aria880

IR. Yours?

I turned down Illinois and committed to OSU. Go Buckeyes!

I'm headed to OSU and pretty excited about it!

I just declined my offers from Florida, Georgia, and Wisconsin. I received funding to all three, so hopefully this will help any of you who were waitlisted for funding by Florida or Georgia!

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad Institution: LAC Major(s)/Minor(s): Double major, History and International Studies Undergrad GPA: 3.99 Type of Grad: MA in European History, teaching university Grad GPA: 4.0 Type of Grad: MA in Political Science, different teaching university Grad GPA: 4.0 GRE: 770Q, 700V, 6.0AW Letters of Recommendation: One full professor and two associates Research Experience: Undergrad thesis, two MA theses Teaching Experience: 3 years full-time at the community college level preceded by 3 years adjuncting at the CC and the 4-year levels Subfield/Research Interests: IR/constructivism SOP: Pretty solid (this was my second year applying to programs so I had plenty of time to fine-tune it), though in hindsight I think I could have done a better job of tailoring it to each program Other: Conference presentations, a variety of professional activities related to my job, and lots of undergrad extracurriculars and honor societies RESULTS: Acceptances($$ or no $$): OSU, Wisconsin, UIUC, Georgia, Florida (full funding everywhere) Waitlists: Minnesota Rejections: Duke, Texas, Michigan, Maryland, Northwestern Pending: UNC (though I assume I've been rejected at this point) Going to: Most likely OSU What would you have done differently? This whole process is an emotional roller-coaster, but I think the best thing one can do is keep from becoming too emotionally committed to any program until you know the entire picture (what the funding will be at said program, what the verdict is from EVERY program you've applied to, etc.). I went through some unnecessary ups and downs by getting over excited about getting accepted somewhere only to realize days later that there was absolutely no way I could actually attend that program (funding in one case, location in another--I come attached to a spouse who must be able to find work). My $.02 to future generations of applicants: Don't expect a high GRE/GPA combo to get you into all the schools you want to attend. Good numbers might crack open some doors for you, but you've got to do the other things (LOR's, SOP, writing sample) very well in order to be able to fully open those doors.

I had been, too, up until yesterday when I contacted the department and wasn't told straight out that I was rejected (like whoever it was that contacted the department last week and WAS told they were rejected). In all honesty, it would make for a much simpler choice if I was, in fact, rejected and, therefore, I was somewhat hoping to be told that definitively yesterday. I'm tired of ambiguity, darn it!

I'm inclined to agree, but there was someone who posted late last week on the results board that they contacted the departmnet and were told they were rejected.

Fyi to those still waiting on UNC: I just sent off an email to the grad coordinator inquiring about where they are in the process. I'll let you all know what I hear back. EDIT: Wow! I got a quick response. They're having their final meeting tomorrow morning.

I have a sinking suspicion that we'll all be getting thin envelopes in the postal mail at some point this week. I base this suspicion in large part on the person who reported on the results board that they emailed the department late last week and learned they'd been rejected. So that means at least some decisions have been made. Maybe they're still wrangling over a few files, but I suspect they're either finished or else they never got the additional funding for more students they were hoping to get. You know, I never would have expected myself to say this a few weeks ago, but I would be at peace with a negative outcome. UNC was by far my first choice program on the basis of both fit and the fact that it is within a commutable distance from my current residence and, therefore, would not necessitate trying to sell my house. However, I'm really pleased with some of the offers I've gotten and I'd actually be somewhat saddened to pass the best of them up.

I received funding information via postal mail on Saturday. I will be turning down my offer from UGA, though, so hopefully this will help someone who has not received news of funding or has been waitlisted for funding.

Got mine, too! I really wanted to have purple doctoral robes, too! Oh well...at this point it's just nice to know definitively. I was actually anticipating them taking until April 15 to communicate rejections.

Well, I got the ax today, too!

Where are you going to see the decision? When I sign into my application, I'm clicking on "View ASF" and then on "View Status." All I see is the same thing I've seen for the past four months, which is "Application Complete." Should I be going somewhere else to look?

Lol. And I think I might have the damned degree by the time NW does so! Actually, my signature is a bit misleading. Even though I've heard from nearly everywhere and should be settling into decision-making mode, I'm still obsessing quite a bit over UNC as it's the only program that wouldn't necessitate moving in order to attend. The pessimist (and realist) in me is expecting to ultimately be rejected, but I'm still holding out some hope for good news.

Just got the waitlist email from Minnesota!

OK. UT-Austin is officially weird. I got my rejection letter via email way back on February 17. Today, I check my postal mail and there's a letter from the department dated February 6 informing me that I've been rejected. Um, I already knew that, thanks. What's more, the letter indicated that I can expect ANOTHER letter from the grad school confirming once again that I've been rejected. If there's anyone who got into that program unfunded, I think I've found the reason why there is no funding for you: that institution wastes buckets of money on postage! :roll:

Amen!

IR. I'm interested in EU politics through the lens of social constructivism.

What's your subfield?

I'm in the midst of weighing my options right now. There are threads already discussing all of the programs I'm giving serious consideration to at this point except for Ohio State, so I was hoping to tap into everyone's knowledge and impressions of the department there. What is the environment like among grad students? Are the faculty nice and willing to work with grad students or do they cloister themselves away in their offices? Basically, anything you can offer would be of value, whether that is firsthand knowledge, rumors you've heard, or impressions you've gathered from some place or other. Obviously, I know the basic stuff about the rank of the program, who the big names on the faculty are (I'm in IR, by the way), etc. Thanks in advance for your help!

Ugh. They told you several more weeks? I was told on Monday they hope to know something by the end of next week. I guess neither commitment is very firm, huh?

It plays a huge role for me. One program that I was accepted to eliminated itself from consideration when I got the funding package because the stipend was only a little over half of what the other programs were offering. Prior to seeing the funding package, I had been leaning toward that program, too. At this point, I don't have an exact figure from the program that is at the top of my list of schools to which I've been accepted, but I have been given a range of what to expect and I'm pleased to say that I'm positioned to have the best fit and the best funding package all in one school. However, there is still one factor that could win my loyalties away from the top-paying school: one of the programs from which I have not yet heard is geographically close enough that I would not have to move (which would entail selling my house in a crappy real estate market and uprooting my husband from a fairly secure job). If I were to get into that program, I am almost certain the funding offered would be significantly less than that of top-paying school. However, it is worth it to me to accept less money to attend a similarly-ranked, not-perfect-but-still-good-fit school that would not require all the stress involved with moving amid economic uncertainty.

Ah the when to have a baby question... This has been on my mind since the point nearly two years ago when I first decided to enter a program. At the time, I was 26 and we were ready to start trying for a baby, a plan that was put on hold until I'd figured out what I wanted career-wise. Now I'm 28 and will be 29 upon starting a program, so we definitely don't have the luxury of waiting until I'm finished with school to start a family. Right now our plan is to go ahead and have a child while I'm in school (and our plans at the moment are for just one child, though I'm told I'll feel differently once that child goes from five weeks to five years in the blink of an eye). I've been through two MA programs, one of which I completed as a full time student while also working full time, so I know what I'm getting myself into when it comes to the coursework part of a PhD program and, while it would be difficult, I could find a way to cope with sleepless nights and an infant. The hairier part comes with diss research, since mine might involve fieldwork. However, I'd feel much, much better starting a career on the tenure track (hopefully) with a preschooler than with an infant.

I'm in a similar place to many of you. I have a non-academic husband who has a pretty good job where we live (though nothing is a sure thing in this economy!). I originally applied to programs a year ago and only applied to the programs I could commute to from our home (both roughly an hour's drive from where we currently live) in order to cause the least disruption possible to his life. Unfortunately, I was rejected by both programs, but I realized in the process how badly I wanted to get a PhD, so I cast the net much wider this year. In searching for programs, I took a lot of things into consideration including both the job market in the city where each school is located and the price of housing (we have lived in decent sized houses that we've owned since 2004, so cramming husband, me, three cats, a dog, and loads of stuff into a studio apartment really isn't an option; therefore, the cost of real estate in University Town would need to be comparable to or cheaper than where we are now). My husband has been amazingly supportive of my decision to go back to school and has been rhetorically committed since day one to moving and finding a new job. However, we're finding ourselves in a position where he's got to put his money where his mouth is: all of the schools I've gotten into would require moving and hubby job searching. Both things are terrifying. He has many marketable skills and tends to do quite well in interviews. However, the economy isn't really cooperating on the job front. On the moving front, we're terrified that we won't be able to sell our house quickly enough. So, in sum, we're in the position where we might have to make some hard choices. Right now, we're kind of in wait and see mode. We're still waiting to hear from one program that wouldn't require us to move, though I'm growing more pessimistic by the day. Meanwhile, we're doing little things around the house to get it ready to market, doing some research on job openings in the areas where I got into schools, etc. At the end of the day, all we can do is put the plan into motion and see what happens. If all the pieces fall into place, wonderful. If none of them do, maybe this grad school thing wasn't meant to be after all. If some of them do, we'll have to decide whether it's worth the sacrifice or not. Sorry for writing such a tome! This has obviously all been weighing quite heavily on me!

Soo...we now know that the reason we haven't heard anything from UNC is that they're still wrangling for funding for more students. Do you all think this might be the case also with the few schools where we've seen a couple of admits (ex. NW and Minnesota on my list; many of you all have probably have other schools on your lists that fit this description as well) and then nothing for weeks on end? Or should I resume my pessimistic attitude toward my prospects for getting in anywhere else?