Sijae

Congrats! You should definitely try to make it

It really depends on your topic.

Congrats, How exciting! We were just talking about the recruitment visit yesterday in our quarterly meeting with the grad director. I'm looking forward to meeting you and the others next month. I received a central fellowship and while it wasn't the maximum, it was fairly "robust." I know it is nerve wracking but you will have to wait until they hear back from the central fellowships before making your official acceptance/funding offer. I am also in my 30s with a family so I understand the extra pressure. I am living in family student housing (as a fellowship recipient you are put to the top of the housing list and are basically guaranteed a spot) and I really love it here. Are you attending other recruitments as well? UCSB was my top choice so even though I got into several other programs, they couldn't beat the fit with the faculty, location, and funding. Feel free to PM me with questions, Laura

UCSB was my top choice. I'm not sure why you would have heard of poor placement rates. Like many of the women's/gender/feminist studies Ph.D. programs out there (there's only about 20 total in the U.S.), it hasn't been around for very long. UCSB got it's PhD in 2009 and will have its first doctoral graduates this spring.

Good luck everyone! I was on the thread last year and now I'm at UCSB

I think you need to re-order your thinking to realize that it's nobodies business if you planned it or not; it's a personal issue and frankly none of their business. I know realistically the academy is a not a friendly place to women, and having a child during grad school can be difficult. However, I think you should approach it as if it's 100% ok, and, like someone else said, be very familiar with your institution's policies. I think it's really important that you approach it as a personal matter that you inform them about eventually, but not one about which you invite commentary or share details about. The less details you share, and the more confidently you act about your "decision," the less openings you give for negative feedback. If you do get negative feedback, *any* negative feedback, document it. Every. single. negative. statement, email, or comment. Really, because it's NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS what you do with your uterus. I'm not saying go on the offensive, but you need to protect yourself if you think this department is hostile.

Just received an offer to the Ohio State M.A. program (I applied for the Ph.D.). Of course I already accepted an offer for Ph.D. from UCSB so I turned it down. I guess that means that someone else will be getting a last minute opportunity in the next day or so. Anyone else receive a last minute offer? Laura

This almost seems like a troll/fishing post because it's hard to believe anyone would disclose something like this to a big group of people they don't trust, and then worry about it like they are somehow a victim of unreasonable gossip. If you didn't want to deal with it, and you don't trust the people in your department to a) not gossip about it, and believe you, why did you say something? I suggest your best move is to talk with a counselor so that you aren't tempted to talk to people who don't need to know. Teethwax, I agree with you 100%

I agree, I have been told to get my Ph.D. in a discipline rather than interdisciplinary women studies. However, I believe that WS is bevoming disciplined and that by the time I get my Ph.D. most departments will prefer degrees in the discipline. I also love WS and can't imagine committing to something else for 6 years only to try to work in the WS field. I don't want to work in another field with a feminist leaning, I want to work in feminism with leanings into other fields if you know what I mean.

Finally heard back from UC Santa Cruz, as expected it was a rejection.

I, and several other people here were all rejected from Rutgers so I guess that increases your chances :-)

kmh2490, have you received a funding letter from ASU yet?

I have to say that UCSB throws a very impressive recruitment visit!

I'm sorry :-(

I never received a letter but I checked the Rutgers website today and was also denied.