2020 Applicants

[Jetpacked]

4 minutes ago, foreigncorrespondent said:

Hi, I am one of the PhD in English acceptances, and I was told that I was being put forward for funding when I was contacted by my POI, following which I had an interview with her.

I don't know what the process is usually like, but I was very explicitly told that this is happening... 

Hey, nice to see someone else! Congrats on your acceptance - is that for Criticism and Culture, going by your signature? I'm in a somewhat different situation as while I was interviewed, it was not by anyone I'd previously spoken with, even over email. I was assigned a provisional supervisor after that interview, with my acceptance letter back in early February, but we've yet to speak, and all my communication has been with administrators or in official correspondence. I was told the interview was part of the funding selection process but not that it was a nomination! It seems that there might be some mixed messages at the department depending on who you're in touch with. I'm taking the hedging I received from the administrator as an implied no for now, and will be pleasantly surprised if anything positive comes through.

[Emailchecker]

57 minutes ago, gooniesneversaydie said:

I'm incredibly grateful that you're here to share these experiences with, so... While I hate that it comes down to this last school for you, I think you should recognize what an incredibly strong and bomb-ass person you are for going through this process. You are not taking anyone down - by being here and sharing your experiences you help lift us all up and give us comfort in knowing we're not alone. There are so many roads left to go down, so don't let this one throw you off completely. 

How do I react with 2-5 hearts?  x

[Rrandle101]

Trying not be salty rn but the coordinator at UCLA got back to me and said that I, and everyone else still waiting, should have been rejected weeks ago but weren't due to a massive oversight ? Congrats to everyone admitted though and always good to have closure!

[BetterLight13]

13 minutes ago, Rrandle101 said:

Trying not be salty rn but the coordinator at UCLA got back to me and said that I, and everyone else still waiting, should have been rejected weeks ago but weren't due to a massive oversight ? Congrats to everyone admitted though and always good to have closure!

I didn’t even apply there and I’m mad. This is why I’m a big proponent of temporary hires during busy or chaotic times of the year. That’s beyond an oversight. 

[Wimsey]

As of last night, I have officially heard back from all of my schools! 3a/2w/11r/infinite exhaustion

[Brown_Bear]

Important question:

On applications, I had to list if i was a military dependent. My dad was in the military long ago, and then got out, and since he is deceased.

What would have been the best answer to put? I am worried I answered it incorrectly and it could affect my aid or assistantship funding. Please help with an answer, if others had a sense of if I'm a dependent or not.

[foreigncorrespondent]

8 hours ago, Jetpacked said:

Hey, nice to see someone else! Congrats on your acceptance - is that for Criticism and Culture, going by your signature? I'm in a somewhat different situation as while I was interviewed, it was not by anyone I'd previously spoken with, even over email. I was assigned a provisional supervisor after that interview, with my acceptance letter back in early February, but we've yet to speak, and all my communication has been with administrators or in official correspondence. I was told the interview was part of the funding selection process but not that it was a nomination! It seems that there might be some mixed messages at the department depending on who you're in touch with. I'm taking the hedging I received from the administrator as an implied no for now, and will be pleasantly surprised if anything positive comes through.

Hello! Nice to meet you too, and yes it is! So from what little I know of the grad admissions process in Cambridge, if you are being invited to interview, that is to rank you for funding. By the time you are interviewed, an acceptance has already been internally made. Based on how you are ranked by the department, you are nominated for the funds... But.if you are invited to interview, you are almost always ranked and nominated; how low/high is hard to predict and a rabbit hole not worth getting into... 

With the sample size of exactly me, the nomination bit has proven to be true, since I got news of the Gates-Cambridge scholarship shortlist/interview invite (international) yesterday. So if you were interviewed, it wouldn't be misplaced to grow hopeful!! All the best!!

[onerepublic96]

I’ve been half-jokingly going on and on about how horribly tiring and emotionally destructive this waiting process is, but just now I was sitting on the couch and just got hit with this awful wave of pure exhaustion. Like, the emotional burnout is so acute right now that I feel physically tired, drained like I just ran a marathon. Oof. 

[TheorySchmeory]

Do I dare ask if anyone has heard news yet from the Duke Literature program? I've heard back from every other program so far, but no word from Duke.

[brownjournal]

5 hours ago, TheorySchmeory said:

Do I dare ask if anyone has heard news yet from the Duke Literature program? I've heard back from every other program so far, but no word from Duke.

I interviewed with them and got a kind rejection email this past Monday. They said they already made all of the offers they could, so at this point I’d assume it’s not going to be good news unfortunately. I wonder why they’re taking so long to send out the rest of the letters though 

[vondafkossum]

For @bethisbetter, @Lblack, and others in limbo: I finally did get a response from UCR that said they’d made notifications to their acceptances and “made notifications to others of their place on the waitlist.” An unofficial official rejection for me. I got the check mark I wanted. Now to move on!

[Cryss]

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-02-28/uc-santa-cruz-fires-54-graduate-student-workers-wildcat-strike

 

What do we think about this? 

Side note, as an international student, it's really difficult to stand up for yourself in this way if it means being fired/ consequently removed from the program and country. It definitely seems to perpetuate the "keep your head down and do what you're told" ideology. But thoughts?

[gooniesneversaydie]

@Cryss I'm confused, one student mentioned having taxes taken out. I thought grad instructor/TA stipends weren't taxed?

Edited March 1, 2020 by gooniesneversaydie
Forgot to quote

[theatergeek]

24 minutes ago, gooniesneversaydie said:

@Cryss I'm confused, one student mentioned having taxes taken out. I thought grad instructor/TA stipends weren't taxed?

They are. I have met with students and the chair of one of the departments I have been accepted to, and they have confirmed that the stipend is taxed. 

[MundaneSoul]

Yeah, all of my MA paychecks were taxed.

[tinymica]

2 hours ago, Cryss said:

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-02-28/uc-santa-cruz-fires-54-graduate-student-workers-wildcat-strike

 

What do we think about this? 

Side note, as an international student, it's really difficult to stand up for yourself in this way if it means being fired/ consequently removed from the program and country. It definitely seems to perpetuate the "keep your head down and do what you're told" ideology. But thoughts?

I’ve been following this story and it actually enrages me. Like we know that universities love to take advantage of grad students, but this is another level of abuse. Threatening international students, intimidating the student body, asking the undergrads to report their gsa’s- it’s disgusting. UCSC admin should really be ashamed of itself.

[snorkles]

2 hours ago, gooniesneversaydie said:

@Cryss I'm confused, one student mentioned having taxes taken out. I thought grad instructor/TA stipends weren't taxed?

Stipends are taxed. Also, to those going on visits: ASK ABOUT EXTRA CAMPUS/SERVICE FEES! It's rough, y'all. 

[Rrandle101]

25 minutes ago, snorkles said:

Stipends are taxed. Also, to those going on visits: ASK ABOUT EXTRA CAMPUS/SERVICE FEES! It's rough, y'all. 

One school I was looking at had student fees that were over $750 per semester (not counting leftover health insurance costs) and another just $42.50 so what the post above is saying is really important

[gooniesneversaydie]

I'm really glad I found this out now. This changes the actuality of being able to live off of a stipend in a major city. I live two hours away from my one school and now I'm considering staying in a hotel on the days I'm there or commuting - at least for the first year until the stipend increases. 

[AnachronisticPoet]

17 hours ago, gooniesneversaydie said:

@Cryss I'm confused, one student mentioned having taxes taken out. I thought grad instructor/TA stipends weren't taxed?

Stipends are, but tuition remission is not. (you don't have to pay taxes on a 'tuition scholarship' that you never see)

[43pennsylvanian]

On 2/29/2020 at 5:54 PM, Cryss said:

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-02-28/uc-santa-cruz-fires-54-graduate-student-workers-wildcat-strike

 

What do we think about this? 

Side note, as an international student, it's really difficult to stand up for yourself in this way if it means being fired/ consequently removed from the program and country. It definitely seems to perpetuate the "keep your head down and do what you're told" ideology. But thoughts?

UC Santa Cruz was one of my top choices but I ended up not applying because of this reason. The housing cost is outrageous because the landlords there don't like college students, they want to appeal to Silicon Valley employees who have a six-figure salary. 

I totally support the students there. UC Santa Cruz was having this problem for too many years and the admin did not even attempt to find a solution. Last year they even sent out an email to faculty asking if they can let students stay in their spare bedroom, since 6,000 students could not find housing. And Janet Napolitano and her team is trying to get an extra 20,000 students next year. This is BS. 

[gooniesneversaydie]

We made it to March. Hopefully this torturous waiting (*cough* BU *cough*) will finally end soon. 

[tinymica]

1 hour ago, gooniesneversaydie said:

We made it to March. Hopefully this torturous waiting (*cough* BU *cough*) will finally end soon. 

Saw a BU sweatshirt this morning on the street. The universe is telling me it's coming for me

[gooniesneversaydie]

9 minutes ago, tinymica said:

Saw a BU sweatshirt this morning on the street. The universe is telling me it's coming for me

I really hope so. As much as I want to be accepted, I'm going to be ultra pissed if no one in our little waiting group gets in.

[Wimsey]

14 minutes ago, tinymica said:

Saw a BU sweatshirt this morning on the street. The universe is telling me it's coming for me

I believe in you! I got accepted to Penn State several days after seeing a Penn-State-themed Monopoly game in my local grocery store. Yes, I live in a state bordering on PA, so it makes sense that the game would be there, but that didn't stop me from interpreting it as a sign from the grad school deities ?