turkeyteacher

I will be attending UT Austin this fall for a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (Cultural Studies in Education). I am SO stoked! Now I just have to get myself residency to cut my tuition in half, haha! What a difficult and emotional process this was! Congrats to everyone!

I will be attending UT Austin this fall (Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction). I hear that Austin's free bus system is one of the best in the country for students. You can find more information on the University Apartments/graduate housing at the following link: http://www.utexas.edu/student/housing/index.php?site=0&scode=2&id=639. All of the graduate apartments are located off campus, but have bus service (about 15-25 min commute I hear). I will have my car, but I don't intend to use it to drive to campus for class.

I live abroad and I had two interviews over skype with no problems at all. I would just email them and clarify that you are abroad (which is usually a resume/character builder anyways) and mention that while you would make every effort possible to attend in the States, the financial implications of traveling from abroad are not feasible. Then simply ask if they would be willing to conduct a Skype interview. As a plan-b, depending on how your schedule fits with their admissions process, you could also ask for a Skype interview now and offer to come to the campus upon your return . . . ??? I know there may be several time and logistical factors that might make this impossible, but the offer could help you and them. I hope everything works out!

A name brand won't hurt you but I don't think it's a necessity. I would also have to echo that it is absolutely unnecessary to get a top-5 degree if you are sticking to k-12 education. I personally would have to disagree, however, with some other aspects of the previous posts. Yes, a top school can open doors for you, but it doesn't mean that any of the same doors are closed to you if you don't go to a top school. I am in the process of deciding between a ranked school and a non-ranked school. Austin is usually considered top 3, but I am questioning whether or not it's the best bet for me. I love the individualization and coursework of another non-ranked program I got into as well. I think that what you do both during and after your degree is what truly dictates your future. At the smaller school, I will most-likely have more individualized attention and more opportunities for RA positions and funding that will free up more time and money for me to do more research and build my resume more than I might at Austin. Shouldn't actual work count for more than an name brand? I know the common response is that the higher ranked universities have better research options, but with more crowded programs/classes, more tracking, and busier POI's, I just don't think that's always the case. While yes, going to a name brand school might provide you with more networking initially, it doesn't mean that another school would work against you. I have scoured consulting and policy CV's and some of them went to top universities and some did not. Additionally, I paid for literally every cent of my undergrad and MA so I could only afford to go to a small state school . . . and I got into 4 wonderful programs, one of which is top-3 so I wouldn't worry about where you get your MA, but how well you perform and what your work experience is. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Austin and it is tied for my #1 at the moment, but I have also been a Longhorn fan for many years now. =] Still, my choice will be on which school is the best fit for me overall, not just on the chance that the person hiring me will give me the hook-up.

Ditto on reading the books/articles of professors in the department. At a few of the schools I applied to, in the course description sections, I found current syllabi as well. I went through the syllabi for common texts between professors and over time and I picked those out to read. This has a double-function because not only do you go in more prepared, it's likely that you will have to buy at least some of those texts anyways so you're saving time and $$$ too! I intend on spending a good deal of time once I make my final decision researching and doing more reading to get a wider base for my research interests.

Thanks criticalontology, we will see. I wish they could at least waive my out-of-state tuition as a doctoral-level student!

so has anyone heard about funding at all???? a date? I don't want to email and bother them, but I am getting to the final decision-making process and dates for intent are quickly approaching. I have the contact sheet that came with my admission, but it doesn't specify anyone.

Yes, that is what I thought that most departments did for Ph.D. students . . . at the VERY least, an out of state tuition waiver. Now that I know where I'm admitted, I can communicate with more students and that is a great idea to bounce ideas off of them rather than the professors! Question: is it presumptuous to ask my departments to help me with an out of state tuition waiver? I hope that they can help me make this work! Thanks again!

I agree with ImGrumpy. You can often take a look at the policies written out in the Registrar. They usually have broader reaching rules for Assistantships and out-of-state funding, especially if you are working 20 hours (for most schools, this is the magic # for out-of-state). I would look on the Registrar's/Financial Aid's websites and see if the school has a policy on TA hours and residency waivers. Hope that helps.

Congrats on Cal!!! I am running into the same thing. I could make it through the first year without an assistantship, but I wish that schools provided more clarity on the process before I commit. I know this doesn't really answer your question, but I am planning on emailing my top two when I have finally decided and asking them what their stats are for assistanships each year. I will certainly be keeping my eye on this thread for any more insight/help from others! Good luck! I don't know if you are familiar with the Bay Area, but it's no secret to anyone that it's crazy expensive!!! I lived in both Oakland and SF for many years, however, and you can find little gems (in the Oakland/Berkeley area) that would be safe for a family for a reasonable amount.

Thanks for all of the advice. I have since heard back from one school about a fellowship, but nothing on TA/RA opportunities. I guess I thought that the funding process would be more transparent at the graduate level, that's all. If I don't get funding then just let me know so I can go to plan B. My husband applied to 8 schools (not in education, but not in the sciences either) and he either got funding in his acceptances or a specific date that he would hear about funding. Another thing that has put me on edge is that one of my schools even said that I had to let them know I was attending by March 2nd in order to even qualify for funding!!!! Hopefully they can also give statistics for how many 1st year grad schools give TA/RA gives, 2nd year, etc. One more question, if anyone can clarify: I was under the impression that if you get into a Ph.D. program and qualify for a TA/RA position, that they do everything they can to get you one your second year, if not your first, as long as you work your butt off. I will be paying out-of-state tuition so getting a position will be of the utmost importance! Thanks again!!!

Thanks! Now it's just the waiting game until we hear more about funding . . . I applied before the funding deadline, but I've heard nothing about fellowships or TA/RA opportunities.

I am hearing from many of you that you are waiting on funding before you make your decision. I had always assumed that most schools gave out their funding information with their acceptances as a package. This seems to be how it works for most other majors, even non-science ones. Is this something singular to the world of education? I applied within the funding deadlines for all of my schools and not a single one has given me specific financial aid OR funding information, even though they have had all of the necessary paperwork (FAFSA, essays, etc.). I know all of the basic information regarding assistantships at each school, but I don't see how I can make a decision not knowing how much those assistantships help with tuition. I was even nominated for a fellowship by a professor, but the school said they weren't sure of the time frame?!? Is there a trend in Education regarding when funding is released? How is it possible to decide on a school without information on funding? Last of all, when is it appropriate to ask schools about the status of the funding?

I GOT IN!!!! Woohooo! I had a long wait, but at least it's over! I still have some logistical factors that might decide where I go for me, but Austin was my #1 choice!!! Thanks again to bnmca2012 and wildviolet for the information in this post. It prevented me from giving up hope! I will let you all know if I attend as well!

Because Skype interviews are often in the comfort of your own home, it's easy to skip what might be disturbing to your call. If you have a house phone, make sure the ringer is turned off as well as your cell phone. Also consider noisy things like dishwashers, etc. I also live in a smaller apartment so I put a sign on my door not to knock or ring the doorbell and to return later. Make sure you dress nicely from head to toe, not just your top! I have heard horror stories of people forgetting something in another room and getting caught when they get up!!! I also like to set it up so that the interviewer can see enough of me to tell when I am reading or writing something. Otherwise, it just looks like you aren't maintaining eye contact. I can't say that all of these things are necessary, but they helped me! Good luck!!!