Need Advice!

[jrah822]

Hello Grad-cafe-ers! =) I'm currently in the market for some advice, and I thought I would turn to those of you who know best. {sorry in advance for the long question...}

This year, I applied to 8 grad schools--6 PhD programs and 2 master's programs. Within two weeks, I was rejected from my "top five" and am currently waiting to hear back from the last 3--the 2 MA programs and 1 PhD program.

After expressing my concerns about all of my rejections to my professors, a new development has arisen. I have been offered an opportunity to teach abroad. My mentor's father is a professor in Istanbul, and is willing to help set me up as an English teacher there. I traveled to Istanbul last summer; I loved it there, and would go back in a heartbeat, no questions asked...

...But of course, no decision is ever easy. I still have 3 programs to hear from, and the research interest I've been "selling" to my grad schools has nothing to do with Turkey or the Ottoman Empire. However, nearly all of my mentors/LOR writers are pushing for me to take this opportunity and live/teach abroad. Only one has told me that if I get in to grad school, I should go and put off travel.

My question is this: if I did get in to a graduate school (I know, I know, it's a hypothetical...but I'm a planner, and I'm still optimistic about this whole process), would it be a mistake to decline the offer(s) and take a year to study and teach in Turkey? Would a guaranteed placement in grad school outweigh the cultural benefits of living in a foreign country, being able to learn the culture and language firsthand, and develop knowledge of the history outside of books and articles? Would a complete shift in research focus be a detriment, or could it possibly benefit me (many of my current professors are mentioning the "job market" while trying to advise me on this question)?

I guess what it comes down to is this: I WANT NEED to go to grad school. It's a dream of mine. Becoming a professor and an academic historian is the ONLY career path I see for myself. I have been working on getting in to graduate school for the past year. I just don't want to regret passing on a fantastic opportunity, and the fact that I am not "tied down" (maybe committed is a better word?) to my research interests makes me wonder whether or not going to grad school at this point would be the right decision. I love the research I've done in the past year--but what if it's not enough to get me in to grad school and give me that opportunity to pursue my dream?

Maybe I'm just looking for validation in the hopes that if an acceptance comes and I turn it down, it won't be a mistake...I am leaning towards taking this opportunity to teach abroad no matter what happens over the next month or two. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself...I just would like to know what everyone thinks, because I feel a little lost right now. All responses are so very much appreciated...

~J

[Kelkel]

I think most people would agree, if you get one funded offer to a grad school and it's something that you know you want to do, you should take that opportunity, because you never know if you would get another funded offer a year from now.

Don't give up just yet! MA programs typically notify after they notify PhDs.

Now if you don't get in anywhere (conversly, if you get into an MA but without funding), I would take the opportunity. Sure it might not be exactly what you want to study, but you will develop the language. Maybe your focus will shift and then you will have the ability to research and write a relevant writing sample for next time!

[TMP]

Are you a college senior? If so, I say, GO TO TURKEY!!!! Especially if you love traveling and going to new places and experiencing new cultures. I'm that kind of girl. Also, as I've said elsewhere, you've been nothing but a student so you don't know what else you can do. Don't settle on academia until you've tried other things and spent substantial time doing those to know whether or not you really enjoy those.

I remember sitting down with one of my undergrad advisers after I got rejected by 3 PhD programs and was waiting on 2 MAs. He said, "It would be more beneficial for you to live abroad in Country X or Y and develop the language, even if you're not interested in learning the language of Country Y Or you can just get a MA." At the time, I couldn't imagine how would I be able to afford to go abroad out of my pocket when I could take out loans for the MA. During my MA, sometimes I wondered if I should've gone abroad instead...

But when I was rejected from all PhD programs when I finished up my MA and couldn't get a job, the first question I asked was, "Okay, fuck the job market. I still want the PhD. I'm unemployed and have all this time. What would I like to do before I go for my PhD?" It dawned on me that I should go to Country Y as the language of Y was becoming extremely important for research (interests DO change in a MA program!). So I packed up my stuff and lived in that country for 5 months. Though I still didn't get in any (funded) PhD programs, I felt really, really glad to get that life goal out of the way.

Remember, the PhD is a huge investment of your time. Even if your area of study requires research abroad, you don't know how much funding you'll get- whether it'll be enough to allow you to travel or not. So you might as well travel the world first. Going to Country Y was just wonderful and I'm already excited to go back and do research there.

In any case, I do think living abroad for a year is cheaper than doing a 2 year MA.

[virmundi]

If it isn't a time issue, wait and see if you are accepted into a program and whether the program's offer is compelling. If so, then find out if you can defer because of your offer to teach abroad -- granted that most programs may not be willing to do this, but it might be worth it to ask. This may well be the sort of situation that would cause a program to offer you a deferred admission, although I truly cannot speak to that. Seems like something to consider anyhow. Good luck with your decision! Sounds really fun.

[simone von c]

_{Don't think twice. Go to Turkey. You have a connection there, and Turkey is an incredibly rich place. Not only is Istanbul goosebump-fabulous, but so is the entire country. Fly out to Cappadocia and roam through the underground cities, and see the paintings in the ancient cave churches ... gosh, stay in a cave hotel, and buy a rug, and meet the people. Listen to the calls to prayer echo at dawn. You will never, ever regret it. Grad school will wait for you. Go see the world.}

[rising_star]

Go to Turkey. Seriously.

[crazedandinfused]

I'd just like to second what everyone has said. If you don't get in anywhere or if you aren't particularly excited about your options I would definitely advise you to get to The Golden Horn (that's like almost too amazing to imagine. simone, it seems like you've been there. i am so jealous. my aegean yacht fantasy-cruise ends at the bosphorous, but i digress).

Not only is it probably a ridiculously sweet and interesting place, the experience will change the way you view the world in ways that will make you an infinitely better academic. Although we don't know that you aren't already the consummate cosmopolite, the point is that these sorts of experiences are almost always beneficial and that you should seize the opportunity if it's there. Especially if you are young.

See what happens with your last doctoral app and whether or not you get a funded MA. I would definitely say that you should go to Turkey if the alternative is getting into debt. It would suck to pay for an MA with the knowledge that if you had waited a year you would have had a shot at a fully-funded doctorate.

Edited February 23, 2012 by crazedandinfused

[StrangeLight]

go to turkey. if you were turning down an offer at your dream school to go, then that'd be a different story. but grad schools love real world experience. even if being in turkey doesn't shift your research interests, it will change you, and that will be visible on your applications the next time around and will get you better results.

[uhohlemonster]

GO TO TURKEY. I agree. I've lived in a different country and got to travel since graduating, and it's been a very edifying experience. Enjoy!

[thedig13]

I'm giving you advice as somebody who is nowhere near his own application season, so please take my advice with a grain of salt, but you should definitely squeeze Istanbul into your plans. It's probably the most historically-rich city in the history of everything that's ever existed, and it's on my list of places to visit during the summer between my senior year and my first year of graduate school.

Even if you're accepted into a good program with funding, you've already stated that it won't be one of your top choices. As I understand it (and I pray to God that somebody corrects me if I'm wrong), graduate programs in history smile upon prospects who've done a bit of traveling. It might be worth it to hold off on graduate school for a year or two, and then re-apply later once you've built up some real-world experience and a few stories from your adventures.

[crazedandinfused]

Now I'm worried that I didn't emphasize my foreign adventures enough in my apps..... Maybe it's time to dust off the SOPs.

[Simple Twist of Fate]

If you end up turning down Istanbul, it sounds like there would be a few people around here who wouldn't mind a referral

Seriously, though, it seems like you should just wait patiently until you hear back from the remaining programs. They may end up making it an easy decision. Though I wish you the best of luck with those remaining schools, and it's always good to have options, I know it's sometimes nice to have a big decision made for you.

[Riotbeard]

No easy answer. If grad school is the dream and you get good funding from UC-SB, you really should consider it. All it takes is one admit to get you on your career path, and it would be nice to say there are plenty more opportunities for grad school down the road, but NOBODY can guarantee that for you, plus instanbul will always be there... but if you don't get funding...

[shaxmaty1848]

Ticklemepink and everyone else are all correct about going somewhere. It's actually my back up too, to go to (specific school) in Europe and develop my cultural skills and language skills on a more sophisticated level. It's 1) exciting. 2) buys you time. 3) is unique 4) way better than moving in with roomies or parents (yuck) 5) ...do I really have to go on? Even if you go for 6 months (summer, fall) you could be back in time next year to start up applying again.

[Nordicllama]

Turkey. There will always bee grad school. If Constantinople is any indicator, Istanbul might not always be there. Okay sorry for the super lame history joke, I just couldn't resist. But seriously, this really sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity and I would bet all my marbles that you would never regret having gone, but you might always regret passing it up.

[Nordicllama]

Oh and, um, I don't have any marbles. But I would still be inclined to think thusly.

[jrah822]

Thank you to everyone who responded! I'm leaning towards Turkey--the experience just seems too good to pass up. I suppose I just have to wait and see what happens with my last three schools. This whole process has been such an emotional roller coaster... Good luck to everyone who is still waiting to hear back from schools! Keeping my fingers crossed for all of us!

[lureynol]

Check your still outstanding schools' deferment policy - if they let you, you can do the year teaching and then come back knowing you've got your next step lined up and ready for you.

[Sigaba]

Before you read the balance of my post, I believe three disclosures are in order. First, the UCSB campus and surrounding areas are among my favorite places. Second, while I dream of traveling to Istanbul, my own political views would make travelling to Turkey at this point in time problematic. Third, given the state of international affairs, I would be very reluctant to travel to that region of the world for an extended period of time. I think a number of "push comes to shove" opportunities will arise in the near future. And if the shoving starts I would want to be on the other side of the planet. YMMV.

Now, on to the particulars.

...But of course, no decision is ever easy. I still have 3 programs to hear from, and the research interest I've been "selling" to my grad schools has nothing to do with Turkey or the Ottoman Empire. However, nearly all of my mentors/LOR writers are pushing for me to take this opportunity and live/teach abroad. Only one has told me that if I get in to grad school, I should go and put off travel.

MOO, the information in this paragraph should drive your go/no go matrix.

If you do go to Turkey and end up needing to go through the application process, you will probably be able to get a high level of support.

On the other hand, your destination and the work you will be doing will not directly help you get any closer to your objective. So while you're in Turkey teaching English, people who want to do what do will be developing their skills to compete in graduate school and beyond. Can you afford to take a year off against this type of competition?

Also, while some have correctly pointed out that graduate school will always be there, an offer from UCSB may not. The State of California is broke, the governor is committed politically to cutting the budget, and in-state tuition costs for the UC system are on the rise. Meanwhile, the cost of living in California is heading ever upward. So while you may have the opportunity to live and to work in Turkey, that opportunity may have some costs on the back end of your journey.

So my two cents are these. If you get into UCSB and are offered financial support, accept the offer, even if you're told that you can defer for a year, and even if you get it in writing. If you don't get into UCSB, but get into either of the two M.A. programs, consider going to Turkey. (Here's why. If you earn a M.A. from program A and then become a doctoral student at program B, it is likely that the Powers That Be at program B will have you jump through many of the same hoops you navigated at program A. In the long run, this repitiion may do you good but maybe much less fun than going to Turkey.)

HTH.