Astarabadi
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Posts posted by Astarabadi
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So,
1. Person A is a graduate student at a PhD program and is satisfied. Can move on and finish PhD and get job, whole 9, etc. Good relation with advisor and faculty and fellow cohort.
2. Same person A is also interested in a job at another university--at another department, with other people, nothing to do directly with his current university. He applies for the job.
3. Now is the search committee at the university that will maybe hire him bound not to speak to his current adivsor (boss)? Because person A has listed nothing in his application stating that his current advisor will be a good reference. Also, his current advisor should ideally not find out that he is applying for a job. Person A just wants to apply for the job quietly, find out if he was hired, and move on and tell his advisor.
4. Now the question is legality: if the search committee directly or inadvertently contacts his current advisor, then that is trouble for person A. He might not be hired and might also be denied candidacy. But then is there not the question of legality--the university he is applying for will be held responsible for contacting someone and then damaging the career of person A. He never asked that his advisor be contacted and wanted that to stay quiet. Both advisor and hiring university are implicit is maybe damaging person A's career.
any advice? any thoughts? who is maybe the best person at each university to consult in terms of legality?
thanks !
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Since we are on the topic, I had a question:
The courses I am about to take (first quarter as a GS, PhD progam) offer two methods of evaluation:
1. Letter Grade (ABCDF)
2. Credit/No Credit.
I'm wondering what the difference is, since I can opt to choose either when registering for the same course. What sort of experiences are to be had with each one?
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I believe both rising star and wild violet make valid points.It seems sensible to take minimum load of credits (11 credits per quarter where I am) and then test out how one's schedule and work load corresponds. maybe one can add more credits after settling in and getting a feel for the program. Also keep in mind that taking only the minimum number of credits will prolong your career at your program, which can be a plus or minus depending on how you use it.
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RE: Housing check out http://www.stanford.edu/dept/rde/cgi-bin/drupal/housing/charts/graduate-residence-chart.
has anyone heard anything about Vaden Health Care? Is it valid only at the physical location at Stanford or elsewhere (a network, maybe) as well?
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wow, lot of "desis" here.,,
any idea about graduate housing? I know there's apts avail. at Escondido Village, but how much are they and is it feasible to rent them with the av. stipend is the question.
I'm going to be in the Humanities, btw.
enjoy the weather there!
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spoke too soon... i just received an email from the Princeton chair of NES inviting me to the weekend visit. Anyone else get an email?
Not sure if it's worth traveling back to the US if i think Chicago is a better fit... especially since i just arrived in the Middle East a week ago and have been between two countries already :S But i hear Princeton provides the best funding among all NES programs... so if Chicago's funding is a little weak, Princeton might be a better option?
Any thoughts?
Wow, if you did get invited to NES at Princeton that is a big deal. One of the faculty members told me personally that last year they had 144 applicants, shortlisted 18, and chose only 4.
I am curious to know these stats about NELC and SALC at U of Chicago.
good luck with the interview!
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NYU is the only other program that comes to mind that doesn't require teaching. For whatever reason, it doesn't seem to hurt career prospects for Princeton or NYU grads.
Actually, teaching is an important part of training as a graduate student. Also, I know two of my friends from Princeton who opted not to focus on being TAs or TIs and it did hurt them in the long run.
One of them had a good deal of trouble finding a job, and finally settled in another Ivy League in NYC. He had to teach as visiting professor at 3 places across the country to build enough experience so that his current place would hire him. A degree from Princeton only took him so far.
I also know from another friend who now works at a good state school and got a degree from one as well...I quote "Ivy league/good private school graduates have a very specialized knowledge of the subject, but they lack in a vast, general knowledge of the subject area. They also have minimal teaching experience, which makes them less attractive as candidates for jobs. with graduates from state schools, they are not necessarily specialized but have worked as TAs, or have had to do so to maintain funding".
I don't know how true that is for subjects outside the Humanities, but from what I can tell it might be true.
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I would second this. However, I think your comment on not trying to increase the $ amount is a little radical. It might be the case that it is impossible for places facing budget cuts (such as UC and Wisconsin schools), but there are plenty of places where the department has money available to attract top recruits.
I wouldn't say you can just ask for more money, but if you have a better funded offer, you can let that (tactfully) be known. Once you start meeting with advisers, they will ask about other places you are considering and all that. Both times that conversation came up with me, the people in question made a point in saying that money shouldn't be the reason to reject their offer, and that they'd be willing to match other offers.
This is all really continent on the department, since some places offer equal funding to all applicants (the ideal situation, imho), but be aware. Sure, everyone is committed to the study of history, and money is far from our primary drive. But it's also a reality. I honestly can't imagine living on a small fellowship in an expensive part of the country. And I've heard plenty of horror stories from people who've gone through it. I can say I don't think I would, and I don't think that's a bad thing. I don't think the parallels between the life and ethics of grad school and Grub Street are something to be admired. Everyone here is incredibly smart, and that has a value which no one should be embarrassed in arguing for.
Thanks to both of you for making things clearer. StrangeLight, I actually followed your earlier advice and avoided all mentioning of actual numbers during the interview. But I was given exact numbers, which were brought up either by faculty (the last part of our conversation) or grad. students. I happily smiled to let them know I heard the number.
I've gotten a standard package at a good private university. It's not all that bad BUT what I want to know is this: who has the authority to increase the yearly stipend/fellowships? You say director of graduate studies. Obviously he or she has to negotiate with the university and the people (which people?) who make the budget.
I am not trying to understand the deep meshed world of university red tape and bureaucracy here. All I am trying to do is:
A) IF I get a better offer of funding from another university (which is actually just as good as this one) then I can ask these folks to match it, thats all. Like Simple Twist of Fate said, i can be spoiled for choice if two equally good universities have chosen to admit me (for which I am thankful).It is very likely that the "other" university will send me an offer soon and offer funding. I know the second university to have better funding too, but it's my second choice considering everything else.
You are right, I do not want to offend the POI or the faculty by bringing this up with them directly. That is why I want to be careful and not mention it and sound crass. If I could speak to the "person in charge of delegating funding" (yes, I dont know what sort of animal that is) and just say to them, gingerly over a cup of green tea "you know, I love your program here and I really want to study here. BUT XYZ has offered me N amount of dollars more. Can you match that please?" and they simple nod their head and write that number down in my file somewhere and everything is magically fine.C) I want to do this simply because I know I need the money. Some of us have families, dependents, etc. and the extra dollars can go a long way
So I do have a need for it.I'd like to hear more, please continue.....
(GC is awesome. good luck to everyone else).
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don't thank the dean. thank the PI and copy the director of grad studies on the email. then tell all the profs who wrote LORs for you that you got in. and congratulations.
Great. Thanks. I'm still not sure about the workings of power, so am trying to be nice to everyone. Who handles funding then, if I want to negotiate something?
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Folks, just need some tiny advice....
got into my top choice program (yay!), received letter of acceptance from PI. Official to follow soon...how to respond to the official letter?? Do I write back to the Dean in a thank-you sort of way? Whats the correct response to a official notice btw?
thanks, good luck to all.
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So,
I did have a good day at my interview. Top school, great funding. It turns out that out of 50+ applicants, they are considering only two. I was the only one to be interviewed, which is a *big* step, since PI is considering me.
Don't know if it's a yes or no. Am in wait purgatory, right before release. PI and committee said it might take up to a week to decide, since they will either take me or none at all.
Advise? Thoughts?
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um...sorry to interrupt but where are the result boards for history? here or someplace else?
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If there isn't anything in your application that says something like "if your application isn't considered for the PhD, would you like to be considered for the MA or have your application transferred to a more appropriate department?", then you may need to wait a little and see what happens. Some programs will consider your application excellent but just don't have the spot and yet the POIs still want you and they have a terminal MA, they may offer. However, if they don't, you can very well ask upon receiving a letter of declination to be considered for the MA program. They'll be reviewing MA applications at that point anyway.
Thanks for that update, hadn't thought about the "downgraded" pool of applicants (if I may call it that) from the Phd to the MA.
But what about funding, if such an offer is given?
and also, am I right in assuming that even these tier-two MA applicants have to be notified by April 15?
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In addition, a little helpful tip that someone told me to do during the interview:
Take a small little notebook with you. Anything that fits snugly in your pocket will do. Before your interview, write down a list of questions you'd like to ask each professor/grad. student. Keep the list of questions handy, and you can refer to it during the interview if you get nervous or might have forgotten something.
Also, you can note down something that stands out about the professor...maybe he's bald and likes to joke about it! These little things can make a good impression, and break the ice and help you remember.
It's good advice but I haven't tried it. But it's worth a shot, if you like noting everything down like I do.
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I got a similar offer and am off to the university next week to the Dept. of Religious Studies. Here's some tips:
1. re: what to expect. I just received my one-day schedule from the admissions officer. I am meeting the professor who will possibly me my main adviser, then meeting two other faculty members, who are not from my field. I am guessing these two will asses my general understanding/approach to studying religion, along with theories and other work being done in the field. Will have to brush up on what they have written.
I am also meeting with another faculty member, presumably to test my language skills. we might do some reading, so I might show off my language skills.
Then I have lunch with the graduate students. Will have to see if they are friendly enough, what the atmosphere in general is like, and what their aspirations are.
2. re: what to wear. Dress nicely, but not more than business casual. You dont want to wear a tie and seem too business.Maybe a blazer for the guys at best. I guess my main concern is how clean my shoes will be! (just bought new ones).
3. Of course, this is not an offer but pretty close to it. I'm not sure how many other applicants I am competing with, and couldn't find that out either. But I'm sure they will make a decision after everyone has had a chance (maybe upto 20 possible applicants?). So best you can do is be confident and let your skills shine. Also take an interest in what the faculty are doing!
good luck folks
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Also,
I found this site to have some helpful information on those wanting to know more about grad-school interviews:
http://www.varsitytutors.com/blogposts/grad+school+interviews
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a couple things (i'm in procrastination mode. eff comps):
1. regarding teaching and education experience at US vs. european schools... european (including UK) PhD programs do not generally have seminars, or at least not what american schools consider graduate seminars. at a US school, you'll take courses with 8-12 (and sometimes more) other graduate students that, depending on the size of your department, may or may not be close to the general subject of your dissertation (like "race in latin america" or "18th century france"). at a UK/euro school, you will instead have independent studies with your advisor and maybe 1-3 other students, and the topic will be narrowly focused on what you're researching (like "travel account narratives in 19th century southeast asia" or "public health in early 20th century caribbean").
because graduate and undergraduate education are so fundamentally different, being a US-born student with a US undergraduate degree in no way prepares you to lead US graduate seminars if you get your PhD at a european school. in fact, the biggest gulf between the educational styles of US vs. european schools is in graduate training, so american schools will want a european PhD candidate to prove that they can advise grad students and lead grad seminars in the US style before they hire someone. it is a distinct transition from the european to US style (and vice versa) and it is often difficult to make. some US schools will take chances on people with european PhDs, believing that they have the ability to grow and adapt as mentors and teachers, but this whole conversation does put a european-earned PhD at a disadvantage compared to US-earned PhDs.
2. regarding interviews: read the department's website carefully. read their graduate handbook front to back. you do NOT want to ask anyone a question that could've been answered by reading their website. it looks bad. i recommend checking the department's course offerings and asking how often X seminar is taught. know something about the work of all of the professors you will be speaking with. ask if you'll get the opportunity to TA and how the TA assignments are determined. ask what sort of research funding the department can provide. ask about the publication rates and job placement statistics of grad students in general and grad students in your subfield in particular. REALLY important: ask what it's like to live in that city/town (it's an easy question and one people love answering, including profs). ask about grad student morale (all you need to do is check the "officially grad students" subforum here to realize that, often, morale is low). ask your potential advisor about his or her new work or next project. ask what people do for fun, ask if there's a good running trail or yoga studio or microbrew. beyond letting them know that you're smart, you want to demonstrate that you're nice and that you're a well-rounded complete human being with a life.
in terms of questions you will be asked, one of the softball questions (in their mind) is "why do you want to come here?" "because it's an ivy league" is not a good answer. good answers include "i'm interested in race and gender in latin america, and i feel like the latin americanists here ask the sort of questions i'm interested in answering in my own work. i like their approach to questions of social construction and inequality." or whatever. but link the answer of why you want to go there to your potential advisors' own research and arguments. "i want to live in new york" is a terrible answer. so does everyone. "i love history" is a boring answer. no one cares. they all love history. "i'm really interested in modern europe." of course, otherwise why would you want to write about it for the rest of your life? if you don't know the work of your potential advisors at these schools, then 1) why are you applying there? and 2) learn their work, learn about the types of questions they ask and arguments they make, and link your answer to that.
as far as clothing goes, dress business-casual. we're dealing with academics here. until you meet them, you don't know if they wear suits every day or jeans and tevas every day (my own department? jeans and tevas. profs wear sandals until there's snow on the ground). wearing a suit might put people off and make you seem like you approach history as a business. dress too informally and they may think you're not serious about making this your career. dress pants or khakis and a button-up shirt/blouse or a nice sweater never really offends anyone, but a power suit or jeans and a t-shirt might, and you never know what the department culture is like until you get there.
3. the matter of stipends: this is a VERY touchy subject. asking a professor this question is tough, because different students are offered different funding packages (you're not all treated equally in the same department), and a prof doesn't want to lead you to believe you'll definitely get fellowships or definitely only receive TAships. also, frankly, most profs don't know what their students' salaries are. i know that in my own program the profs were particularly shocked to learn that the cost of one credit (out of 30 in a year) is higher than our monthly stipends as TAs. so they have no clue. but you can ask if students usually receive or win research fellowships and dissertation writing fellowships, how well they do competing for national fellowships like the ACLS mellon or the SSRC.
odds are, on a campus visit, you'll meet with a few grad students for lunch or coffee. DO NOT ASK THEM HOW MUCH THEY MAKE. they don't all earn the same amount of money. some will have fellowships that pay a few hundred dollars more a month than the people with TAships. don't ask them what the normal incoming funding package looks like, because they're all different, and some people might be upset that they make less than others. it's a very sensitive subject. and if you ask it, they'll hold it against you (i've seen it happen) and if you decide to go to that school, it can take people a while to forget the uncomfortable situation you put them in with your seemingly innocuous question. so what can you ask? ask if the stipends are usually livable. ask if you'll need to take out loans to cover your expenses. ask if people can afford to keep a car. ask if it's easy or hard to get research fellowships that allow you to go abroad to use archives. grad students will then volunteer as much as they're comfortable with regarding how much they make.
because here's the bottom line on stipends: when you're accepted to a school, they'll tell you how much they'll offer you. it won't be a mystery. and if you don't get in, then who cares how much that school pays their students anyway? it really is none of your business what your fellow grad students make. you'll know the stipend amounts when the acceptances come in from the schools. then get a cost of living calculator and compare your offers. you don't need to make your future colleagues uncomfortable by asking them how much they make. it doesn't matter. what matters is how much that school offers you. again: DON'T ASK THEM HOW MUCH THEY MAKE.
Thanks Strangelight, this actually really helps.
I guess asking about stipends is a touchy question with grad. students (I've received replies like "its sufficient" from people I dont know before. Some of my friends who are at schools I applied to have been kind enough to tell me the amount straight-up). Also, if faculty members don't have much of a clue then this begs the questions:
1. What makes you a candidate for FULL funding/more than others? Is it need? is it ability?
2. Who determines this amount, if not the professor/adviser and his or her recommendation to the dean?
3. Should you then only expect a definite amount to be offered to you when you get an offer of acceptance from the dean's office and not before? I mean, is it taboo to bring it up in the interview at all?
I ask this because some of us have families to support, and having a clearer idea would be better than just "its sufficient to live on" , esp. when coming from a single guy. See what I mean?
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Also,
How does one find out what the graduate stipends exactly are at various schools?
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So,
I recently got called for a first-round interview at one of my top schools [Religion Dept., not History]. It is one of my top choices, am interested in what the faculty are doing, funding is great....
Don't know what to expect in an interview though! Do I wear a suit? What are they trying to find out? What should I be asking?
it is exciting, but am trying to plan...so ANY help will be appreciated (any other posts on GC that I should read?)
thanks guys
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Hi there folks,
just to add an update of what has *been going on*
So am keeping myself busy with work, but also keeping an eye on the applications. I found out two things, one cool and the other not so much:
1. I can edit my application even after submitting it!! YES ! It might seem odd when you submit all the paper work, and especially the SOP and writing sample (for us folks in the humanities out there) that everything is FINAL. It's not like the websites and admission officers/officials don't make that clear to you. But I had a trick up my sleeve--I called a few times in the Fall of ask questions and familiarized myself with the *nice* and *not so nice* admissions officers out there who will of course be responsible for arraigning my paperwork and receiving it, etc.
So after I submitted I looked at my SOP and writing sample and corrected a few mistakes. Nothing major, but a few spelling errors, a few other additions to my SOP, and so on. I did this after a professor kindly corrected them for me. I trust his judgment so gave it a shot---and guess what! I called the admissions officers up and asked them very politely if I could submit *new and revised* copies of my paper work. At this point I was expecting a flat-out no since *there's so much work, you already submitted, we cant honor that request, blah blah blah* but YES! some of them DID accept my work again by email and put it into my application. That is very nice, it gives me peace of my at least. Some of them did refuse, since the *rounds* have started.
2. That officially colleges have to inform you of their decisions by April 15. Yes, I know some of you have applied before, some received offers (congrats goldielocks),but for first timers such as myself that's a long ways down. I'm hoping I get the acceptance/rejection letters from my top schools first, so I can decide early. Any thoughts on this??
3. Also, I have decided to email the professors I was in touch with all through Fall and just touch base with the. *dear Prof. X, I submitted my application in blah blah and ....* just to have my name pop out in their minds. If i could I would enter their dreams. Any thoughts as well?
good luck chumps
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Ok, so I did submit most (90%) of my applications and then one professor told me to add ONE thing to my SOP. He said it's a mistake "most make" (which I am relying on MOST to make..). He said that besides everything else, I should also add specific dates about what I did when in my SOP. Now this is in addition to my CV, which of course has specific dates and coursework done.
Should I add the dates or shouldnt I? Like saying "during my undergraduate years at XXXX, from 20XX to 20XX, I .....blah blah".
Ideas?
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Hey, just relax, take a deep breath and wait it out. You know you probably did your best, and don't beat yourself up over the smallest typos or other small mistakes that you did.
It seems this year there is more competition (at least, as far as I've heard, in the humanities)....so that will make for an interesting result.
I say let the frequent or seldom anxiety about your application hit you, so that you go back and keep checking if you submitted everything even after the deadline is past...and enjoy the ride till Spring time!
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*whew* only two more applications remaining, just waiting for someone to give me a final review of my writing sample.
Quick question, since this is regarding something I CAN change: should you include dates in your SOP? I painted a chronological picture of my intellectual development, but did not include specific dates (I am relying on my CV to do that). What do you think?
Also, how do the application rounds work anyhoos? Candidates make the first cut based on SOP and CV right? then I guess they go to Writing Samples and LORs......right?
just checking, but by now most of you should be *relieved* ...enjoying football season (or whatever else)......
good luck chumps
- Safferz and Hopin'-n-Prayin'
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What was your experience like in LIS school?
in Library Sciences Forum
Posted
Well to add to your question smootie:
I am wondering if there are any discussion lists, groups, or online forums like this one dedicated to librarianship. I have found tons of blogs, which is good, but not many helpful discussion groups or lists. Also, if someone recommend any by specialty (archivists, digital, cataloging) I would greatly appreciate it!