leopolds

Fiancee got accepted to the SIM program at MassArt! Breathing big sighs of relief over here. Best of luck to those who were also waiting to hear back

Ebihal, I'm not entirely sure if they have sent out letters for all of their programs. Do you know of anyone who applied to and/or got accepted to the SIM program at MassArt?

Just wondering if anyone has received an admit letter from the SIM program at MassArt? If so, please let me know! Thanks.

I think it's important to recognize that any time you make a decision in your life, you have to accept that you've also automatically introduced a loss as well. For every A you pick, you have to let go of the B (even if you didn't want the B to begin with, it's still a possibility that you can no longer fulfill.) I personally had to let go of the possibility of an MA at a top 20 school because of personal reasons but am still very thrilled with the school that I'll be attending in the fall. I know that it will give me a strong foundation from which to continue my education. But I can't spend time worrying about whether or not I made the right decision or wishing I could have done it differently because this is where I am in right now in my life, and other opportunities will become available as I'm ready to seek them out. I think it's best to do your research, know what you're getting into, consider all the variables (fit, finances, location, etc.) and then make a decision and move forward. That said, I know that some departments are very flexible when students have to change their plans for one reason or another so if you really can't shake it, get in touch with the departments and see if anything can be done about it. Otherwise, I would just suggest re-framing the issue. Instead of thinking obsessively about whether or not you made the right decision, ask yourself: "If I weren't thinking about this, what might I be thinking about?" Anxieties about whether or not one made the right choice, especially when they take on an obsession quality, are often just concealing other thoughts (perhaps excitement, doubt, nervousness, joy). Just my two cents! Best of luck.

I'm in intense need of advice. I gained admission from UT Austin's MA program in Media Studies and from Wayne State University's PhD program in English on a film studies track. I visited both schools and while I loved the weather in Austin, I felt more academically drawn to the courses offered at WSU. And I am undoubtedly drawn to the location of Detroit as it's been home for me and since the city is undergoing a huge revitalization. But I feel really torn. Will going to WSU hinder my job prospects? Would I be better off going to UT Austin for a master's and then re-applying to a PhD program? Or should I just take the year off, spend it in Detroit, continue working on my research/publications/presentations, then reapply for my PhD in the hopes of getting into a top-name school w/ funding? Any info/advice is much appreciated!

I recently got back from apartment hunting in Austin. I met with a few different realtors to make sure that I could see a lot of options and compare prices, location, etc. I also did a lot of reading online to hear what other folks were saying about the places I had seen. (People post good reviews online about different apartment complexes. But you have to read all of these with a grain of salt because if you took 'em all seriously, you'd never find a place to live!) But I did see some nice places. Someone above mentioned Acacia Cliffs. It's a nice place, it's definitely on the older side, though they are offering apartments with upgraded kitchens. But when I toured the apartments, it was clear that some things were falling into disrepair (the tub, the windows, the patios). That said, their amenities are nice (basketball court, pool, club house) so it depends on what your necessities are. But after seeing all the different areas of Austin, my opinion is that the Far West area is really the best for most graduate students. I personally don't like to be around a ton of undergrads, mainly those that are into having big ragers, so I opted for a more family-oriented apartment complex about 5 minutes walking distance from a UT Shuttle stop. If you're interested, you can check it out: Terracina Apartments. It was built in 2008 and the management is really great, customer service is solid, and the amenities and location are really terrific. If you want to take a shuttle, it's really nearby. But if you want to drive, you can hop on Mo-Pac and get to campus in about 10 minutes (considering there's not heavy traffic). And it's also close to grocery stores, coffee shops, etc. Also the rent is relatively cheap for a really nice, newly built place. But there were some other places in Far West that I'd recommend looking into. The Ridge & Northwest Hills (if you end up here, try to score a 1st floor apartment near the pool, you can use their wifi for free in your apartment so no internet bill to pay!). A buddy of mine was also telling me that some apartments in North Austin are really nice and affordable but only lease from August to August. And beware of some of the complexes on Red River near campus, from what folks were telling me, some of them have rodent problems and poor management. But that could be anywhere. But one main thing I realized when I was there: rent is going up & apartments get snatched off the market really quickly. So once you find a place that fits all your needs, don't take too long to mull it over. Also, if you need help, e-mail a few different apartment locators. I HIGHLY recommend Grant Richardson and Urban Squared Realty. He does a great job and is not fixated on getting you to rent at places where he makes a high commission. Best of luck!

I've also used Craigslist successfully a few times, sometimes for a sublet (posted by the renter) and other times for the lease (posted by the landlord). But in all honesty, the best apartments that I've ever rented where ones that came from a legitimate real estate agency. I know that it means you might have to dish out some extra money (unless there's a free apartment locating service, which there are many of in Austin) but it really is worth it in the end because, from my experience, they tend to be the most efficient and the most legitimate landlords. I found my last apartment through a real estate agency and I did have to pay the realtor a fee but the apartment had really cheap rent, it was a great place with a terrific location, and the landlords were ON TOP OF THINGS, seriously. I never had an issue that wasn't resolved within the next couple of days. Also - a good thing to try to do when you find a property or even a landlord, google them. If you're looking at a place in an apartment complex, you can check out apartmentratings.com or another similar site. Folks who have lived in any given complex will post reviews about what their experience living there was like, pros and cons, and how the landlords are with maintenance, are they friendly, etc. It's a really useful tool. Sometimes you can also find reviews on Yelp. But googling a landlord's name or the name of the apartment complex can sometimes give you a sense of how things are looking. Best of luck!

I'll most likely be living in Far West. I've heard from some other folks in my department that live there and only have good things to say about the area, as far as graduate living goes. Plus it's still on the UT Shuttle so there's easy access during the week. I'll be going soon to check it out in person though. Since I'll most likely be living in an apartment complex, I did a lot of scanning around on apartmentratings.com, there's some very helpful reviews about properties, landlords, maintenance, etc. Just something to look into!

I'm sorry to hear that, it sounds like you've got a lot going for you though! I've been hearing that it's becoming more likely that people applying for graduate school in the humanities will have to apply for at least 2 cycles before gaining admission. Did you apply to any MA programs? I applied to PhD and MA programs and didn't get into any straight PhD programs so am opting for an MA first. That said, my personal feeling is that a lot about grad admissions, esp in this field, has to do with how much a faculty member wants to work with you. And not just any faculty member but one who is highly regarded within the program and has some level of seniority. My strongest faculty connection was with someone relatively new in this particular department and even though this POI explicitly stated that they would rally behind me, it ultimately didn't pull through because they haven't been around long enough to have a choice over others who have been there for quite some time. I think your best bet is to look for really solid programs that have professors that you match well with and then form strong connections with them, make sure they'll be on the admissions committee, and make sure they are interested in supporting you. For the program that I'm now going to, I formed a bond with the director of the program and will most likely be working with that person on my thesis. So it really helps when you've made them familiar with your name before your application lands on their table. Best of luck in the next round!

I initially had the same worry (back when I was deciding whether or not to apply) but over time I've just felt more certain that Austin doesn't slip into the stereotypical Texas mold (which I'm sure is not true throughout the rest of Texas either). But Austin is very liberal, progressive, and though it may have race/class issues like every other major city, it has been voted one of the best places to live for young folks, for liberals, for progressives, for LGBTQ folks, etc. multiple times. That sounds pretty promising to me. Plus, I have family and friends from Austin who all speak so highly of the city and everything that I've heard/read/seen of Austin is proof that it's generally a really great city, especially for getting one's education. Mind you though, I haven't visited first hand...I will be doing so in the coming weeks. But from what I've heard, it's much less fitting of the stereotype of Texas (in terms of the stereotype of conservatism) than somewhere like Ann Arbor, which I'm super familiar with. But I think ultimately it comes down to what fits your personality and lifestyle the most. Best of luck!

Hey everybody, Headed to Austin soon to look for housing. I know I'll get a better sense of all of this once I'm in the area but just out sheer excitement I feel like I want to know as soon as possible! I was wondering if anyone could tell me a bit about the UT Shuttles, specifically which areas they travel to or if I can find a map somewhere online. I'm trying to get a sense of the layout of the area and want an apartment that has shuttle service very close by. If you could provide some specific names of areas to look at, that would be much appreciated! Thanks.

Awesome! Glad you started this up. I just got accepted a few days ago and am 98% sure I'll be accepting the offer. Either of you planning to visit the campus anytime soon?

Don't worry if this round wasn't as successful as you had hoped. A few things to keep in mind for the next time around: 1) Start researching NOW. Look into Art History PhD programs AND Master's programs, too. Often times, it can give you an edge to have a master's and a thesis under your belt when you reapply for your PhD. But really start researching many schools, programs, and possible advisers. You need to have your sights set on a particular person that you want to work with within each department. Make sure you have a good mix of schools in there, some Ivys, some top-tier public research universities, and some top-tier private universities. It's good to have safeties but in my opinion I think it's better to opt for a master's program at a very strong school as your safety rather than a so-so PhD program at a lower-ranked university. As much as it sucks, that's how this system works. The name on your CV will mean a lot when you end up trying to apply for jobs. Not to say you can't get a good job from another school but being part of a high ranking network with an adviser that has connections to other schools could possibly get you some more job security, or at the least some more job options. 2) Contact that person in the late summer/early fall. Express your deep interest, explain your research background, and ask if it's a relationship that could prosper if you gained admission. If they give you a good response, you may want to ask if you can meet with them in person to talk them more about the department. Also contact the director of the graduate program so that your name is familiar by the time your application lands on the committee's desk. Also, make sure that your person-of-interest/potential adviser in each committee will be on the graduate admissions committee that year. If they end up being on sabbatical or just not on the committee then all your effort becomes a bit fruitless. 3) Put a lot of time and effort into each statement of purpose. And have multiple people read over the statement of purpose. On some rare occasions, the person that you want to work with at a given school may offer to read your statement of purpose for you. But I wouldn't ask them to do it. And be sure to read the SoP out loud too so you can catch any mistakes you may have made. 4) In your gap year, work on getting published. Even something like starting a blog can help a lot because you can list it on your CV and they can use it as a reference point to see how well you write and what ideas you may be having. If possible, pick up a project and do enough research to present some of it at a conference related to your field. 5) Keep those people that wrote your recs in the loop about your new successes and be sure to give them a revised CV and copies of anything you've published so that they can rewrite their letters to reflect your work. 6) Kind of going back to the earlier point, if it's possible, visit the schools that you're most interested in. Often times you can arrange with the director of the program to meet, maybe have a lunch, sit in on a course. Any way that you can express your interest without being a burden can ultimately help your application. Best of luck on the next round!!

That was my thinking too, it only seems logical. The only thing I can think is that they may have deferred me to the MAPH. Well, whatever it is, I guess I'll find out! Thanks anyhow.

Hey all! Quick question - has anybody heard back from University of Chicago's Cinema and Media Studies PhD program? I saw some rejections on the results page, along with one unofficial acceptance. I called the dept. last week & they said they sent out letters last week but I called the humanities office today and they said they would be mailing out my admissions info in the next couple of days. Not sure if that's good or bad or neutral. Just thought I'd see what the status was around here. Any info is helpful!

When I got my acceptance, I was literally in the middle of writing an article and then just nonchalantly checked my e-mail. I saw an email with the header 'CONGRATULATIONS' with one of my top choice school's listed next to it. I opened the e-mail and flipped out with excitement! Then I threw my hands in the air and did one of those 'YESSSSS!' fist pumps (not Jersey Shore style, though). Then I went to see my girlfriend at work and we celebrated with a delicious lunch! So thrilled!

Hey, I don't know too much about the academic environment at Western but Kalamazoo is a nice town. There's a lot of new development going on there so there are a lot of amenities nearby. Last time I was on the Western campus, I did visit a really cool cafe just a block away from central campus. I also know that K-College has a lot of diversity so I imagine that Western is similar. The downtown area is really little but there are some cool shops, like a nice skate shop if you're into that! Can't offer much more than that but best of luck!

Great, thanks!

Kathiza, that's a really solid point! I came across that issue once before and just went to Amazon.com and used the 'Look Inside this Book' feature to find the page that had the line I wanted to reference. That way I could find the standard page number but I can definitely see that having an iPad that can counteract that issue can be really good. The iPad seems great, but just too far out of my price range. If you end up getting one, let me know how it is!

The waiting game, especially when we may be so close to hearing back, can be really tough. But this video is always a good way to keep things in perspective. "The Suncreen Song" by Baz Luhrmann: Check it out on YouTube: (PS: Can't figure out how to post the actual video here, if anyone knows how, let me know!)

I'm not from the same field as the posters above but I definitely agree that AU is too often overlooked. They have incredible resources within the university and especially within the greater DC area and the surrounding, accessible states. And they have amazing professors there. I went to one of the top liberal colleges in the country and spent some time at AU only to find it more than comparable if not more challenging for me personally. I applied there for a master's program too. Still waiting to hear back.

Applying to graduate school is like willingly throwing yourself out on a tight rope line which also has hundreds of other people standing on it while you're all vying to get from one building to the other, all the while trying to stay balanced in the midst of utter panic and anxiousness! But if you get admitted it's like gently floating back down to ground level

If you can, you should definitely invest in a Kindle! It's probably the smartest decision I've made in terms of graduate school preparation and generally for my research needs. Most of the books that I need for my topic are available in hard copy and on the Kindle but they're significantly cheaper on the Kindle. For example, one book I really needed cost about 60 bucks in print but only 13 bucks on the Kindle. That's a huge savings. As long as you're in a field where it's viable to use the Kindle, I'd definitely dish out for one. You can check amazon.com and do a search of some of the books you might possibly end up needing, just browse around, and if they have what you need on the Kindle, it's a no-brainer. Plus, you can also get newspapers on the Kindle for much less than you pay for the print edition. I thought I'd never adjust to the death of the tree-copy of the newspaper, but I've adapted very easily. The Kindle makes me more apt to read the newspaper since I don't have to hog all the space when turning the pages on planes or in public transportation. Lastly, you can do much more on the Kindle than read. Just check out some more reviews and specs on other websites. It's definitely a good investment and much more sensible, imho, than the iPad.

This waiting game is unbearable! I applied to a few MA programs and a few PhD programs. The only school I've heard back from is U of M's PhD program and that was a negative. Too bad too cause I put in a lot of time and effort meeting with my POI, the dept. head and other professors in the program. But it is what it is! I also just put in an application to AU for a master's degree, thought it would be smart to have another option in the bag. As for the posts about UT Austin's MA program, the program coordinator sent out an email a few days ago saying that decisions would be made by March 11th. If you're accepted, you'll be invited to come out for a couple of days. But I've been checking the website and no activity there so far. It'll probably be sometime next week. So anxious! Good luck to everybody as they continue to wait it out

My avatar is an avatar of me, though I'm not that disproportional! And my username is the name of an awesome independent bookstore in Detroit, which contrary to what I've read in some forums here, is actually a really awesome city! Not too compelling of a story, but I liked reading what others had to say