Fall 2012 Applicant Chit Chat

[RevolutionBlues]

Has anyone else still not heard anything about funding from Wisconsin? I'm resting a little bit easier now that I have other options, but they are still totally my top choice and this wait is painfully long.

[oseirus]

oserius, I think that I wanted to kill you today for not being around to entertain me while I revise my article (and do more research arrgghhh).

if you makes you feel any better I hate me too for going

Wow that sounds terrifying. I'm glad I staid safely sheltered at work and in the library all day- wait, no that's not right. I wish I had been out doing combat with the devil mouse too! Sigh.

the intense psychiatric treatment I'm going to need after that encounter is enough to convince me to become a zealous advocate for any non-parent type to avoid the Magic Kingdom at all costs!

On an unrelated note ... GOOD MORNING my friends! Slowly getting there

[zb642]

Has anyone else still not heard anything about funding from Wisconsin? I'm resting a little bit easier now that I have other options, but they are still totally my top choice and this wait is painfully long.

I've received no official word from the department or the school, but I have heard about the funding decision from my POI. So I think the decisions have all been made, and they're just dragging their feet to notify people. I think that at this point, it would be fine to contact the graduate school.

[Attia]

Re: Wisconsin Funding -

I spoke with the graduate coordinator and she said that all official letters about funding had been mailed on Monday, so we should be receiving them soon (maybe even today?).

[TMP]

I received mine last Thursday, dated February 24th.

My first funding letter... I almost dropped it several times while reading it because I kept thinking "OH MY GOD. SOMEBODY WANTS TO PAY ME!!!"

[zb642]

I received mine last Thursday, dated February 24th.

My first funding letter... I almost dropped it several times while reading it because I kept thinking "OH MY GOD. SOMEBODY WANTS TO PAY ME!!!"

Sounds like they sent out letters to people who were awarded funding first, and the rest of us are just getting the bad news this week.

[RevolutionBlues]

Merde. Thanks for the info!

[crazedandinfused]

Congrats. I like Philly a lot, and Temple has some awesome profs. I'm glad you have some great options c&i. I think you have single-handedly proven the karmic value of anxiety this season (only joking. sorta).

Sorry to bump this but I feel like it must be addressed and I've been kayaking/swimming while trying to bring my grad-cafe use back to pre-December levels.

Thank you everybody. I know I've been a melodramatic diva and I really, really do appreciate you guys tolerating and supporting me. That said, I know that my super-anxiety helped me put together an app that would get me in somewhere. So there is something to be said for neurosis and self-doubt if it makes one productive as a result.

Now, to the decisions thread! Finally.

[oseirus]

Sorry to bump this but I feel like it must be addressed and I've been kayaking/swimming while trying to bring my grad-cafe use back to pre-December levels.

Thank you everybody. I know I've been a melodramatic diva and I really, really do appreciate you guys tolerating and supporting me. That said, I know that my super-anxiety helped me put together an app that would get me in somewhere. So there is something to be said for neurosis and self-doubt if it makes one productive as a result.

Now, to the decisions thread! Finally.

Crazed we love you anyway ... well ok almost ALL of us love you except Lurker216 keeps PMing me and is all like "man why CandI getthing his panties in a bunch man? What a freaking diva" and I'm all like "nah son, you don't understand what's it like man ... you haven't been in the shit ... I've been in the shit ... I have that 1000 yard stare man .... you get it when you've been in the shit ... Crazed has that ... spent too much time in the shit ... it's why he's like that man ... you'll get the stare too some day when you stop unlurking and get in the shit" ... and he was all like "man you think I can get the stare too?" and then I was like "definitely my man" ..... annnnnndnnnnnnnnnd scene!

[HistThrift]

Rejected from UConn. Welp, that wraps it up for me. Just have to wait for funding now from the other two.

[Hogs of War]

^^^

***11 months Later***

And the Oscar goes to. . . Oseirus. . . For "The Bridge over the River Why?????? (subtitle: An applicant's Story)"

[Hogs of War]

Rejected from UConn. Welp, that wraps it up for me. Just have to wait for funding now from the other two.

Let's go UMaine. . . Get this kid some Money! (and lots of it)

[Attia]

I just got my funding letter from UWisconsin-Madison. When I called to talk to the graduate department about it they told me that they made 63 offers but only 15 funded spots (and only 5 of those funding offers are transferable to another student if the offer is turned down). I won't be accepting this offer but I doubt my fellowship is one that can be transfered to someone else (that idea is based only on the vibe I got from my conversation).

This whole system of accepting 63 students and only funding 15 of them seems so antiquated. Anyone have any insight into why they are doing this? It seems like it would create sort of a negative vibe amongst the cohort (assuming that anyone actually accepts their offer without funding).

[TMP]

This whole system of accepting 63 students and only funding 15 of them seems so antiquated. Anyone have any insight into why they are doing this? It seems like it would create sort of a negative vibe amongst the cohort (assuming that anyone actually accepts their offer without funding).

let me beat StrangeLight to this... I know she will go on a rant.

Actually, I spoke to a UW student who is on "very good funding package." She is loving it at Wisconsin and doesn't really feel all the negativity. She's in the department all the time so she hears conversations. She believes that the negativity really come from those who decide to come on 1 year TAship or self-funding with hopes of landing better funding in the subsequent years. That minority tend to be quite vocal, which I can understand how and why. I imagine that professors don't like that kind of immaturity and just don't deal with them much unless they demonstrate excellent scholarly work, to make them worthy of real funding. Truly, when you think about it, if you have a 4-5 year package already, why complain about it at all? UW's data shows that usually around 20 actually enroll each year and I imagine that the vast majority of them are on fellowships, leaving just a few on 1st year TAship or self-funding.

Why they continue to do this system? I have no idea, and neither does my POI when he offered his thoughts. Hopefully as the department undergoes major changes with the faculty and program structure, the funding will be changed. Particularly how pretty much all of its peer institutions have changed in the last 10-15 years with the latest one being Indiana (I believe) just two or three years ago. Of course, look at Indiana now, with just more than 20 offers out there for a yield of 10 students instead of what probably used to be well over 40 offers.

[The Doctor Whom?]

Has anyone heard from UCSB? They're really my last hope, but I haven't seen any acceptances/rejections come out from them.

[Kelkel]

Another day of nothing for me. I think BC is ignoring/has forgotten about me. Whomp whomp.

[virmundi]

Has anyone heard from UCSB? They're really my last hope, but I haven't seen any acceptances/rejections come out from them.

Dear Doctor Whom, I have received an official letter of admission from UCSB -- I think that I got it two weeks ago... I am not sure what their admissions procedures are, however, so they may be doing rolling admissions. It is also the case that my funding is not coming from the department itself, but rather from the graduate school, so this may have played a role in the timing also. Sorry that I cannot be of more help to you and best of luck!

[Nordicllama]

Hey guys. Got some insider information on UNC. It's pretty reliable. They've made their choices. Money was tight. 6 places. So unless they are keeping an unofficial waitlist or are going to make MA offers, I'm counting them out. Not that I was ever really counting them in.

[pugsley87]

Hey guys. Got some insider information on UNC. It's pretty reliable. They've made their choices. Money was tight. 6 places. So unless they are keeping an unofficial waitlist or are going to make MA offers, I'm counting them out. Not that I was ever really counting them in.

Thanks for this. I wasn't really waiting on them (other than they're my last school), but good to know what's going on anyway. Wow, only 6 offers? That's ridiculously small.

[Kelkel]

Chit Chat: To make myself feel better, I just purchased myself the new iPad! Maybe that new voice dictation feature will come in handy at the wonderfully funded masters program of my choice (you hear that Binghamton!?).

In a weeks time, I will be unable to distinguish the pixels of gradcafe.

Edited March 7, 2012 by Kelkel

[Attia]

Just received a letter in the mail from UCL's history program offering me a spot in their PhD program but the funding information seems rather vauge. I can't really tell what they are offering or what they need me to apply for. Anyone have any guidance on this topic? I suppose I'll have to email them tomorrow but seeing that they only send letters via snail mail I'm a bit afraid I'll be endlessly waiting.

[getonget]

Hey everyone! I made a separate thread about this in the "meet and greet" section of the forum, but is anyone planning on taking up their GW offer? I just officially committed last night. I'll be there working on a PhD. Aaannnnyyyooonee???

[jrah822]

Has anyone heard from UCSB? They're really my last hope, but I haven't seen any acceptances/rejections come out from them.

I still haven't heard from them yet either, and they are also my last hope (for a PhD) =( Let's hope that they do rolling admissions, and that we'll be getting our letters soon! =)

[Nordicllama]

Man, things are getting slow around here. I'm a little disappointed. I mean, I'm glad we're almost done agonizing over where we are denied, but I rather enjoyed the banter and camaraderie.

[Hogs of War]

Man, things are getting slow around here. I'm a little disappointed. I mean, I'm glad we're almost done agonizing over where we are denied, but I rather enjoyed the banter and camaraderie.

Well I'm new here and my agony has just begun. I can be your friend. . . I like talking about Football and Medieval History.