misswheezie

I personally did not apply to either program but after your post looked into the program and what others have said about it (both here on the gradcafe in past years and other sites). From what people say about the program it sounds as no one has gone from that program directly into their PhD program. So if you are looking at this as a possible stepping stone into a PhD program it might be a very expensive endeavor unless you are one of the few lucky ones who managed to snab up a full scholarship. I know how desperate one wants to go off to grad school and how the rejections are devestating - going through that myself. Have you tried calling those who've rejected your application to get any feedback? If not, consider doing so. You may be surprised that in some of the cases it wasn't that you weren't a good applicant and that in a normal year you would have been an ideal candidate - its just that this is an extraordinary year with the number of applicants to programs, cuts in funding to programs that they have cut the number of incoming grad students in order fund students, etc. If you are really lucky, they may offer you advice on how to better prepare yourself to reapply next year. For me, I will be taking classes as a non-degree grad student to bolster my application - just a suggestion for an alternative to heading off to a program that might not be a good fit for your goals. viewtopic.php?f=48&t=13125&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Do not quit just because funding isn't available THIS year, but with that said, if I was in your shoes I would devote time to researching potential schools and what has been recently been publicized about their current state of affairs/budgets before making any decision. For example, one of the programs that I have applied to typically only accepts as many students they think they will be able to give at least partial funding to. This year they were actually considering not taking any grad students because the projected college budget was not only going to cut funding to incoming grad students but also grad students already in the program. Secondly, I would look into the economy of the immediate area surrounding these schools. Is unemployment high? Would you be able to get a job waiting tables (or whatever) to minimize what you would need to take out in loans? What about the cost of housing (e.g. is there housing for grads on campus/near campus and at what cost). Is public transportation available to help defray expenses of a vehicle? Finally, talk to grad students already in the program at these schools. While you may need to take everything they say with a grain of salt (either they are trying to sell you the program, or alternatively, feel competitive with other students), they are usually the best source to get information about how well the program funds students.