crofty
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Posts posted by crofty
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Any news? Anyone? I haven't heard anything.
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Yay! I'm happy to see that people are starting to shed their pre-conceived notions on MAPSS. It really is a great program.
To address the finances concerns that some of you have raised - I took out small student loans to pay for my living expenses (in the range of $15,000). I thought of this as a smart investment, which it has turned out to be. Also, I worked a little (about 10 hours a week). This made me a very busy person, but with careful time management it is wholly do-able. I also knew many people (perhaps even 50% of the MAPSS folks) that held part-time jobs (about 10-15 hours/week) to help limit their debt. So, you can work (a full-time job would be impossible, though), and you can still succeed in MAPSS. Expect to be busy
Also, someone mentioned asking MAPSS to increase their funding . . . it certainly cannot hurt to try, but I wouldn't get your hopes up. I have heard of others who have attempted this, and it didn't work.
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I want to second Frederick Foxtrott's opinion. I, too, am a MAPSS grad. And, a VERY pleased one. I got from MAPSS exactly what I needed - the education, experience, and advice to get me into a PhD program. Not only did it help me, but I believe that everyone from my MAPSS year in anthro who wanted to pursue a PhD has been accepted into a PhD program - and VERY good programs to boot. That is pretty impressive, especially for a program which someone above (incorrectly) dubbed "not an academic program." Yeah, MAPSS brings the school a lot of money - but I don't know what is so wrong with that . . . in exchange, you are receiving an excellent education. In my experience as a MAPSS student, you get from it what you put into it. If you begin MAPSS with a defeatist attitude, you had either better snap out of it quickly (since it is a fast-paced 1 year MA) or expect not to succeed. On the other hand, if you enter MAPSS with the attitude that you are going to attack this beast with your head down and learn as much as you possibly can, I am pretty sure that you will enjoy success(es). Like Frederick Foxtrott mentioned, I would be particularly wary of listening to the advice of those who do not have first hand experience . . .
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In an attempt to bring a positive spin to this forum, I thought I'd mention the thoughtfulness, openness, and helpfulness of current graduate students. Seriously, if you are in the process of researching graduate programs, I would highly suggest getting in touch with some current grad students. A couple names had been mentioned to me, and I finally got around to emailing them with questions - at times, very frank and blunt questions about the reputations of their departments. And, across the board, I have received truly informative, (seemingly) unbiased, and carefully crafted long responses. These people have been in our situation before and somehow made it through this same difficult decision process. As an added extra bonus, it has me refreshing my email to see if they have emailed me back, rather than if a school has rejected me!
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Lizzle said:Can we do a collective update on which programs are definitely contacting people? Let's collaborate - and go with what we know from beyond the world of the Results page.
Off the top of my head: Northwestern, Berkeley, WashU, Wisconsin, UCSD, various other UC schools, Illinois, U. of Chicago...where else?
Chin up, Medianerd! Oh, and I have it from a very reliable source (in my family) that some schools waitlisted people because they are actively trying to get (i.e., demanding) more money so as to expand the upcoming cohort. That is, the Grad Schools themselves are trying to get more from their universities. Just a heads-up.
Lizzle, I like this idea . . . from various reliable sources (i.e. not necessarily personal experience), I can report that UC Irvine has made (some) offers, NYU has held (some) interviews, Univ. of Michigan has made (some) offers, and Stanford appears as one lonely acceptance on the results board . . . off the top of my head, that's all I can think of. And, I am careful to say "some" in each of the above listings because there is really no telling if ALL offers and/or interviews have occurred. Can anyone else contribute?
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I really appreciate your honesty - thank you. It sounds like we have somewhat similar backgrounds, so I think some of your observations will be especially relevant to me. When I go to visit Irvine, I'll definitely keep an eye open to (and ask questions about) some of the things you've pointed out. Thank you again! I hope, too, that by elaborating on your experience at UCI, you will be able to receive more informed responses to your original question. Best of luck with your difficult decision ahead . . .
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danubecities, I can't really help in comparing the two cities - sorry! But, I was wondering if you feel comfortable sharing what you don't particularly like about UC Irvine? It is a school I am considering, and I don't know too much about it. I'd love to have some honest, frank opinions to help fill out my picture. Thank you!
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Congrats, anthro2009!
I don't have any info on Harvard or Yale - didn't apply to either one. But, speculating applicants want to know . . . was your email/call/letter from Michigan a personal notification or more like one that came from the Dir of Graduate studies that seemed to indicate all decisions had been made? I'm also waiting to hear from them, and I'm wondering if I should just brace myself for a rejection letter. Thanks for any info you feel comfortable sharing!
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I've been absent from the forum for awhile, and I thought I would try to summarize some of my thoughts after reading through some posts:
1) congrats to everyone who got in everywhere!!
2) I just can't believe that *all* schools have already had their admissions meetings and *all* schools have sent out their first round rejections. I have a feeling that while it is true that some schools may be this far along, I just don't have enough information to believe that this is case across the board. (Of course, my opinion is based on nothing more than hunches, feelings, and guesswork)
3) As for folks who are feeling especially down today (ahem, medianerd, I'm talkin' to you) - I have heard that there are a lot of waitlists going on this year because of tightened financial situations. And, I'm guessing that not all schools actually notify waitlisters that they are on a waitlist. So, I take this to mean that it ain't over til it's over. If you haven't received a rejection yet, then don't lose hope!! It might just be that this year we will all have to wait a little longer to get all of our responses - as students decline their offers, schools will probably send out more admit letters. I know that it is torture to have to wait, but, hey, it's not rejection!
4) I am pretty sure that you can get a stipend and student loans at the same time - but I think that is a very reasonable question to ask the school too. The Bursar's office, financial aid office, or current grad students can probably give you a good feeling for how people survive.
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Tonights - whoa! That's seriously impressive and far braver than my attempts at contact. I only sent an email. I was too nervous to even attempt an off-hours phone call to their office where I'd be forced to leave a voicemail. Good for you - I'm sure it will pay off.
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I contacted a prof from just about every school I applied to. Most wrote something supportive, but vague back. One prof (very helpfully) informed me that he was leaving that school and moving to University X. Do I think this was a useful endeavor on my part? That's tough to say . . . The first school I was accepted to is one of the few schools where the prof never wrote me back - and it looks like he would be my advisor there after all.
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Thanks for the fashion insight, zygomatic. It's nice to know that my inclination to leave my stilettos at home was correct
Do you think jeans are ok, though, for the "informal" (the school's term) saturday brunch? -
I got an email from a professor at one of my schools... They want me to come up meet the department and check out the program, sometime in the next few weeks. (I figure it should be no problem, it is about a five hour drive.)
Is this an interview? Should I be jumping around? What the hell am I going to wear?
Sunshine, first, I think that this can only mean good things. It's not like they are inviting everyone to come and meet them, so I'd bet you are pretty high up there on their list! Congrats!! I'd say go ahead and jump around a little
I've been thinking about your question as to what to wear . . . that's tricky. I'm going to a campus visit soon, and I'm struggling with the same thing. I'm leaning towards wearing something not-jeans - ie. khakis with a sweater and comfy shoes, in case the campus is big and there is some sort of campus tour planned. Anthro depts tend to be pretty relaxed, I think, so unless you look like a total slob, I doubt they'd really take off any points for your outfit (at least that's what I'm telling myself!)
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Oh yes, the minimalist signature is all the rage these days. It has a certain mystique . . .
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I'm part of the anthroposse too! You all seem like a very nice set of folks, and I've been lurking for far too long! I re-fresh my email with the best of 'em, scan thegradcafe obsessively, and conduct all sorts of crazy guessing games and calculations based on the results page . . . I guess I fit right in
Additionally, I noticed that my signature is right at home. -
Thanks guys! Your responses are helping me settle down a little bit as I wait, and it's nice to know that others out there have had similar experiences.
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Hi all - Earlier this week, I received a phone call from a professor who told me that the dept. had just held their admissions meeting (OMG), that I had been accepted (YAY!), and he wanted to share the good news with me right away (very appreciated). He explained they were still working on fellowships, funding, etc., but I would receive more information shortly. No problem, I thought, I can now wait patiently.
Well . . . it turns out I'm not that patient. Several days have passed, and I haven't received any sort of more formal acceptance email or communication - is this normal? The only reason why I ask is because the phone call has taken on this dream-like quality in my memory - "did it really happen?" "have I really been accepted?" "was I actually asleep?" I know that funding is probably still in the works, but I would sure love to have some sort of tangible acceptance email/letter that would convince me I haven't totally lost it! Does anyone have any similar experiences they can share? How long have you had to wait between "unofficial" acceptance and "official" acceptance? Thanks!
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I worked in a very small office and had a close relationship (both friendship and working) with my co-workers. I played a fairly central role in day-to-day affairs as well as long term planning. So, it was quite important to me that I not leave my friends in the lurch. I gave 2 months notice, and I was happy that I did so. My manager was definitely appreciative of this, despite her disappointment that I was leaving. I was able to help recruit and interview my replacement, and my manager was able to plan and use my time most effectively. Also, it allowed me to handle and discuss personal matters (such as moving, selling my condo, etc.) without too much secrecy. With that said, I think the amount of notice should really be decided on a case by case basis - looking at things like tenure in that position, replaceability, relationship with co-workers, possibility of getting laid-off, spite :wink: and concern over burning too many bridges.
NSF DDIG
in The Bank
Posted
I don't want to cause any undue stress, but I think we all like to have as much info as possible. So, here goes: I received an email on Wed, May 30 saying that I've been recommended for funding by Cultural Anthro and Law and Social Science. The email came from the Law and Social Science division...if that means anything. The email included some instructions as to a couple extra documents I need to provide before the recommendation could be made, and it also included my reviews. Also, just some encouragement to persevere - this was my second time applying, and I found that the reviewer's comments from my first round were very very helpful in drafting my second application.
Good luck to all of you still waiting!!