Watmeworry

In the end, I was accepted at CUNY Graduate Center. There is also another woman of over 50 in my incoming class of 7. There are good people out there who will take you seriously. It is important to write and ask politely for 20 minutes of their time before you apply. But this is true for any application.

I switched to the French PH>D program after speaking with their head of dept and I'm in the French department. Proust is still on the table!

In the end i switched my Comp lit application to a French PH.D in the CUNY system. (Some programs will let you do this if your primary language of study is offered. In the end, I'll take many of the same class options as there is a Comparative studies program with in my department. Langage programs are far less crowded. Not for everyone ,but a good option to consider.

Are you allowed to teach when you enter the MALS program? Do they offer you assistance in placement in CUNY system?

I did get into CUNY...for French PH.D, my classmate will attend Yale for Spanish. We both our achieved acceptance into our first first choices...

A follow up about what happened in the LSMA Modern European studies fallout. I was accepted to CUNY Graduate Center for French PH.D, which was my first choice. My classmate, (we were only three or four entering), was offered full scholarships at five top colleges for a PH.D in Spanish. She chose Yale. In this program the courses are designed to spread over two years. I was able to work across disciplines in a narrow field of study. My certificate simply says MA. Recently, some LSMA programs are folding into Institutes, but I liked my very small cohort and I was able to forge strong connections with Professors and had plenty of attention from the Deans. The fees came out to about 63K. I do not regret any of it, I'd never have missed it for the world.

Since I began this thread I thought it only fair to share my experience. I have been accepted for a PH.D, very late at the end of May ,but accepted. My friend who is also in her mid-fifties was also accepted into the program. This is through the CUNY Graduate Center. The path that lead to this acceptance for me was an early contact with the program and a good visit before I applied. I also had to drop an application in a different dept to apply . Like most colleges you may not apply to two programs simultaneously. So after five rejections I wrote and asked if they would consider a late application and they agreed. This made my 6th choice a seventh if you will. I revised my SOP, sent in a different paper and held my breath. They had already offered most of the places, but I think my determination paid off. Money might be slight this year, but next year they promised to find me a better package. I'm thrilled by the outcome. I'll find the money for this year and after the cost of my IVY Masters it seems very reasonable. Goodluck and give it a shot if you think you can handle the grueling process. As to ageism, I think one program didn't even look at my application. They forgot they had it.... My friend attended Hunters and entered through the pathway inside the institution.

kickpushcoast : Thank you This is very helpful and appreciated. your response might be something that those who are working in Liberal Studies degrees might want to take on board. I know I'll be looking very carefully at my have done list and thinking about what I need to do.

Dear troubled MA..., I can only tell you what I might do. First, you must make peace. Go eat humble pie and say it is stress and you are sorry about being so defensive about your project. A. In the mean time...go to a professor with whom you have a good relationship and ask politely if they will take you on. if yes... Second, suggest politely that since you have annoyed him /her you might find another adviser for a fresh start in the time remaining . If the professor wouldn't mind. blah blah be nice.... B. Inform new adviser and do paper work necessary... Third, if A fails, kiss butt and cut your thesis. You can rewrite it later. Get your grade and leave with great recommendations and a sort of bar brawl hand shake, ..we fought and then bonded....Thank him /her for opening your eyes. You needed the shake up. If he /she hates you after the first apology then beg your head of department for forgivenss and assistance. I guess you thought of all this, but it might help to hear it laid out... best Marguerite

Yes, I am in the LSMA, Modern European Studies, but my undergraduate degree is in English and Comp lit from columbia too. My adviser is the director of Comparative lit institute. I wish I could tell you something. Did you say that you wanted to be in that part of the program on the application? I can say that my adviser canceled his office hours yesterday...maybe he's looking at that application right now. Good luck.

I had an email that said the process could even go into June, but nothing more explicit.It is really nerve wracking.

Just wondering who is still waiting to hear something? Anyone have any insight into this process?

Who is still waiting?Are you as freaked out as me?

On the CUNY website they ask for lecturers and adjuncts...has anyone tried for these kinds of jobs. Does experience in the real world matter?

I'm hoping to get work teaching in community colleges. I have a LSMA in modern European Studies & BA is in English and and Comparative Literature. I graduated from an Ivy. Should I go back to college for a subject degree? Or is this a PH.d only market?

There seems to be a duel-edged sword to this type of thought, the other side of the blade is the reduction of places in colleges for PH.d graduates. My belief system is somewhat shattered. I did all the right things, achieved the grades, made all the right noises, and yet I will not be allowed,or I'm prohibited from fulfilling my academic potential. It looks as though I will probably not get into a PH.d program. I have already made my own way in the world, I'm aware of the competitive nature of reality, but at some point there must be a concern with the impact that this intellectual cap will have on the quality of thought in this country. I'm suggesting that aside from the fiscal concern of work after college, the failure to educate our brightest to maximum capacity is remarkably short sighted. Anyone see where I'm coming from with this?

I'm over fifty. I applied to six PH.d programs and I think I have been rejected by all, despite great recommendations from strong faculty and good grades. It was suggested that it was pointless to try because of unspoken politics, but then I thought perhaps my good grades and huge amount of experience in many areas would make me interesting. I'm just wondering if people think it is outrageous that I would try for this in the first place. If there are any PH.d candidates actually in colleges who are in my demographic I'd love to know? I suspect at in the humanities there aren't any... I am not a dilettante. I went back to college at Community college, transferred to IVY and am finishing MA. I'm not rich either. Just to get all those criteria off the table.

Sorry,if I confused all with my 100,000 debt comment. This is the cumulative debt from my undergraduate degree and my MA. I was respnding to Barry Blitt's remarks about old, stupid, rich, women and was rather carried away. My understanding is that if one attend a MA program in a school where that is the highest degree offered, then there are often funding opportunities. It is almost impossible to get money in the Ivy schools where there is a PH.d program. I have attended state schools and art colleges too. They are all different. So if you were to take the Ma at columbia it ould be moe like half of that nomber. Still high. I'd say this .If you get a Masters at an Ivy and cannot get into a PH.d track program ,which with what I am seeing is a very real possibility,if only because there are so few places available, then you can find work in teaching at college level more readily,if that is your goal. I'm not sure how the ork orld in other areas ould view this but an ivy degree doesn't hurt. I'm actually pretty disgusted by Americas failure to allow so many great students to fullfill their potential. I always though that education would be avaiable,somewhere if one had the credentials and this process has opened my eyes very wide. I think that people should be aware that for many this, the MA will be the end of the acedemic road.

I am completing my second year and writing my thesis in Modern European Studies, between us and Medieval Studies there are seven students. The program is small and you are able to take classes in all the graduate classes. The American studies is a bigger program, more like twenty but it is excellent and the same thing applies. One is able to take classes across teh disciplines if it is relevent to your studies. Staying for two years, the first year full time, the second split between finishing course work and writing thesis, give one time to get to know the faculty and make good relationships to get through and get great letters of recommendation from high end faculty. The faculty seemed interest in me and gave me plenty of attention. They did not look down on me, contrary to the other conversations suggestion on MA only. I think the LSMA is educationally better than the MA only, which is supposed to happen in one year ,though both are excellent. I feel that this has prepared me well to apply for PH.d s and I hope to get into CUNY. My application was competitive. Yes it cost me some money, but the quality of the students is also very high. Columbia still impresses and is taken very seriously and if you want to teach in New York it works just fine. I'm applying to teach in the CUNY system as we speak.

I wish that the colleges would give some greater consideration to let us know. I applied to Rutgers, but heard nothing . Anyone think it is worth emailing the program so that I can cross this off. Is there any chance that they might still put people on a waitlist?

Is this dinner for Comparative Lit or English?

Thanks that makes me feel better. I think you are right to say dumb it down to a five para high school essay. Perhaps I'll stop beating myself up now.