Funding Waitlist

[SilasWegg]

Though accepted to a PhD program in English, I'm sweating it out on a waitlist for funding via a graduate teaching assistantship. It seems like these are awarded competitively. What should I do if NO funding rolls my way? This is my only admit for a PhD though I do have an admit for a funded MA.

 

IF there's no funding for me, which of the following courses of action seems reasonable?

 

1. Try to defer my acceptance, enroll in the funded MA for a year, hope that there is funding at the PhD program for me the next year, hope that my MA credits transfer.

 

2.   Decline the un-funded offer, stick it out at the funded MA for two years, reapply to a breadth of PhD programs (Just wanna point out I'm 32 and getting long in the tooth so time is a factor)

 

Also, if you have any arcane knowledge of how a funding waitlist works and have any predictions (grad cafe's favorite passtime) please post.

Edited April 10, 2013 by morristr

[Gauche]

If you're on a waitlist for funding, one of three things can happen for you to secure that funding.

 

1) Another student who was made an offer declines.

2) Another student accepts their offer but doesn't need/want funding and declines it.

3) The program finds more money to fund more students.

 

If the funding doesn't come through, I suggest sticking it out with the MA for a couple years (if they guarantee you funding that long). If you really wanted to, you can stay a year and reapply and see what happens, but generally your application would be a lot stronger for PhD programs when you show that you've earned an MA, focused your research interests, and shown that you can handle graduate work.

 

Under no circumstances, do not enter a PhD program in English if it doesn't fund you. It's not worth getting into debt. If you've already received an offer this year, chances are, with more experience with graduate work, you'll receive more offers in the future that are actually funded.

[dazedandbemused]

Gauche gives great advice. The only thing I would add is that, if you really want to get started a little sooner, I would perhaps take the year off and apply again this fall. I ended up in a post-bacc for the last year, since my first application season was extremely unsuccessful, and I honestly think that the process of applying is often more than enough to make you a better applicant. I applied to a mixture of MA and PhD programs this year, though it was mostly PhDs, and I did pretty well. You just have to make sure that you can make significant changes and improvements to your materials; I completely rewrote my SOP and I did a lot of work on my writing sample. Also, next time make sure to only apply to programs that fund everyone. I'm of the opinion that a program that doesn't fund everyone isn't really a good, or responsible, program. I'm particularly fond of programs that fund everyone equally; when there's no competition for funding, there will be much better camaraderie with your fellow students.

[msocean]

Gauche gives great advice. The only thing I would add is that, if you really want to get started a little sooner, I would perhaps take the year off and apply again this fall. I ended up in a post-bacc for the last year, since my first application season was extremely unsuccessful, and I honestly think that the process of applying is often more than enough to make you a better applicant. I applied to a mixture of MA and PhD programs this year, though it was mostly PhDs, and I did pretty well. You just have to make sure that you can make significant changes and improvements to your materials; I completely rewrote my SOP and I did a lot of work on my writing sample. Also, next time make sure to only apply to programs that fund everyone. I'm of the opinion that a program that doesn't fund everyone isn't really a good, or responsible, program. I'm particularly fond of programs that fund everyone equally; when there's no competition for funding, there will be much better camaraderie with your fellow students.

 

I would take the funded MA offer this year.  With funding cuts all over, I would take the bird in the hand and hope that funding loosens up over the next tow years, then try to apply for the PhD program.  Would you consider staying at your MA school for a PhD?

[SilasWegg]

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, the school I was accepted for the MA does not offer a PhD in English. The impression I get regarding funding at the school I am currently wait listed for the GTA is that most students do receive funding, however they offer a few more admits each year than they can fund for some reason.

 

One other option I am considering if funding isn't offered is to inquire about funding in the 2nd year. Is this course of action reasonable?

[dazedandbemused]

I would take the funded MA offer this year. With funding cuts all over, I would take the bird in the hand and hope that funding loosens up over the next tow years, then try to apply for the PhD program. Would you consider staying at your MA school for a PhD?

Those funding cuts are pretty much all for science programs; I don't see English being hit too hard. Besides, our funding is already quite rough as it is.

[dazedandbemused]

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, the school I was accepted for the MA does not offer a PhD in English. The impression I get regarding funding at the school I am currently wait listed for the GTA is that most students do receive funding, however they offer a few more admits each year than they can fund for some reason.

 

One other option I am considering if funding isn't offered is to inquire about funding in the 2nd year. Is this course of action reasonable?

 

Personally, I don't believe in ever paying for any part of a degree in the humanities. In fact, I know some people consider an acceptance without funding to be a rejection or a badly veiled attempt to use you as a cash cow. The opportunity costs are so high and the job guarantee is so low that there's simply no possibility of ever getting back the investment like you would if you were going to Medical school or getting an MBA. First of all, what are the job placement stats for the program? If they're asking you to pay them and they don't even give you good training and good job prospects, it's definitely not worth it. However, if you do decide to attend even without first year funding, you should really ascertain how much they'll guarantee in funding. If they only promise you the second year, without saying anything about the next three or four years, I would be very wary.

[SilasWegg]

I am very wary of doing a first year unfunded. My understanding is that the GTAs provide 4 years of full support with a liveable stipend. A fifth year is granted to those students who make reasonable progress. Thus, it may not be unreasonable to expect funding to go to continuing students and for that support to be steady for additional years. Still, it's a risk.

 

The department has shared some details regarding my position on the funding wait list. Maybe you can help me read the tea leaves on this one? I was told there is one student who has yet to accept or decline his/her funding offer, in fact, it sounds as if the student hasn't been communicative with the department at all. The director advised me to forego making a decision until this matter has been resolved, even if it unresolved by the April 15th deadline. I read this to say that if the student doesn't respond by April 15th or declines the funding offer, it would then roll to me. Certainly, this is open to interpretation.

 

I have many theories about this mysterious stranger and I feel odd about how my life's trajectory has become dependent on the whimsy of the deadline funding dance.

[Sryahmay]

It sounds like if that student declines you would get their funding and that you don't have to make a decision on the PhD by April 15th--but I would email them again and confirm. Do you have to let the MA program know by the 15th? If so I'd ask for an extension and ask the PhD program to let you know as soon as possible on the 15th if the student has accepted the offer, since they want you in the program and have been in touch it might be as easy as the program coordinator calling this person and getting confirmation. Its weird that who ever that person is hasn't been in contact with a funded offer but it seems like it will be resolved by the end of the day on the 15th. 

 

 

If it doesn't work out I'd take other people's advice and go for the funded MA.