merry night wanderer Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) (Kudos to the people emailing the depts and willing to report back - it is much much appreciated. And probably a boon to them, since they get fewer emails overall.) Edited February 10, 2020 by merry night wanderer jm6394 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wimsey Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 I am waiting on nine schools, some of which I expect to notify this week. They are all prestigious programs, so I'm keeping my expectations low. I just want to have the full picture so I can start figuring out which program I want to attend. Out of my three acceptances, I have a top two (largely based on funding), but deciding between those two will be hard, since both programs have shown a similar level of enthusiasm about my work. And to think I spent most of January assuming that I would be shut out.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indecisive Poet Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, foreigncorrespondent said: Hello, that's me! I'll share how the interview goes on this forum, if that helps? And yeah, you are right, interviews are very spaced out so you should also be hearing soon enough!! That would be so helpful, if you don't mind. I'd love to hear how the interview goes and what kinds of things you're asked about. I'll be over the moon if I'm offered an interview, but also quite nervous because I imagine they expect a greater level of specificity in thinking that I got away with not having for my American interviews. Feel free to send me a PM if you don't feel comfortable sharing details publicly. And – good luck!!! Edited February 10, 2020 by Indecisive Poet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indecisive Poet Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, punctilious said: Yes, everyone should hear this loud and clear: your stipends are taxable income (not just teaching fellowships!). You have to report them as such and pay taxes on them, which is why it's a really good idea to pay quarterly estimated taxes so you don't die when you see what you owe in taxes at the end of the year. Oh, man – estimated quarterly taxes are such a pain. For some reason I thought the tax would be taken out of our stipends as they came in. Edited February 10, 2020 by Indecisive Poet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcaMajora Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, punctilious said: So that was a whole debacle around proposed changes that would not only tax graduate students on their stipends/fellowships, but also on tuition remission. The proposal would have meant that your income wouldn't just be the $35,000 stipend you're getting from Harvard, but also the $47,000 in Harvard tuition. These together would be considered your income, so you'd be taxed on the $82,000 rather than the $35,000. Thank goodness that didn't get through because it's absolutely insane/ridiculous. Did this measure actually pass? Edit: in my panic seeing these proposed changes again I blanked on reading the last part lol. I'm doing my taxes right now and I'm getting conflicting information as to whether or not I should count my two quarters' worth of remission as income or if I should just input just the stipends I've gotten. All tax projections I've done (with tuition remission + stipend) do show that my liability shouldn't be too huge (though CA tax is another question). I am eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit, so that's one tax credit down. I can't help but wonder if the above did pass as there was some IRS online tool that did say that I would have to count remission as income due to the way my fellowship is situated (I'm not teaching and I don't have a research fellowship either. Though a part of me wonders if entering fellowships for first/second years have always had tuition remission as taxable income...) If there's one thing I've learned throughout trying to decode our tax code as grad students, use any and all tax credits to your advantage. Sites like Personal Finance for PhDs can really help demystify the process. Edited February 10, 2020 by ArcaMajora AnachronisticPoet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okwhere Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, The Hoosier Oxonian said: I also applied for Cambridge's Criticism and Culture MPhil. I didn't think they typically interviewed for that program, though - now I'm extra nervous! Honestly I don't have very high hopes for Cambridge - I applied all the way back in October (long story) when I wasn't yet very well prepared for all the ins and outs of graduate applications, so it's definitely the weakest application I submitted. Would definitely love to hear whatever you care to share about your interview when it's done! Recently graduated from this program (2019) and have to say that while Cambridge doesn't interview before admission, it is likely to have interviews from different internal funding bodies via the Trust. For the DPhil the Eng dept definitely interviews (i got my email at 09.00 for a 12.00 interview, but perhaps because it was happening at the college and it's almost like a non-interview). EDIT: I see that this was addresses later in @meghan_sparkle's response Edited February 10, 2020 by Okwhere The Hoosier Oxonian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punctilious Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 On 2/10/2020 at 11:03 AM, ArcaMajora said: Did this measure actually pass? Edit: in my panic seeing these proposed changes again I blanked on reading the last part lol. I'm doing my taxes right now and I'm getting conflicting information as to whether or not I should count my two quarters' worth of remission as income or if I should just input just the stipends I've gotten. All tax projections I've done (with tuition remission + stipend) do show that my liability shouldn't be too huge (though CA tax is another question). I am eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit, so that's one tax credit down. I can't help but wonder if the above did pass as there was some IRS online tool that did say that I would have to count remission as income due to the way my fellowship is situated (I'm not teaching and I don't have a research fellowship either. Though a part of me wonders if entering fellowships for first/second years have always had tuition remission as taxable income...) If there's one thing I've learned throughout trying to decode our tax code as grad students, use any and all tax credits to your advantage. Sites like Personal Finance for PhDs can really help demystify the process. It is very confusing, but no, as far as I am aware you just need to count your stipend as income, not the tuition remission. That measure did not pass. Unfortunately even tax professionals often do not understand how this works. ArcaMajora 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meghan_sparkle Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, The Hoosier Oxonian said: Thanks for the info! Didn't even notice the result on the board was for a PhD - that makes a lot more sense. Honestly, funding headaches are the primary reason I will probably turn down an Oxbridge MPhil/MSt offer if I get one (much as I loved Oxford during the year I spent there as an undergrad) in favor of one of my PhD offers. Yeah, almost no one gets funded on the Oxford MSt — maybe 1-2 per strand out of 14-17. Even if you turn out to be one of those, it is definitely, definitely not worth turning down Yale for it. Under any circumstance. Imo! haha Edited February 10, 2020 by meghan_sparkle Indecisive Poet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brown_Bear Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Is it bad form for me to email departments I've not heard yet from, with an updated transcript that shows my Fall of 2019 grades? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WanYesOnly Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Indiana-Bloomington Literature acceptance is on the board! Anyone want to claim that? And congratulations to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straparlare Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 14 minutes ago, Puurple said: Is it bad form for me to email departments I've not heard yet from, with an updated transcript that shows my Fall of 2019 grades? I don't know if it's bad form, but does seem slightly excessive? I doubt your fall grades will really change their mind/make them reach a decision faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hoosier Oxonian Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 29 minutes ago, meghan_sparkle said: Yeah, almost no one gets funded on the Oxford MSt — maybe 1-2 per strand out of 14-17. Even if you turn out to be one of those, it is definitely, definitely not worth turning down Yale for it. Under any circumstance. Imo! haha That's how I feel! If by some miracle I got Oxbridge funding I would probably ask Yale about the possibility of deferring for a year, but if they said no I definitely wouldn't take that risk! lovely coward 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamnet in tights Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Oh gosh. A bunch of the programs I applied to historically send out stuff this week and next and I'm loosing my marbles in anticipation! I didn't apply to any of the really "big" programs (curiously, researchers in my subfield of Rhet/Comp are generally not at those places...) so I'm so anxious and so full of impostor syndrome after spending time on this form. You're all so amazing. Deleuze, merry night wanderer, thoreaulymodern and 3 others 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreigncorrespondent Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 2 hours ago, Indecisive Poet said: That would be so helpful, if you don't mind. I'd love to hear how the interview goes and what kinds of things you're asked about. I'll be over the moon if I'm offered an interview, but also quite nervous because I imagine they expect a greater level of specificity in thinking that I got away with not having for my American interviews. Feel free to send me a PM if you don't feel comfortable sharing details publicly. And – good luck!!! Absolutely, I'll drop you a PM... I'm expecting it to go disastrously, because I've met my POI before and they are quite intimidating and brilliant, so I'm expecting to be fully tongue-tied. But here's hoping I get some words out... Just so I can tell you how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ja.col Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, meghan_sparkle said: PhD is very different from MPhil/MSt when it comes to the Oxbridge applications process—I know many people that did the Criticism and Culture MPhil and none of them had an interview for it, so don't worry about it. Interviews when candidates are being considered for DPhil funding is a slightly different story, since unlike the US, funding is much harder to come by in the UK especially for humanities degrees and much more competitive. I'd second this, I finished my MA in the UK at a very well recognised institution for my subfield, and I know many many PhDs that are completely unfunded (this is especially true of humanities). To get PhD funding, usually the process is that you apply through a university to be nominated to a larger consortium that considers funding for a whole host of institutions - one of the many reasons I'm decided on US schools. Having said that, I'm a relative stranger to Oxbridge (I was rejected by Cam for their MPhil back in 2018), but many Masters (including some friends that went to do the Oxon MSt) students now rely on postgraduate study loans coordinated by Student Finance England that I think are only available to UK students, and barely cover tuition. Don't quote me on it though. Even getting funding for PhDs in the UK, the stipend rates are mostly incredibly low in the humanities. Edited February 10, 2020 by ja.col meghan_sparkle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warelin Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 5 hours ago, punctilious said: Many top universities are in super expensive cities (especially the Bay Area, followed by New York and Boston, those are probably the worst cost of living in the US) so make sure to factor that in when making your decisions. I believe @Warelin's spreadsheet has a cost of living column. There is indeed a cost of living column. It accounts for the living expenses of one person. It also doesn't account for taxes on stipends which might have a bigger cost of living impact on schools already significantly below "1". Two people might be slightly more. I think it's also important to consider opportunities within the city if you're moving with a significant other. Alternatively, one might also want to think about if they''re comfortable living with another person. Living with a roommate or two might be the norm in some cities. 5 hours ago, meghan_sparkle said: After federal, FICA and state taxes Full-time grad students are exempt from FICA taxes on their stipend. This article will help to explain it more: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/why-it-matters-how-you-are-paid meghan_sparkle, aussiekoala and merry night wanderer 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry night wanderer Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 1 hour ago, ja.col said: I'd second this, I finished my MA in the UK at a very well recognised institution for my subfield, and I know many many PhDs that are completely unfunded (this is especially true of humanities). To get PhD funding, usually the process is that you apply through a university to be nominated to a larger consortium that considers funding for a whole host of institutions - one of the many reasons I'm decided on US schools. Having said that, I'm a relative stranger to Oxbridge (I was rejected by Cam for their MPhil back in 2018), but many Masters (including some friends that went to do the Oxon MSt) students now rely on postgraduate study loans coordinated by Student Finance England that I think are only available to UK students, and barely cover tuition. Don't quote me on it though. Even getting funding for PhDs in the UK, the stipend rates are mostly incredibly low in the humanities. Wow it is depressing knowing the humanities crisis extends to UK schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm6394 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 That CUNY acceptance today..anyone want to claim?? Dying to know who the POI was Ida16 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedievalIllusions Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Okay, question: When I log on to my University of Rochester application portal, it says my application has a new update. I can click on the word "update." I can also click on something next to it that says "Decision Released." However, when I click on either of these, I get sent to a new screen with the notice "There is no update to your application status to report." I vaguely remember seeing people post about similar issues with other schools' portals (I think a few of my schools use this portal, although they are all somewhat tailored). If anyone also had this issue, with Rochester or anywhere else, did it resolve itself? Did you have to contact the department for an answer? It's been like this for an hour or so, and I'm really hoping it will just resolve itself, but I'm also kind of freaking out.... the answer is so close... yet so far away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summersolstice Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Has anyone heard from UCR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ida16 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 I went MIA from this forum a few days ago to maintain sanity... just came back to see that CUNY has begum notifying. AAAAAAAA! Many Congratulations to the poster on the board. jm6394 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm6394 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 2 minutes ago, Ida16 said: I went MIA from this forum a few days ago to maintain sanity... just came back to see that CUNY has begum notifying. AAAAAAAA! Many Congratulations to the poster on the board. It is KILLING me. My MA is from the Graduate Center and I’m really really hoping to continue there. Seeing they didn’t even notify rejections last year gives me agita... Ida16 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ida16 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 1 minute ago, jm6394 said: It is KILLING me. My MA is from the Graduate Center and I’m really really hoping to continue there. Seeing they didn’t even notify rejections last year gives me agita... Haha! I feel you. Also, from your profile it seems that that you are also one of those to whom UC Davis hasn't notified. If it helps, I emailed them last week and they said the review process is still on. jm6394 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onerepublic96 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 There’s an NYU acceptance on the board... ? ccab4670 and jm6394 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm6394 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 23 minutes ago, Ida16 said: Haha! I feel you. Also, from your profile it seems that that you are also one of those to whom UC Davis hasn't notified. If it helps, I emailed them last week and they said the review process is still on. Totally wrote that off as a rejection, which is fine because I want to stay in NY, but thank you!! Idk if I’ll ever be brave enough to start sending emails haha Ida16 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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