Berkeley

[sleepinglessons]

Has anybody heard back about funding? *anxious*

[somer8077]

Noooooo and it's driving me crazy!!!

 

Also, I've been trying to figure this out on the website..but does anyone know how much of the funding is comprised of TA-ing in the 3rd and 4th years?

[KeelyMK]

Sam Rifkin said "end of the month" (Feb)so hopefully then :/ so anxious lol.

[cougarstigers!]

strangely enough, i *did* hear back about funding from berkeley, along with my admissions letter -- not sure what that means?! is this unusual? i'm wondering, too, if all funding packages are the same, or if there's wild disparity? i'm concerned that that might -- mightn't it -- make for a somewhat, uh, stressful, or unequal sort of culture? perhaps this isn't the case at all; i've just wondered this about some programs that do fund some folks fully, others not; or dole out TAing & fellowship differently ...?

 

(i feel NERVOUS saying that, in case it was just a fluke, or i'm blowing such departmental process plan, or whatever?! eek! but i'd also assume we'll all find out about the funding situation eventually, yes?)

 

((i'd assumed berkeley WAS one of the places that fully funded & gave the same offers to everyone, given how stellar the dept. is & how happy everyone i've talked with seems! -- thought i read somewhere on here that the program used to offer admissions to 2x the size of cohort, but with funding only to half? --  but i'd love to hear more if that's recently or not really the case.))

 

keely MK, what has been your sense of how funding works in the dept., since you're currently (i'd presume!) ensconsed in it?

 

on a more exciting note -- will anybody be making it out for the long visit weekend in march?! couldn't be more thrilled!

i'd absolutely love to hear about everyone's interests over PM!

[sleepinglessons]

cougarstigers, do you mind sharing the details of your funding package? From my understanding, Berkeley's funding packages are not identical across admits...

 

 

The English Department typically is able to offer fellowships, which provide a stipend and cover tuition and fees, to most of the admitted applicants each year.

 

 

Q:Will I get funding upon admission?

A: We try to fund every admitted student, but cannot guarantee funding for the entire length of the program.

 

Ugh at those qualifiers.

 

I'll be at the visit weekend! Just two and a half more weeks now!

Edited February 28, 2013 by sleepinglessons

[cougarstigers!]

sent you a PM, yo!

 

any other questions folks have been asking of berkeley? important things to consider that some of us (like yours truly!)

might not have thought of yet?

 

is california really going to [fiscally, geologically -- is that even the right designation?] fall into the sea (of love, debt, &c.)?

 

 

very excited to hear about all of your interests! where else are you considering? what's your likelihood of attending?

 

 

 

 

 

yay berkeley!

[cougarstigers!]

and truly, keely MK -- i'd really love to hear about your undergrad experience at berkeley, faculty you've worked it,

sense of the university community as a whole! PM me if you get the chance/inclination? i'd appreciate it so!

[sleepinglessons]

Professor Tamarkin confirmed that funding notices will go out tomorrow! *crosses fingers*

[cougarstigers!]

hurrrrrah! SO glad that everyone will hear. fingers crossed that everyone gets big juicy fellowships, or whatever your heart desires!

very curious to hear what everyone is being told, so keep me in the loop, for the reasons some of us have talked about ...

VERY excited to meet you all soon! can't believe this is all happening so FAST, yikes ...   !!!

 

(where's everyone coming from? or PM if you like!)

[KeelyMK]

Yay! Yeah I heard back about fellowship from UCLA today finally, so hopefully Berkeley's is as much or even more.... *shakes dollar signs out of eyes*. I'm really looking forward to meeting all of you soon. I had a talk with one of my fav professors Dan Blanton just now and he really makes me excited about maybe staying. Sigh, decisions.

[KeelyMK]

Funding info is in!! Omg I got an AMAZING package I'm over the moon about it! Lol. Hope you guys made out well too

[somer8077]

Got mine as well. Am relieved-- is funding the same among the cohort?

[sleepinglessons]

Yatta!!!

[KeelyMK]

Sleepinglessons do you know where you want to choose?

[sleepinglessons]

Right now I would say I'm leaning toward Berkeley -- faculty fit seems better, their fellowship package is good (though not quite as generous as Harvard's), and it's closer to home / my significant other / friends. But! I'll refrain from making any final decisions until I visit both programs.

[cougarstigers!]

curious about the packages everyone got offered. ARE they the same across cohorts? i certainly hope so.

it feels weird and, yes -- cash-signs-in-eyes -- but i'd love to hear if anyone wouldn't mind sharing, here or PM.

 

so happy to hear that everyone is so happy, and that you've all finally heard!!!

[KeelyMK]

Hey cougarstigers. I don't know if it's the same across cohorts...I got an interdepartmental fellowship from the Humanities Grad Division in general so that's prob a bit more...No teaching for the first 2 years or the 5th. I think there's a baseline funding that everyone gets and then they put you up for whatever fellowships you qualify for. But as to the environment here, at least as an undergrad it's been great. All of my profs are BRILLIANT. like stunningly brilliant, but also very approachable and fun and receptive to students' ideas. I feel like it's probably a bit more collaborative and cooperative than the private schools might be. Whats your field of interest? For me, I know that Blanton, and Donna Jones, and Altieri are all really delightful both during lecture and outside of it. The grad students all seem WAY smarter than me, so I'm a bit intimidated :/ But it's a fun, relaxed (as in informal and welcoming feel in class) and intellectually challenging environment overall.

 

I'm not a huge fan of our campus or the city of Berkeley - I think it's pretty dirty and run-down, so I wouldn't really advise living here unless you find a really great deal - which you probably won't lol. Oakland, however, is a totally different story. It's vibrant, fun, beautiful...there's always something to do whether it's nightlife or artsy stuff or outdoorsy stuff. I know people who have gotten robbed but I've never personally had any trouble - I mean it is the ghetto, but people are just trying to get by, they're not crazy or unpredictable like I feel their counterparts in Berkeley are. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing everybody, and thanks to the ridiculously generous package they've offered, plus my profs saying that they honestly think I'm a perfect fit and are hoping I'll accept, I think I changed my mind to stay here rather than go to LA.

 

PS - Welcome weekend is over St Pattty's day YAY we can go to all the Irish pubs in town and maybe go to the city too!

[bigrelief]

Last year, packages were radically different across the cohort. It was one of the reasons I didn't go, I was worried about the effect on collegiality (also a bit offended that I one of the lower offers).

[cougarstigers!]

yeah, bigrelief -- this really is interesting to hear.

 

i got, as i shared with some over PM, what i think is a really nice offer -- two years of fellowship, and three of teaching;

and it seems like most folks on this package/in the dept. get to apply for a dissertation-completion fellowship for year 5?

if anyone wants to talk amounts over PM, i'd be happy to, esp. (maybe keely?) since i'm not sure sure what's really

liveable in the bay area ...

 

i too would, i think, just be a BIT (and maybe a lot more!) uncomfortable, as you say, knowing that i was a lower offer (i don't mind hearing it now, and, like i said, would really love to hear; and thank you SO much, keely, for sharing! this is so helpful, and i'm glad you love it there! everything sounds GREAT!, otherwise ...), OR knowing that i got alot more money or had to do alot less of Onerous Thing X than some of my beloved colleagues? it just doesn't seem to resonate with some of my strongest beliefs, despite the shining star that is the dept.!!! --

 

still would love to hear how this shook out for everyone else. sorry for sounding so snoop-y -- this just isn't a question

i think i can ask the graduate program or get from the website anywhere, haha!

 

bigrelief -- where did you go instead? thanks so much for your two cents; it's really valuable to hear that this does

happen some places and really effect people!

 

 

 

love to all potential berkeleyans, and definitely curious to still hear this one out!

 

<3!

[cougarstigers!]

-- that ALL said: so excited to meet you all! can we eat all of the delicious california things? keely, did cafe gratitude REALLY go

out of business!? i should have splurged there more often ...

[cougarstigers!]

sorry to harp on this -- 'tis Important to me!

 

for any of you lurkers who are current grad students at berkeley, or other prospectives from years past -- could you fill us in on whether the funding situation really does vary from person to person? moreover, can you let us know what that's actually LIKE, as far as the culture of the dept. goes? does it feel like a hierarchy? bad vibes? does it really not matter?

 

i'm making a very tough decision, and this will weigh heavily in it, since i'm comparing with a school that (and this feels good to me) is able to give equal funding across the department and even across departments ...

 

very interested to hear. please PM if you'd prefer!

 

 

 

 

 

xo!

[KeelyMK]

hm cafe gratitude? idk never been there :/ Cafe Mezzo and Raleigh's burned down last year, and that was my fav bar in the area but mostly I do my studying in Oakland. Commonwealth is an amazing pub to study or eat at (coincidentally ALSO burned down last year but reopened recently lol).

I don't mind sharing my funding info, since it's interdepartmental and not entirely through English, so it wouldn't "take away" from anyone else's offers or factor into them. Actually, if anything it might have meant MORE money available to others, since the department doesn't have to dole out nearly as much as DGS does for my offer.

Years 1 through 5: $26,500 stipend for living expenses($22,500 for Fall and Spring, and $4000 for Summer), plus payment of

tuition and registration fees. No teaching required for years 1, 2, and 5. Funding of years 3 and 4 combined stipend and teaching.

Edit: I received the Eugene V. Cota Robles fellowship, which is a UC-wide thing and I think something like 10-20 candidates from all departments (combined) at each school get the award. I know that the rest of the English PhDs are "fully funded" - I was told that a few years back they started taking on smaller cohorts in order to reduce the disparity between offers and make sure everyone gets decent funding.

Edited March 4, 2013 by KeelyMK

[sleepinglessons]

I'm okay with sharing my funding information here, too. I received the Chancellor's Fellowship, another interdepartmental fellowship (received by the top four percent of admitted doctoral students at Berkeley). My funding package is virtually identical to KeelyMK's, except I'm getting $22,500 for year 5 -- assuming timely advancement to PhD candidacy.

[cougarstigers!]

exxxxcited to see you all at the visiting weekend! i'll most likely attend the little reception thing on friday,

then lay low for saturday, since i'm not too much into party-type socializing. but, i'll be around oakland, so

if anyone wants to meet up or talk grad-school things or even OTHER things about life, haha, it'd be lovely

to get coffee or take a stroll, &c.&c.!

 

safe travels to everyone flyin' in! gee whiz i hate planes! <3!

 

i mean I LOVE THEM AND TRUST THEM AND THEY WILL BE GOOD TO ME. haha.

[KeelyMK]

So great to meet some of you guys tonight! I had to leave early but I hope to see you around at the various things this weekend. I also hope that the faculty and students have made a good impression and have been welcoming thus far ill prob go to the grad student party tomorrow so see you then!