ProfLorax

I imagine most of us haven't been on the job market yet, so perhaps you could ask the ABD students at both schools how they feel about the process. Also, that conversation could answer readallthethings' great question about flexibility. Is what the schools propose as their ideal situation actually what happens? Is there pressure to force students into the job market before they are ready? Only ABD students will be able to tell you what actually happens, so I'd suggest asking around.

Oh, that is a tricky situation! I would suggest reaching out to the program and asking about deferral policies and funding. If the deferral is allowed, I think it's fair to stipulate that your future enrollment would be dependent on funding. This is a job, and I think more applicants should feel empowered to make basic demands in this process-- it's the only way our working conditions will improve! One last observation: you never mentioned really wanting to attend this program. Are you stoked about the program? Or are you just holding onto it out of fear that it is your only option?

Is the offer funded? If so, I imagine a PhD program would not be willing to set aside money for you without (1) an extenuating situation and/or (2) a guarantee that you will attend the program next year. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable asking to defer a funded offer if I didn't know for sure I would attend next year, especially since that would potentially take away a spot from another applicant. If there an extenuating situation, or do you just watch to try again? If it is the former, you should contact the program ASAP. If it is the latter, I'd suggest either accepting the offer for Fall or declining and committing your energy to re-applying.

Hi ReadingLisa! Sorry you're being made to feel split between family obligations and academic goals. I had a similar situation. I am my mom's only child; she's single and her parents are gone. She really struggled (and eventually succeeded) in being supportive of my decision to go to a school across the country. My biggest suggestion is to drive her to UPenn. First, she'll see that the drive isn't so bad. Second, she'll see where are you going. When my mom flew out last month, I took her to campus; something just clicked for her. She said she could totally picture me on my campus, in my building, at my desk. Now, when I tell her I'm at school, she can imagine where I'm sitting. But most of all, it seemed to all come together for her: why I was doing this, what it meant to me, and why this was the best place for me and my goals. It's still hard for both of us to be this far away from each other, but I swear it's been easier for her since she saw my new world.

Thanks for clarifying, and sorry for using obtuse language! 1-1 refers to how many sections you teach in a semester of a year. For example, I don't teach this year, but next year, I teach a 1-1 (one section in the Fall and one section in the Spring). The year after, I teach a 2-1 (two sections in the fall, one section in the Spring). I'm still baffled; you'll really only be teaching for one year at School B? The reason I ask is that when you apply for jobs, you'll want to be able to show that you have strong teaching experience. Many job applications requirements ask for a teaching statement, and it's hard for me to imagine how one year of teaching at the university-level will help you build a strong, convincing teaching philosophy. Some jobs will ask for a syllabus that you created; others will ask that you have experience teaching a certain type of class. Since Top-10 and Top-5 are really in the same tier, based only on the info presented, I would choose School A, mainly because I'd get more varied teaching experience and the opportunity to grow as a college educator.

Wait, does this mean that you only have to teach for one year at this school? If so, is it a 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, or something else? What do you mean by "the option to tag along"?

The guilt is normal, but short-lived! I felt the same way last year, but the feeling quickly abated as I got more and more excited about the big move and starting my new program. I haven't looked back since.

If Columbia and UPenn are equal in terms of the big three (fit, funding, and faculty), consider other non academic elements. Which campus can you see yourself? Which student cohort do you want to be a part of? Which city would you prefer to live in? Since you know that both schools would be great options for you professionally, consider which environment would be better for you personally!

Point of clarification: completing a thesis is not important for PhD applications. Writing one can be a good experience, but most programs won't know you completed one unless you note it on your SoP. I only briefly mentioned mine, as it had little to do with what I ended up wanting to study. Having a great writing sample, letter of recs, and a statement of purpose are the most important. Go to the program that will best help you you rock those (and will not bankrupt you!).

In the funded versus unfunded MA debate, I think it's important to acknowledge that not all unfunded MA's are the same. I did a two year unfunded MA at SF State; however, as a CA resident, my tuition was under $4,000 a year, most of which the Cal Grant covered. I applied for and received a fellowship for my second year, which, coupled with the Cal Grant, covered all of my tuition and then some. I worked part-time and took out small student loans to cover living expenses (because living in San Francisco is hella expensive!), but I imagine that folks with funded MA's in expensive cities may have to do the same. andromache, this may not be applicable for you, but I wanted to put this out there for another gradcafers who are considering attending or applying to unfunded state programs. Everyone, though, should always do the math before they accept an offer. Lastly, I found my two year MA program to be immensely helpful. I learned so much about myself and my interests; I had the opportunity to take classes with several professors, three of whom would end up writing me letters of recommendation. I tutored in the Learning Center my second year, where I discovered my interest in composition. My interests developed so much in those two years because of the classes, personal relationships, and professional opportunities I pursued and fostered. In fact, I entered as an American lit student and left as a rhetoric and composition scholar.

So exciting! I know this was a hard decision to make, and you had lots of great options. Even Ron Swanson is excited for you!!

You should talk to both your advisor and your future program. Find out all of your options. Will an MA cut out a semester or two of coursework? If so, completing your MA over before you go to your new program could be worth it. Will your advisor be happy to work with you over email? Will you burn any bridges if you don't finish? Also ask yourself if you would be happy with leaving your MA from this institution unfinished. (I'm a perfectionist, so I would want to finish what I started, but of course, that mentality can also be unhealthy and neurotic at times!)

I think you already have the language for your request! The above sentence is perfectly appropriate, and if the program reacts badly to your request, you should perhaps think twice before accepting that offer.

I've seen some CFP's for panels on the WPA listserv and WPA-GO listserv. Also, note that you do not need to propose a panel. You can propose an individual paper, and then the selection committee will organize your panel based on shared interests. I suggest contacting a professor at your future institution (I forget where exactly that was); they can help you with your proposal (C's is pretty selective) and connect you with people with similar interests. Good luck! I'm meeting with my professor on Monday to pick his brain about submitting a paper or panel to C's.

I've had my Air for four years, and I imagine I'll be able to use the same one for my remaining four and a half years in grad school. I do everything on it: I write, research, edit video, stream, play on the Internet (with twenty tabs open at a time), etc. It has all the abilities my previous Pro did (although I imagine they've advanced some since then); plus, I can throw it in my purse on the way to the coffee shop. I personally will never not have an Air: its performance makes it the best home and work computer for my needs, and its lightness gives it the same mobility as a tablet. I swear; I'm not a spokesperson for Apple! I just really love my Air. I recently told my husband that my Air is the best gift he has ever given me... And that's including my engagement ring.

I agree, there are most likely some additional hurdles for international students. That being said, as you've most likely seen on these boards, many domestic students also get shut out of PhD applications. It's just a hyper competitive process. What I'd suggest for any student reapplying, whether international or domestic, is to follow the suggestions scattered around these boards. Lots of second and third time applicants have given specific tips about how to best spend the year between application cycles. Good luck!

Yay and congrats! Now it's time to happy dance!

lavender_be: I see you are in Taipei. Are you an international student? If so, perhaps before investing time and money into retaking the GRE, do some digging and ask questions to see if the GRE general and subject scores are typically weighed more, less, or as heavily for international students as for domestic students.

My husband and I moved from California to D.C. so I could pursue a PhD. We had been married exactly one year (we arrived to our new home on our one year anniversary!). I can imagine it's tough to weather a relationship when one partner is fully committing to an outside path, but it's definitely doable. I'm gonna echo lots of what has already been said, but here are some things that have helped us with the transition: Our life priorities are clearly defined. My relationship is obviously my number one priority. He has a M-F 9-5 job, and I try to keep my study/research schedule aligned with his. That way, we have dinner together most nights, and enjoy our weekends together. I am very proactive in setting aside quality relationship time, and so far it's working. I even missed a day of class (gasp!) for a weekend trip to Spring Training (Cactus League!) for his 30th birthday. Totally worth it. While our relationship is both our number one priority, my success in graduate school is also high on both of our lists. My partner is invested in my success. He is my number one cheerleader and understands when I can't go out and play on a Sunday because I have to read a billion pages/write an abstract/prepare for a conference. His career is also a priority to him, so it was great that he was able to transfer offices. He has the same job he had before and is able to continue advancing in his career. At the same time, he understands that he needs different things from a career than I do: I crave constant evolution, he craves stability. This complementary dichotomy helps to balance us out, and he is on board with the reality that we may end up in Bumfuck Nowhere, Middle of the Country once I finish my degree. He is a software engineer, so he has more career options than I ever will, which gives me the freedom to look broadly when I am on the job market. My partner is like another member of the cohort. While he doesn't come to all of our social events, he comes to many, so he has a sense of my work environment and cohort. He's made buddies with some of the other partners of my cohort. Toward the end of last semester, I lost myself in my work. That's okay. It's gonna happen time and time again. But as soon as I turned in my last paper, I made sure to acknowledge all the awesome support my partner had been providing me: he walked the dog, prepared dinner, reminded me to leave the house and see the sun every once in a while. We then took each other out to a nice dinner, which served two purposes: I thanked him for his support, and he celebrated my accomplishment. This is a frequent pattern in our relationship: every promotion of his and every academic achievement of mine, we celebrate with a night out and plenty of expressions of gratitude. I think, in general, it's healthiest to think of grad school as a job. Work/personal life balance is critical, no matter if you are in a relationship, parenting, dating, and/or really devoted to fantasy baseball/dogs/cooking. I know I am a better scholar when I'm happy in my personal life, so I work hard to maintain a fulfilling life and relationship outside of academia.

I love Maryland, but I wouldn't pass up fully funded PhD offers to get an unfunded MA from anywhere! Remember, you can still visit archive as a grad student from another program. However, if you are still tempted by UMD's offer, feel free to ask me questions about the program. More general info about the MA program: we do place people in good programs; some of our current MA graduates were accepted to Rutgers, Ohio State, UNC Chapel Hill, UMD, and UPenn. Also, although the MA is officially unfunded, there are graduate assistantships available. I know of at least one MA student who is a grad assistant in the economics department, and is getting tuition remission and a stipend for her work there was an administrative assistant. You can check here for the current grad assistantships.

Not a bad idea at all. Think of an SoP like a cover letter. People reuse, recycle, and upcycle their cover letters for different jobs all the time. Just make sure to tailor the essay for the field placement to qualities and experiences they are looking for in a candidate.

I'm a 2013'er, but I'll throw in some quick tips: Start early. Not just with the writing of the SoP and polishing of the writing sample, but also with the filling out the applications. Some will not send the recommendation form to your letter writers until you have submitted your application. Have a small, select support group that is informed of your plans. Make really fun plans in January, if you can. I went to Paris and Rome when the first programs started notifying, so I was physically unable to check my phone and email. Even if you can't swing a trip to Europe in January, have something fun planned to distract you: a camping trip, a conference, a project around the house. Unsubscribe from all frivolous email lists. Trust. Have folks read your SoP. Professors, friends, partners, etc. It's great to have people who really know you read it and tell you what you missed, and people who don't really know you read it and tell you what their impression of you is based solely on the SoP. Start putting aside money and vacation/personal time for application fees and travel. If you have a partner or dependent of any sort, start the conversation ASAP. Include them into your decision-making (by include, I mean include them in a way that feels natural for your relationship. It's up to you if they have any actually sway in your decision-making). Talk about priorities, compromises, acceptable sacrifices, the process, the lifestyle, and all of that as early as possible, and continue checking in throughout the whole process.

I am going to simply cut and paste what one of my letter writers (a recently tenured professor who graduated with his PhD within five years) advised me on the reading load: I have found this advice immensely helpful. I focus my energy and attention on the reading that relates to my interests, and I do a directed skim (looking for the main idea and maybe one interesting passage) on the reading that doesn't. I have started to treat my coursework as work. It sounds obvious, but it's a huge change in mindset: I am not approaching my coursework and research like I'm a student who wants a good grade, but like I'm a professional who is focused on a long-term project (my dissertation). This means I keep regular hours, and I prioritize my work based on my goals. If, on a Tuesday, I have to choose between reading all four articles for my night seminar or only three articles but spend time revising a paper for an article, I'll choose the latter. In my experience, yes. Some professors will email you a week or two before classes start and ask you to do some reading, so the first seminar meeting can really get going. Don't worry-- the professors will make it clear if they expect you to complete any work before the first meeting.

My husband and I adopted a three year old rescue mutt three years ago, and he's a part of the family. He was already potty trained, which was a huge relief, but like danielewrite writes, we still had to train him to know his name, see us as the alpha, come, and other important commands. However, potty training is a huge time suck, so just focusing on obedience training was much more manageable. We adopted him in the summer, so I was able to spend time with him before I started teaching. Now that I'm a grad student, nothing much has changed in his lifestyle-- other than the cross country move! You'll want to get a dog sitter you trust early on. Meet them. Bring your dog. Get references. We moved clear across the country to a location where we had no friends or family to depend on for dog care, so we did tons of research before we settled on a dog sitter we adore. One great thing about having a dog in grad school is that dogs force you to get dressed, leave the house, and see the sun on a daily basis, no matter how intense your workload. Also, always adopt! Rescue and shelter dogs are the best.

Also, for the UMD admits who are lurking, I'm happy to answer any questions. I didn't meet many folks at the admitted students day (I was only at the lunch, then rushed off to Arizona for Spring Training), but from what I saw, I think next year will have a great cohort!