CUNY

[chaitime]

Hi there!

 

Long time lurker here. Just wondering if we could start a thread about CUNY Grad Center.

 

Is anyone else is planning to attend the open house on March 15th?

Are there are any current attendees? (I think TripWillis is one..?) Could you tell us more about the program and CUNY community? (i.e. big or small cohort; how friendly/involved are the faculty members, etc., etc.)

 

Just trying to get a feel for it all!

 

Thanks!!!

[DontHate]

I'm not in English but I'm seriously considering attending CUNY. I had an interview with them a few days ago. It seems like a pretty great school, and the funding package is as good as any of the Ivies. Also they participate in a consortium with Columbia, Rutgers, NYU and some other places that I'm now forgetting.

[yellow.wallpaper]

I wish I could attend the Open House on March 15th! They called me over for an interview and I'm so nervous!

 

Could anyone give me some advice? I'mdyinggg

[joy illimited]

Thanks for making this thread! I will be attending the open house on March 15th. I've heard negative things from professors about CUNY's funding issues and how the average length to PhD is much longer than at other schools due to the teaching load, but with this new funding initiative, I imagine the financial situation won't be so stressful.

 

Also, I'd love to get more information about the placement record. A brief look at the CUNY English department website suggests that a large number of graduates end up at positions within the CUNY system, which doesn't surprise me. Is there a robust placement program with real effort to place graduates elsewhere? 

 

Finally, I'm really curious to learn more about the grad student community. I did my undergrad in NYC, so I have a feel for what it's like to live and study there, but I know being at CUNY will be very different. I'm, frankly, a little intimidated by the size of the system and am concerned that the graduate experience will be very isolating. So I would love to hear from current grad students. 

[TripWillis]

If anyone has questions, PM me.

[lolita25]

I'm attending the open house! I'm a little confused about my status though. I got an email that says I'm a finalist, which I take to mean a sort of waitlisted position? Either way, I'm interested in the program and want to attend and hope for more concrete news soon (fingers crossed!).

 

I actually visited in December and sat in on a class with a POI. It was very different than I imagined (in a good way). I don't know much about placement or funding problems though. I am intrigued by the seemingly considerable teaching opportunities in the program  (I'm currently working as an adjunct at university and would like to continue in a similar capacity). 

 

Any info about the program would be nice! And if anyone can shed light on my ambiguous and kind of stressful position, it'd be much appreciated. 

[ZacharyBinks]

I'm attending the open house! I'm a little confused about my status though. I got an email that says I'm a finalist, which I take to mean a sort of waitlisted position? Either way, I'm interested in the program and want to attend and hope for more concrete news soon (fingers crossed!).

 

I actually visited in December and sat in on a class with a POI. It was very different than I imagined (in a good way). I don't know much about placement or funding problems though. I am intrigued by the seemingly considerable teaching opportunities in the program  (I'm currently working as an adjunct at university and would like to continue in a similar capacity). 

 

Any info about the program would be nice! And if anyone can shed light on my ambiguous and kind of stressful position, it'd be much appreciated. 

I, too, received an email telling me that I'm a finalist and I also took it to be a thinly veiled way of saying I'm on the waitlist. I would rather they be upfront about it, though.

 

I want to attend the open house but I don't know if it would be worth it considering how expensive it would be for me. Especially if I'm ultimately rejected.

[lolita25]

I, too, received an email telling me that I'm a finalist and I also took it to be a thinly veiled way of saying I'm on the waitlist. I would rather they be upfront about it, though.

 

I want to attend the open house but I don't know if it would be worth it considering how expensive it would be for me. Especially if I'm ultimately rejected.

 

Thanks! I, too, would rather they just be explicit and say it - I don't like the sense of false hope. Luckily, I'm close so traveling to open house isn't a big deal. But perhaps we will meet in the fall, good luck!

[DisplayCancel]

I'm on the wait list too. Really hope we hear back from them before the open house...

[cordis]

Actually talked to the DGS...they are videotaping the open house, so don't spend the dough unless you are admitted! She told me that they expect to admit students off the "finalist" list since they made only half the admission offers they did last year. But she admitted that she did not know how many, since she does not know how many people who got the first offers are going to take them...they used to have a cohort of 27, but it is going down to 23-25. Much better funding....pretty nice program, the students seem happy with it. If you have an offer from cuny and aren't that interested in it, please make space for us finalists and move on soon....

[mostlytoasty]

I recently declined my acceptance to CUNY. It was tough saying no   and I hope someone hears good news this week.

[yellow.wallpaper]

I recently declined my acceptance to CUNY. It was tough saying no   and I hope someone hears good news this week.

Where else did you apply?

[TripWillis]

Hang in there, finalists!