ritapita

Yes, I am confident in my choice. But thanks for implying that I am daft in my efforts. You make it sound as if the majority of Lansing is some awful ghetto that we females will violently perish in once we arrive. Why bother to go to school there if there is no real safe place to live? I am an extremely resourceful person that does their homework and am able to work well in dealing with real estate and landlords.  The entire area I am in is full of higher end housing and friendly retired folks and families. I feel very safe and very confident that I, as a multiple home owner and landlord myself, can navigate finding a safe place to live, and as a result pass on 2 cents worth of advice.  I got a cute (small!... size, not neighborhood = lower cost) 4 bedroom house for that price because I do my research, and network and talk to people.  (and the bike bath is not the river trail). My point with my post was that if you do a bit of research in certain ways, you can find other options. There are many ways to approach a move. Doing thorough research is one of them.  How about pulling up crime stats from the police department when considering an address? Do you know you can do this for Lansing and pull up all crime for a 5 mile radius of an address?  Maybe this could have helped you, if you feel so unsafe.  Your post makes it seem like you are having quite the miserable experience there.  I don't know about you, but I'm good.  Somehow I feel like I am leaving this post unnecessarily defensive....thanks....from a successful, secure, and intelligent female. 

We are on grad cafe to talk with others and ask questions about things we don't know, or are concerned about as we go through the process.  Much of this is due to the fact that we want to ensure we approach departments in a proper way. Many of us on here prefer to be as informed as possible before we contact department representatives.  GradCafe is often our first stop for clarification...rather than your email inbox. My guess is that many of the applicants feeding you questions or doing things you don't like or approve of, are not GradCafe frequenters. We are here asking questions and researching info to make both our lives AND yours easier.  I doubt you would rather field these questions.  Most of us are very far from being entitled or helpless. Before making generalized insults, I hope you can somehow remember that you know very little to nothing about why we are here.  We are in the middle of a process that keeps a large amount of us functioning around poverty level and highly in debt, with uncertain employment during or after, many of us working outside our programs to support this process, and many of us have families to support as well.  You have a job because we want to be grad students.  If we are so difficult for you to deal with during your job, why are you on here outside of work? If you are on here because you want to be helpful, I hope you reconsider your current approach.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

I am 40, and just finishing my second masters and hoping to start my PhD in the fall.  I didn't start college until I was 26, and that was after I have served 7 years in the military, got married and divorced and had a child. Now my child is in college, and I left a second career to go to grad school at 36. It's different.  Age is an issue, but it also isn't an issue.  I agree, we earned our admission so there is no reason to question our age in the program.  The average age of grad students is on the rise as well, so if you are in your late 30's I almost guarantee you will not be the oldest one in your program.  If you are, I will be very surprised.  I always felt old, but inevitably there was someone much older than I was handling things just fine.  Maturity might very well be an issue.  If you have lived a life so-to-speak, and are raising your own children, you might find it a bit harder to relate to younger students that have gone directly through the academic system.  But they may also find it a bit difficult to relate to you.  Study habits might be different, time management, etc.  I found that sometimes I felt a bit of resentment towards young students that still were being funded by parents, never had a job, not doing assignments because of partying or whatever reason when I was a single parent working 2 jobs, and getting straight A's.  But you will see a shift in this in grad school.  Grad students for the most part are more mature and have worked hard to get there too, regardless of their situation. I think you will most likely notice differences when it comes to social aspects rather than academics.  And you might strongly connect with younger students as well.  I rarely do, but one of my best friends now is only 27. We spend a lot of time together, and there are disconnects with some things like dating, etc but all in all it will come down to the person.  You also might find it a bit easier to connect with professors than some of your younger cohorts. Not always true, but they too seek to relate to students and it might make things a bit more accessible some times.  I know it has for me, and I am very close to many of my faculty.  Bottom line, your experience WILL be different than your younger cohorts. However it is neither less nor more valid.  All of our differences make for a rich educational experience.
 
Some things I can suggest based on my experience:
 
- get to know your cohorts the best you can, without prejudice, as much as your time allows.
 
- be a mentor.  I have found that some of the younger students have reached out to me for advice or a shoulder when going through something difficult or unfamiliar.  This will take time for them to know you and understand you, but I bet it will happen.  We have life experiences many of them have yet to have, and you might be the person that they call on to head to the doctor with them or something because it is a little too personal for friends.
 
- stay involved.  This was a mistake I made for a while.  I let my own 'life' keep me from being involved with department and campus cool stuff, and it made me feel even more disconnected. It might mean a bit of extra time management, but it will really help your experience.
 
- call on younger students to help you and vice versa.  Maybe there is a younger student working a couple jobs and needing some extra change, so maybe they can babysit for you, or pet sit, or house sit.  Some younger students have been consistently in academia, where we have taken a break, and they might have more academia experience than you, such as conferences or presentations, or different software stuff, whatever.  Get them to lend you a hand.  Find ways to connect even though you might not be hanging out with them on the weekends.
 
- most departments have a lot of drama...some more than others.  Stay out of the gossip, rumor mills, etc that perpetuate when people get weird.  It will happen.  You will find that there are certain students (and possibly faculty) that will perpetuate this stuff, much like highschool, and it will be to your advantage to be the mature older student at that point and keep your distance.  I am disconnected enough that I just watch everything implode from a distance, but your opinion also matters so don't be too disconnected.  It is a balancing act that will take some time to navigate. 
 
I am sure there is much more that I will come up with in the shower tonight, but all in all your experience is what you make it. Age is only a very minor factor in it all.
 
Good luck and have fun!

We are on grad cafe to talk with others and ask questions about things we don't know, or are concerned about as we go through the process.  Much of this is due to the fact that we want to ensure we approach departments in a proper way. Many of us on here prefer to be as informed as possible before we contact department representatives.  GradCafe is often our first stop for clarification...rather than your email inbox. My guess is that many of the applicants feeding you questions or doing things you don't like or approve of, are not GradCafe frequenters. We are here asking questions and researching info to make both our lives AND yours easier.  I doubt you would rather field these questions.  Most of us are very far from being entitled or helpless. Before making generalized insults, I hope you can somehow remember that you know very little to nothing about why we are here.  We are in the middle of a process that keeps a large amount of us functioning around poverty level and highly in debt, with uncertain employment during or after, many of us working outside our programs to support this process, and many of us have families to support as well.  You have a job because we want to be grad students.  If we are so difficult for you to deal with during your job, why are you on here outside of work? If you are on here because you want to be helpful, I hope you reconsider your current approach.

Officially accepted an offer from Penn State! Compared to last year, this cycle was a lot more positive for me. I had the same stats and worked hard to improve my SOP...but in general, I've learned that timing plays such a big role in these applications.

I have an MFA, as well as teach at an institution, and I can tell you two things -
 
#1 - ripping up work is something that needs to be addressed.  That should not happen, ever. There are major egomaniacs in the system, but even many of the worst of those just dish out condescending or insulting comments about a work, or talk down about other students. Most of that is unprofessional personality b.s. that won't change, regardless of the fact that it is tacky as hell.  Destroying a work is not acceptable.  Joke or no joke.  It sends a very bad message, and should be addressed.  If you feel uncomfortable confronting him about this, at the very least, put in a negative comment in your end of semester review of the course, and outline the situation.  Those are normally reviewed by administrators, and are also normally anonymous. 
 
#2 - An MFA, although terminal, is still on much of a different level than a PhD. Regardless, you are not considered a colleague.  You will not be seen as having earned that until you graduate.  They will interact with you much differently than if you were an undergrad, and you will have more ability for input, etc. But you are there to learn, and they are there to guide/teach you.  What I generally advise my students applying to grad school is this:  In undergrad you learn the skills to base your art practice - the ways of making, and you begin to understand concept and context.  In grad school you will come in with the knowledge to create what you find your voice to be - the why's of making.  It takes time.  Your input from professors during your MFA will be much more about making work that reflects YOU.  You have a lot to learn still, let yourself be open to it rather than going in thinking you own a place at the table. You will find your professors to take issue with that, and they will behave in ways to put you in your place so to speak.  It happens a LOT.  I think many of us have done it.  Its part of the process.

We are on grad cafe to talk with others and ask questions about things we don't know, or are concerned about as we go through the process.  Much of this is due to the fact that we want to ensure we approach departments in a proper way. Many of us on here prefer to be as informed as possible before we contact department representatives.  GradCafe is often our first stop for clarification...rather than your email inbox. My guess is that many of the applicants feeding you questions or doing things you don't like or approve of, are not GradCafe frequenters. We are here asking questions and researching info to make both our lives AND yours easier.  I doubt you would rather field these questions.  Most of us are very far from being entitled or helpless. Before making generalized insults, I hope you can somehow remember that you know very little to nothing about why we are here.  We are in the middle of a process that keeps a large amount of us functioning around poverty level and highly in debt, with uncertain employment during or after, many of us working outside our programs to support this process, and many of us have families to support as well.  You have a job because we want to be grad students.  If we are so difficult for you to deal with during your job, why are you on here outside of work? If you are on here because you want to be helpful, I hope you reconsider your current approach.

A couple quick things....
 
1. LISTEN TO YOUR GUT!  Go with the program that you find yourself internally smiling about more than the other.  
 
2. I have an Interdisciplinary Masters, and found it difficult to find PhD programs that took me seriously just at that level, even though I am very field specific. It suited me well for my diverse research at the time, but MANY of my faculty were very adamant about ensuring I DID NOT do an Interdisciplinary PhD.  Hiring is TOUGH after. Very Tough.  Consider that battle.  If you are good with it, and you feel the other factors of the program can mitigate the defined degree after the fact, than go for it if it is really what you want.  But yes, there are horror stories about hiring.  You will need to ensure your published research is clearly able to be categorized with where/what you want to work in later.  Work backwards...get an idea of what you want to do AFTER your PhD, and then plan your program around fitting that goal.  If you want to work at a small liberal arts college with loosely defined course parameters, such as my alma mater Evergreen, it might work.  But if you know you want to be in an RS or Philosophy department, then do some research on where and what those faculty got their degrees in.  Read some CVs.  
 
3.  Yes, internal fellowships weigh outside the program.  Others will see that you are worthy of the award, or capable of securing the grant/fellowship, which will give you a level of respectiveness on your CV.  It can also help you secure other awards... the old adage that once you get funding, you can get more funding, is true.
 
Edit PS:  1. congrats on such an amazing return on apps!  and #2, if I were you, unless your gut is telling you otherwise, I would go with your second program listed.  It seems to have a lot more 'pros' than the other one.  It may not be as diverse, etc, but you can make your research and experience whatever you want it to be.  You are not limited by the brick and mortar of the institution itself.  If you need more diversity in your research OR your social life, you can find it. Same with interdisciplinarity.  You can always do joint projects with students at other institutions...which would look good on your conferences and publications!  3. A visit will do wonders to this process.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

We are on grad cafe to talk with others and ask questions about things we don't know, or are concerned about as we go through the process.  Much of this is due to the fact that we want to ensure we approach departments in a proper way. Many of us on here prefer to be as informed as possible before we contact department representatives.  GradCafe is often our first stop for clarification...rather than your email inbox. My guess is that many of the applicants feeding you questions or doing things you don't like or approve of, are not GradCafe frequenters. We are here asking questions and researching info to make both our lives AND yours easier.  I doubt you would rather field these questions.  Most of us are very far from being entitled or helpless. Before making generalized insults, I hope you can somehow remember that you know very little to nothing about why we are here.  We are in the middle of a process that keeps a large amount of us functioning around poverty level and highly in debt, with uncertain employment during or after, many of us working outside our programs to support this process, and many of us have families to support as well.  You have a job because we want to be grad students.  If we are so difficult for you to deal with during your job, why are you on here outside of work? If you are on here because you want to be helpful, I hope you reconsider your current approach.

Definitely some degree of field specificity, but I can also say at my university the funds aren't field specific, as they come from the Provost's office, and are pretty even between disciplines.
 
I know a number of schools also have the funding come down from the Graduate School, if there is one, making it less field specific.
 
As mentioned though, there's a great deal of discrection in use of the funds, and the department may not view it as the best use.
 
Sadly, the programs at our school that choose to use less of it for prospective graduate students don't divert it to current graduate student travel, but rather give it to faculty members to "recruit" at conferences.
 
The bottom line for most of these questions comes down to nothing in graduate admissions being universal- each school is a bit different in policies, organization, and structure. As long as you ask politely and in a non-pressuring, non-entitled way, you can find out what the school you're interested in does as far as policies, both for visits and availability of funding for current students.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

Some of your questions are program specific, but to offer some general advice...
 
1. Do everything you can to maintain a high GPA.  This is most important in your subject matter courses, but try to keep everything above a "B".
- Don't do many "W" (withdraw) in courses or take incompletes that you cannot finish.  
- If you need to get help from writing centers, or math tutors, or anything else to help you succeed, do it.
- Don't take any superfluous courses.  If you need to take electives, try to find some that fit your academic interests.  Make each course count.  Yoga might be fun, but why spend money on a class that has nothing to do with your end goal....
- When looking for classes beyond your required core coursework, check ALL other departments. You will find some gems in there that you might not expect.  Anthro might have a class like 'market economies of pre-colonized indigenous cultures', or gender studies might have something like 'immigrant workers in the meat packing industry'.  These are just examples, but as you can see, you can find economic topics in a variety of course settings that will broaden your knowledge base and experience.  They may also assist you in determining what capacity you want to function in or what you want to specialize in as you advance through school.
 
2. Try to get applicable experience through internships, etc.  This might be more appropriate in your last couple of years but start researching options and interests for when the time comes.  
 
3.  If you know you want to get into certain schools, at the minimum go to that school website and identify what they consider a strong applicant, and model your undergrad experience to fit this.  You can even contact the department, and ask them what the profile is for their best applicants...i.e. GRE scores, GPA, work experience, etc.
 
4.  Know what you want to specialize in, and make sure the schools you want to go to can accommodate that specialization in grad work.  Again, this will be easier to figure out after you have been in school for a while.  If you want to stay in a specific regional area and only apply to specific schools, it is good to remember that you are going to possibly need to be a little flexible in your interests.  If those schools that you 'must' apply to don't have faculty that focus on your interests, and you don't have the option to apply elsewhere, it is better to know now so you can tailor your education to that.  
 
5. Begin to build positive relationships early with faculty mentors in your field. Also foster these relationships in your internship settings. You will need strong recommendation letters when you apply to grad school, and many undergrads have a hard time mustering up 3-4 faculty that know them well enough to write them a strong letter.  
 
6. Do some sort of service activities with your university, whether it is volunteering in a certain student center, providing tutoring, departmental assistantships, etc. There are many things you can do, but as a student who also started undergrad at 26, some of the options I found very inapplicable to me on campus.  Be creative, and ask your department about things you can do, or faculty that need assistance with projects, etc.
 
7. Take the GRE without a break from school.  You will most likely take the GRE in the summer or fall prior to your graduation.  I recommend spending the summer studying, and then taking in the fall with enough time to get your scores where you need to get them.  You will apply for grad school somewhere between November and January of your last year in undergrad if you are going to transition to grad school directly after graduation. 
 
8.  Make a timeline and course plan for yourself, and keep yourself on schedule.  I saw my undergrad much like a checklist.  I made my course plan, and as I completed classes I just checked them off the list.  It was satisfying, especially when you are getting through general ed stuff.  Put stuff on your timeline like internships, GRE prep and test, grad school pre-app visits, etc.  Whatever you need..having that plan makes it real, and easy to follow.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

And then there is this one for ITT Printer Support PhD: 
Was rejected after a short interview. The interview consisted of many IT related questions that were work place related. Was rejected after I could not properly diagnose a specific problem related to the printer not being plugged in. Also, no funding was available.

Some of your questions are program specific, but to offer some general advice...
 
1. Do everything you can to maintain a high GPA.  This is most important in your subject matter courses, but try to keep everything above a "B".
- Don't do many "W" (withdraw) in courses or take incompletes that you cannot finish.  
- If you need to get help from writing centers, or math tutors, or anything else to help you succeed, do it.
- Don't take any superfluous courses.  If you need to take electives, try to find some that fit your academic interests.  Make each course count.  Yoga might be fun, but why spend money on a class that has nothing to do with your end goal....
- When looking for classes beyond your required core coursework, check ALL other departments. You will find some gems in there that you might not expect.  Anthro might have a class like 'market economies of pre-colonized indigenous cultures', or gender studies might have something like 'immigrant workers in the meat packing industry'.  These are just examples, but as you can see, you can find economic topics in a variety of course settings that will broaden your knowledge base and experience.  They may also assist you in determining what capacity you want to function in or what you want to specialize in as you advance through school.
 
2. Try to get applicable experience through internships, etc.  This might be more appropriate in your last couple of years but start researching options and interests for when the time comes.  
 
3.  If you know you want to get into certain schools, at the minimum go to that school website and identify what they consider a strong applicant, and model your undergrad experience to fit this.  You can even contact the department, and ask them what the profile is for their best applicants...i.e. GRE scores, GPA, work experience, etc.
 
4.  Know what you want to specialize in, and make sure the schools you want to go to can accommodate that specialization in grad work.  Again, this will be easier to figure out after you have been in school for a while.  If you want to stay in a specific regional area and only apply to specific schools, it is good to remember that you are going to possibly need to be a little flexible in your interests.  If those schools that you 'must' apply to don't have faculty that focus on your interests, and you don't have the option to apply elsewhere, it is better to know now so you can tailor your education to that.  
 
5. Begin to build positive relationships early with faculty mentors in your field. Also foster these relationships in your internship settings. You will need strong recommendation letters when you apply to grad school, and many undergrads have a hard time mustering up 3-4 faculty that know them well enough to write them a strong letter.  
 
6. Do some sort of service activities with your university, whether it is volunteering in a certain student center, providing tutoring, departmental assistantships, etc. There are many things you can do, but as a student who also started undergrad at 26, some of the options I found very inapplicable to me on campus.  Be creative, and ask your department about things you can do, or faculty that need assistance with projects, etc.
 
7. Take the GRE without a break from school.  You will most likely take the GRE in the summer or fall prior to your graduation.  I recommend spending the summer studying, and then taking in the fall with enough time to get your scores where you need to get them.  You will apply for grad school somewhere between November and January of your last year in undergrad if you are going to transition to grad school directly after graduation. 
 
8.  Make a timeline and course plan for yourself, and keep yourself on schedule.  I saw my undergrad much like a checklist.  I made my course plan, and as I completed classes I just checked them off the list.  It was satisfying, especially when you are getting through general ed stuff.  Put stuff on your timeline like internships, GRE prep and test, grad school pre-app visits, etc.  Whatever you need..having that plan makes it real, and easy to follow.

Some of your questions are program specific, but to offer some general advice...
 
1. Do everything you can to maintain a high GPA.  This is most important in your subject matter courses, but try to keep everything above a "B".
- Don't do many "W" (withdraw) in courses or take incompletes that you cannot finish.  
- If you need to get help from writing centers, or math tutors, or anything else to help you succeed, do it.
- Don't take any superfluous courses.  If you need to take electives, try to find some that fit your academic interests.  Make each course count.  Yoga might be fun, but why spend money on a class that has nothing to do with your end goal....
- When looking for classes beyond your required core coursework, check ALL other departments. You will find some gems in there that you might not expect.  Anthro might have a class like 'market economies of pre-colonized indigenous cultures', or gender studies might have something like 'immigrant workers in the meat packing industry'.  These are just examples, but as you can see, you can find economic topics in a variety of course settings that will broaden your knowledge base and experience.  They may also assist you in determining what capacity you want to function in or what you want to specialize in as you advance through school.
 
2. Try to get applicable experience through internships, etc.  This might be more appropriate in your last couple of years but start researching options and interests for when the time comes.  
 
3.  If you know you want to get into certain schools, at the minimum go to that school website and identify what they consider a strong applicant, and model your undergrad experience to fit this.  You can even contact the department, and ask them what the profile is for their best applicants...i.e. GRE scores, GPA, work experience, etc.
 
4.  Know what you want to specialize in, and make sure the schools you want to go to can accommodate that specialization in grad work.  Again, this will be easier to figure out after you have been in school for a while.  If you want to stay in a specific regional area and only apply to specific schools, it is good to remember that you are going to possibly need to be a little flexible in your interests.  If those schools that you 'must' apply to don't have faculty that focus on your interests, and you don't have the option to apply elsewhere, it is better to know now so you can tailor your education to that.  
 
5. Begin to build positive relationships early with faculty mentors in your field. Also foster these relationships in your internship settings. You will need strong recommendation letters when you apply to grad school, and many undergrads have a hard time mustering up 3-4 faculty that know them well enough to write them a strong letter.  
 
6. Do some sort of service activities with your university, whether it is volunteering in a certain student center, providing tutoring, departmental assistantships, etc. There are many things you can do, but as a student who also started undergrad at 26, some of the options I found very inapplicable to me on campus.  Be creative, and ask your department about things you can do, or faculty that need assistance with projects, etc.
 
7. Take the GRE without a break from school.  You will most likely take the GRE in the summer or fall prior to your graduation.  I recommend spending the summer studying, and then taking in the fall with enough time to get your scores where you need to get them.  You will apply for grad school somewhere between November and January of your last year in undergrad if you are going to transition to grad school directly after graduation. 
 
8.  Make a timeline and course plan for yourself, and keep yourself on schedule.  I saw my undergrad much like a checklist.  I made my course plan, and as I completed classes I just checked them off the list.  It was satisfying, especially when you are getting through general ed stuff.  Put stuff on your timeline like internships, GRE prep and test, grad school pre-app visits, etc.  Whatever you need..having that plan makes it real, and easy to follow.

I don't personally think much of departments that accept students who they don't really want to court, I think it leads towards bitter graduate students with little departmental support who are little more than warm bodies. It ends up leading to the department (and school) spending more money than an adjunct, or even non TT teaching faculty would cost, for graduate students who will have a very low chance at finding a good job post-graduation. But that's not really an argument for this thread.
 
It does, however, lead back to my initial comment, that I would see it as a red flag. Either the department doesn't have the resources, in which case it's in pretty bad financial hardship (red flag) or it doesn't consider you as worth spending the money on, which will probably continue to be the case post acceptance (red flag).