NYU or CUNY?

[coffeecurls1]

I have offers for the doctoral programmes at CUNY and NYU. My area of interest is Victorian Studies (Women's Writing). I would be really grateful for any advice/suggestions on what you think is a better programme, which one i choose, or what i should consider while choosing. CUNY's letter mentions some fantastic rankings, but NYU shouldn't be too far behind(if at all) on that front. Both departments have impressive Victorian scholars, though I am more familiar with the work of some of the profs at NYU. Would really appreciate some help on this.

ps- I am awaiting the funding decision at CUNY, but just thought i need to start thinking seriously about this, because i may not have much time to decide once they make their funding decision...

[lyonessrampant]

From friends at those programs, NYU. . no question. The funding will be superior. CUNY, though an amazing school with great faculty, has nearly exploitative, in my opinion, funding, particularly for anyone not given fellowships. Even for those who are, the stipend at CUNY was less for my friends than NYU, a lot less. Congrats on the choice, though! Both are AWESOME programs!

[Stately Plump]

I'm not a potential Victorianist but I would choose NYU over CUNY. As was said, both fantastic programs, but NYU has a far, far superior funding package. They offer 5 years of guaranteed funding that doesn't require teaching. They do encourage you to teach, however, which means you can earn an additional stipend on top of the fellowship they offer.

Perhaps visit both departments (the schools are close to one another and I imagine you could visit both in a day) and see which seems more suitable. I believe NYU is ranked a bit higher as well, though that's probably debateable.

Good luck and congrats!

[hedgerows]

I'm currently an MA student at NYU, and I say NYU all the way. It's an amazing school and their funding (as mentioned before) is awesome. My PhD friends live pretty easily (in NYC) on it, and some even support their spouses. Also, the grad student community in the department and all the professors are amazing. CUNY is also amazing, but they just don't have the resources that NYU does to financially support their students.

[TripWillis]

CUNY has an excellent faculty, but isn't NYU 5 years fully funded with no teaching responsibilities?

[coffeecurls1]

@all-- thanks a lot for responding to this post. Yes, NYU's offer comes with a better funding package. I was just wondering how CUNY's department would measure, purely on academic terms, vis-a-vis NYU's. I am wondering if it will be worth it to slog it out, and work my way through grad school by teaching, just to be at CUNY. More importantly, if it makes sense, academically, to give up on NYU for CUNY. Please do share your thoughts on this.

[deebee]

i suppose you might take this with a grain of salt, since CUNY's funding package pretty much talked me out of applying to them at all, but give a serious thought to the quality of your work while at either program. if you're teaching a 3/3 load, it's hard to imagine that you'll be writing with the same sustained care and effort as you would if you had the security of assured funding. as well, my impression is that NYU's reputation is a bit better than CUNY's in the "periodic" areas of the discipline, whereas CUNY is stronger in critical theory and theoretical subsets (marxist, queer, eco, etc.)

[rainy_day]

I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but CUNY has a really high average for years to degree. I think their average is something like 9-10? I would suggest that you look into that and also job placement rates for both programs as a way to measure. Congrats on two great offers!

Edited February 15, 2012 by rainy_day

[ComeBackZinc]

Follow the money.

[Jbarks]

NYU! I finished my MA there this past spring. I'm a medievalist, but harbour a soft spot for Victorian Lit. NYU is pretty strong in Victorian. They have Elaine Freedgood, Mary Poovey, Jeff Spear, and John Maynard (who is also an amazing person). They also just hired Catherine Robson. The Victorian Literature and Culture Journal is also run out of NYU. And, I know this has been mentioned already, but the funding is exceptionally better. I have a friend who received one of the best fellowships at , but she still had to pretty heavy teaching load. (She ultimately chose another program.) At NYU, you have the option of teaching, but I don't believe it's required anymore.

Good luck!

[coffeecurls1]

@deebee and rainy_day-- thanks a lot! those are fabulous suggestions! did not think of it that way. This really puts things in perspective. Thanks

[coffeecurls1]

@JBarks-- Just read your post! Thanks a lot for taking out the time to share those fantastic insights, specifically on their Victorian programme. This really helped me ... thanks

@ComebackZinc-- ha ha! yes -- I just realised how important that is

[TripWillis]

Other small and unconfirmed consideration: I think NYU, CUNY, and Columbia have an agreement re: student exchange, but that was just something someone told me. I could be wrong. Maybe ask about the possibility of taking courses at other schools? I know they definitely tend to share faculty.

Edited February 15, 2012 by TripWillis

[Aubergine]

Other small and unconfirmed consideration: I think NYU, CUNY, and Columbia have an agreement re: student exchange, but that was just something someone told me. I could be wrong. Maybe ask about the possibility of taking courses at other schools? I know they definitely tend to share faculty.

Yep! http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.scholarlyprograms.interuniversitydoctoralconsortium

[TripWillis]

Yep! http://gsas.nyu.edu/...toralconsortium

Whew, NYU it is. Look at all those schools! I really hope I get into Rutgers now...

[coffeecurls1]

@Tripwillis and Aubergine-- wow! thanks a lot! This looks really nice!

[lcm]

NYU, no question.

[Smokydog]

I have offers for the doctoral programmes at CUNY and NYU. My area of interest is Victorian Studies (Women's Writing). I would be really grateful for any advice/suggestions on what you think is a better programme, which one i choose, or what i should consider while choosing. CUNY's letter mentions some fantastic rankings, but NYU shouldn't be too far behind(if at all) on that front. Both departments have impressive Victorian scholars, though I am more familiar with the work of some of the profs at NYU. Would really appreciate some help on this.

ps- I am awaiting the funding decision at CUNY, but just thought i need to start thinking seriously about this, because i may not have much time to decide once they make their funding decision...

Hello! I have also applied to CUNY and NYU, but I have not received any kind of answer from NYU. How did you manage to know that they accepted you?

[Stately Plump]

Hello! I have also applied to CUNY and NYU, but I have not received any kind of answer from NYU. How did you manage to know that they accepted you?

They called people like Jan. 31 or Feb. 1. I didn't receive a call from them, and thus have considered it an implicit rejection. They also have an open house March 3-4 or 4-5 or something, so I imagine if you have yet to be invited to that, you are probably out (like me ).

[coffeecurls1]

@eoyarbidem- They notified me through email.

[Smokydog]

I see... Sigh... I suppose that's life. But wait a minute! Your are from the English Ph.D., right? Perhaps there is still some hope.

[Stately Plump]

@eoyarbidem- They notified me through email.

lol. Shows how much I know.

(<--- sunglasses to hide embarrassment for mis-answering question, also to hide tears angst from not being accepted at NYU)

[Grunty DaGnome]

Has NYU sent out formal rejections, or are they just implied at this point?

[same question for Columbia.]

[Stately Plump]

Has NYU sent out formal rejections, or are they just implied at this point?

[same question for Columbia.]

Mine are both implicit. The only formal rejection I received was from CUNY.

[Shivrk]

Hi all, I've been a lurker of these forums for a while - and am an applicant to NYU's Eng. program for the Fall term (and at this point an accepted candidate at CUNY). I was curious if anyone knew what (either historically, or currently) the status of NYU's pooling process currently is. A few weeks earlier (around the 1st) it seemed as if the only applicants who had heard any positive news from NYU were all international students...my logic at the time being that they would let their domestic acceptees know of their decision by the end of the month... is this incorrect? That time's certainly come.

Maybe I should have spoken up earlier, but I am eager to hear back from NYU and I know that the last time I applied (2010), I got an email from them in late March notifying me of my rejection - a letter I'd rather not bite my nails over, again.

Also, does anyone know how NYU's wait-listing works? It looks as if last year (judging from the results forum), people were "accepted" well after the open house/reception.

In any case, thanks for all the help on this forum. It's helped answer a lot of questions I have had and made me think about things I've definitely overlooked (the topic of this thread being a prime example ).