cafe americano
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Posts posted by cafe americano
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Well, I'll be brave and post my results:
For PhD in Classics (Philology)
Rejected: Yale, Princeton, UPenn, Stanford, UCLA
Accepted: UNC-CH, Berkeley, UVa, CU Boulder
I chose to go to UVa (5 years funding guaranteed, tuition+stipend+insurance, first year no teaching, teaching next four years)
I didn't initially really have a top choice, per se, but I would say that when I was applying, UVa was in my pool of top 4. I'm interested in Greek historiography, and prose writing in general, and they've got a killer faculty in that regard. When I went to visit, though, UVa quickly became my top choice, even though I still hadn't heard from half the schools I applied at. The people were amazing, both faculty and students, and the stipend is really good relative to the cost of living, which cannot be said for many places.
Everywhere I went to visit/ interview, people remembered my writing sample, which was on an unusual topic. I suppose that may have been a factor.
BTW I have an MA ( from CU Boulder), which may have been a factor as well,
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I'm just finishing my MA at CU, and I can say that I'm really pleased with my experience here. I had a great round of PhD acceptances (got in at UNC-CH, Berkeley, CU, and UVa, which is where I opted to go, someone else got in at Brown and UCLA, and someone last year went to Michigan) I agree with the above comment that going where the faculty fits your research is really important, with the slight caveat that you only have two years to get to know people when doing a terminal MA. Also, most MAs at CU don't write a thesis, but you definitely can if you want to. I did, and I am really pleased with my experience. In fact, I would say that working with my (amazing!) thesis supervisor has really made my experience at CU. Also, I think you can apply to get your funding bumped up to 45% in your second year, but you'd want to double check that. Noel Lenski is great, too. I think he's a good reason to come to CU. Boulder's expensive to live in (though nothing like Irvine!)
One piece of advice that I got a lot when considering whether or not to stay at CU for my PhD was that down the road on the job market, people like to see that you've got experience with more than one department. They told me at UNC when I visited that they have a policy against accepting their own undergrads for this very reason; they think it hurts in the long run to stay in one place. Also, you just build another network of professional relationships when you get to know another department, which they say is really useful in the long run, too. Though would you really be locked into the PhD at UCI? Couldn't you reapply for the year after you finished the MA?
I'm sure I didn't meet you when you visited, but I hope you enjoyed Boulder and congrats on your acceptances!
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I'll be coming for a PhD in Classics! I'm super excited!
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Within six weeks of starting my MA I needed glasses for the first time in my life (for nearsightedness). I've heard that if you take breaks a few times an hour and focus your vision on something in the distance for even a few seconds, it helps protect your distance vision. I try to remember to do this when I'm spending a lot of time reading and/or in front of screens, but I tend to forget.
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Well, I've decided to accept at UVa!!! (PhD Classics) I'm super excited about joining their department; I think it's a really good match for me. That said, a spot at CU Boulder should open up, and a spot on the waitlist at Berkeley. I hope that's good news for someone!
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First of all: Veliside, grats on your acceptance.
I actually can shed some light on this. I'm waiting on word from UCLA as well, so I called the Classics department, and I was transferred to someone who told me that the person in charge of admissions notifications (or something like that - maybe an administrator? at least, the person responsible) has been out sick for the last *four* weeks. So, yeah, that could explain why pretty much no one has heard anything...
And before you start asking for your fees back, I was told by an adcom at an university where I have been accepted that this season seems to be very "late," i.e. a lot of decisions may be coming in right before April 15th. Pretty crazy. More competition, less funding, etc.
Well, that would make sense about UCLA. Thanks for sharing! That's really interesting about this being a "late" season. I wonder why. Perhaps, at least at some schools, with budget issues being such as they are this year, there have been delays in departments getting all the info from the amin about their funding packages in as timely a manner as the departments could wish?
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Has anyone heard anything definite from UCLA? I know they did interviews a month ago, so I'm not expecting to hear any good news, and I don't think I would go there anyways if I got in. But I'm really annoyed, on principle, that they haven't told me anything; they charge enough for the application fee to warrant the courtesy of a response.
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I was accepted at UNC-CH in the Classics department and declined last Thursday (I'm still deciding between UVa and Berkeley). Actually, Veilside, I had assumed that you got my spot, since you posted your acceptance the next day. But I didn't realize you were in history. So maybe there's a chance the spot I declined will trickle down? Good luck to your friends! I hope they get in!
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Just taken off waitlist at UNC-Chapel Hill to be accepted!!!
Congratulations! That's an excellent program!
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Congrats! Did your interview group consist of PhD and Masters candidates? I applied to UVa's MA program but I haven't heard anything.
I assume most schools tend to inform PhD students before MA students??
We were all prospective PhD students. I think that CU Boulder, at least, notifies PhDs before MAs. Maybe because it's a smaller pool of applicants, or they're filling fewer spots?
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Congrats! Two of my undergrad professors got their PhD's from UVa - they both loved the program there and life in Charlottesville.
Thanks!
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Congrats! I wish the Penn chopping block would come visit me. Actually, I wish for acceptance, but I doubt that's happening at this point. I still haven't heard from AAMW even though Ancient History and Classics have their rejections.
Congrats!
Thanks, rkg! I hope that no news is good news for you when it comes to UPenn.
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Congrats! Had you interviewed for them before they offered you?
Thanks! I did interview over the weekend along with a group of prospectives.
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I just found out I'm in at UVa! I'm so excited!! This is more than consolation for a UPenn rejection ( they were apparently busy at the chopping block this morning!) I didn't have a single top choice for the schools I applied at, but UVa was definitely in my top 3.
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Congrats to the CU MA admits! I'm currently in the program, so I'll see you at the recruiting event if you're coming!
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I haven't heard from Yale, UPenn, Princeton, and UCLA, all for Classics (philology). I'm assuming they're all rejections, but who knows?
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Congrats, Americano! I have a few friends who are in the program, and they have good things to say! And Colorado is an awesome state
Thanks Non Humilis! I'm actually in the MA program at CU right now, so we probably have mutual friends!
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I'll claim one of the CU Boulder acceptances. And I'll join this forum!
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I think that being a private tutor in your community can be a great way to bring in a bit of extra cash. Make a craigslist ad, join a free tutoring website, and talk to your BA or MA department if you're still in the area and let them know you are looking for tutees. It could be different in different fields, but my department gets calls sometimes from parents looking for tutors. Check the going rate in your area; this is usually a well-paying gig. I'm in Colorado and I charge $30-40 per hour, and that's on the low end. It's really hard to get enough clients to make a living doing this, but the pay from even one or two students a week can be nice when you're broke, and it feels gratifying to make that much in an hour given how *qualified* we all are. Plus, being a former/ current/ future grad student in anything related to the field you're tutoring helps your chances rather than hurts them. If you can tutor high school math, languages, essay writing, you can probably find clients, especially in a college town.
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I've generally heard that you really increase your chances if you develop a real competence in a second area in addition to the area of your dissertation research.
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Thanks for the advice!
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It seems pretty clear that this is a question of each person's preferences. It's also pretty clear that people use facebook pretty differently, and that has an effect on the appropriateness of talking about your future plans via facebook. Personally, I've been accepted to 2 schools so far (one with a funding offer, the other hasn't made funding decisions yet) and have an interview at a third. I haven't felt ready to be "facebook" public about it yet, not because I'm worried that other people I know who are applying will be hurt (most of these people actually know already, I think) but because I feel like I want to make my own decision in relative peace. I've told the people I'm closest to, but I don't want to field a stream of inquiries from people who don't understand this process when I don't yet have all the information about my options at these three schools. There's also some potential for family drama about which state I will be moving to (I'm not close to my family, and have kept them out of the loop about my applications), and I don't want to induce said drama before I've made a decision.
Thus, I will post to facebook, eventually, when I'm good and ready. I don't think it's inherently bragging to inform people about your good news and express your excitement. Such things can be bragged about, but I think that's different.
I like to make an analogy with people talking about their family. As I said, I'm not close to mine, and sometimes when somebody posts on facebook something like: "I have the best parents/siblings/family in the whole world!!! They're so supportive/loving/generous!!!! I'm so blessed!! They paid for my vacation/co-signed for my car/ threw me a party/whatever!!!", my immediate thought can be "F*ck you! Quit bragging about your privilege!" Then I realize they're not necessarily bragging; the truth is, I'm jealous of their situation, and it really hurts that I don't have what they have. So I talk myself out of being mad, and realize that they have every right to be happy about their great family.
I think that all of us have the right to be happy about our successes in our applications, and express that happiness, and that those who aren't successful are going to find every reminder painful, but will cope with in their own way.
- once and wildviolet
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I have kind of a weird situation. I've been accepted into a wonderful PhD program at UNC, and have already planned a visitation and booked a non-refundable ticket for Wed-Fri, Feb. 22-24. I just found out today that I've been invited for an interview/prospective student weekend at UVA beginning Sat. Feb. 25. I live in Colorado, and flights between here and the East Coast are LONG and pretty much always have LONG layovers.
Thus, I would have two long days of travel in a row on that Friday and Saturday, and from my perspective out west, Virginia and North Carolina seem awfully close locations. It sounds far more appealing to cancel my return flight from UNC, or try to get it transferred to a return flight from Virginia, book a hotel for Friday night, and then take the train between the two on Saturday morning.
I've never changed or cancelled a flight in my life, so I don't know how difficult or expensive it is. Also, both schools have offered to reimburse a certain amount of my travel expenses. UNC's offer covered the flight, but not more. UVA's travel grant is considerably higher.
What is the etiquette for asking one school to cover transportation from another school? Or to cover airline cancellation fees? If anybody has any advice, or just wants to say what they would do in my situation, I'd appreciate it!
CU Boulder vs. UCI?
in Classics
Posted
Yaaay!!!! I hope you will like it here! Best of luck to you, APHistorian!