asleepawake

No, I mean disability studies in the humanities... Should we simply not study this in the humanities because they are also studying it in medicine?

So I assume you feel the same way about disability studies?

But it isn't that simple. Dieting itself is linked to long-term weight gain rather than loss in plenty of studies (and, anecdotally speaking, I can speak to this as an ex-thin, ex-bulimic who is now overweight, yet healthier that I used to be even if you cannot see it), and other studies have shown that a huge part of whether or not you will gain weight is genetic. Our bodies expect famine, so overeating was once a desirable genetic trait. Fewer people in the "Western world" have this problem today, but now we have the problem of manufactured foods that contain so much salt and sugar and chemicals that they can be addictive. We have too much food and not enough nutrition. There isn't consensus about this in the sciences, either, but even if there were, there are still a lot of class, race, and gender implications about fat that would be worth talking about. Of course, you are not obligated to participate in those discussions, but there's no need to be so dismissive.

"Personal responsibility"? What forum am I even on? Like, fatties are just lazy?

There's no Fat Studies degree, though... it's like a sub-subfield. Saying "fat studies" is just a term for quickly explaining the work you do... I do animal studies, but I wouldn't expect to attend a special animal studies program...

I mean, are you familiar with the field at all? It's all kind of new, but there is, indeed, plenty to say about it, and not just in contemporary culture. I do agree that I'm a bit more comfortable with terms like "body studies" or "weight studies," but those terms seem to have other implications.

Yeah, that one was my fault... Honestly, if it was one person, I would assume they called and asked, but with 3 and no one who will claim them, I think they could be fake reports.

There are 3 "by phone" rejections on the results board. BTW - congrats to recent acceptances!

Is UF legitimately making rejection calls? Sounds horrible.

I think it means we'll be single 4ever.

I remember that UT funds their MFA students crazy generously, so I just checked their website and sure enough, they offer a stipend of 27k. Funding probably comes from different places for each problem, but that seems like an awfully big discrepancy. I had no undergrad loans, so I did take some out to help during my "funded" MA. I think this is pretty common for places with stipends in the 8k to 15k range. Well, ideally, yes, of course I agree. Although if you are attending a public school, your stipend is government funding. When we're talking about having options, this makes sense. But if you are planning on turning down an offer because you assume you can't live on your stipend, I just wanted to point out that there is at least a bit of assistance available if your stipend is low enough that you would qualify.

I think that funding is important for making the decision, like I've said. I am just personally seeing it separate from "fit," which I think has more to do with your work itself. That's just me, and it's just semantics.

So, you'd prefer to not eat so you don't fall into a cliché? I'm in agreement with the idea of following the money when you can do so, but that's not a good option for everybody, and not everybody even gets offered "big" money to follow. Food stamps are there for a reason, and it shouldn't be embarrassing to take advantage of them if you need to.

I actually don't know what the UT stipend is (did I miss it? Is it 13k?), but yes, this is true. However, it also means you may qualify for food stamps or other benefits that can help with your expenses. I've been living on a 9-12k stipend during my MA, and I wouldn't do it for the PhD, but I'm still glad I did it.

I'm not disagreeing with the fact that a lower stipend is something you should consider when making a decisions, but that stipend has nothing to do with fit or how comfortable you'll feel in your program. It has a lot to do with how comfortable you'll feel in your life and finances, but if you're getting 20k+ at a program where you don't fit in, it might have been preferable to have had a few k in loans per year or a smaller apartment to be in a program where you have people who support your work. It's also worth noting that 13k in one city can be easily equal to 17 or 18 in another (or, conversely, it can be worth 8 or 9 in another). Cost of living is far more important than the exact amount you'll receive. You also have to consider things like benefits, travel funding, opportunities for summer funding, etc.

2/2 isn't actually that bad. If you're teaching the same class, it's really just extra grading and an extra 2-3 hours/week in the classroom. I've taught 2/2 for three years while getting my MA (Actually, this year I have a 2/3), plus a summer class, and somehow I'm finishing. I would much prefer it to be lower in my PhD, but I don't think a heavy teaching load in itself should deter you if you love everything else about the program. I've gotten really great experience teaching so much. The stipend sounds really low for that amount of work and for a PhD student, though, so it's definitely something to consider.

Nobody is offering low stipends just because they don't love their applicants enough. Funding isn't set by the adcom... they might get to decide how to distribute it, but at a lot of programs the money simply isn't there to start with. How much they offer you isn't necessarily a reflection of your fit...

To be fair, Two Espressos gave the money advice with the qualifier of "all other things being equal." I do think it is wise to follow the money if one of your program's hasn't offered you enough to really live on--some stipends range can be especially difficult, depending also on where a school is located. If you would need lots of extra loans to make that work, then I think it's more wise to follow the money, assuming you feel pretty good about the program.

I received notification that I'm waitlisted at Rochester today, and so I am joining this thread 'o uncertainty! More evidence that it is jumping the gun to assume rejection the instant someone else hears from a school.

This. However, if you look through the calls, though most are for conferences, some are for journals or collections.

To be fair, "How old were you when you applied?" and "How old will you be when you attend?" are two different questions with a good 8 months in between them. Some of us jumped categories.

Yay ishmael! Congrats!

It's interesting that you had this experience, because I found that almost nothing from the Princeton book or the Vade Mecum website actually appeared on my exam. I spent a lot time studying superficial information about works (most of which I have since forgotten, and which had no long-term positive effect of my knowledge). My score was pretty bad, though I honestly thought it would be worse. Luckily, I only sent it to 2 schools. It seemed to me like they had specifically written my exam to avoid things from the standard study guides. I took it in April of last year, so YMMV.

I know. These kinds of things ALWAYS make me nervous. What if I go and I say something stupid? Not just foot-in-mouth stupid, but so mind-numingly off-base that they regret having admitted me?

Yeah, I got the information about visiting but I haven't decided yet if I will be able to make it. My final, signed draft of my thesis is due around that time, so I might not be able to go. It also doesn't help that the flights I'm looking at now are $600+. I'm thinking about visiting earlier or being forced to make a decision sans visit. Are you planning to go?