MDLee

Feel the same way about where I'm at...sometimes its just time to close up shop and move on.

Gratzie!

I have heard that inter-disciplinary studies are the wave of the future...and that if you can get into them that there will be massive need here in the next ten years as universities are trying to become more open. But that's just the word down here in the desert...

Can I just vent that I am totally livid at the number of people who had no academic interest until RIGHT THIS MINUTE...and I've been working my tail off for six years so that I could get into a solid PhD program. Now everyone and their grandmother wants to be an academic! Are you kidding me!?! Come on people, if you hated school before you're going to hate it now. Leave those of us who actually WANTED to be here alone and rescind your applications already! ...sigh. ::steps off soapbox...again.::

Only two admits in sociology? Sheesh. That sucks. I've not heard from them yet for my department...imagine my chances are shot, however. oh well. Que cera, cera.

In what regard? Personally...I'd take a ride with UT-Austin in less than a heartbeat. Due to parental issues (such adults they all are) the application-fest didn't make it to Texas. I'd have done it if I could've though. Toured the campus once. Loved it. Loved the program. Loved the library. Love Austin in general though.

Hmm..Ok, I know we're in totally different fields (mine being history), but I can tell you about my experiences with UBC: The faculty is top rate. They're extremely competitive (at least in my field) with other Canadian and US universities. It is a fairly well known university and fairly well established so that as long as you are in Vancouver and not attending a side campus you should be fine to get into other universities later. Again, I don't know about their Discrete Math department...but I was pushed heavily to apply to UBC. The only reason I didn't end up doing it was because the faculty member I had my heart set on working with is at a side campus and I was told that that might cause me some difficulties getting hired afterwards.

Crossing my fingers for ya! I almost applied to the same program at Brandeis...but went with an app to Brown instead (they were both outrageously expensive as I recall it and I felt my shot at either was pretty slim...but Brown still has my app so maybe not that slim?). Brandeis is a good school--and the comparative history program is growing even with the slow economy so I'm sure they're considering you if they still have your app.

Hope fading faster than I'll admit.

LoL I have two thoughts on this (and since my two cents are about worthless in this economy, I'd take them with a grain of salt): (1) I can understand not necessarily being sure if you want to attend a certain school. I always have said that I rejected Wisconsin wwaaaayyy before they rejected me. I am from the desert, I'm a big fan of oceans, my entire family is south of the Mason-Dixon or West of the Rockies and I was not looking forward to being land-locked, cold, and alone. That being said... (2) I have also always said that if they had been the only school that accepted me and the funding was there, I would've made it work. A fully funded PhD is a fully funded PhD. There are planes, trains, and automobiles to get you home whenever you're interested. Chicago is even perhaps better than Wisconsin for having a lot to do, lots of people, and lots and lots of travel options out as needs be. You're directly connected to the East Coast through AmTrak! In the end you have to realize (not to be blunt, just giving the hard facts) that you have only a 40% chance of finishing the degree, and then only a 20% chance of getting a job in academia. Your odds of getting a job near your family are even slimmer. If this is the life you're planning to lead, then you need to be prepared for it now.

My dad thinks that education is a waste of time for a woman. He put up with my double-bacc undergrad status. He shook his head at my need for an MA. But when chatting with him about PhD options he bluntly let me know that I was putting off reality and that I needed to get a job, get married, and be pregnant. Like all good women should, I suppose. My stepfather, on the other hand, is like, "You want to get MORE education? Heck yes!!" My mother...goes back and forth. She's proud, but not wanting to show it, and she's really disappointed that I didn't apply to Ohio State (oy Lord. If I hear about the Buckeyes ONE MORE TIME LoL!!)

Depending on the university and the program the wait list may just be a pile of names that they draw from a hat lottery style (had a friend doing a program that did that...when he realized this his position on the wait list didn't matter he immediately withdrew his name). Some may go by ranking though. You could call and ask how high up you are and what your odds of making it in are...I find that the administrative assistants who are in charge of sending out the letters are usually pretty personable and extra willing to help.

Seriously! I had a woman come into our MA program (history) with NO background in it at all and she wanted to jump right into PhD...they shouldn't have admitted her to the MA--she didn't meet the requirements--but they were being generous and she complained the whole way... I'm not saying that our original poster is like that--but do agree with the refrain of "Do this...along with everybody else..." I wouldn't advise trying to negotiate my way up until I had started the MA program. If you don't have an MA, its not a bad place to start--some universities will take time off of your PhD when you get to the higher levels for having completed 2 years (or 3 as the case may be) in Masters. I know that at least in history they recommend you get you MA first, because grad school can be like drinking from a fire hose and jumping into the deep end of the pool may kill you. Acceptance to ANY program is a plus at this point...congrats on that much!

Give it a moment to sink in. It may not actually do that until you get to your first day of classes...but at that point, your head may spin, so be prepared

Oy. THIS is the biggest lie perpetrated to our young people today. Spoon fed "Honey...you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to!" As if hard work could really get you a career in engineering if you actually SUCK at math! As if you could suffer through basic Dr. Seuss books and still be an awesome novelist! Then comes the point when you wake up to a big ol' stack of rejection letters...and you begin to wonder if maybe you should've chosen a different field. Sometimes, wanting something badly isn't enough...

You know? I used to think the same thing...but it seems that sometimes people think they can slide through grad school the way they slid through undergrad...like they're entitled to a Master's, or a PhD. Seriously irritates me--since my goal IS to learn as much as I can and push myself as hard as I can... sigh. ::steps off her soapbox::

This attitude kills me! I mean, as an undergrad it was bad enough...but what really gets my hackles up is when in the MASTER'S program students are like, "Who needs to read? What do you mean they don't give you an 'A' for effort?!" ...sigh.

My mom seriously thought I could get my MA in 18 months and my PhD in 36! I was like..."Mom, the course work alone for the PhD takes two years...then you have to take the time to do original research and that takes time!" She got totally indignant, of course. I mean, didn't I know that so-and-so's wife had gotten a PhD in a different field and wrote her whole dissertation in 6 months? :roll: puh-leaze. But there we were...arguing whether or not it was possible to NOT spend your entire 20's in school to get a PhD... then there's the inevitable "What are you going to do once you have one?"... well...your guess is as good as mine, mom. :roll:

My playlist is full of jazzy music lately. I'm trying to calm down "Ain't nuthin' gonna break my stride, Ain't nuthin' gonna slow me down. No, no. I've got to keep on moving. ... I'm running and I won't touch ground. No, no. I've got to keep on moving!" (Matthew Wilder Break My Stride) -or- "You see the look that's on my face You might think I'm out of place I'm not lost, I'm not lost, Just undiscovered!" (James Morrison Undiscovered) -or- My personal favorite "Yes I'm grounded. Got my wings clipped I'm surrounded by all this pavement. Guess I'll circle, while I'm waiting for my fears to dry. Someday I'll fly , Someday I'll soar. Someday I'll be, Someday much more. Cuz I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for." (John Mayer Bigger Than My Body)

You should explore that thesis...six weeks go much faster than I'd like to admit in grad school. :shock: I don't know how much cross-country truckers make...but I can tell you this, it is one heck of a lot more than what us poor grad students make! And you get the added benefit of seeing the great U.S.of A.

No, no. I knew it would be an English major. You guys are the only ones who know how to write sonnets off the top of your head I haven't touched one of those since high school, so I completely forgot the format. Creative, inventive, two thumbs way, way up!! BTW--thanks for the compliment. Like you, something to keep me busy. Sometimes I feel like sending the poem would've been a better idea hehe. Wonder if they'd give points for creativity

I had never thought of it like that. Both, Tiger--BOTH.

relaxing is out of the question, but calming down is a plus. I did a ropes course with some friends last weekend. I'm hiking a bit. I try to enjoy the nice weather we're having... Movies. I saw Madea Goes to Jail last weekend and laughed my tail off. Its good to laugh so hard your sides hurt

I would prefer to be rejected with a large lump sum refund of all of my expenses incurred and with a hand written apology on official letterhead by the head of the department and the president of the university. This I would like hand delivered by their own personal courier service attached to a check for $10,000 in "we're sorry we couldn't accept you" money. Barring that...I'd go with an actual REASON other than the canned "There were many qualified applicants" bull.. :mrgreen:

That's how I felt too! I was begging the postal employees to assure me that the packets would all arrive safely...I don't know anything about birthing children, but I do know that the process was a frightening and difficult one. I was so scared that I was praying over the packages before they went out. And I got all of the insurance available and signature confirmations... Booze soothes...but in the end it has only been my thesis and the stress of writing it that has kept my mind occupied. :wink: