miratrix

Okay so ironically enough...at the school where I thought it helped a lot, I was accepted but with insufficient funding (state school budget crunch, yay); at the school where I don't think it helped or hurt, I've heard nothing, and assume that means I'm at worst rejected and at best unfunded; at the school where I thought it was a horrible disaster and I shouldn't have gone, I was accepted with good funding and am getting excited about probably attending, despite still waiting on news from two others. My bad feeling about the conversation at that school was basically due to the prof having a very straightforward, businesslike demeanor that can be intimidating, which I realized from visiting last weekend after being accepted and talking to current students. So...goes to show how little we can assume, I guess!

Aw Sunshine, I'm sorry, you deserve some hugs. But don't feel too bad, you will be going to grad school next year and you will be on your way to getting a PhD...this will be one more step towards being where you want to be, and you can and will make it work. Tonights, same goes for you, but also - fingers crossed for your last two notifications!

I really don't think so, once you accept you will all be in it together and on the exact same footing. (And congrats!)

I think since you're going into a field that requires a master's and has clear job placement results, you could swing the debt. It makes a lot more sense to do that for professional programs than PhDs.

Yeah, I don't have it either, I don't think I'm a stunning genius but I definitely think I'm smart enough to do the work. It is a scary thing though, thinking about committing to one project for six years and requiring so much self-motivation...I am definitely nervous about that too!

How did word travel before other schools made decisions? (Hope not by internet stalking ) That does sound pretty risky, I'm glad school X WAS your first choice. I was only talking above about letting other schools know AFTER receiving offers.

I wouldn't read it as an acceptance because they said they're still reviewing your application, I think they are just trying to cover all their bases. Couldn't hurt to file the FAFSA though.

From all I've heard, when you're an international student (whether from Canada or Pakistan) and you want to go back to work in your country after grad school, the reputation of the American university DOES make a significantly bigger difference than it does in the US. Even if you are totally devoted to your field of study and don't care about "the title" for its own sake, it's a bit naive to refuse to think about your career goals and prospects until after you finish grad school. Sorry to hear about the rejection...I hope the next news is better!

The only school I've got an official rejection from so far (i.e. by mail, not phone or assumption) was one where one of my LOR writers had had the DGS as a graduate advisor himself. Hahaha, who needs connections?

hahaha. perfect.

I know this isn't really in the spirit of the thread, but I'm a little more sad about losing who I've become over this app season...at the time I started working on applications, I moved to a new city after being really rootless for a year and a half after college, and in the months since I've made friends with new roommates and co-workers and become part of a church community. I'm really going to miss the roots and routines I've just started to form, grad school seemed more attractive when I had nothing worth staying put for. However, it'd be more interesting than my work, and my financial situation is unstable and bad enough that I can't really afford NOT to go to grad school, so I'm very grateful to have gotten a couple acceptances out of all this.

At a campus visit, a prof asked me "so...where else are you considering?" in sort of a guilty whisper at a dinner near the end of the visit, and I told him...I figure there's no need to be weird and secretive if they've already offered funding in writing, they're not going to take it away. Haha, another prof at the same dinner asked, "Why do you want to be an archaeologist, when you will have no money and no power?" I told him I had no money and no power now, so I might as well do something I liked, and asked him the same thing because I know he used to be in business...his answer was "because I love what I do." It was amusing.

Dear Miratrix, You thought you could fool us with your application, but really, what the hell do you think you were doing applying to study American archaeology with your thoroughly Old World background? As if we can't see through that? Maybe you and that RecycledViking should just go build yourself some longships and raid some English universities instead of attempting grad school. You'd be much better suited for it. If you bring us back some ridiculously valuable medieval monastic treasures and reapply next year, we might reconsider your application in light of its improved strengths. We beg you do to that instead of raiding our university, as we fear that our arcane academic knowledge would be nothing in light of your sailing and battle skills, and we would have to bow down to you in terror. Sincerely, The East Coast

I really enjoy campus visits. However, I was accepted to three schools, and after campus visits, I'm going to feel horrendously guilty about turning down two. Anything involving somehow rejecting people I like makes me feel awful. (I know this is probably a good problem to have, too many good options, but it's hard not to make it personal.)

I called the one school I was really dying to hear from because I figured I'd get an instantaneous answer (or official non-answer), as opposed to waiting for them to have time to take care of email. And I did! Also, calling is a little easier than emailing because it doesn't involve committing yourself to writing, so that's what I recommend.

Fastest acceptance: 5 weeks Slowest acceptance: 2 months Fastest rejection: 2 months Slowest rejection: still waiting for a program with a 1/15 deadline. (rejection assumed based on rumor from highly reliable sources.)

oooh, that sounds like a great option. it's just the waiting another year that could be annoying, but hey, if it's in the bag....

Thanks for the encouragement! I called, and found out I was waitlisted, so I probably won't even end up in the same state as the helpful admin assistant to shower her with gifts next fall (unless I go visit some relatives near there for the holidays, but that's irrelevant). Anyway, it was REALLY helpful to just get that answer, it's one less thing to worry about.

I think the visit might be worth it to sell you on a school that you can't yet imagine yourself at, but I doubt it would help much at getting you funding...so I'd only visit if I really wanted to meet people at the school, but not for the sake of the funding gamble. Also, the part about trying to find a grad student host is a great idea.

meh, better than the "we got lots of applications and decided not to accept yours" form letter...maybe?

i'm steeling myself to call a school tomorrow. i can continue waiting, but i need to request april days off at my job by thursday, so if i end up getting in and trying to schedule a visit at the last minute things could get messy. i'm oddly nervous, i hate feeling as though i'm imposing on people...your stories of calling going just fine are calming.

it varies...at a school i just visited in the south (eighty degrees in march!), i mentioned i was afraid i wouldn't survive a summer, and ALL the faculty said "why would you ever stay here for a summer?! we don't!" this is a field where travel for research is common, though, and at this program more than most. i'm curious to find out what summers involve at a school where people are a little more sedentary. summer funding is the other part of this question, i guess - it's great to travel, or stay put and pay rent (because most leases are for a year anyway), but where's the money going to come from? worth finding out wherever you get in....

That sounds fine to me. For my upcoming visit, i'll probably wear nice jeans and a sweater. it's not an interview, it's information gathering for our benefit

And that's why i want to position myself to be able to get a job with the government, museums, CRM, or whatever after graduation...better to rely on four employers of very few people than one.

It also depends on whether she's the kind of advisor who really uses her reputation and connection to help students, especially if there is also a PhD program at the same school so MA students would be competing for her attention. If you are sure she will be helpful to you, that matters a lot, but if not, maybe an overall well-regarded department is the more sure choice.