flatcoat

I agree with those who say do not do a PhD without funding. However, I think you are likely to get a funded offer, judging from your stats and your list of schools. If you don't, I'd say keep the job and network like crazy to get another and reapply, but throw a few masters programs in next time. I got Stafford loans for my masters, and I do think that paying for a masters is more acceptable than paying for a PhD. I feel for you having already gone through this twice. It's truly a nightmare.

Hello All, I've received my first (hopefully not last!) offer, with a funding package. No real details were given, such as whether the funds are guaranteed, if they include student fees, etc. I'm wondering what kinds of other questions I should ask when I write for more information. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!

Thanks, Barry! For the time being, coming on here *is* my fun. Would be nice to get some good news from another uni on my b'day...(any of the admission gods listening?)

I hope you're right! I would email back again. If he/she wanted to talk to you, I'd say you could be a probable yes. I doubt they'd put you in the denied pile after trying to interview you. Email him/her back saying you haven't heard, are available to talk, and are looking forward to hearing more about the program. Or something like that. PM me if you would like the contact I emailed. She may be able to tell you more if the prof continues to be MIA.

No, I haven't had the courage to contact them yet! I'm thinking I may be out there, since the Nicholas School seems to have contacted people last week. I know UF already made decisions, so I contacted them to ask when they'd be mailed out.

Help me decipher this statement: "You are not in the denied list." Was told to me informally.

I got my first acceptance last night (hopefully not last!) and I'm freaking out, wondering how my boyfriend and I will work it out, how I'll pay for my life with my measly assistantship...I could go on. Wondering if I'll be one of the "old" ones in my cohort (I'm 32 tomorrow). Ug.

Thanks, LeftCoast. I got a letter dated Feb 13. It arrived Saturday I live very close to UMD) but I just got it today as I was away all weekend. I was surprised as their deadline is 2/15, I think. So I wasn't expecting to hear for some time. I posted the details on the results search page.

Thanks!

Finally I have received word from one of my schools - University of Maryland, accepted. I'm very relieved my first notice is an acceptance. So it looks like I'll be getting a PhD!

Sorry - just saw this. Someone in the department told me. This coming week advisors will decide which students they want. If this information is correct, we could hear this coming week or next. It sounds promising that you will have an interview! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Hi Ivyreject, I'm sorry to hear about Boston College. There are a lot of people who report being rejected by their safeties, accepted at their reaches. Don't give up hope!! UF is making decisions today - hopefully we'll hear next week.

Yeah, I hear you. I study a somewhat rare topic and want to attend school in a specific region of the country so there weren't many places to choose from. But now I wish I had applied to places I don't really want to go to just so I'd have word from one school by now. I know I'll hear in a couple weeks, but like everyone else, I'm having serious difficulties dealing with the waiting.

Wow - I have no words. If I were the ex-wife I'm sure I'd go home every night and put away a bottle of wine.

That's a tough one. I, too, have applied to several polisci programs and one interdisciplinary program. My first choice is a polisci program that offers interdisciplinary opportunities. Like you, I am not a "traditional" political scientist - but I figure universities are moving towards greater interdisciplinarity and I can help that process along. However, I also have no problems with the idea of being somewhat constrained by the methodology of a discipline. On the contrary, I'm counting on my grounding in a discipline to give my research a "home." The Minnesota program sounds great, but chances are you will have a very, very difficult time finding placement after, especially since it seems to be strongly humanities-based (is this correct?). Even humanities PhDs in disciplines are statistically unlikely to get an academic job after finishing. As an interdisciplinary humanities PhD, your chances will be even less. Sure, it might be more "you," but that's purely a guess on your part thus far. Personally, I'd do the Northwestern program. More money, better chance at getting a job in or out of academia. Once you've finished and have a professor position, you can create an interdisciplinary program...that's the better side to be on, when it comes to that kind of thing. But that's just one opinion.

My teacher never could look me in the eye after that. It took me awhile to figure out why he seemed so strange handing back the essay (this was in Japan, btw), since the mistake wasn't marked. Showed it to my boyfriend that evening (who was also Japanese), and he looked utterly shocked when he got to that part. I mean, wide eyes, mouth open, comically shocked. That's how I discovered what I'd done. Course, it wasn't an entirely untrue statement....

Lol! Actually this happened to me once - in a Japanese essay. I mixed up the word "walk" with the word for "penis." I meant to write "I really like taking walks"....

Yes, that's my drug as well.

Never!!! Even the thought of it makes me tense up with anxiety. But I'm like that with most stuff I write.

Don't listen to people trying to scare you. Eight is a very acceptable number. I only applied to 3! Basically I see it this way: if you have a strong application, you'll get into at least one of the 8, probably more (and if you're an MA student already chances are your app is strong). If you have a weak application, you wouldn't get into any schools, no matter how many you applied to. I have a friend who applied to 7 schools and was rejected from all because his application wasn't great (which he knew at the time and freely admits).

Cute topic. Don't know if this counts, but I had a crush on my high school science teacher, and am now dating a high school science teacher (not the same one : ).

Anyone else waiting on results? I saw an acceptance posted yesterday....

Thanks, that clarifies the picture; I see where you're coming from and you've obviously done your research. This will definitely make your app stronger. Actually, applying directly to a PhD rather than working might work out for the best in your case, especially considering your trajectory from business/government during the MBA into your intended area of research. There are a lot of people on this forum who have an interesting/unusual background (myself being one of them) with degrees in different areas (neither my BA nor my MA are polisci)...I like to think admissions committees will value this kind of thing. Sounds like you have a good chance at success with at least one of your schools, if not multiple. Good luck!

I think your stats are just ok...I'm not familiar with the schools you are applying to (with the exception of Maryland - I'm applying there, too), so I can't say what their cut-off points would be. If you've managed to convey in your SOP why you are going from an MBA to polisci, what the logic is, then maybe you have a chance. Based on what you've shared I'm curious, and I imagine admissions committees will be too, as to why you got an MBA if you are interested in academia - I am jumping to a big conclusion here and correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that applying for a PhD (and here I'm also assuming - maybe you're applying for a masters?) is a recent decision based on something else not panning out for you, or feeling dissatisfied with your current work. This is not an invalid reason for deciding to apply for grad school - *but* you don't want the admissions committee to get a whiff of it.

LeftCoast, you'll have to give people some more info. LORs, SOP, your subfield, research experience, work experience? I've received word that one of my schools will be notifying 2 weeks later than last year. (It's not any of the schools people have been asking about, so I'll refrain from naming it). Could be the case for other schools as well.