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

[commsch12]

@Nix, what Berkeley program did you apply to?

[nix]

@Nix, what Berkeley program did you apply to?

Film and Media. It looks like the first round of results are in for the most part. I think?

[MediaMom]

@tvphd - I completely agree with you that the admission process is subjective; it's not enough to be "qualified" on paper. What you really need, in the end, is for at least one faculty member to step forward and say yes, I have the time to devote to another advisee and I am interested in this person right here. I worked really hard to research individual faculty members' work and to reference as many faculty members as I could in my SOP, linking their current research to my interest areas. I wanted to make it very clear that I was not only competent academically, but that I was capable of being a good fit for their departments. Let's hope it paid off.

And no, getting in is not the same as getting funded! I'm very happy about my acceptance to RPI, but they have yet to announce their financial aid decisions. The university overall "guarantees" funding to PhD students for the first two years, so I'm expecting to get at least something, but I'm not sure what it will be.

[commsch12]

@nix, ah, ok. I applied to the information school - though it looks like that program too makes decisions in the next few weeks. Just out of curiosity, are most people here interested in more qualitative research vs. quantitative? That's the general impression I've gotten from research interests described here.

[commcomm]

Does anyone know how "wait lists" work? Does a school let you know you're on the wait list? Or do they pretend like they haven't made offers yet? It seems like most schools won't end up getting every single one of their first-choice applicants. One person who works in the graduate office told me her school makes about 6 initial offers but eventually ends up pretty deep (12-16 people) into the wait list.

@clarisse09 In my program at Missouri, people are pretty split. My professors for history, literature, and ethics-themed comm classes lean qualitative. Those doing research in new media, physio and psychological responses to media, and strategic comm are very pro-quant.

[S@lly]

@mrpbn7 - like everything else, it seems, there is not a uniform way that the schools treat "wait lists." Some of the schools notify you, and you just wait and hope enough people turn down their offers to make it to you on the list. Some make offers but withhold rejections from a pool of applicants without formally determining a wait list...then they can dip back into the pool as their initial offers are rejected. Some schools invite their wait-listed applicants along with their admits to a visiting day at the school, then determine who they will make an offer to on the wait list based upon their impressions at the visiting day (instead of ranking them ahead of time).

I know what it is like on the side before an offer, but being on the other side of an offer is new to me. Does anyone out there know how funding offers work...if an offer is made early February...when do we hear about funding? Is it a good idea to try to visit to elicit an offer? If I were to get a funding offer, I would accept without a visit...so I hate to waste the money (the match with two professors and my interests is so strong that I would just figure out how to like it there if I didn't initially).

[gurlsaved]

S@lly - you should email

Heather.Freireich@asu.edu. She is so incredibly helpful and is there to answer all questions.

Usually, funding offers are sent before April - ideally earlier!

[S@lly]

@gurlsaved - I sent an email to Heather Freireich and the Grad Director on Friday. Haven't heard back yet...I'm just being impatient. I've been waiting in limbo for so long...I want a certain plan to put into action now! But, I know...I've gotta wait a little longer. Maybe this is a good time to clean out my garage and tackle various other projects I didn't have time for until now. Now that apps are in...I have way too much time on my hands!

[Duna]

Now that apps are in...I have way too much time on my hands!

wow, I envy you. I still have to write a term paper and my master's thesis till school starts in summer. yay

@ clarisse: I am a big fan of combining quantitative and qualitative methods because I believe most research questions cannot be answered by sticking to one methodology or one perspective and that's what I like about Comm Studies, it leaves room for looking at research objects from several angles.

[gurlsaved]

S@lly - Heather will most likely email you back on Monday. She always responded back to my numerous questions in good time (never more than a day unless weekend).

[S@lly]

@Saviya - oh, my. Is there any way you can create your term paper from the same research you are doing for your master's thesis? I wrote my thesis in one semester with only a 10-hour/week assistantship as a distraction....yet, it was so extraordinarily grueling. I remember the relief I felt at the end of the semester when I actually finished on time...(I already had a job that required that I finish on time)...when I hit the button to print, I burst into tears!

Don't be too envious, though...I am still working 50 hours per week as a litigator. It's just nice to not have to rush home and work on an umpteenth version of my personal statement each night. It's all relative. :-)

Edited February 5, 2012 by S@lly

[Duna]

@ S@lly:

The term paper will be a theoretical research work and basically setting the groundwork for the theoretical background of the thesis (at least that's the plan). My only problem is the empirical part because as anyone knows empirical research never really goes as smooth as you planned it. I will be totally stressed out and it will be hard but I'll manage somehow

[S@lly]

@Saviya- that's good that one serves the other. Two different directions would be a nightmare. I'm positive you will pull them both off brilliantly. It is amazing what one can achieve because there is no other option.

[fanon_fanatic]

@S@lly, congratulations on your acceptance! I have been away from the boards for a while but was very happy to see that in such a short time you've received good news. Amazing how quickly things can turn!

[MinervasOwl]

Hi, I just found this whole topic.

I applied to Northwestern, Wisconsin Madison, UPENN and McGill.

I had a short interview with WM 10 days ago and have not heard back, someone on the results page has apparently already been offered a place (informally). The proff I spoke to said they typically accept only 2 students in each area - one place is gone and I am quite worried. Not hearing back after 10 days, do you think thats a bad sign?

Also, 2 people appear to have had interviews at Northwestern and I haven't. Do you know if anyone ever gets admitted without an interview? Its so hard waiting. Especially as this is my second time round and also I will have to quit my job if I don't get in anywhere as getting a PHD is a requirement where I work.

[Duna]

Hi mediaphile,

(like the name ) Good luck on your applications. Although we are all worried and waiting for most of us there seems to be a place in some program somewhere.

The Northwestern discussion has been going on for some time now. Did you apply to MTS? I did and did not get an interview invitation and neither did iamhere. Of course it is very possible that they did not choose to invite us but maybe it is because we're all internationals and don't reside in the States right now (positive thinking!).

I don't really get the job problem though: If your location is somewhere in Asia, you would need to quit anyways or are we talking like right away? Because nothing is final till April 15th and until then no one can say for sure that you haven't been accepted, right?

[edost]

Are there any programs we should expect to hear back from this week?

[commcomm]

@edost I have been looking at the results survey for an idea of when applicants heard back last year. At UW-Madison (Journalism and Mass Comm PhD), it looks like people didn't find out until near the end of February. For another one of my programs, UC-Boulder (Journalism and Mass Comm PhD), people heard back February 7th, 2011.

[comm1980]

Just wondering if anyone else was accepted to the Georgia State Ph.D. in Communication? It was the only program I applied to (I'm a University System of Georgia employee), so I'm glad I got in - maybe they accepted me because I won't be taking up an assistantship position or asking for funding! It looks like so far 23 out of 50 were accepted with only 14 rejected. I'm new to these boards, so I hope I posted this in the appropriate place.

Good luck to all!

[MacNick]

Hi everyone,

I've been away for a while but my interest has piqued again as decisions season begins. I only applied at UWashington, and it appears as though decisions there come in by late March. I know that for some of you, decisions are coming in over a couple of months time, making it harder to accept/reject later decisions. Maybe that will work in my favor... of the 200+ people who applied, maybe most will have accepted elsewhere by the time UW decisions come out!

Anyways, good luck everyone!

[fanon_fanatic]

Congratulations @brancan! I would suggest rereading your personal statement and pulling out some main points from there, and add a few talking points to each of the pieces you pull out. If you know who you're interviewing with, read an article or two by them. Then, be prepared to talk about your research (concrete details--methods, interests, research questions, possible projects if you have them), your preparation, and your career plans. Review your writing sample just to make sure you remember what's in there. And then, do your best to relax. I know it's hard, but many times they just want to know you are personable and friendly and not an a**hole. I just got back from an in-person interview, and did the things I listed above, and felt very very prepared.

[S@lly]

@brancan - good luck on the interview! Just be yourself, not who you think they want you to be. After all, any place that you are going to be spending as much time as you will in your graduate studies, you want to be able to be yourself. We'll all be thinking of you. Post afterwards to let us know how it goes!

[captive seer]

Hi everyone,

I applied to the UC Davis Comm PhD and haven't heard anything from them yet. Anybody know when they should be responding?

Thanks!

PS: Congrats to everyone who got good news! I've been at this for years and I'm hoping 2012 is my year

[MinervasOwl]

@Saviya

Yes let's think positive about Northwestern, I did apply for the MTS program. re the job, I'm currently working as visiting faculty at a college but I can't go any further in this job without a PhD, if I do get in anywhere this year I will go on study leave, but if I don't then I need to look for a different line of work than academia.

I didn't get in anywhere last year but to be fair I was using almost expired GRE scores that were very poor, this time around my scores are much better so fingers (and toes) crossed.

Have you heard back from anywhere?

[Duna]

@ mediaphile:

Cornell rejected me first round but I was admitted to UT Austin, which is totally awesome because I only applied to schools I really want to got to. Unfortunately I don't know about funding yet but the offer already made my last week I haven't head back from any of the other schools I applied to