French PhD 2013, anyone?

[Patrick K]

Allez, Michelle! I also hear you on the interests shifting. I haven't had drastic changes, but some of my apps were done in October, feels like a long time ago! 

[KennethParcell]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone contacted Berkeley about when they could expect to receive an admission decision? I was feeling particularly bold today so I called and was then prompted to send an email to the same woman who confirmed that my application materials were received in early December (she was lovely and very polite when I last corresponded with her) so I'm hoping I'll just get some type of decision date. At this point, I'd just like to hear back from everywhere regardless of acceptance or rejection so I can plan my next year out.

[Patrick K]

Hi Kenneth, I was expecting to hear back from them by now, as some people already have, but I haven't contacted them. Their grad secretary has been very polite, and she was very nice at my Berkeley visit last fall. Based off of previous years, we have to be getting quite close. 

[Soleil ت]

I'm positively anticipating a rejection from Berkeley, so I haven't even given them much thought!

I kind of assumed they would wait until around the fee waiver deadline (March 1st) to announce decisions, in case there were any who didn't satisfy the fee requirement and whose pending acceptance could be given to someone else... Perhaps I'm thinking too much

Edited February 14, 2013 by michelle ♥

[Soleil ت]

Hi everybody,

Turns out my 'interview' with my POI from Indiana was actually an acceptance/meet-and-greet phone call. So excited!

[Wj2011]

I'm psychologically done with Berkeley.  I've heard from everyone else at this point (4 acceptances, 2 Open Houses, 1 "no admits"), and I have two fellowship offers in hand.  As soon as I hear from those last two open houses and received funding (or not) from the other 2 acceptances, I will make a decision - even if my application at Berkeley is still dangling.   One of my schools has politely requested a response by Mar 15 (though I have until Apr 15), and I plan to meet that.

 

FWIW, I have a friend at Berkeley (in French even) who seemed to think I should have heard by the first of the month... February, that is. 

[Soleil ت]

I felt the same way about Berkeley... In regards both to being 'done' and thinking we ought to have heard back by now. I don't know about you, but I applied to the Romance Languages PhD with an emphasis in French. I haven't seen a single result for this particular field, and only one (I thin) for French.

[À_nous_deux]

Hi everyone,

 

Good luck with your applications and with the decision-making process. I finished my PhD in French in 2012 and just wanted to offer some advice on choosing a program.

 

In my opinion, the single most important factor should be your potential adviser. In today's job market, you need somebody who will go to bat for you. Although ideally this person will have a reputation in his or her field, it is not enough to be advised by a star if the star only cares about his or her own research (this is, unfortunately, a very common problem in academia). If you have received an acceptance already, do not be afraid to ask your potential adviser(s) very detailed questions. I asked for the names of former students and for information about their dissertation topics. Some potential advisers could barely remember the names of their CURRENT students, while others could go back ten years, give chapter-by-chapter summaries of their students' dissertations, AND give me their current contact information. This is a very telling difference; you want somebody who continues to look out for their students after they finish. If you are currently at an institution that subscribes to Proquest Digital Dissertations, you might consider looking up your potential adviser's name and reading the acknowledgment sections of dissertations written under his/her direction. There are certain rhetorical expectations, but you should be able to see through these. I would also ask current students working with your potential adviser for details on what it is like to work with them. Instead of asking "Is X a good adviser?"--which can lead to an evasive response like "Yes, he/she is fine"--, ask questions like "How long does he/she take to return chapter drafts? What kinds of comments does he/she offer? Does he/she help with issues related to professionalization that go beyond the scope of the dissertation (e.g. assistance with article drafts, networking, conference papers, etc.)?" I would also ask the potential adviser about their former students' job placements. They may only mention the one or two success stories, so do not be afraid to push (politely).

 

I would also recommend a book called Getting What You Came For by Robert Peters. Good luck!

[Patrick K]

Thanks very much for this information, À_nous_deux. I will definitely keep the advisor information in mind over the next few months, and I want to check out the book, as well.

 

And great work, Michelle! My cousin is a grad student at IU. I really like the campus, and it's obviously a fantastic place to be for French Linguistics! 

[Soleil ت]

Thanks for the awesome information!

[Soleil ت]

And great work, Michelle! My cousin is a grad student at IU. I really like the campus, and it's obviously a fantastic place to be for French Linguistics! 

Thank you! It was one of my top choices because of its amazing fit with my interests, as well as its location! Have you received any good news yet?

[cicada]

Hi everybody,

Turns out my 'interview' with my POI from Indiana was actually an acceptance/meet-and-greet phone call. So excited!

 

congrats, michelle!

[Patrick K]

Michelle, I actually just got off the phone with NYU. It was a call to inform me that they were very interested but can't offer me a place in the PhD program. I was offered to consider the 1 year M.A. program and have some time to think about that. It was a very nice 25 minute conversation. Not sure if that's good news or bad news, but it's news to think about, I guess! 

[wmb]

Sad news, Patrick! Did they mention anything other than the offer to go into the MA program? Funding, esp.?

 

Nice of them to phone at least, and with some kind of offer---better than the impersonal system update.

[Patrick K]

Wasn't able to confirm much, except 50% tuition waiver. The program with the Institute of French Studies would really suit me well. Fall and spring in NYC, then the summer in Paris. Not a bad option to get the degree then apply to PhD programs/reevaluate professional goals. Of course, the amount of loans I would need to do this would not be ideal... 

[Patrick K]

I should specify that I applied for the joint PhD with the Institute of French Studies. I didn't put that in the rejection result that I entered. As mentioned, the one year M.A. would indeed be with this program. 

[Soleil ت]

congrats, michelle!

 

Merci !  I am super duper duper excited. I see you were already accepted to Austin?  I'm still to waiting to find out my fate there.  I'm set on Indiana unless Austin accepts me (much better funding!), in which case I am going to be super conflicted.

[Soleil ت]

Michelle, I actually just got off the phone with NYU. It was a call to inform me that they were very interested but can't offer me a place in the PhD program. I was offered to consider the 1 year M.A. program and have some time to think about that. It was a very nice 25 minute conversation. Not sure if that's good news or bad news, but it's news to think about, I guess! 

 

Did they mention why they couldn't offer you a place?  Were they overcrowded?  Budget cuts?  NYU is a nice program, and I think that if you consider the MA, they may give you priority if you reapply for their PhD.  It just depends on how much interest you have in NYU. Bummer to hear they can't accept you, but exciting that they called to tell you they were really interested in you! I wouldn't take that as a rejection, but more as a half-acceptance due to program issues.  I also doubt NYU will be your only option.

[Patrick K]

At least with the joint Institute of French Studies program, I was told that my research interests and CV were of high interest, but I was not in the top 2 out of the 50 applications they received. The MA would be really nice, though it would put me in a totally different financial situation, so I'll see how the rest of the decisions play out. The director was hesitant to say that this program makes it easier to reapply to the PhD program, but a few people have had success with that in the past 3-4 years. 

[Soleil ت]

At least with the joint Institute of French Studies program, I was told that my research interests and CV were of high interest, but I was not in the top 2 out of the 50 applications they received. The MA would be really nice, though it would put me in a totally different financial situation, so I'll see how the rest of the decisions play out. The director was hesitant to say that this program makes it easier to reapply to the PhD program, but a few people have had success with that in the past 3-4 years. 

 

Hmm...  Definitely wait to see what else happens.  When I had my interview for UF, I felt off about their description of the process from MA to PhD.  She made it sound uncertain, and it ultimately resulted in my crossing it off my consideration list.  Thank goodness for IU! lol

[cicada]

Merci !  I am super duper duper excited. I see you were already accepted to Austin?  I'm still to waiting to find out my fate there.  I'm set on Indiana unless Austin accepts me (much better funding!), in which case I am going to be super conflicted.

 

Yes, UT Austin interviewed me mid January and told me a week later that I was accepted. I'm still waiting to hear from IU about funding so we'll see, but Austin do have much better funding than IU and the city looks amazing! I hope you'll get news from them soon, it'd be fun to both go there

[cicada]

At least with the joint Institute of French Studies program, I was told that my research interests and CV were of high interest, but I was not in the top 2 out of the 50 applications they received. The MA would be really nice, though it would put me in a totally different financial situation, so I'll see how the rest of the decisions play out. The director was hesitant to say that this program makes it easier to reapply to the PhD program, but a few people have had success with that in the past 3-4 years. 

 

I hope you'll get good news from other programs... it's always so hard to decide when you know you'll have a hard time financially speaking But at least you know they liked your profile a lot! 

[wmb]

I hope you'll get good news from other programs... it's always so hard to decide when you know you'll have a hard time financially speaking But at least you know they liked your profile a lot! 

Amen to that. And you've got other possibilities hopefully coming in soon, too!

 

 

Meanwhile, UCLA has very kindly offered to let me visit the week after they originally invited people to campus: March 7. Wondering if anyone else will be there then? I'm looking forward to seeing what LA's like. And, speaking of funding, whether they have any...

[Patrick K]

Thanks for the positive thoughts, everyone. I'm definitely still processing the possibility of the MA at NYU, but it obviously becomes more of an option after I hear back from the rest of the PhD programs. 

 

And that's great, wmb! Though I didn't apply, the program is clearly great and I hadn't been on a campus like UCLA's before. To me, it felt like I was in a movie while walking around, no pun intended    LA is also quite the experience, hope that goes well! 

[À_nous_deux]

Thanks for the positive thoughts, everyone. I'm definitely still processing the possibility of the MA at NYU, but it obviously becomes more of an option after I hear back from the rest of the PhD programs. 

 

And that's great, wmb! Though I didn't apply, the program is clearly great and I hadn't been on a campus like UCLA's before. To me, it felt like I was in a movie while walking around, no pun intended    LA is also quite the experience, hope that goes well! 

 

Congrats on your admission to NYU's M.A. program. I'm sorry to be the doom and gloom train, but I would really strongly discourage anyone from going into debt for a humanities graduate degree. The job prospects are absolutely abysmal, with VERY, VERY FEW recent Ph.D.s finding tenure-track employment. The market will likely stay the same or worsen in the future, as many institutions replace tenure-track lines with visiting positions. Many recent degree recipients--if they are lucky--are now adjuncting or taking on visiting assistant professorships or lectureships or other temporary positions. These positions tend to pay very poorly, and it will be hard enough to make ends meet (http://chronicle.com/article/From-Graduate-School-to/131795/). You don't want to find yourself paying off student loans on top of everything else.

 

Good luck with the pending applications!