First Year MA/PhD at University of Washington, questions welcome!

[skybythelight]

Following the example of the generous Penn State-er below, I thought I would open myself up to any questions concerning the program/application/faculty/whatever you want to know about UDub. I agree that this would probably have been really helpful to me when I was applying last year, so hopefully it may be for those of you Fall 2014 hopefuls! Please feel free to ask away.

[lavender_be]

Hi. I've tried to contact a few programs and U of Washington is one of those few that do reply to my question, so I am thinking maybe I should apply to it, considering the chances of acceptance may be higher. My concern is I read somewhere that the school is located in the middle of nowhere. As a foreigner, no state address really isn't helping. Also, how would you describe the department? Is it strong in Victorian studies? 

[aksterne]

How does funding work? On the site all it says is that TAships are competitively to "a significant but limited number" of applicants.  Is it difficult to receive funding as an MA student? Is it rewarded upon acceptance or on a semester to semester basis?

[Hige]

U of W is currently my top choice but I have had no luck hearing anything back from the department (Asian Languages and LIt.)

 

I am curious as to what your GRE scores were like, if you don't mind sharing.

[skybythelight]

Hi. I've tried to contact a few programs and U of Washington is one of those few that do reply to my question, so I am thinking maybe I should apply to it, considering the chances of acceptance may be higher. My concern is I read somewhere that the school is located in the middle of nowhere. As a foreigner, no state address really isn't helping. Also, how would you describe the department? Is it strong in Victorian studies? 

 

It is certainly not in the middle of nowhere, it's right in Seattle. You may be thinking of Washington State, perhaps? WSU is in Pullman, WA which is on the border of Idaho and often described as "the middle of nowhere." Seattle, though, is a big and vibrant and amazing city. I'm not a Victorianist myself, but there are a few members of my cohort who are. The one Victorian professor that I've met is Charles Laporte, and he's super nice. There are plenty others though, if you check out the faculty page. I would describe the department as incredibly welcoming and supportive, from day one. The two ladies who work in the graduate office are so knowledgeable and friendly, they're there to answer any question, point you in the right direction, guide you towards finishing the degree as quickly as you can, etc. It's honestly a very open and friendly environment. 

[skybythelight]

How does funding work? On the site all it says is that TAships are competitively to "a significant but limited number" of applicants.  Is it difficult to receive funding as an MA student? Is it rewarded upon acceptance or on a semester to semester basis?

UW only funds roughly 50% of the incoming MA/PhD class. I believe it's usually split roughly down the middle, as in, half of the funding goes to incoming MAs, the other half to incoming PhDs. Funding decisions this year were made in late March/early April, and acceptances went out in February, so it was a few months of waiting, which was not awesome, haha. Once you have funding in the form of a TA-ship, it is renewable for at least five years, but usually six or seven. So no, it isn't semester to semester. 

 

The department has been known in the past to be really wonderful in terms of obtaining funding for their second years. So in other words, if you were to attend the first year of your MA unfunded (as I am), there's a really, really good chance that you'll get funding for your second year and beyond. However, this year that changed a bit due to budget constraints and only about half of the second years received funding. I was told that this year they expect it to be about the same or perhaps a bit better. Does that help? I feel like it's a little convoluted, let me know if I can clear anything else up!

[skybythelight]

U of W is currently my top choice but I have had no luck hearing anything back from the department (Asian Languages and LIt.)

 

I am curious as to what your GRE scores were like, if you don't mind sharing.

I don't know much about the Asian Lang & Lit program, so I'm not sure who to direct you to, sorry. :-/ My GRE verbal was 161, analytical writing 5.5, quantitative was abysmal, something like the 30th percentile, haha. 

[gatz]

UW only funds roughly 50% of the incoming MA/PhD class. I believe it's usually split roughly down the middle, as in, half of the funding goes to incoming MAs, the other half to incoming PhDs. Funding decisions this year were made in late March/early April, and acceptances went out in February, so it was a few months of waiting, which was not awesome, haha. Once you have funding in the form of a TA-ship, it is renewable for at least five years, but usually six or seven. So no, it isn't semester to semester. 

 

The department has been known in the past to be really wonderful in terms of obtaining funding for their second years. So in other words, if you were to attend the first year of your MA unfunded (as I am), there's a really, really good chance that you'll get funding for your second year and beyond. However, this year that changed a bit due to budget constraints and only about half of the second years received funding. I was told that this year they expect it to be about the same or perhaps a bit better. Does that help? I feel like it's a little convoluted, let me know if I can clear anything else up!

 

So is it possible to get fully funded as an MA student from the first semester? I called them and it sounded like that wasn't the case, but I would probably apply if you know of anyone that got a 2 year package from the start

[Bonhomie]

You are a godsend! I am an international student and U-Dub is my dream school. I studied in Seattle for a year before I left for my M.A program and I loved it. I am now thinking of pursuing my PhD elsewhere, which would be the fall of 2015, Seattle is the first place I would think of. I won't be needing funding from the university because I have a full-paid scholarship. Should I write this part in my statement of pupose? I am not well aquainted with the politics of American academics and I would like to know what you think.

 

Also, I have plenty of time to work on my application. Do you think that doing an M.A. thesis would help boost my chances to get admitted to Udub's PhD program?

 

Finally what are the chances of international students to be enrolled in the program? As an insider, do you have any information about internationl's GRE scores? Are they the same as native speakers or do international students compete within a different range (and spots)?

I know that some of the questions might be hard to answer. But, these are the very questions that are worrying me.

 

Thank you for offering to help us...Enjoy Seattle!

[skybythelight]

So is it possible to get fully funded as an MA student from the first semester? I called them and it sounded like that wasn't the case, but I would probably apply if you know of anyone that got a 2 year package from the start

It is definitely possible, at least half of my incoming cohort received first year funding which is then renewable for subsequent years. If you can tell me who you talked to/what they said, maybe I can try and decode it for you.

[skybythelight]

You are a godsend! I am an international student and U-Dub is my dream school. I studied in Seattle for a year before I left for my M.A program and I loved it. I am now thinking of pursuing my PhD elsewhere, which would be the fall of 2015, Seattle is the first place I would think of. I won't be needing funding from the university because I have a full-paid scholarship. Should I write this part in my statement of pupose? I am not well aquainted with the politics of American academics and I would like to know what you think.

 

Also, I have plenty of time to work on my application. Do you think that doing an M.A. thesis would help boost my chances to get admitted to Udub's PhD program?

 

Finally what are the chances of international students to be enrolled in the program? As an insider, do you have any information about internationl's GRE scores? Are they the same as native speakers or do international students compete within a different range (and spots)?

I know that some of the questions might be hard to answer. But, these are the very questions that are worrying me.

 

Thank you for offering to help us...Enjoy Seattle!

No problem! I don't know how much help I can be in terms of the specifics of international students, unfortunately. There are a number of international students in my cohort this year, but it seems like they are here either visiting for a year or they are on a Fulbright scholarship for their MA. I don't know the entire PhD cohort, though. I can try to find out. I would suggest e-mailing or calling Kathy Mork, she's the best source of information for that sort of thing.

 

As for your question of mentioning you have funding: it probably wouldn't hurt, but at the same time, are you looking to obtain a TAship to start aquiring teaching experience? Because most of UW's funding comes in the form of a TAship, and even if you don't need the money, you may want that experience anyway (I don't know your situation so I'm just speculating). I'm not entirely sure how to reconcile those two things. It sounds like you should definitely talk to them. The ladies in the office are really knowledgeable and willing to help. 

 

And as for the MA thesis, it definitely can't hurt, but keep in mind that UW's writing sample requirement is only 15-20 pages, so if you want to submit a large thesis you may end up needing to either cut it down or submit just a section of the larger piece. I would keep that in the back of your mind as you're working on your thesis, because I do think that sometimes parts of an argument can get lost in translation when the entire piece isn't submitted. There are definitely lots of ways around that, so I'm not saying not to do it, I just think it's important to consider and possibly talk to your advisor about. Hope that helps a bit!

[AsKingfishersCatchFire.]

Thanks for posting and offering a discussion for someone who is going through the grad school process. I got a 156 verbal, 153 quantitative, and a 5.5. writing for the GRE. Have you had any experience as to what would be cut-offs or minimum scores on the GRE for English programs? Any information would be greatly appreciated! Open to anyone....

[skybythelight]

Thanks for posting and offering a discussion for someone who is going through the grad school process. I got a 156 verbal, 153 quantitative, and a 5.5. writing for the GRE. Have you had any experience as to what would be cut-offs or minimum scores on the GRE for English programs? Any information would be greatly appreciated! Open to anyone....

I don't know what the cut offs are for any particular programs, but I think that 156 might be a bit low. No one in my cohort that I know of got lower than a 160, though I haven't talked to everyone by far. Do you have the option of retaking it?

[AsKingfishersCatchFire.]

I do have the option of re-taking it and I will for sure will! Washington is a possibility I am considering for applying but beyond washington I was wondering about lower-ranked schools as well and what their "general" scores were for verbal? Thanks for replying appreciate any posts!

[Bonhomie]

Thank you very much for your help and for the refrences.

[wreckofthehope]

You are a godsend! I am an international student and U-Dub is my dream school. I studied in Seattle for a year before I left for my M.A program and I loved it. I am now thinking of pursuing my PhD elsewhere, which would be the fall of 2015, Seattle is the first place I would think of. I won't be needing funding from the university because I have a full-paid scholarship. Should I write this part in my statement of pupose? I am not well aquainted with the politics of American academics and I would like to know what you think.

 

Also, I have plenty of time to work on my application. Do you think that doing an M.A. thesis would help boost my chances to get admitted to Udub's PhD program?

 

Finally what are the chances of international students to be enrolled in the program? As an insider, do you have any information about internationl's GRE scores? Are they the same as native speakers or do international students compete within a different range (and spots)?

I know that some of the questions might be hard to answer. But, these are the very questions that are worrying me.

 

Thank you for offering to help us...Enjoy Seattle!

I'm an international student, and when I was applying three years ago UDub was a top choice for me. I ended up not submitting the application because funding is very iffy for international students (as in you are very, very unlikely to get it - this was stated at the start of the online application). BUT, if you have funding already - then I imagine there is no issue and I suspect they'd love an application from an international student who comes with funding, since you'd allow them to diversify their cohort while not having to come up with the money to do so! I would get in touch with a department administrator and see if they can advise on where/how to mention the funding - you definitely want to make it very clear that you have this scholarship.

 

They also used to have a different application deadline for international students (in November) - so double check that!

Edited October 22, 2013 by wreckofthehope

[wreckofthehope]

As a clarification to the above post: I meant to say, too, that at some public schools with budget issues (e.g. Washington, most of the UC's etc), international students are at a disadvantage because they cost the school more than a US student (tuition scholarships only cover resident fees and an international student can't become a state resident). So, you really really want to make it clear in your application that you come with funding!

Edited October 22, 2013 by wreckofthehope

[Bonhomie]

I'm an international student, and when I was applying three years ago UDub was a top choice for me. I ended up not submitting the application because funding is very iffy for international students (as in you are very, very unlikely to get it - this was stated at the start of the online application). BUT, if you have funding already - then I imagine there is no issue and I suspect they'd love an application from an international student who comes with funding, since you'd allow them to diversify their cohort while not having to come up with the money to do so! I would get in touch with a department administrator and see if they can advise on where/how to mention the funding - you definitely want to make it very clear that you have this scholarship.

 

They also used to have a different application deadline for international students (in November) - so double check that!

 

 

As a clarification to the above post: I meant to say, too, that at some public schools with budget issues (e.g. Washington, most of the UC's etc), international students are at a disadvantage because they cost the school more than a US student (tuition scholarships only cover resident fees and an international student can't become a state resident). So, you really really want to make it clear in your application that you come with funding!

 

Thank you very much for this very important information. I will make sure that they know this.

[Kermit]

Bump.

 

I'm wondering about their specializations programs, particularly textual studies. Do you do your first year as a normal PhD and then transfer in?

 

Also how many graduate students are there? Do you know the success rate of applicants?

 

Lastly did anyone have a MA coming into the PhD? I was shocked when I talked to the DGS at Maryland the other day that most applicants did not have a MA. In Canada almost everyone gets a MA and then a PhD separately for the arts.

 

Thanks!

[skybythelight]

I don't know anything about the textual studies program, unfortunately. My cohort last year was around 20, and I believe the total number of grad students at various stages of degree in the department is somewhere between 120-150, I can't quite remember exactly.

 

UW doesn't admit directly to the PhD program without already having an MA. The options are that you can apply to the PhD program if you already have an MA from another school, or you can apply for the MA which is fully integrated into the PhD, meaning that you don't have to reapply to get into the PhD program if you do your MA at UW. 

[skybythelight]

Oh, and as far as the success rate of applicants--I don't have any specific numbers to give you, but I do know that this year's cohort is likely going to be smaller. The department is going through some major budget issues right now.

[shortstack51]

This thread is so helpful. I'm waiting anxiously to hear from UW! I'm a Romanticist, and there were more than a couple faculty whom I thought fit my research interests well. However, I've been admitted to another school that I'm excited about and they want me to get back to them sooner rather than later (no harm if I don't, but they have a waiting list and they like to put people through ASAP). Do you have any sense of when UW'll be making offers? A few rejections already went out, and I noticed that last year they updated people's online applications around this time (I know I was completely blindsided when my current program started making offers, so I don't expect you to know this off the top of your head! just figured I'd try ). The funding crisis has me a bit concerned about my prospects, but I've also heard that FY (fiscal year) 2013-2014 has been a difficult year so far for most graduate programs financially, as was 2012-2013.

 

Do you know what the average stipend tends to look like for incoming PhD students? I was able to find rough numbers for most programs, but I couldn't find any estimates/baseline offers on UW's page.

Edited March 2, 2014 by shortstack51

[skybythelight]

This thread is so helpful. I'm waiting anxiously to hear from UW! I'm a Romanticist, and there were more than a couple faculty whom I thought fit my research interests well. However, I've been admitted to another school that I'm excited about and they want me to get back to them sooner rather than later (no harm if I don't, but they have a waiting list and they like to put people through ASAP). Do you have any sense of when UW'll be making offers? A few rejections already went out, and I noticed that last year they updated people's online applications around this time (I know I was completely blindsided when my current program started making offers, so I don't expect you to know this off the top of your head! just figured I'd try ). The funding crisis has me a bit concerned about my prospects, but I've also heard that FY (fiscal year) 2013-2014 has been a difficult year so far for most graduate programs financially, as was 2012-2013.

 

Do you know what the average stipend tends to look like for incoming PhD students? I was able to find rough numbers for most programs, but I couldn't find any estimates/baseline offers on UW's page.

I actually was quite surprised to see those rejections go up because the last time I was casually chatting with the ladies in the office I was told they were still a few weeks away from making offers. Last year, they updated the website with the acceptances but didn't hold the funding meeting until a few weeks later. This year, I know the meeting to determine who receives funding is not supposed to be until the first week of April. I would assume/hope they'll be giving acceptances before then, but I'm really not sure unfortunately.

 

As far as the stipend, I don't have an exact number because I'm not a TA this year, but I believe it's somewhere between $11-13k. 

[apixelrevolt]

Thanks for all the info about UW--it's really helpful!

 

I was wondering if you could provide any more info on funding. Since funding is not distributed equally, do you find that students tend to be a bit more competitive in hopes of getting that funding? How does one become elligible for department money?

 

Aside from TAships, are there other ways to get funding? I see that the TAship is only $11-13k, which doesn't seem like enough to live on in Seattle. Do you find that most students compensate for that with loans?

 

Sorry for so many questions! Ultimately, what I'm trying to say is this: I would LOVE to go to UW, but my assumption is that (if I am accepted) I won't likely be offered funding. I'm just curious as to how most students fund their work at UW.

 

Thanks so much for this thread! It's been immensely helpful.

[shortstack51]

Thanks for all the info about UW--it's really helpful!

 

I was wondering if you could provide any more info on funding. Since funding is not distributed equally, do you find that students tend to be a bit more competitive in hopes of getting that funding? How does one become elligible for department money?

 

Aside from TAships, are there other ways to get funding? I see that the TAship is only $11-13k, which doesn't seem like enough to live on in Seattle. Do you find that most students compensate for that with loans?

 

Sorry for so many questions! Ultimately, what I'm trying to say is this: I would LOVE to go to UW, but my assumption is that (if I am accepted) I won't likely be offered funding. I'm just curious as to how most students fund their work at UW.

 

Thanks so much for this thread! It's been immensely helpful.

 

I had the same question--WSU is offering almost $14k and the cost of living in Pullman is way cheaper than what it is in Seattle (based on lots of research on rent prices via zillow and Realtor.com, haha). I could be wrong, though, since I'm not that familiar with the west coast outside random internet browsing. I did an unfunded MA so I have tons of debt--definitely not going to take out loans for PhD, especially considering time to completion. I already have one offer in a cheap area for 21k, so right now that seems like the best financial choice (great fit too, of course!). It's funny because people who applied 5-10 years ago are shocked that there are places that don't guarantee funding among the top 50. My professors told me not to apply to schools that don't 100% guarantee it, but it actually seems to be more and more common, which made it difficult to avoid. I think UW was the only place I applied that didn't guarantee it, though (some places also said that funding is "competitive" but only let in as many students as they could fund in the end, like Amherst and CUNY).