Galoup11 Posted March 5, 2012 Posted March 5, 2012 NOT an acceptance post--just wanted to start a thread to gauge how many other applicants are on the board and if anyone has any info on their MA/PhD admissions. I understand that they're typically late in notifying--but it's getting pretty late. It's my top Masters program, so I'm pretty anxious to find out. Any other applicants, information, etc.?
desaparecido Posted March 6, 2012 Posted March 6, 2012 Just got an acceptance offer for the PhD program, with TA-ship ($12,440 stipend) and health insurance.
Galoup11 Posted March 6, 2012 Author Posted March 6, 2012 Just got an acceptance offer for the PhD program, with TA-ship ($12,440 stipend) and health insurance. Congrats! Literally, "just," this late? Fingers crossed that Masters notifications are going out at separate time...
desaparecido Posted March 6, 2012 Posted March 6, 2012 Yep, got the email around 9pm. I'm actually still waiting to hear from a few programs at this late stage in the game (I applied to a whole lot of schools, putting out lots of lines to programs I found interesting/good fits and hoping some would bite). It's entirely likely that a school may notify PhD applicants prior to MA applicants, as the MA pool occasionally expands when folks are turned down from the PhD. Looks like you got wait listed for some really great programs as well - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you on both counts!
Galoup11 Posted March 6, 2012 Author Posted March 6, 2012 Yep, got the email around 9pm. I'm actually still waiting to hear from a few programs at this late stage in the game (I applied to a whole lot of schools, putting out lots of lines to programs I found interesting/good fits and hoping some would bite). It's entirely likely that a school may notify PhD applicants prior to MA applicants, as the MA pool occasionally expands when folks are turned down from the PhD. Looks like you got wait listed for some really great programs as well - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you on both counts! Holy shit, I just got accepted. First time I've heard that all season. Excuse me while I celebrate! lyonessrampant 1
TripWillis Posted March 6, 2012 Posted March 6, 2012 Holy shit, I just got accepted. First time I've heard that all season. Excuse me while I celebrate! Congrats, galoup!
jywayne Posted March 6, 2012 Posted March 6, 2012 Congrats all! I thought about applying to UK but was broke during the application season. They have a fine program.
Galoup11 Posted March 6, 2012 Author Posted March 6, 2012 Thanks everyone--it was a true shock but it's so unbelievably relieving to be off "the bubble." Not just waiting on my waitlists until April while halfheartedly job-searching in case I don't get in anywhere.
riks90 Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 Anyone else on here get accepted to the Masters and is thinking of turning it down? I'm on the waitlist and anxious.
Galoup11 Posted March 7, 2012 Author Posted March 7, 2012 Anyone else on here get accepted to the Masters and is thinking of turning it down? I'm on the waitlist and anxious. I'm on the fence, based on how other wait lists I'm on turn out and visits to different schools. Will post in this thread when I make a decision, though.
Galoup11 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Posted March 31, 2012 Went to the visiting day yesterday, gorgeous campus (library is beautiful) and really like the program even more now. Of my accepted schools, it's now definitely my clear #1.
lyonessrampant Posted March 31, 2012 Posted March 31, 2012 You would take an MA over a funded Ph.D. admit at a very strong school (Maryland)? If you plan on going on for the Ph.D. after the MA, I would think carefully about turning a Ph.D. admit down.
Galoup11 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Posted March 31, 2012 You would take an MA over a funded Ph.D. admit at a very strong school (Maryland)? If you plan on going on for the Ph.D. after the MA, I would think carefully about turning a Ph.D. admit down. From what I can tell, Kentucky has more impressive objective rankings (I was surprised myself how competitive they are e.g. #15 overall by NRC, very good job placement stats), and they have two professors who are extremely knowledgable of and influential in my fields of study. In terms of MA v. Ph.D, from what I can tell almost anyone who finishes their MA at Kentucky in good standing gets admitted into their Ph.D program (with funding), so I'm not too worried about that either. This is all of course up for debate, but I believe Kentucky has a better program in general and specifically a better fit with my interests. I'm open to hear second opinions, though, as I liked Maryland a lot too (frankly I've liked everywhere I've visited), and it's closer to my home.
TripWillis Posted March 31, 2012 Posted March 31, 2012 I'm with Lyoness here. You gotta do what's right for you, but you have a funded PhD offer from a highly reputable program already in hand. There's simply no guarantee you'd get that again. I'd take it.
hiphopanonymous Posted March 31, 2012 Posted March 31, 2012 Third. Also, RE: "objective rankings": I don't think there's such a thing. As you probably know, US News ranks Maryland at 35 and Kentucky at 81. That ranking system is, as many on this board have said more thoughtfully, kind of useless (as are the others). I'm likely, for instance, to accept a "lower ranked" offer. So I'm not saying Maryland is better (I don't actually know much about either program)--just showing that a different reckoning tells a different story. It's great that you had such a good feel from Kentucky, and I don't mean to take the wind out of your sails: there's definitely something to be said for choosing the program that makes you the most excited. It's going to be a long slog from here on out, so feeling good about where you're at is hugely important.
lyonessrampant Posted March 31, 2012 Posted March 31, 2012 If you definitely get to move on to the Ph.D. and the MA is funded and Kentucky is a better fit, then that changes things. It's just scary to me to gamble on something happening when you have a secure Ph.D. offer. I didn't mean to say you were making a bad choice at all. It's just hard to get into Ph.D. programs these days, let alone ones as reputable as Maryland, and if you have to reapply after your MA, there is no guarantee that you'll get an offer as good or better (so much of this application game is luck and chance!), so I was curious about why you were making that choice. Best wishes!
Galoup11 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Posted March 31, 2012 Again, I appreciate the feedback guys, especially from people who are familiar with the process and disinterested. I get that funded Ph.Ds are no cakewalks to get, but again, I spoke pretty extensively to Dr. Blum about the internal application to the Ph.D, and it sounds like a pretty sure thing if in good academic standing. Re: objective rankings, I hear you hiphopanonymous, but I have dug into the numbers of the NRC's rankings and Kentucky seems to be on the rise over the last few years v. Maryland, and to be especially good in the categories I deem most important (Outcomes and Research Activity). Of course "objective" doesn't signify anything impartial but the general trends seem quite favorable.
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