University of Washington

[thestranger009]

I see your SIGH and raise you an I CAN'T DO THIS.

I have just declined UW's offer after reviewing what my financial situation would be for a year. I'm a little embarrassed to have made plans to visit only to pull a 360 on them, but we all make mistakes.

I am now back to a more pure form of waitlist limbo as I wait to hear from Carnegie Mellon and Michigan State.

Sorry to see you go, but good luck with the other two! I'm still hovering on the funding wait list and holding out hope . . . and, of course, looking at Seattle housing costs and wondering if taking the bus everywhere will help . . .

[Rhet Man]

Sorry to see you go, but good luck with the other two! I'm still hovering on the funding wait list and holding out hope . . . and, of course, looking at Seattle housing costs and wondering if taking the bus everywhere will help . . .

Thanks. One thing to bear in mind is that (at least as far as I know, and I don't see any reason why they wouldn't want to tell me) I was never on a wait list for first-year funding.

It didn't take much for me to conclude that, in my individual case, it would be worth it to wait an extra year rather than pay for it all at UW. My first year of applications has gone well enough for me to conclude that.

Wow...this process makes me write like Molly Bloom. Stream of Waitlist Consciousness?

[tortola23]

I will be quite likely to turn down UW if they can't guarantee second-year funding. I'm definitely holding out for wait-lists, too. Fingers crossed!

[Rhet Man]

Hope appears not lost for me and Washington. They're proposing that I attend for one-quarter and then go on-leave in year one. I am currently asking them about the details of this scenario.

Brian and Kathy are really good at their jobs (which are obviously pretty hard at the moment).

[Chris83]

Hope appears not lost for me and Washington. They're proposing that I attend for one-quarter and then go on-leave in year one. I am currently asking them about the details of this scenario.

Brian and Kathy are really good at their jobs (which are obviously pretty hard at the moment).

If your offer isn't funded, do you even have an obligation to accept their non-funded offer by April 15th? Seems to me that you could keep this as your backup plan as you wait to hear back from your wait-lists. (Though living in Seattle for even a quarter sounds pretty darned expensive and might also leave you feeling cohort-less.)

Edited March 23, 2011 by Chris83

[Rhet Man]

If your offer isn't funded, do you even have an obligation to accept their non-funded offer by April 15th? Seems to me that you could keep this as your backup plan as you wait to hear back from your wait-lists. (Though living in Seattle for even a quarter sounds pretty darned expensive and might also leave you feeling cohort-less.)

Well, I actually informed them today about my waitlist schools, and that if either came through with first-year funding, I would be going with them instead. So essentially this is my "backup plan" (although that's not the most accurate way to describe it).

There are definitely negatives to doing the one-quarter and on-leave option, but at least I wouldn't be in the hole for those two quarters of tuition. That takes it from a "definitely not" to a "possible yes" for me, if the alternative is waiting another year to get started.

[Rhet Man]

Self-update:

I visited UW Wednesday-Friday. I was blown away by the environment...everything from the vibrant-yet-comfortable city to the breathtakingly beautiful campus (I'm being literal when I say breathtaking) to the profs. I met, whose compatibilities with my project and personality are almost eerie.

After this trip, I'm not sure that either Carnegie Mellon or Michigan State would be higher on my list if funding were guaranteed at UW, even given those two school's reps in this subfield. As it's not, I'd take a funded offer off the waitlist from them, but I'd be very happy to attend UW even without first-year funding if that doesn't happen. That's how incredible my visit was.

[Rhet Man]

Also, one stat for language and rhetoric people: There were 12 total acceptances, according to Brian Reed.

[Rhet Man]

If your offer isn't funded, do you even have an obligation to accept their non-funded offer by April 15th? Seems to me that you could keep this as your backup plan as you wait to hear back from your wait-lists. (Though living in Seattle for even a quarter sounds pretty darned expensive and might also leave you feeling cohort-less.)

Brian Reed informed me that I can notify them well after April 15th. He's well-aware of my waitlist scenarios (see above).

[tortola23]

After visiting Carnegie Mellon this week, UW has become my definite back-up school. UT is my first choice, and if they don't come thrrough, I will most likely be moving to Seattle this fall despite the lack of first-year funding.

I did like Carnegie Mellon, but the MA isn't the right program for me when I have the option of a PhD.

Rhet Man, good to hear that the department feels good. I've seen the school before as an undergraduate so I'm not visiting, but obviously I haven't spent time in the English department.

[Rhet Man]

After visiting Carnegie Mellon this week, UW has become my definite back-up school. UT is my first choice, and if they don't come thrrough, I will most likely be moving to Seattle this fall despite the lack of first-year funding.

I did like Carnegie Mellon, but the MA isn't the right program for me when I have the option of a PhD.

Rhet Man, good to hear that the department feels good. I've seen the school before as an undergraduate so I'm not visiting, but obviously I haven't spent time in the English department.

Remind me, Tortola, are you a language and rhetoric person at UW? You told me English privately, but not the subfield.

[thestranger009]

Self-update:

I visited UW Wednesday-Friday. I was blown away by the environment...everything from the vibrant-yet-comfortable city to the breathtakingly beautiful campus (I'm being literal when I say breathtaking) to the profs. I met, whose compatibilities with my project and personality are almost eerie.

After this trip, I'm not sure that either Carnegie Mellon or Michigan State would be higher on my list if funding were guaranteed at UW, even given those two school's reps in this subfield. As it's not, I'd take a funded offer off the waitlist from them, but I'd be very happy to attend UW even without first-year funding if that doesn't happen. That's how incredible my visit was.

Great to hear . . . all of my correspondence with them has been really positive, and I visited the area last year on my way to Oregon, but it's hard not to be nervous about moving across the country to work with people I've never met in person. It sounds like they care about their students.

I've already committed to attend, and I can't wait . . . I check Seattle apartment listings almost every day!

[rodgepodge1]

This is my first posting on thegradcafe- figured this was a good place as any to make my introduction. I just found out last week that I've been accepted into the M.A./Ph.D. program at Washington and I'm stoked beyond belief. Washington was definitely my top choice and I can't wait to start the program.

I haven't ever visited Seattle, but from what friends and family who have been there have told me, it's a great place. I really hope I can find time to make a trip out there to visit the school, but living on the east coast and working a 9-5 job makes that kind of hard.

[Rhet Man]

This is my first posting on thegradcafe- figured this was a good place as any to make my introduction. I just found out last week that I've been accepted into the M.A./Ph.D. program at Washington and I'm stoked beyond belief. Washington was definitely my top choice and I can't wait to start the program.

I haven't ever visited Seattle, but from what friends and family who have been there have told me, it's a great place. I really hope I can find time to make a trip out there to visit the school, but living on the east coast and working a 9-5 job makes that kind of hard.

Congratulations! What's your subfield?

[rodgepodge1]

Congratulations! What's your subfield?

Thanks! I stated in my SOP that Language and Rhetoric would be my concentration.

I just got the physical letter of acceptance from Brian Reed today in the mail. To know there were ~465 applicants and that I was one of the few that got admitted feels AWESOME.

[Rhet Man]

Thanks! I stated in my SOP that Language and Rhetoric would be my concentration.

I just got the physical letter of acceptance from Brian Reed today in the mail. To know there were ~465 applicants and that I was one of the few that got admitted feels AWESOME.

As well it should! There's great Comp./Rhet. faculty at UW. My dissertation will be dealing with the question of narrative in what we call the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict"...good to have people like Sandra Silberstein and Anis Bawarshi on the faculty (Anis actually just got started on similar work himself).

Edited April 3, 2011 by Rhet Man

[wild_rose]

This is a question for the UW-admittees: For those of you without in-state status who are thinking about going, do you have any tricks for funding the first year?

[thestranger009]

This is a question for the UW-admittees: For those of you without in-state status who are thinking about going, do you have any tricks for funding the first year?

There don't seem to be many options, and UW does not give out-of-state waivers - I asked. There is also the leave of absence option mentioned earlier in the thread, so at least you won't be facing more than one or two quarters of full tuition. You just have to figure out how to fill the spare time (hopefully with any kind of job!).

I decided to accept for two reasons, despite the funding problems. First, I already have a Master's, and UW will accept between 25-30 of those credits, which is nearly a year of study. Every other program I applied to only takes between 9-12 credits. Second, I already live in an incredibly expensive area - housing costs are very similar (an maybe even less) in Seattle, so after the initial moving expenses, it won't be a big change in my monthly bills. That's how I justify it, but I still wonder if I've made the right decision. If I didn't love Seattle, and if the department hadn't been so nice, I would never have committed. If none of that applies to you, it's an incredibly difficult choice.

If anyone else has ideas, please share. Making it through the first year is going to be tough.

[rodgepodge1]

There don't seem to be many options, and UW does not give out-of-state waivers - I asked. There is also the leave of absence option mentioned earlier in the thread, so at least you won't be facing more than one or two quarters of full tuition. You just have to figure out how to fill the spare time (hopefully with any kind of job!).

I decided to accept for two reasons, despite the funding problems. First, I already have a Master's, and UW will accept between 25-30 of those credits, which is nearly a year of study. Every other program I applied to only takes between 9-12 credits. Second, I already live in an incredibly expensive area - housing costs are very similar (an maybe even less) in Seattle, so after the initial moving expenses, it won't be a big change in my monthly bills. That's how I justify it, but I still wonder if I've made the right decision. If I didn't love Seattle, and if the department hadn't been so nice, I would never have committed. If none of that applies to you, it's an incredibly difficult choice.

If anyone else has ideas, please share. Making it through the first year is going to be tough.

I think my plan of attack is to go with the temp on-leave scenario. Even if it's just for one quarter, that's still a lot of money I'll be saving. Afterwards, I'll be applying to literally every funding opportunity I can find.

There's no way for me to avoid taking out loans to cover tuition, but I've had a full-time job for a while, and I've been putting away half of every paycheck just for situations like this. It should be enough to cover living in Seattle for a year. Also, I have a pretty simple lifestyle, and I'm pretty good at squeezing the most I can out of every dollar.

My experience of moving to Seattle is going to be opposite of yours, I think. Coming from Buffalo, where the cost of living is pretty low, I feel like it's gonna be a major shock to my system.

Also, I'd just like to say that the English graduate office at Washington has been the best out of all the schools I've talked to in terms of communication. They're super quick with replying to my e-mails, very detailed, and most of all, actually talk to me when I call, rather than sending me to a voicemail or sending me to another department.

[woolfie]

Hey guys, I just officially accepted my offer of admittance. My period is early american with emphasis in narrative theory. Anyone else accepted officially yet? I just visited and had to make a tough decision between staying in state and moving way way across the country.

[rodgepodge1]

Hey guys, I just officially accepted my offer of admittance. My period is early american with emphasis in narrative theory. Anyone else accepted officially yet? I just visited and had to make a tough decision between staying in state and moving way way across the country.

I just officially accepted yesterday. I was in the same boat as you; I live in NY, and although I did get into a couple of in-state schools (Albany and Stony Brook), there just seemed to be more support and opportunities at U of Washington.

I spoke to Kathy on the phone for a little bit over the week and while there is no funding during the first year, it seems like the university provides a lot funding opportunities after that. Personally, I can't wait to get started.

Edited April 16, 2011 by rodgepodge1

[Rhet Man]

If anyone would like to help me TRY to interpret the data I received on UW's tenure-track placement rates at some point (from Kathy; via email), that would be wonderful.

I would like to restate that I'm THRILLED with this school as an academic fit, and with the surrounding situation. I'm a little frustrated, however, with how hard it's been to work out the concrete, practical realities of the program.