be hand-processed. Others are missing reference letters...
    So, I advise my faculty to review any of the applicants in these categories anyway while we work on getting things worked out, but not everybody does this. New (now complete) applicants trickle in for a few weeks.
    Dec. 17-Jan. 16 Faculty are supposed to review applications in their small specialization groups. Some groups do this asynchronously, some set a meeting in January. Either before or after this meeting, faculty are supposed to informally interview (or at least have a conversation) with anyone they want to admit. Some groups leave it completely up to individual faculty to say yes or no on an applicant, other groups have more formal rating systems and rank and then try to match the top candidates with faculty. In all this, faculty are supposed to keep in mind our target cohort size (12-15), our typical rate of return on acceptances, and what funding we have (faculty with grants often get priority).
    Keep in mind that this is happening during the holidays, so this month-long period really only is a couple weeks that people are working.
    Jan. 17 Specialization coordinators meet to check their lists and discuss potential funding, etc. Final ranked lists of students for each specialization are due at this point.
    Jan. 18 Admissions committee meets to make final decisions re: admits, ranking, and who will be submitted for university awards. The university award decision may consider things like how likely the student is to actually accept their offer (because we can only submit a few students and if one gets the award and doesn't come, we lose that money).
    Jan. 19 Final decisions are sent to the College admin and also to the grad college for processing. Soon after this, faculty will be able to informally tell the students they are admitting that they have been "recommended for admission." These recommendations still need to be processed by the grad college and that can take a few weeks (at this stage, the grad college can also flag applicants that they don't want to admit, but this is rare). Meanwhile, the grad team is making sure that all students (current and new) have funding for the following year. This is a BIG puzzle!
    Sometime in Feb Letters go out offering admission and funding packages (but may not have specific funding assignment)
    Feb-July Specific funding assignments are still being sorted (faculty are still finding out about grants this late, etc.). Individual students will receive letters with their specific assignments. For some, this will be after they have to decide on admission (but everyone is guaranteed funding regardless of their specific assignment).
    Hope this helps to demystify the process a bit. Happy to take questions
  3. Like
    t_ruth reacted to clarowe1 in Some process insight from a Grad Director   
    waiting has been so difficult! This post has kept me a little more sane lol
  4. Like
    t_ruth got a reaction from clarowe1 in Some process insight from a Grad Director   
    Hi all.
    I remember how tough on the nerves January and February can be, so I thought it might help to lay out a detailed timeline as to what happens after you hit submit with an illustration from my program. I know there have been other similar posts like this, but probably doesn't hurt to add another one. Not every program does it the same way, but this might shed some light on one way it is done and how long it takes. The dates are not the same every year, so I just chose dates *around* when we do this.
    Context: My program is a mid-ranked R1 in our field with some top-ranked faculty. I'm in Education, but we have a lot of faculty who come from other social sciences: psychology, sociology, economics...
    Dec. 15 Deadline for our apps (like many places)
    Dec. 16 As grad director, I check all the applications, download them for the faculty who can't (or won't) access the online system, organize them into specializations, and create spreadsheets for faculty to review the applicants.
    This is when I also have to note who has missing materials or a missing fee. Some people enter a fee code that isn't valid and think they are done (not sure why the system allows that and shows us fee is missing), others have entered a valid fee code, but slightly wrong, and these have to be hand-processed by the grad college. Similarly, some applicants who should get TOEFL waivers didn't exactly follow instructions, so these also have to be hand-processed. Others are missing reference letters...
    So, I advise my faculty to review any of the applicants in these categories anyway while we work on getting things worked out, but not everybody does this. New (now complete) applicants trickle in for a few weeks.
    Dec. 17-Jan. 16 Faculty are supposed to review applications in their small specialization groups. Some groups do this asynchronously, some set a meeting in January. Either before or after this meeting, faculty are supposed to informally interview (or at least have a conversation) with anyone they want to admit. Some groups leave it completely up to individual faculty to say yes or no on an applicant, other groups have more formal rating systems and rank and then try to match the top candidates with faculty. In all this, faculty are supposed to keep in mind our target cohort size (12-15), our typical rate of return on acceptances, and what funding we have (faculty with grants often get priority).
    Keep in mind that this is happening during the holidays, so this month-long period really only is a couple weeks that people are working.
    Jan. 17 Specialization coordinators meet to check their lists and discuss potential funding, etc. Final ranked lists of students for each specialization are due at this point.
    Jan. 18 Admissions committee meets to make final decisions re: admits, ranking, and who will be submitted for university awards. The university award decision may consider things like how likely the student is to actually accept their offer (because we can only submit a few students and if one gets the award and doesn't come, we lose that money).
    Jan. 19 Final decisions are sent to the College admin and also to the grad college for processing. Soon after this, faculty will be able to informally tell the students they are admitting that they have been "recommended for admission." These recommendations still need to be processed by the grad college and that can take a few weeks (at this stage, the grad college can also flag applicants that they don't want to admit, but this is rare). Meanwhile, the grad team is making sure that all students (current and new) have funding for the following year. This is a BIG puzzle!
    Sometime in Feb Letters go out offering admission and funding packages (but may not have specific funding assignment)
    Feb-July Specific funding assignments are still being sorted (faculty are still finding out about grants this late, etc.). Individual students will receive letters with their specific assignments. For some, this will be after they have to decide on admission (but everyone is guaranteed funding regardless of their specific assignment).
    Hope this helps to demystify the process a bit. Happy to take questions
  5. Like
    t_ruth reacted to Sun2019 in Advice for PhD in US?   
    Highlight research experience in essays and most importantly make the program “the hero.” What they (the program and potential advisor) can do for you, and why you’re choosing that specific program is just as important as highlighting what makes you a great applicant. I’d say the best way to make it stand out is to make it special to you. These people read hundreds of applications. Don’t make it what everyone else’s will be, but you also can’t make it too personal. Find the sweet spot in between!
    In my opinion, the most arduous part of the application process is creating your list of where you’d like to apply since you have to find schools that have your program, make sure they have faculty that match your research interests, and that you like the values and curriculum of the program. You’re already ahead so it’s definitely best to start looking around although you won’t be able to have a solid list until faculty announce if they are accepting new students in late summer/early fall. It’s a long process, but will be worth it. Good luck!
  6. Upvote
    t_ruth got a reaction from polikilljoy in Fall 2023 PhD Applicant Thread   
    Congrats to those who have heard back positively! These schools are early!
    So exciting to see folx who are starting in Ed Psych/Learning Sciences. (my area ?)
    I posted a thread in Waiting it Out about the process from a grad director's perspective that you all might find useful/interesting.
    Hang in there to those of you still waiting!
  7. Like
    t_ruth reacted to goodluck2023 in Some process insight from a Grad Director   
    Hi! It’s just so nice of you to describe what’s behind the scene. Somehow knowing what you are up to makes waiting less disturbing
  8. Upvote
    t_ruth reacted to Teachk5 in PhD in Education or PhD in Curriculum and Instruction?   
    I'm on a similar path. I've been teaching elementary school for the past 8 years, and have been looking to expand my influence and possibilities for the future. I am really passionate about education as a field, and wanted the option to stay in the k-12 arena, so I chose to apply for en EdD in Curriculum and Instruction. I already create my own curricula materials and sell them on teachers pay teachers, and this degree would give me the option of working with curriculum writing companies, the option of becoming a curriculum director or superintendent within a school district, and also gives me the qualifications to teach in teacher education programs, which was incredibly important to me. It also just gives me more skills to use in the classroom, if I decide to just keep teaching elementary school. I originally was looking at PhD programs in Education (with all other subfields, like curriculum and instruction or international education) but through all of my research decided that this was the best path for me.
    It might be worth looking into education programs in literacy. There are a LOT and teachers with a focus in literacy are in huge demand, at least from an elementary standpoint. I realize that looking into phonics, the science of reading, and comprehension strategies doesn't really align with your passions or your wheelhouse, but with what your background and experience is already it may be something worth exploring. It took me a long time to find the program that fit with what I actually wanted, and quite honestly a long time to hone in what it is that I actually wanted while I was researching. This may also sound common sense, but I wasn't thinking about how PhD programs are really developed around a specific research idea. The whole point is essentially for you to become an academic, and you will be focusing on your own academic research around a particular idea, working with mentor professors on how to hone your idea to eventually write your thesis. This isn't what I was looking for, I really wanted to get my doctorate but wanted a traditional learning environment, where there are professors who are the expert and specific categories of things I wanted to learn about, which is what an EdD is. I've also found that more professors in the EdD programs vs PhD programs have actually taught in the k-12 arena, which was also important to me. 
    I hope this helps at least a little. I realize this was more about me than about you, but hopefully some insight into my journey can help you with yours. Like I said, it took me a long time to find the thing that was right for me, so I hope you find the thing that is right for you!
  9. Upvote
    t_ruth reacted to PsyDuck90 in HELP! PhD advisor leaving....what to do?   
    I am so sorry, as that is definitely a really bum deal. Even though your faculty isn’t going to be part of your institution anymore, is it possible for them to serve as an outside collaborator on your work? I’ve known people whose dissertation committee chairs left for other universities and they were able to at least serve as a committee member and assist in the process. Before jumping ship, I would speak with your advisor who is leaving as well as the program head to see what exactly can be done to ensure you are still on track. If you haven’t done so already. Also, make sure to get all of it in writing.
  10. Upvote
    t_ruth got a reaction from en_passant in Some process insight from a Grad Director   
    Hi all.
    I remember how tough on the nerves January and February can be, so I thought it might help to lay out a detailed timeline as to what happens after you hit submit with an illustration from my program. I know there have been other similar posts like this, but probably doesn't hurt to add another one. Not every program does it the same way, but this might shed some light on one way it is done and how long it takes. The dates are not the same every year, so I just chose dates *around* when we do this.
    Context: My program is a mid-ranked R1 in our field with some top-ranked faculty. I'm in Education, but we have a lot of faculty who come from other social sciences: psychology, sociology, economics...
    Dec. 15 Deadline for our apps (like many places)
    Dec. 16 As grad director, I check all the applications, download them for the faculty who can't (or won't) access the online system, organize them into specializations, and create spreadsheets for faculty to review the applicants.
    This is when I also have to note who has missing materials or a missing fee. Some people enter a fee code that isn't valid and think they are done (not sure why the system allows that and shows us fee is missing), others have entered a valid fee code, but slightly wrong, and these have to be hand-processed by the grad college. Similarly, some applicants who should get TOEFL waivers didn't exactly follow instructions, so these also have to be hand-processed. Others are missing reference letters...
    So, I advise my faculty to review any of the applicants in these categories anyway while we work on getting things worked out, but not everybody does this. New (now complete) applicants trickle in for a few weeks.
    Dec. 17-Jan. 16 Faculty are supposed to review applications in their small specialization groups. Some groups do this asynchronously, some set a meeting in January. Either before or after this meeting, faculty are supposed to informally interview (or at least have a conversation) with anyone they want to admit. Some groups leave it completely up to individual faculty to say yes or no on an applicant, other groups have more formal rating systems and rank and then try to match the top candidates with faculty. In all this, faculty are supposed to keep in mind our target cohort size (12-15), our typical rate of return on acceptances, and what funding we have (faculty with grants often get priority).
    Keep in mind that this is happening during the holidays, so this month-long period really only is a couple weeks that people are working.
    Jan. 17 Specialization coordinators meet to check their lists and discuss potential funding, etc. Final ranked lists of students for each specialization are due at this point.
    Jan. 18 Admissions committee meets to make final decisions re: admits, ranking, and who will be submitted for university awards. The university award decision may consider things like how likely the student is to actually accept their offer (because we can only submit a few students and if one gets the award and doesn't come, we lose that money).
    Jan. 19 Final decisions are sent to the College admin and also to the grad college for processing. Soon after this, faculty will be able to informally tell the students they are admitting that they have been "recommended for admission." These recommendations still need to be processed by the grad college and that can take a few weeks (at this stage, the grad college can also flag applicants that they don't want to admit, but this is rare). Meanwhile, the grad team is making sure that all students (current and new) have funding for the following year. This is a BIG puzzle!
    Sometime in Feb Letters go out offering admission and funding packages (but may not have specific funding assignment)
    Feb-July Specific funding assignments are still being sorted (faculty are still finding out about grants this late, etc.). Individual students will receive letters with their specific assignments. For some, this will be after they have to decide on admission (but everyone is guaranteed funding regardless of their specific assignment).
    Hope this helps to demystify the process a bit. Happy to take questions
  11. Upvote
    t_ruth got a reaction from 911806a in Some process insight from a Grad Director   
    Hi all.
    I remember how tough on the nerves January and February can be, so I thought it might help to lay out a detailed timeline as to what happens after you hit submit with an illustration from my program. I know there have been other similar posts like this, but probably doesn't hurt to add another one. Not every program does it the same way, but this might shed some light on one way it is done and how long it takes. The dates are not the same every year, so I just chose dates *around* when we do this.
    Context: My program is a mid-ranked R1 in our field with some top-ranked faculty. I'm in Education, but we have a lot of faculty who come from other social sciences: psychology, sociology, economics...
    Dec. 15 Deadline for our apps (like many places)
    Dec. 16 As grad director, I check all the applications, download them for the faculty who can't (or won't) access the online system, organize them into specializations, and create spreadsheets for faculty to review the applicants.
    This is when I also have to note who has missing materials or a missing fee. Some people enter a fee code that isn't valid and think they are done (not sure why the system allows that and shows us fee is missing), others have entered a valid fee code, but slightly wrong, and these have to be hand-processed by the grad college. Similarly, some applicants who should get TOEFL waivers didn't exactly follow instructions, so these also have to be hand-processed. Others are missing reference letters...
    So, I advise my faculty to review any of the applicants in these categories anyway while we work on getting things worked out, but not everybody does this. New (now complete) applicants trickle in for a few weeks.
    Dec. 17-Jan. 16 Faculty are supposed to review applications in their small specialization groups. Some groups do this asynchronously, some set a meeting in January. Either before or after this meeting, faculty are supposed to informally interview (or at least have a conversation) with anyone they want to admit. Some groups leave it completely up to individual faculty to say yes or no on an applicant, other groups have more formal rating systems and rank and then try to match the top candidates with faculty. In all this, faculty are supposed to keep in mind our target cohort size (12-15), our typical rate of return on acceptances, and what funding we have (faculty with grants often get priority).
    Keep in mind that this is happening during the holidays, so this month-long period really only is a couple weeks that people are working.
    Jan. 17 Specialization coordinators meet to check their lists and discuss potential funding, etc. Final ranked lists of students for each specialization are due at this point.
    Jan. 18 Admissions committee meets to make final decisions re: admits, ranking, and who will be submitted for university awards. The university award decision may consider things like how likely the student is to actually accept their offer (because we can only submit a few students and if one gets the award and doesn't come, we lose that money).
    Jan. 19 Final decisions are sent to the College admin and also to the grad college for processing. Soon after this, faculty will be able to informally tell the students they are admitting that they have been "recommended for admission." These recommendations still need to be processed by the grad college and that can take a few weeks (at this stage, the grad college can also flag applicants that they don't want to admit, but this is rare). Meanwhile, the grad team is making sure that all students (current and new) have funding for the following year. This is a BIG puzzle!
    Sometime in Feb Letters go out offering admission and funding packages (but may not have specific funding assignment)
    Feb-July Specific funding assignments are still being sorted (faculty are still finding out about grants this late, etc.). Individual students will receive letters with their specific assignments. For some, this will be after they have to decide on admission (but everyone is guaranteed funding regardless of their specific assignment).
    Hope this helps to demystify the process a bit. Happy to take questions
  12. Upvote
    t_ruth got a reaction from pepina in Some process insight from a Grad Director   
    Hi all.
    I remember how tough on the nerves January and February can be, so I thought it might help to lay out a detailed timeline as to what happens after you hit submit with an illustration from my program. I know there have been other similar posts like this, but probably doesn't hurt to add another one. Not every program does it the same way, but this might shed some light on one way it is done and how long it takes. The dates are not the same every year, so I just chose dates *around* when we do this.
    Context: My program is a mid-ranked R1 in our field with some top-ranked faculty. I'm in Education, but we have a lot of faculty who come from other social sciences: psychology, sociology, economics...
    Dec. 15 Deadline for our apps (like many places)
    Dec. 16 As grad director, I check all the applications, download them for the faculty who can't (or won't) access the online system, organize them into specializations, and create spreadsheets for faculty to review the applicants.
    This is when I also have to note who has missing materials or a missing fee. Some people enter a fee code that isn't valid and think they are done (not sure why the system allows that and shows us fee is missing), others have entered a valid fee code, but slightly wrong, and these have to be hand-processed by the grad college. Similarly, some applicants who should get TOEFL waivers didn't exactly follow instructions, so these also have to be hand-processed. Others are missing reference letters...
    So, I advise my faculty to review any of the applicants in these categories anyway while we work on getting things worked out, but not everybody does this. New (now complete) applicants trickle in for a few weeks.
    Dec. 17-Jan. 16 Faculty are supposed to review applications in their small specialization groups. Some groups do this asynchronously, some set a meeting in January. Either before or after this meeting, faculty are supposed to informally interview (or at least have a conversation) with anyone they want to admit. Some groups leave it completely up to individual faculty to say yes or no on an applicant, other groups have more formal rating systems and rank and then try to match the top candidates with faculty. In all this, faculty are supposed to keep in mind our target cohort size (12-15), our typical rate of return on acceptances, and what funding we have (faculty with grants often get priority).
    Keep in mind that this is happening during the holidays, so this month-long period really only is a couple weeks that people are working.
    Jan. 17 Specialization coordinators meet to check their lists and discuss potential funding, etc. Final ranked lists of students for each specialization are due at this point.
    Jan. 18 Admissions committee meets to make final decisions re: admits, ranking, and who will be submitted for university awards. The university award decision may consider things like how likely the student is to actually accept their offer (because we can only submit a few students and if one gets the award and doesn't come, we lose that money).
    Jan. 19 Final decisions are sent to the College admin and also to the grad college for processing. Soon after this, faculty will be able to informally tell the students they are admitting that they have been "recommended for admission." These recommendations still need to be processed by the grad college and that can take a few weeks (at this stage, the grad college can also flag applicants that they don't want to admit, but this is rare). Meanwhile, the grad team is making sure that all students (current and new) have funding for the following year. This is a BIG puzzle!
    Sometime in Feb Letters go out offering admission and funding packages (but may not have specific funding assignment)
    Feb-July Specific funding assignments are still being sorted (faculty are still finding out about grants this late, etc.). Individual students will receive letters with their specific assignments. For some, this will be after they have to decide on admission (but everyone is guaranteed funding regardless of their specific assignment).
    Hope this helps to demystify the process a bit. Happy to take questions
  13. Like
    t_ruth reacted to PhDdreamin in HELP! PhD advisor leaving....what to do?   
    @t_ruthThis is very helpful! Thank you!
  14. Upvote
    t_ruth reacted to PsyDuck90 in Career switch in late thirties   
    What degree are you looking into? A masters degree is going to be different from a PhD. Also, a clinical degree is going to be different from a research-only PhD such as social psych or developmental psych. Answers will definitely change depending on what type of degree you're aiming for but for the sake of answering your questions, I will answer based on clinical psych PhDs, which are also the most competitive. 
    Pre-reqs will be program-dependent but they are typically some combination of research methods, statistics, abnormal psych, and lifespan development. You should be looking at programs based on research match of available faculty.
    You need research experience. Whether that is from a formal RA position or volunteering or through work is a little more variable. Faculty want to know you have a grasp on the fundamentals of research, and products (conference posters/presentations and/or publications) to show that you can take initiative on a project. Additionally, many people spend years honing their applications with research directly related to their interest area. Some faculty prefer non-traditional students, so your background may be appealing, especially if your CS experience includes a lot of stats/modeling and the use of programs like R. 
     
  15. Upvote
    t_ruth got a reaction from bh1ge3u1hqwdjb in Writing Sample for PhD Admissions   
    I think that paper sounds good. I would respond favorably to such a sample.
  16. Like
    t_ruth got a reaction from ek1998 in Developmental Psychology PhD database?   
    This might be helpful. (psych grad wiki)
  17. Upvote
    t_ruth reacted to CycloRen in NSF GRFP 2021-2022   
    I mean...kinda what this thread is for? It's not like anyone is religiously checking here of all places to find an award notification - those get emailed directly to us. Genuinely, if you find the content of this thread displeasing, there isn't a need to be posting here
  18. Like
    t_ruth got a reaction from happyhalogen17 in NSF GRFP 2021-2022   
    You are in for a lot of disappointment with academia.
  19. Upvote
    t_ruth reacted to Amaranthae in NSF GRFP 2021-2022   
    This is basically my pet theory. I think that the results are basically ready, but they ran into a technical issue preventing them from securely presenting this year's results, hence why the 2021 results are still down. To me, this might mean that they're using something from the last year's result list to display this year's results. Based on this, I think (hope, really) that it's quite possible for results to be released this Friday, and that they're saying "early April" to cover their bases in case results are released even later.
  20. Like
    t_ruth got a reaction from frightenedrabbit in NSF GRFP 2021-2022   
    You are in for a lot of disappointment with academia.
  21. Upvote
    t_ruth got a reaction from cardamoma in NSF GRFP 2021-2022   
    You are in for a lot of disappointment with academia.
  22. Like
    t_ruth got a reaction from GH1D in NSF GRFP 2021-2022   
    You are in for a lot of disappointment with academia.
  23. Like
    t_ruth got a reaction from owobowoz in NSF GRFP 2021-2022   
    You are in for a lot of disappointment with academia.
  24. Like
    t_ruth got a reaction from ryanleh in NSF GRFP 2021-2022   
    You are in for a lot of disappointment with academia.
  25. Like
    t_ruth got a reaction from caconym in NSF GRFP 2021-2022   
    You are in for a lot of disappointment with academia.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use