Communication/Media Studies Ph.D Programs Fall 2012--Apps, Decisions, and Waiting...

[gurlsaved]

hi everyone! This is my first post!! I am a Communication Studies applicant for F12 and applied to UT Austin, Univ of Denver, Univ of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Arizona State University. I applied within the interpersonal communication area for all programs.

Congrats to everyone that has been accepted so far! I feel kind of alone in this waiting game and none of my non-PhD seeking friends really understand the stresses and unknowns of grad school apps.

My good news is that I got accepted to UT Austin! This is my first choice and so I am thrilled! But now I have to play another waiting game for funding offers.

fanon_fanatic: What area did you apply for at UT Austin?

[comm1980]

I was so glad to find a Communication post! I just found out I have been accepted at Georgia State for the PhD in Communication this fall. I'll be focusing on Rhetoric and Politics - my main research interest is in philanthropic writing. Anyone else who's applied to GSU might like to know there's an application available on their website that displays admissions info in real time. The final application deadline is still almost 2 weeks away, but it looks like they've let 12 of us in during this initial round. 27 still pending. Good luck to all!

[superbygk]

Hey all,

I'm a new registered user to the forum. I've posted and used the results section while applying for Masters programs, and am back now that I am doing the whole PhD thing.

My research interests are largely in media and religion, and as such I've applied to schools that have researchers in these areas: Texas A&M (TAMU), USC, University of Colorado at Boulder, NYU, the University of Edinburgh, and U of Toronto iSchool. Toronto doesn't have a media/religion scholar, but I am a huge fan of Marshall McLuhan so I thought I'd apply there, though I am not entirely sure how much residual influence he has there (he died over thirty years ago).

As for choosing programs to apply to, I did previous graduate work in this field so I was familiar with scholars who were researching stuff I was interested in and sought them out. I met some at academic conferences and exchanged e-mails and phone conversations with them (all of whom were extremely kind), and decided on my schools that way. Sure, I applied to schools that have great prestige as well, but my priority was working with someone who is familiar with my area of expertise. I live in Chicago but didn't apply to a place like NU 'cause I didn't feel like it was a good match, despite its reputation.

Also, yesterday I received an e-mail letter of acceptance from the department head at TAMU with funding. No specific details about teaching/research assignments yet, but it's nice to have an acceptance under the belt =).

Good luck to everyone!

[milara]

Ugh. I just had a phone interview with a doctoral committee. I hate getting off the phone and feeling like I completely flubbed the interview. I'm sure it isn't as bad as I feel it is, but it FEELS bad, y'know?

You'd think, too, that having one acceptance under my belt would make me calm and confident for my interviews, but the truth was that that isn't the case.

In the good news category, I did receive an invitation last night to the interview weekend for Northwestern's Technology and Social Behavior program. Wee! Message me if you're going too. I wonder if we're at the same time as the MTS program's weekend?

[Ville]

Hi everyone,

It's good to see this forum active again. I'm an international second year MA student and I am waiting to hear from the five doctoral programs that I have applied to (PhD in Communication: USC, U Washington & UPenn, DrPH in Health Behavior at GWU & DrPH in Community Health & Prevention at Drexel). My research interests are in online activism, social marketing and international health campaigns, particularly on the issues of human trafficking and HIV/AIDS. Most of these five programs have faculty members who are working in my specific area of interests, so I'm looking forward to hear the results.

I think I have gotten wiser in my application this time around. Two years ago, I applied to MA programs based on the NCA ranking list and international reputation of the universities. As I was working and traveling extensively around Asia at the time, I didn't have much time to conduct more research about the program, the faculty, the school diversity, life around campus, opportunities for collaborative research with the industry, and geographic location. I remember accepting my second offer without waiting to hear the rest because it's one of the top-ranked programs in my field of study and I was so excited by the offer of PhD funding after I have completed my MA.

Fast forward to one and a half year later, I have to say I sort of regret my decision to come here without taking time to consider other options. It has been a difficult transition living in a small college town without much diversity and things to do. My program is very academic driven, with specific goals of training graduate students to publish (or perish) and become a tenure-track professor after completing their PhD. As a former professional in international development and public health, it's very frustrating to see most of the research is emphasized on advancing or modifying theories, rather than focusing on applied research that will have some positive impacts on solving social problems. In fact for one class, the course syllabus clearly instructs students not to spend time discussing anecdotes as it deters the class from theoretical critique. Most of the class discussion also surrounds on just domestic issues, given the faculty and student background. It amazes me to experience that classes taught by assistant professors are tougher as they are on tenure track and they need to set rigorous standards. In a way, I learn a lot more from these classes. Courses by some tenured professors who are managing several research grants, on the other hand, are just a waste of time. It's very apparent that they could not care less about teaching, and everyone can get an A if they just show up and complete all the assignments. Thanks to the R1 university system for that!

I'm also dismayed at the mentality of my cohorts who just want to pursue academic jobs. The reality is not that rosy. More than 50% of our PhD graduates (esp. those in rhetoric) end up multiple years in the job market, go for lowly-paid post-doc or adjunct instructor position that teaches an effective speech class. Why don't people consider more lucrative options by going for jobs at research institutions, non-profits, think-tanks or government positions? People with PhD have equally good and exciting career in these organizations.

As an international student, I'm also disappointed by the lack of integration and diversity in my school campus. There are a large number of international students here, but it's very segregated. Most international students just hang out with people from their own countries. Within my department, Americans rarely interact with international students and it gets awkward after a while. I'm not sure if this is typical across the country, but I had a very different experience when I was working in NYC during the summer. Despite our busy schedule, my American colleagues were very friendly and often extended an invitation to take me out to explore the city.

While what I describe above is mostly negative, I do enjoy a few things in my program. Some of the classes in my department are wonderful and the professors make me feel that I have a sense of purpose while going through this degree. I also have a great advisor who is very accommodating to my interests and needs. After hearing from me that I have no desire to continue a PhD in this place, he still encourages me not to stop at a master's level and has been extremely helpful in getting me in touch directly with professors in other schools that I may be interested to study.

Understanding these pitfalls sort of help me to make better decisions during my doctoral application process. I am now aiming for the schools that I think I can enjoy spending the next 4-5 years of my life. Apart from identifying programs with the faculty members who I can work with, location becomes a major criteria for me. Living in a big city will allow me with accessibility to networking and collaborative opportunities with the industry, and things that I have taken for granted such as shopping malls, ethnic restaurants, museums, festivals, movie theatres with more eclectic offerings. I also make sure to ask that there are at least 20-30% cohort members with professional experience and the department is fine with people who want to pursue non-academic career.

This sums up my long post! I wish the best of luck to everyone. Please explore your options carefully and note that life in the doctoral program is long and arduous. Make sure you have the right reasons to pursue a PhD and weight the pros and cons before committing to what will occupy the next 4-5 years of your life. I have to say I miss working in the real world and the more exciting lifestyle that comes with it. I will give myself time before making a decision to do a PhD after hearing all the admission results, funding offers and any job opportunities that may come my way after I finish my MA degree.

[fanon_fanatic]

@gurlsaved, I applied to RTF Media Studies Ph.D, so I know their decisions are coming soon (so nervous). Congrats on your acceptance!

@trippytraveler, @pmustain, @agschmidt, @superbygk, @Ville, welcome to the forum! Lots of nice people over here in Communication, if I do say so myself. Seriously, this is a really friendly forum.

[S@lly]

@Ville - Wow. Your post has me really worried now. I may have emphasized my interest in focusing on applied research too much in my personal statement...I may very well have written myself OUT of any school to which I applied!!!

[S@lly]

Hey all. Anyone out there the person who posted yesterday re an offer from UC Santa Barbara? Can you tell us your research track? Thank you!

[Iamhere]

@Ville Wow.. that was a long but helpful post. I'm starting to think, it's really really important to know what the school is like besides terms of a fit of research interests. I guess the whole academic atmosphere (rigorous/open/curious etc. ?) would also contribute to my success and mental health during the Ph.D program. Making decisions are going to be hard. There are so many things to consider such as professors, placements, name value, weather, atmosphere (+ in my case, distance between my boyfriend who is also applying to Ph.D. programs)

And about career choices. I would like to stay in the academic world, but my career interests are not limited to this. I also want to consider other options such as research institutes, government positions, and think tanks!

@S@lly I applied to UC Santa Barbara's Communication Ph.D. program and was invited by one of the professors to chat (She used the term 'talk' but I'm guessing this is like an informal interview )

By the way, what kind of standards are all you applicants willing to adhere to when making final decisions later? I'm curious.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Iamhere

[Iamhere]

@s@lly Right. Living costs should also be considered, although I have no idea of living costs right now. Don't worry, I'm sure good news is on the way! But it makes me curious as to what brings you to the study of communication when you have a J.D.

[paratext]

Hi everyone! I was admitted a few days ago to U Michigan's Comm PhD and just scheduled my visit. It's the only program I applied to that isn't in a big city, but their program looks like a good fit for my interests, which are communication and regional integration processes.

I was also admitted to Maryland back in December, just a few days after I applied, which was surprising. Did anyone else apply there? They place highly in some rankings, but are pretty low in others. I'm still waiting on 5 more programs in the US (Penn, Washington, Austin, NYU, Northwestern) and 1 in the Netherlands (UvA).

[-hermes-]

@fanon_fanatic, thanks for the welcome!

Has anyone here applied to a Masters program?

@Ville, sorry to hear about your experience of grad school. I'm an international applicant as well, and given that I work full-time, I didn't have as much time to research programs as I would have liked. That said, I was wary of small college towns for exactly the reasons you described. I haven't studied in the US, but I'm hoping people in cities aren't as insular as you describe on your campus (I don't think they would be) -- I briefly studied in a school where people segregated themselves according to nationality, and it wasn't pleasant at all.

Anybody have some input on integration in the States? Of course to some degree it is what you make it.

[gurlsaved]

Hi trippytraveler - The States are hard to generalize because it is so large and there are so many different places you can study. I just completed my Masters in Comm from San Francisco State University and so that school is incredibly diverse and has a lot of liberal slanted research. I've never heard of programs or schools where people segregated according to nationality. This is really going to depend on the school and location.

[fanon_fanatic]

@trippytraveler, what do you mean when you ask about integration? If you're talking about racial integration, it really varies by city and region, and some places are still very delineated according to racial lines, while others are very mixed in (like NYC and parts of Cali). But even though there's integration there's also a considerable amount of racial/immigration tension depending upon where you live. It really just depends on where you're living, and how large of a people of color and/or immigrant population is in that place. It also depends on whether you're heading to a large city or not. Even though larger cities have more people of color, many of them (like DC) have neighborhoods that are almost predominantly one race or specific areas where immigrant communities are located. So, yeah, it's special here in the U.S. LOL

[AlexGuermantes]

Hey Everyone,

I am a first-time poster, so please excuse my not knowing gradcafe etiquette. This is my first round of PhD applications, mostly in Comm, and I was wondering if you all knew if any schools other than UNC-CH and NYU had started getting back to people.

I applied to 13 in total:

Comm: NYU, UNC-CH, Indiana U, U Illinois U-C, U Wisconsin-Madison, NCSU, UC-Boulder, U of Utah, and Temple

As well as U Minnesota CLCS, Carnegie Mellon - Cultural Studies, OSU - Comparative Studies, and UC San Diego - Visual Arts

I am mostly interested in the intersections of aesthetics, politics, and economics in new media. I am a little worried about my chances because I got by BA from a little unknown private school (3.44 GPA) and my MA in Literary and Textual Studies from a 2nd tier state school, BGSU (4.0 GPA). My GRE's (old) are in the mid-range 680 quant, 620 verb, 6.0 analytic. I did manage to get a peer-reviewed conference publication and a revise and resubmit on a peer-reviewed article, but I am not sure just where I stand and am getting really nervous as everyone's acceptances are popping up.

Any info on which schools have chosen people already, or even what you think my chances are would really be appreciated

[edost]

I am a first-time poster, so please excuse my not knowing gradcafe etiquette. This is my first round of PhD applications, mostly in Comm, and I was wondering if you all knew if any schools other than UNC-CH and NYU had started getting back to people.

Are you referring to NYU's Department of Media, Communication and Culture? I haven't seen anything from them on the results survey (which you can access at the top of each page). Have you heard from someone who has heard back from them?

Which department at Indiana U did you apply to - Telecommunications or Communication and Culture?

And a more general question to those reading this: Do all comm programs require interviews? If you haven't heard from them does that automatically mean a rejection?

It's my impression that most Comm programs don't do interviews at all.

[fanon_fanatic]

@AlexG, there's really no way to rate chances accurately. For some programs, it's a numbers game getting applicants from the first round to the final round of reviews (they'll cut off at a particular GRE score), but then it's about the fit as expressed in the SOP. For other programs they really only care about your SOP and areas of research, and the numbers matter less. Admissions is a strange experience, you might get into an extremely competitive program but be rejected by all of your so-called "safety" schools. So what's important is that you researched the programs and chose ones that fit you well. If you did that much, then you've increased your chances considerably.

@S@lly your research journey is fascinating! Stay positive, there are so many programs that have only started reviewing applications, and won't say anything until the 2nd week in February or later. Comm programs run the gamut in terms of notifications. So there will be a lot of activity in February. It's still early! Plus, there's always the waitlist. A person from my program that I knew believed she'd been rejected from every single program until April 15th. Then she was called by a school and offered a full 5 year funding package and admission. I say that not because I don't think you'll get good news soon, but because this process truly doesn't end until April 15th, or until you receive a rejection letter from every school. I've even heard of schools trying to accept people in the early summer as their admits drop out for various reasons.

[AlexGuermantes]

Are you referring to NYU's Department of Media, Communication and Culture? I haven't seen anything from them on the results survey (which you can access at the top of each page). Have you heard from someone who has heard back from them?

Which department at Indiana U did you apply to - Telecommunications or Communication and Culture?

It's my impression that most Comm programs don't do interviews at all.

@edost I thought that I had seen someone post about hearing from them, but I may have been mistaken. I'll go back and check to see if I had just assumed that from someone's post. As far as IU, I applied to communication and culture (the rhetoric and public culture branch).

[AlexGuermantes]

@AlexGuermantes I am no expert on grad admissions but I'm sure it's not your alma mater but your performance/potential that matters to the adcoms. You seem to have a great choice of schools and your scores seem solid as well. I hope good news is waiting for you.

@fall2012 Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. I hope you get some good news soon too. Where have you applied?

[AlexGuermantes]

@AlexG, there's really no way to rate chances accurately. For some programs, it's a numbers game getting applicants from the first round to the final round of reviews (they'll cut off at a particular GRE score), but then it's about the fit as expressed in the SOP. For other programs they really only care about your SOP and areas of research, and the numbers matter less. Admissions is a strange experience, you might get into an extremely competitive program but be rejected by all of your so-called "safety" schools. So what's important is that you researched the programs and chose ones that fit you well. If you did that much, then you've increased your chances considerably.

@fanon_fanatic Thanks for the tip. I think I am a really good fit at most of the places I applied to. Although, when I went back to dig deeper into faculty research interests and publication records, I felt I didn't mesh as well at U of Minnesota, UW-Madison, or Carnegie Mellon as I had thought, even though from the program descriptions and course offerings they were ideal.

[IronicStatement]

I am a first-time poster, so please excuse my not knowing gradcafe etiquette. This is my first round of PhD applications, mostly in Comm, and I was wondering if you all knew if any schools other than UNC-CH and NYU had started getting back to people.

I applied to 13 in total:

Comm: NYU, UNC-CH, Indiana U, U Illinois U-C, U Wisconsin-Madison, NCSU, UC-Boulder, U of Utah, and Temple

As well as U Minnesota CLCS, Carnegie Mellon - Cultural Studies, OSU - Comparative Studies, and UC San Diego - Visual Arts

Any info on which schools have chosen people already, or even what you think my chances are would really be appreciated

Hey Alex,

I recently heard back from Wisconsin-Madison with an informal acceptance to their Communication Science PhD with a fellowship; (under the Communication Arts department). I don't know of anyone else who has received word from them.

I personally think your chances are fine. My Undergraduate g.p.a was 3.42; Luckily, that isn't the only thing they look for.

Best of Luck!

[S@lly]

@S@lly your research journey is fascinating! Stay positive, there are so many programs that have only started reviewing applications, and won't say anything until the 2nd week in February or later. Comm programs run the gamut in terms of notifications. So there will be a lot of activity in February. It's still early! Plus, there's always the waitlist. A person from my program that I knew believed she'd been rejected from every single program until April 15th. Then she was called by a school and offered a full 5 year funding package and admission. I say that not because I don't think you'll get good news soon, but because this process truly doesn't end until April 15th, or until you receive a rejection letter from every school. I've even heard of schools trying to accept people in the early summer as their admits drop out for various reasons.

Thank you @fanon_fanatic! Your post was exactly what I needed. I read it this morning and it was just the reassurance I needed to make me take a step back and a deep breath, and put me in the mental state that I need to be in to wait out the next couple months. (A 1.5 hour yoga class tonight helped too.) Hopefully I don't have to wait that long...but you are 100% right. It isn't over until it's over...and that is more than 2 months away.

Edited February 2, 2012 by S@lly

[Iamhere]

@S@lly Your journey is truly fascinating! With all that experience, I'm sure your motivations and goals are clear. The schools you applied to will definitely take notice of you! Good luck!

@IronicStatement Congrats on your acceptance! My heart jumped a bit because I also applied to Wisconsin Madison, but to their department of journalism and mass media. Hope more good news comes your way!

[S@lly]

@Iamhere - I hope that the people reviewing my application think my journey is fascinating too! All I need is just one offer! Thank you for your kind words.

For those wondering about Purdue - I just learned that they have made all initial offers and are in a holding pattern right now. I am told that my application is still being considered. So...at least it's not an outright rejection! I'm staying optimistic.

[Duna]

For those wondering about Purdue - I just learned that they have made all initial offers and are in a holding pattern right now. I am told that my application is still being considered. So...at least it's not an outright rejection! I'm staying optimistic.

well done! positive thinking!