Contacting Current Graduate Students

[shelbyelisha]

I'm about to write some emails to the current grad students at SUNY Albany so I can get their opinions about the program and better understand the climate of the department.  What are some good questions to ask?

 

EDIT: I also live about an hour away from Albany; would it be weird to request getting coffee or meeting up in person?

Edited February 13, 2014 by shelbyelisha

[Gnothi_Seauton]

General questions:  I would ask about the attentiveness of professors with whom you're interested in working (basically, do they really help you out, or do they seem uninterested in grad student work?), whether the stipend is sufficient to cover living expenses, and what their perception is of their chances on the job market.  Climate questions:  I think there are two kinds of climate questions.  First, you could ask about concrete events.  "Have any inappropriate incidents ever happened?"  Second, you could ask about current students' sense of the climate.  "Do you feel that you're treated as an equal?"  

 

As for asking current students to coffee, if I put myself in the shoes of a current student and try to evaluate how I would feel, I think I would be happy to meet with a prospective student.  I certainly wouldn't find it weird.  But maybe others have different reactions.  

[Cottagecheeseman]

I'm about to write some emails to the current grad students at SUNY Albany so I can get their opinions about the program and better understand the climate of the department.  What are some good questions to ask?

 

EDIT: I also live about an hour away from Albany; would it be weird to request getting coffee or meeting up in perso

I know a guy there. If by climate you mean climate for women I don't know about that, but in general philosophy he seems to enjoy it and it's a supportive community, albeit one that knows that getting jobs for successful students is extremely hard, even in the context of philosophy jobs. He's said good things about the department to me for sure. PM if you want his info.

[shelbyelisha]

Thanks, Gnothi; those are some good questions.

 

Zizek: The climate for women actually seems pretty great (not that this is a direct indicator of a good climate, but 5/12 full time faculty are female and close to half of the graduate students are female, as well), so I'm not overly worried about that.  I'll PM you.

[epimeleia_heautou]

"Are you happy there?"

 

Might be too general, though.

[shelbyelisha]

"Are you happy there?"

 

Might be too general, though.

 

Doesn't hurt to ask!

[ἠφανισμένος]

As a current graduate student myself, I wouldn't find it odd if a prospective student wanted to meet in person; maybe put that invitation in the second email, though, to people who respond to your first.

[mrs_doubtfire]

"Are you happy there?"

 

Might be too general, though.

 

I agree. And if the answer is no, the generality of the question provides an easy way to dodge it (e.g. "What does happiness really mean?" or "It depends on you"). I found that I got more useful information when I asked more focused questions like "Has the program met your all of your expectations or do you feel that are there ways the program could better serve you?"

[deverettf]

"Are you happy there?"

 

 

"I don't know. Ask me when I'm dead."