Post-Acceptance Stress & Misc. Banter

[dazedandbemused]

I'm really just curious. I guess because I have a smaller area of focus than many others at this point, I naturally think very specifically about who I will work with. Don't you think about who will direct your dissertation?

 

I have ideas about who could direct my dissertation, but ultimately I have really accepted the oft-spoken wisdom that your interests will change during grad school. My interests are both extremely broad and extremely focused in that I have a distinctive theoretical place that I'm coming from, but I haven't selected a literary period or theme. As such, the programs that I felt the best fit with, and the ones I ultimately got accepted to, are about training and helping students eventually narrow their focus, without being too self-defined ahead of time. I don't really know what my eventual dissertation may look like, but I see myself as someone who's open to many things and with time, I know I'll be able to really hone in on a topic. I would hate to feel set in my ways now when there are so many possibilities out there. I know who I'd like to work with and what I definitely won't be working on, but other than that, I'm up for anything. Then again, my goal is to work at a SLAC, so I'm also keeping the possibility of being a generalist open.

[brigadierpudding]

In other news, my decision just keeps getting increasingly more difficult. I just got offered an amazing three year fellowship that would basically make my financial situation extremely comfortable, and as time passes the scales have been tipping to the point that I'm basically at 50/50 between schools right now. It's an awesome problem to have, but it's also stressing me out. I don't want money to make my choices for me, but moving across the country for an amazing program with little funding is a really daunting possibility.

 

I feel ya.  I have an excellent fellowship offer from one program, while UT's funding is disappointing.

[dazedandbemused]

I feel ya.  I have an excellent fellowship offer from one program, while UT's funding is disappointing.

 

How are you feeling about the decision at this point? I don't want to do anything until I visit, but a month from now is a long wait.

[Datatape]

You guys have no idea how much I envy you actually having a decision to make.

[1Q84]

Does anyone want to claim the "Loyola" English MA acceptance? Is that Loyola Chicago or Loyola Marymount?

[brigadierpudding]

How are you feeling about the decision at this point? I don't want to do anything until I visit, but a month from now is a long wait.

 

I'm feeling terribly indecisive.  Everyone tells me how amazing Austin is, so there are days when I have a burning desire straight out of Renaissance love poetry to go to UT.  Other days, I'm worried about the money.

 

Honestly, I think it's too early to make a serious and informed decision.  I hope recruitment weekend will help make the choice easier, and I wouldn't mind seeing course listings for the next couple semesters.

[dazedandbemused]

there are days when I have a burning desire straight out of Renaissance love poetry to go to UT.  Other days, I'm worried about the money.

 

Honestly, I think it's too early to make a serious and informed decision.  I hope recruitment weekend will help make the choice easier, and I wouldn't mind seeing course listings for the next couple semesters.

 

My sentiments exactly! They, and their students, make it sound unbelievably perfect. I told a friend about their amazing reputation and he said "maybe that's their way of luring you in and when you get there they'll turn out to be egotistical jerks who will ruin your life." I, of course, explained to him that they didn't need to lure anyone in; they could probably promise to send you home crying to your mother and there would still be someone desperate to go there. I know it's far too early to be making decisions, but I really hate the stressfulness of indecision. Apparently course listings come out in early April, but I'm hoping we'll be able to see them sooner than that, because that would definitely help.

[Katzenmusik]

Has anyone ever been accepted to a PhD program that they would like to go to but turned it down for a funded MA? I am worried that I'm not ready to jump right into PhD-world just yet. 

 

In a different humanities field, yes (though I had been wait listed for funding at the PhD program in question).  

 

The funded MA was a really good choice for me.  I've raved about it  

 

Especially if you're unsure about committing to graduate school and aren't quite settled on a general range of interests, an MA can be very helpful.  It can give a huge boost to your later PhD applications, and the chance to do it without taking on debt is excellent.

[NowMoreSerious]

I feel ya.  I have an excellent fellowship offer from one program, while UT's funding is disappointing.

How disappointing is their funding? I am only asking to get a sense of what is considered good funding.

[dazedandbemused]

How disappointing is their funding? I am only asking to get a sense of what is considered good funding.

 

If you're coming in with a BA, about 13.5 for the first two years  and 16.5 for the next four, give or take a few hundred. Mostly take. It's the first two that I'm worried about.

Edited February 27, 2013 by dazedandbemused

[Fishbucket]

If you're coming in with a BA, about 13.5 for the first two years  and 16.5 for the next four, give or take a few hundred. Mostly take. It's the first two that I'm worried about.

 

That's not a very competitive funding package when you consider that most top-10 programs offer about 10k more. I didn't realize there was such a funding gap.

[dazedandbemused]

That's not a very competitive funding package when you consider that most top-10 programs offer about 10k more. I didn't realize there was such a funding gap.

 

Honestly, I think UT is very unusual in having such low funding for the first two years. My other acceptance is offering significantly more than that, and the cost of living appears to be lower.

[Fishbucket]

Have you ever heard of that experiment where they ask people to do a simple task and pay them either $5 for it or $20? And the people being paid less rate their enjoyment of the task higher. It's a measure of cognitive dissonance. Maybe part of why a lot of UT PhD students are so aggressively effusive about their level of happiness is cognitive dissonance? I assume they must work other jobs in order to feed themselves, since $13 is way below the poverty line.

[marlowe]

Or perhaps because UT students get to hang out with twenty of their best friends every day (and night) of the week.  $13k goes a long way at 'Hole in the Wall'.

[Fishbucket]

Or perhaps because UT students get to hang out with twenty of their best friends every day (and night) of the week.  $13k goes a long way at 'Hole in the Wall'.

 

This is exactly what I mean. Do you go to UT? How do you make ends meet?

[brigadierpudding]

Honestly, I think UT is very unusual in having such low funding for the first two years. My other acceptance is offering significantly more than that, and the cost of living appears to be lower.

 

Agreed, but I'd say that even 16.5 is rough given the cost of living in Austin. I'd also like to add that UT offers only 95% tuition remission, so there's an additional couple hundred dollars each semester.

 

Does your 13.5 figure take into account the summer funding?  UT offers 2 summer fellowships and the opportunity to teach in a third summer, so maybe you can revise the figure to 16k at the start?  Still, money would be tight....

[dazedandbemused]

Agreed, but I'd say that even 16.5 is rough given the cost of living in Austin. I'd also like to add that UT offers only 95% tuition remission, so there's an additional couple hundred dollars each semester.

 

Does your 13.5 figure take into account the summer funding?  UT offers 2 summer fellowships and the opportunity to teach in a third summer, so maybe you can revise the figure to 16k at the start?  Still, money would be tight....

 As far as I could tell, there's no summer funding for the first year, but you can teach the second and third summers. So basically, the first year sounds the roughest. But the summer funding for years 3, 4, and 5 is reassuring. I just don't fancy living off of bread and butter for a year.   Before, the funding for years 2-6 at both of my programs seemed about equal, but with this new fellowship offer, the scale is tipping.

[Fishbucket]

By the way, here's a description of that experiment if anyone is interested: http://explorable.com/cognitive-dissonance-experiment

[somer8077]

Hi all, 

 

does anybody care to share their general post-acceptance communication with programs?

 

I've been getting very different "treatment" from programs; from one program, I've been getting several personalized emails and have been in frequent contact, while from another one, I've just gotten a "See you during the visit!" from the director and nothing else for weeks.

 

 

In the latter case, should be mor proactive about contacting potential advisors to talk prior to visits, or let them approach me first? After all, I'm not even sure which of them is interested in working with me.

 

If this Q has already been dealt with, sorry about the repeat, but any advice would be much appreciated

[Porridge]

Hi all, 

 

does anybody care to share their general post-acceptance communication with programs?

 

I've been getting very different "treatment" from programs; from one program, I've been getting several personalized emails and have been in frequent contact, while from another one, I've just gotten a "See you during the visit!" from the director and nothing else for weeks.

 

 

In the latter case, should be mor proactive about contacting potential advisors to talk prior to visits, or let them approach me first? After all, I'm not even sure which of them is interested in working with me.

 

If this Q has already been dealt with, sorry about the repeat, but any advice would be much appreciated

Two programs have been very very proactive with me - one less so. My feeling is this: the treatment you receive now may be an indication of how you will be treated once you are in the program. No contact now bodes poorly in my books.

[Sursie]

 since $13 is way below the poverty line.

 

Except it's not.

 

When I was still in undergrad, I was terrified by the prospect of landing a job for only $30k; as it's turned out, I've spent my 20s making around the amount UT pays its grad students! And believe it or not, I've been very happy. I think I manage because of this sort of thing:

 

 

 

Or perhaps because UT students get to hang out with twenty of their best friends every day (and night) of the week.  $13k goes a long way at 'Hole in the Wall'.

 

I don't buy expensive stuff, I barely save, and true, I've lived with a roomie most of my 20s. But it can be done and it can be done happily. My 2 cent: don't let a few thousand dollars decide your future. Do what's best for you all around, and you'll make it work!

[Two Espressos]

All else being equal, follow the money.  I think generally that increased funding lessens stress, making your progress through the program much smoother.

[Troppman]

I'm with Sursie here. First off, I never imagined that i'de have multiple well funded offers. I think that i'm plenty qualified, but i've also seen plenty of impressive candidates not get in over the last couple of years (not to mention those who did get in for reasons unknown). The offer that I accepted (a few days ago!) is not the 'best' one financially. And, the other programs that hollered are extremely dreamy spots--in many cases 'better ranked' schools/programs. I am a good fit at all of these programs, and I wouldn't have applied otherwise. Maybe my opinion will change when I'm on my sixth year of ballin-on-a-budget, but for now i'm excited to be joining the community that has had the most gravitational pull during this process.

[dazedandbemused]

All else being equal, follow the money.  I think generally that increased funding lessens stress, making your progress through the program much smoother.

 

See, this is kind of where I am right now. I don't want to be in grad school forever; I want to get in and get out. part of me thinks that getting my MA first, like I would at UT would be ridiculously beneficial for me. But there are so many things drawing me to Pitt. Since I've been here for a year, I already have a lot of useful credits; add in this new fellowship and I basically get four years without teaching in which to focus on research. Then again, I don't know how I feel about the idea of only getting two years of teaching experience. Ugh.

[Sursie]

All else being equal, follow the money.  I think generally that increased funding lessens stress, making your progress through the program much smoother.

 

True. All else equal, money is definitely a big factor to consider, perhaps the deciding factor. But--perhaps--future job prospects is an even more important factor. It's difficult to know early on (especially if you've not yet done graduate work), but I think it's crucial to consider the kind of job and the kind of institution you hope to earn tenure at once you go on the market. R1s vs. liberal arts schools are generally pretty distinct in the emphasis of the work their professors do. Of course, if you want an R1 and you have the opportunity to take time off from teaching to research & publish, that's a big plus.

 

Also--and this is just personal experience--I've known a number of folks who have made the decision based on money and have been disappointed in their decision. One person I know even left a PhD-track program after the MA (she was lucky to be awarded the degree--not all programs will do that) because it wasn't the right fit, and she based her decision on the money factor.

 

At any rate, sounds like dazed really has a great option in Pitt's program. I'd just caution anyone against going for the cash over a better-fit program and/or future job prospects.

 

So many factors to consider!!! First world problems!!! Ahhhhh!!!