katemiddleton

Hey guys, so I'll be here at HDS as of June. I found housing through a friend, right across the street from the law school. So pro: super close, as I won't have a car. Con: SO EXPENSIVE. Also, the credit check process is very intense. Oy. My best advice is, if you need an apt close to the school or near the square, your bet is to try to look now and to move in over the summer. Best of luck, pm me with any questions. Kate

Dear Anthony, While I know nothing about UT, I do know that if you get above a 3.5 your first year at Chicago, you are basically guaranteed a full tuition waiver the second year. So please take this into consideration; I got this information from the DGS of the program. Sincerely, Kate

I am actually having buyers remorse right now. I chose a big-name ivy and not-the-best fit for an MA, versus a lesser-ranked school that was absolutely a perfect fit for the MA. Now i'm scared that I will have advising issues, and I'm not sure what to do!

I am in no way an expert in funded offers, but I did find in this cycle that if a school really wants you, they will give you money. The only school that did not give me money-UCLA's PhD program in history-was one in which faculty explicitly told me that they do not fund their own undergraduates (me, in this case.) otherwise, I received four fully funded offers, 1 into a PhD program and 3 MA programs-(harvard, georgetown, uchicago) one school even gave me a stipend, which is why I decided on it. I am an admissions counselor for undergraduates, and I have been playing the 'admissions game for years. I think that in order to get into any top program, obviously you have to have great grades and test scores, and good recs. But you have to also be very strategic. I found that alot of students (at least on the MA level, I'm sure this is different for PhD applicants) did not go into this process with a project that gives them an "edge." MA admissions is not THAT different from high school admissions-for a funded MA, you need that 'edge' that really makes you stand out from the pack. You could be an interfaith leader, a trail-blazing student researcher, an activist, class president, editor of your school's journal of Islamic law. The only way that MA admissions really differ from undergrad admissions is that you need to tailor your 'edge' to your field. Also, and when I was interviewing at Harvard I was shocked to see how few people did this (!) READ THE MOST RECENT ARTICLES/BOOK INTROS of the professors with whom you would wish to work. BRING THEIR ARTICLES to the interview with you, and when deep in discussion about x topic, whip out the (heavily highlighted and annotated) copy of the professor's book/article and say, "oh but professor, in X article that you wrote (which I deeply enjoyed!) you present an opinion which differs from y...) You have no idea how much professors LOVE to hear that you have read their work, and can discuss it intelligently. Also, and this is for MA students who want funded offers, treat MA admissions exactly the way you would PhD admissions. This is to say, send out letters of interest to 2-3 professors at each school to which you are applying. If you get a response that is particularly kind, set up an interview on your own! A little known secret is that although MA programs (at least those that I applied to) "don't interview," if you make a connection with a professor, set up an interview on your own! Yes, this can be expensive, up to $600 per trip. But think about the thousands (or tens of thousands) that this can save you down the road if you get a funded offer. And the reason that I think this can garner you a funded offer is because 1. you show extraordinary motivation, 2. you are clearly interested in attending the program if you reach out to professors and 3. when they are reading your application, they will put your name to your face and say, wow, "I remember that kid! He/she was so mature and intelligent, and I loved what they had to say (read: flattery) about my latest book. Let's take this kid, and because I really want him/her, lets fund him and hell, give him/her a stipend." You laugh, but I know for a fact (from people inside the Gtown and Harvard adcoms) that this is how it works! I wish all of the 2012 applicants luck in the next cycle. I am blessed to have received the offers that I did, and I am more than happy to give you any advice you might like on the rest of the process. PM me! Alex

The moment that I got into Harvard was maybe the least 'real' moment of my life. I was sitting at my internship with my adviser, who is an incredibly nice and funny asian lady, and I had told her all about the fact that decisions would be sent out at 2:00 on Friday. So when the email comes up, I grab her arm so hard she must have though I was going into labor or something! My hands are shaking, my heart is beating so hard that I feel like it will jump out of my chest. I enter in the passwords and login information, and I can't find where on the website the decision is! So finally I find the link to the letter, and I don't even read past the first word-"congratulations!" I scream, she screams, and I call my mom and just glow for a moment. Then a few hours later, after I ended my internship, I go home and I realize that the letter didn't say anything about funding. So I go back on the website and I look for funding information, and I find out that I've been offered a presidential fellowship-full funding, plus a $10,000 stipend. Then the happy, crazy screaming jumping crying ensues. On the dark side of this whole thing however, I have been unable to sleep and eat for two days, and have been alternately racked by fear and panic. Harvard (!!!!) wants me as a student? Is it a mistake? Do I belong there? Although my wildest dream came true, it is very frightening.

thank you bunter! I myself am a historian of Islamic law, but I understand your analysis of the limitations of political science. I'm very discouraged by your evaluation of the job prospects post a Harvard MA in middle-east related fields! I was relatively sure that I would be able to either go into a PhD or get hired by a think tank/NGO after graduation; I'm sad to hear that this may not be so. Would you then say that for post-MA job prospects, Georgetown is a better place? how is the PhD placement at Harvard?

hey guys! So I had a quick question- I've been accepted to the harvard divinity school on a presidential scholarship (full tuition +10,000) for an MA in Islamic studies, and also to the Georgetown arab studies MA program on a full scholarship, but nothing extra. Although the offer from harvard is extraordinary, and I am humbled by it, Georgetown was my dream school, and the faculty fit at georgetown is better. I'm not sure what to do; if I reject g-town for the MA does that mean they won't look at me for a PhD? I'm really confused, and I'd love some advice!

my heart is literally jumping every time my email ding goes off!!!

I will be so upset if they don't come out today! I've been dreading/anticipating/counting down to this day for 3 months; it will be a real letdown if we are all incorrect in our speculation!

Yes, for chicago I never got a letter-neither acceptance or rejection-and all of a sudden Paul Walker emails me on the 'details of my acceptance;' so I called the secretary and she confirmed admission. You might want to call the school!

No! And I was assured, when I called, that we would hear this week!

Hey forum, I need some advice, and I'm very upset: so it looks like NYU lost my transcripts (!!!) even though when I called in January they told me that my application was complete. I just found out about it this morning, and I emailed them my transcripts as soon as the department secretary emailed me. Does this mean I'm an auto-reject? I'd love some thoughts! Thank you Alex

hey guys! Just wanted to thank all of you for your help and advice, and let you know that I've been fully funded into the Georgetown Arab Studies program. Congratulations to everyone on their success, and once again, thank you for your reassurances during what was a difficult time!

I had a dream about my top choice school last night-I was writing my first paper for the program, and the professor of the class calls me into his office and says "we need to talk." And I get a C on the paper, which is a failing grade in grad school. So I wake up from this nightmare freaking out, and call my boyfriend *WHO IS A SAINT FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME at 8:40 in the morning to beg him to call this program and find out when admissions offers will come out (because i'm afraid that by now they might recognize my voice). He, of course, refuses this INSANE request, and tells me that I'm obsessed about grad school and need to calm down. I agree with him, but sit on grad cafe and check my emails compulsively for an hour straight anyway. At 9:40 AM I get the email from the graduate assistant at my dream school that I'm in, and that I'm fully funded ($40,000 a year!!!). I scream very loudly, wakeup the whole house, have champagne brunch with my family, update my fb status, and now this weekend I'm throwing an enormous barbecue and pool party for all my friends who put up with my literal insanity during this process. Good luck and good job to us all!