Yanaka Posted January 23, 2018 Posted January 23, 2018 13 hours ago, WildeThing said: Today is great. Get an email from my top school, it's the grad conference I applied to! I'm rejected! Yay! I laughed, I'm sorry xD I can imagine receiving my rejection AND two conference rejections at the same time HAHA I applied to like maybe 6 schools last year. It was my first time and it showed: I applied to top-programs, not sure if they really fit me or not. I was rejected by all of them except for an MA at Villanova for which I applied last minute because rejections were coming in and I thought "oh. shit." I was lucky, because I applied to two MA's: Nova and another program in VA, who rejected my application because my French undergrad is only 3 years--which is standard and valid for all other programs except for them apparently. They still took my money, though I'm only applying to 1 program this year because I had an opportunity, and also because I felt bad asking my French profs. to submit more letters. You can't imagine how DIFFICULT IT IS to get it done in France and have them submit their recommendations on our websites. Also I worry a lot about bothering people. Honestly, I told myself that I wouldn't apply again after last year--but I think I might try a third time next year if I don't find an awesome job that makes me really happy. I think I like university and thinking about stuff and expressing my opinion about that stuff. And I'm pretty stubborn. I get disheartened but I usually get back at it pretty fast, often because I don't want to admit I screwed up hahaha--it helps me think "well, like, forget that, let's do it again AND BETTER like the other thing never happened. I'LL SHOW YOU I'M AWESOME." If only my brain were this proud when it comes to working out HA
Yanaka Posted January 23, 2018 Posted January 23, 2018 Also I just learned a new word thanks to this topic. Never mind I say it "shellackelled" in my mind!
FreakyFoucault Posted January 23, 2018 Author Posted January 23, 2018 4 minutes ago, Yanaka said: You can't imagine how DIFFICULT IT IS to get it done in France and have them submit their recommendations on our websites. I briefly considered asking one of my study-abroad professors in Rome, with whom I was pretty close, for a letter. But then I remembered that three months of advanced notice in Italy is like two minutes of advanced notice everywhere else (except for France). Sooo non grazie! Forse la prossima volta!
FreakyFoucault Posted January 23, 2018 Author Posted January 23, 2018 5 minutes ago, Yanaka said: Also I just learned a new word thanks to this topic. Never mind I say it "shellackelled" in my mind! hahahahahaha this is too much!
Yanaka Posted January 23, 2018 Posted January 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, FreakyFoucault said: I briefly considered asking one of my study-abroad professors in Rome, with whom I was pretty close, for a letter. But then I remembered that three months of advanced notice in Italy is like two minutes of advanced notice everywhere else (except for France). Sooo non grazie! Forse la prossima volta! Ugh. You have to ask well in advance because you need to anticipate explaining what the heck you’re doing, reminding them 10 times that you’re waiting for the letter, try to help them understand how to submit the rec, possibly imagine scenarios in which there are administrative discomfort and glitches (like for me), certainly re-send the link to submit several times... haha
FreakyFoucault Posted January 23, 2018 Author Posted January 23, 2018 2 minutes ago, Yanaka said: Ugh. You have to ask well in advance because you need to anticipate explaining what the heck you’re doing, reminding them 10 times that you’re waiting for the letter, try to help them understand how to submit the rec, possibly imagine scenarios in which there are administrative discomfort and glitches (like for me), certainly re-send the link to submit several times... haha And you know they’re gonna try to send it through the post anyway, which, in Italy, is where letters go to die. And, also, somewhere along this journey, you’ll have to wait in a few lines. Especially in France.
Yanaka Posted January 23, 2018 Posted January 23, 2018 (edited) 4 minutes ago, FreakyFoucault said: And you know they’re gonna try to send it through the post anyway, which, in Italy, is where letters go to die. And, also, somewhere along this journey, you’ll have to wait in a few lines. Especially in France. Haha no that was alright. They’re modern! And no lines for this, thankfully. In the end it was all okay, not as easy as it was to ask for a letter here, but whatever happened when I asked for letters was pretty normal when I look back on it. It was stressful for everyone and I’m happy I got great letters. Ugh. Fingers crossed so hard for all of us!! Edited January 23, 2018 by Yanaka
JustPoesieAlong Posted January 23, 2018 Posted January 23, 2018 17 hours ago, a_sort_of_fractious_angel said: I don't adore working in the non-ac world but it has given me a way to craft an identity that has nothing to do with academia. Late to respond, but I feel this so much. I've been out for two years now. I do not like the lifestyle offered by non-ac world. I'm annoyed by the arbitrariness of most of it. But it has helped me to gain more understanding of what I'm looking for in a career and has given me the confidence boost of knowing that I can make it outside of academia. If I don't make it in anywhere, I've considered retaking the GRE, maybe even the subject test, and trying again. If not, I'll focus on getting a new job. a_sort_of_fractious_angel 1
more.truly.more.strange Posted January 23, 2018 Posted January 23, 2018 I got a call from a Michigan number yesterday and, thinking 'what if??', I answered. A woman's voice on the other end said something indecipherable ("this is xx at the admissions office" perhaps?), "Sorry?" I said, and she replied: "Do...do you speak Romanian?" Sadly I do not: wrong number. posts and a_sort_of_fractious_angel 2
a_sort_of_fractious_angel Posted January 23, 2018 Posted January 23, 2018 13 hours ago, unicornsarereal said: Yeah I likely won't based on yours and @mk-8's thoughts. I talking about disguise in 18th century lit—probably my favorite topic!! That sounds so cool! I'm a contemporariest but that sounds like a fascinating topic nonetheless!
JustPoesieAlong Posted January 23, 2018 Posted January 23, 2018 I'm to the point where I'm pretty sure my email is broken. That's the only reason I haven't heard anything, right? RIGHT???? Ughhhhhh
FreakyFoucault Posted January 23, 2018 Author Posted January 23, 2018 6 minutes ago, JustPoesieAlong said: I'm to the point where I'm pretty sure my email is broken. That's the only reason I haven't heard anything, right? RIGHT???? Ughhhhhh Yours and mine both! What’re the odds?!
posts Posted January 23, 2018 Posted January 23, 2018 On 1/22/2018 at 1:26 PM, unicornsarereal said: Yeah this is something I've been wanting to ask people about: for those who've reapplied, how do you steel yourself against the hardship of it? For first timers, if you get shut out will you apply again? I'm also a first-time applicant for PhDs and I'm preparing my body for a shutout. I arrived at the "oh shit I want to teach, I have to go get a PhD" realization really late in the cycle so I think my applications sucked. I did improve over the process - it still wasn't great or anything at the end, but my last application was less bad than the first. I have to apply again. But if I fail across the board, I would probably think about trying to get a master's or an MBA while I make my SOP more specific and put together a new writing sample. Mainly the interests part for the SOP, and I would dedicate more time to looking carefully over my POIs' past work. My writing sample was just... not good. idk, I know I can do better, which kind of makes the waiting both worse and better at the same time.
Yanaka Posted January 23, 2018 Posted January 23, 2018 2 minutes ago, turtleducks said: idk, I know I can do better, which kind of makes the waiting both worse and better at the same time. I like your spirit, fellow inmate. M(allthevowels)H 1
a_sort_of_fractious_angel Posted January 24, 2018 Posted January 24, 2018 13 minutes ago, turtleducks said: I'm also a first-time applicant for PhDs and I'm preparing my body for a shutout. I arrived at the "oh shit I want to teach, I have to go get a PhD" realization really late in the cycle so I think my applications sucked. I did improve over the process - it still wasn't great or anything at the end, but my last application was less bad than the first. I have to apply again. But if I fail across the board, I would probably think about trying to get a master's or an MBA while I make my SOP more specific and put together a new writing sample. Mainly the interests part for the SOP, and I would dedicate more time to looking carefully over my POIs' past work. My writing sample was just... not good. idk, I know I can do better, which kind of makes the waiting both worse and better at the same time. 11/10 recommend an MA program (if you end up needing one!) My MA really helped me improve my BA-level work (I was what I'm going to call a "good thinker but poor writer" as an undergrad). Feel free to PM me if you'd ever want to chat about that option - also, lots of cool folks on here have done MAs and, I'm sure, would speak to the pros/cons of the experience. And there's lots of good threads from past years about the MA --> PhD plan. posts 1
Yanaka Posted January 24, 2018 Posted January 24, 2018 I am SO THANKFUL THAT I GOT INTO AN MA before a (possible) Ph.D. I would have been SO SCARED if I had started a five/six-year program completely unaware of the amount of work. Shit. I want to cry just imagining poor Yanaka thinking she made the worst mistake of her life getting into a Ph.D. without an MA!
bumbleblu Posted January 24, 2018 Posted January 24, 2018 I agree re: getting an M.A. My program wasn't awesome (I stayed at my undergrad school), but if I hadn't done that work I never would have figured out what I am interested in. It was extremely useful, and I'm glad I did it. Obvs you gotta find a funded program, but I think it's worth it (if you are unsuccessful this cycle, or course!).
posts Posted January 24, 2018 Posted January 24, 2018 9 hours ago, a_sort_of_fractious_angel said: Feel free to PM me if you'd ever want to chat about that option - also, lots of cool folks on here have done MAs and, I'm sure, would speak to the pros/cons of the experience. Thanks! I'm just starting to look into it but I will do this once I have questions! 2 hours ago, bumbleblu said: Obvs you gotta find a funded program, but I think it's worth it (if you are unsuccessful this cycle, or course!). Can I ask what kind of funding you had? Was it partial or full?
bumbleblu Posted January 24, 2018 Posted January 24, 2018 @turtleducks I was given a TAship with a tuition waiver and a stipend (I can't remember how much it was, but I was able to live on it at least). I only had to pay the fees, which amounted to about $800/semester, which I was able to pay in $200-something installments each month.
la_mod Posted January 25, 2018 Posted January 25, 2018 Dreamt that I got a Columbia interview request; woke up in a cold sweat.... no email. Subconscious-shellacked?
FreakyFoucault Posted January 25, 2018 Author Posted January 25, 2018 9 minutes ago, la_mod said: Dreamt that I got a Columbia interview request; woke up in a cold sweat.... no email. Subconscious-shellacked? “for-in-that-sleep-of-death-what-dreams-may-come-when-we-have-shuffled-off-this-mortal-grad-applications-coil-must-give-us-pause” shellacked! JustPoesieAlong, aporeticpoetic and la_mod 2 1
TakeruK Posted January 25, 2018 Posted January 25, 2018 On 1/23/2018 at 5:44 PM, Yanaka said: I am SO THANKFUL THAT I GOT INTO AN MA before a (possible) Ph.D. I would have been SO SCARED if I had started a five/six-year program completely unaware of the amount of work. Shit. I want to cry just imagining poor Yanaka thinking she made the worst mistake of her life getting into a Ph.D. without an MA! This is the same reason I did a Masters before a PhD too. I am just thankful that this is the normal path in Canada (2 year Masters, 3-4 year PhD) and both programs are always fully funded since Canada treats the MA the same as the first 2 year of a US PhD. It also gives a lot of people an easy way to leave the program after 2 years if they realise that either grad school or that particular program/advisor is not the right fit for them. In general, about half of Masters degree graduates don't go onto a PhD program but have tons of other good opportunities and/or do things more interesting to them than suffering longer in a bad fit grad program for another 3-5 years.
la_mod Posted January 25, 2018 Posted January 25, 2018 Alsoooo just missed two phone calls from a certain area code. Tragically, the voicemail was in Chinese, so that’s probably (most likely?) not who I had hoped. FreakyFoucault 1
ltr317 Posted January 25, 2018 Posted January 25, 2018 4 hours ago, la_mod said: Alsoooo just missed two phone calls from a certain area code. Tragically, the voicemail was in Chinese, so that’s probably (most likely?) not who I had hoped. Telemarketer-shellacked? FreakyFoucault 1
JustPoesieAlong Posted January 25, 2018 Posted January 25, 2018 There has definitely been a boost in telemarketer calls to my phone in the last week. They have no idea what they are doing to my fragile psyche!
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