Fall 2018 Acceptances/Interviews/Rejections Thread

[exidwhere]

1 hour ago, indigopierogy said:

If I don't get into Penn State (and maybe even if I do) University of Kentucky's Geography program is looking really good. Their funding package hasn't come out, but there are a lot of faculty there who I can see myself working with, along with a great WGSS department that I can get a certificate in. It's all about the combo.

I do think Penn State's dual program has an edge over Kentucky if you want to do feminist geography rather than just feminist theory. Several geography faculty members have a joint-appointment in the WGSS department, and that's like deal-sealer for me. Anyway, I hope we both hear from Penn State soon!

[geoclimateman]

1 hour ago, kpietromica said:

You already heard from Oregon?!

University of Oklahoma, sorry

[indigopierogy]

19 hours ago, exidwhere said:

I do think Penn State's dual program has an edge over Kentucky if you want to do feminist geography rather than just feminist theory. Several geography faculty members have a joint-appointment in the WGSS department, and that's like deal-sealer for me. Anyway, I hope we both hear from Penn State soon!

Right. It's just the longer I wait to hear from them, the less hope I have! It makes me disappointed though, I really thought I had a better connection with my POI than to be tossed to the wind like this. Apparently not though lol

[kpietromica]

5 hours ago, indigopierogy said:

Right. It's just the longer I wait to hear from them, the less hope I have! It makes me disappointed though, I really thought I had a better connection with my POI than to be tossed to the wind like this. Apparently not though lol

That’s how I feel too! I talked to them extensively in the fall and tried to keep them in the loop and I was really expecting more ?

[exidwhere]

13 hours ago, kpietromica said:

That’s how I feel too! I talked to them extensively in the fall and tried to keep them in the loop and I was really expecting more ?

lol I feel less awful now for sending my POIs short and direct e-mails.

[Chuks]

On 1/26/2018 at 4:27 PM, kpietromica said:

Got a declination from University of Minnesota this morning ??

Cheer up. There are many great news ahead. How many schools did you apply to?

[indigopierogy]

Has anyone taken the leap and contacted Penn State? I want to, but I am chicken.

[exidwhere]

9 minutes ago, indigopierogy said:

Has anyone taken the leap and contacted Penn State? I want to, but I am chicken.

I think I'll wait till the first day of March.  If I don't hear by then, I'll try to contact Penn. I am also not exactly sure if I should contact the program coordinator or my POI directly. Here is a rejection result for the 2017 cycle:

"The program coordinator claim to have bcc'ed the rejection email to me on Feb 16, but I have found nothing in my archive. During this 2 month, I have sent several emails inquiring about my status, and they told me they were still making decisions, ironic, isn't it? "

So maybe contacting your POI might give you a more direct answer???

[indigopierogy]

4 minutes ago, exidwhere said:

I think I'll wait till the first day of March.  If I don't hear by then, I'll try to contact Penn. I am also not exactly sure if I should contact the program coordinator or my POI directly. Here is a rejection result for the 2017 cycle:

"The program coordinator claim to have bcc'ed the rejection email to me on Feb 16, but I have found nothing in my archive. During this 2 month, I have sent several emails inquiring about my status, and they told me they were still making decisions, ironic, isn't it? "

So maybe contacting your POI might give you a more direct answer???

My POI is the director of graduate studies... So its kind of a double edged sword, I feel.

[indigopierogy]

Also just got told I didn't get funding to Kentucky's Geography program.... but hooray for the acceptance, I guess >:(

[exidwhere]

6 minutes ago, indigopierogy said:

My POI is the director of graduate studies... So its kind of a double edged sword, I feel.

lol my POI is the head of wgss, so hey, double edged sword for the both of us!? Also, I am sorry to hear about the Kentucky thing. I am wondering if the funding just sucks for geography departments in general this year. I am surprised to see that many PhD applications are accepted without funding on the results page. Anyway, WVU is still funding you for geography right?

[indigopierogy]

10 minutes ago, exidwhere said:

lol my POI is the head of wgss, so hey, double edged sword for the both of us!? Also, I am sorry to hear about the Kentucky thing. I am wondering if the funding just sucks for geography departments in general this year. I am surprised to see that many PhD applications are accepted without funding on the results page. Anyway, WVU is still funding you for geography right?

I haven't heard back OFFICIALLY yet. There were lots of unofficial promises made, but looking back at how the Kentucky email looked, I'm feeling terrified. At least the emotional devastation comes on a Friday where I can just binge eat and watch Emperor's New Groove and not do work. 

 

I thought I would have a *better* chance of funding with Geography than WGSS, as historically the funding for WGSS is not very good! Who knew that they would both be terrible ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[kpietromica]

@indigopierogy 

omg, I applied to the joint WGSS/Geography at Penn State and I have the same POI as you do! 

I haven’t heard a peep, but I think March 1 would be reasonable to contact them since they told us both middle of February ?

[vivian.d]

On 2/16/2018 at 6:43 PM, indigopierogy said:

Ahh. Does anyone want to claim the Penn State acceptance? I’m still waiting to hear

Hi everyone! That was me. I'm sorry, I'm new around here and just found this forum. I got an email first and a couple of days later the official admission letter and funding offer. I applied to the double degree with WGSS. I was told that my application to the dual degree could only be processed after admission to Geography, and I just heard back from them that I have been officially accepted into both programs, but I talked to one of the current students who told me that admission to the dual degree once you're admitted to Geography is pretty straight forward, so if you're waiting don't despair. I'd love to hear y'alls thoughts on Penn State! I'm worried about the diversity of the school, and my cohort, but I'm happy to see so many feminist geographers here! That puts me at ease. Anyway, best of luck to you all!!

Edited February 24, 2018 by vivian.d
privacy

[exidwhere]

1 hour ago, vivian.d said:

Hi everyone! That was me. I'm sorry, I'm new around here and just found this forum. I got an email first and a couple of days later the official admission letter and funding offer. I applied to the double degree with WGSS. I was told that my application to the dual degree could only be processed after admission to Geography, and I just heard back from them that I have been officially accepted into both programs, but I talked to one of the current students who told me that admission to the dual degree once you're admitted to Geography is pretty straight forward, so if you're waiting don't despair. I'd love to hear y'alls thoughts on Penn State! I'm worried about the diversity of the school, and my cohort, but I'm happy to see so many feminist geographers here! That puts me at ease. Anyway, best of luck to you all!!

Congratz on the acceptance! I was telling/lying to myself that the department must be contacting the physical/GIS applicants first, but I guess not... I am somehow more anxious now lol.

Anyway, thoughts on Penn State: the school I am currently attending is also very (very) white and the location is quite similar to State College. A part of me is screaming "don't go there, you're an urban geographer, you can't live in another college town for two years." The other part of me is like "I've done this for four years now. It's just two more years and I'll definitely do my PhD somewhere else more urban." Soooo, *lol* I am a bit torn about the location/diversity of PSU.

Howeverr... during my undergrad years, I've come across the work of two feminist geographers from Penn State, and I really find their work inspiring (like I value their work on the same level as Massey and GG). This is the major reason (if not the sole reason) for me to apply to Penn State. Personally, I think the cost of missing the opportunity to work with (or just havingthem around) these faculty members is much higher than the cost (at least for me) of attending another college town for two years. Hope that helps!

Edited February 24, 2018 by exidwhere

[kpietromica]

So the graduate director at a PhD program to which I was admitted just emailed me to say that they didn’t fully realize I applied to the PhD program because the program requires a masters degree first, even though they have a current student who went directly to PhD. 

Can they just change my admission after already admitting me?!

I’m so upset ???

[Shnoztastic]

19 minutes ago, kpietromica said:

So the graduate director at a PhD program to which I was admitted just emailed me to say that they didn’t fully realize I applied to the PhD program because the program requires a masters degree first, even though they have a current student who went directly to PhD. 

Can they just change my admission after already admitting me?!

I’m so upset ???

Would you be willing to get a master's first? Some programs are willing to consider individuals for master's. If you're willing and funding is available I'd asked if they could consider you. If they were willing to take you for a PhD I don't see why they wouldn't. It seems like more and more Geography PhD programs are requiring a master's for admission.

Best of luck!

[kpietromica]

13 minutes ago, Shnoztastic said:

Would you be willing to get a master's first? Some programs are willing to consider individuals for master's. If you're willing and funding is available I'd asked if they could consider you. If they were willing to take you for a PhD I don't see why they wouldn't. It seems like more and more Geography PhD programs are requiring a master's for admission.

Best of luck!

I would be willing, but I also have a concern that the entire admissions committee somehow missed that...

I’m contacting my POI and see what they say. 

Thanks for the well wishes!

[indigopierogy]

Got my Penn State rejection today. Didn't make it seem like I wasn't a competitive applicant, but still a rather generic and yet personal rejection letter from my POI. Oh well, at least I was at the point where I was expecting it!

[exidwhere]

1 hour ago, indigopierogy said:

Got my Penn State rejection today. Didn't make it seem like I wasn't a competitive applicant, but still a rather generic and yet personal rejection letter from my POI. Oh well, at least I was at the point where I was expecting it!

Oh no . I am sorry to hear that.  At this point, I am wondering if my POI just forgot I existed and didn't sent out my rejection letter ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Two more days before I send out an awkward e-mail asking about my decision.

[kw_geographer2018]

So its getting pretty late in the cycle and I still haven't heard back from the one school I'm most hoping to attend, but they said I'd hear from them late February/ early March. Not much longer! 

Who here has made a decision? Interested to hear where everyone ends up.

[indigopierogy]

34 minutes ago, kw_geographer2018 said:

So its getting pretty late in the cycle and I still haven't heard back from the one school I'm most hoping to attend, but they said I'd hear from them late February/ early March. Not much longer! 

Who here has made a decision? Interested to hear where everyone ends up.

I am very seriously considering WVU. They've given me their funding offer, and it's pretty good, though I do need them to clarify a few things. I am flying out to Indiana this week, and we'll see how I like it out there. Their WGSS program is really really good. Kentucky, because their Geography program didn't give me funding, I'm not so sure about taking the WGSS department offer, since I can't get a certificate in Geography, I would only be able to work with their Geography people. 

 

I know WVU isn't known for their human geography, but I did meet some of the human geography people there, and I think I mesh pretty well with them, even if our research doesn't align *perfectly*. Plus it is much closer to the areas I want to research. 

 

What are you thinking about? Also, does anyone have any specific advice regarding my predicament?

[HeyThereFriends]

Hi guys! Any feedback from the University of Alberta's modern languages dep?

[kpietromica]

4 hours ago, indigopierogy said:

Got my Penn State rejection today. Didn't make it seem like I wasn't a competitive applicant, but still a rather generic and yet personal rejection letter from my POI. Oh well, at least I was at the point where I was expecting it!

I’m so sorry ?

Was it an email or paper letter? I haven’t gotten a rejection yet, though I’m expecting one any day now. 

[indigopierogy]

16 hours ago, kpietromica said:

I’m so sorry ?

Was it an email or paper letter? I haven’t gotten a rejection yet, though I’m expecting one any day now. 

It was an email! I was surprised I didn't have to email him first. But I did follow up the email by saying, "Sorry, I can't make it to AAG either" and I didn't get anything back to that... lol