Deferring for potentially more funding nxt year? -CUNY C.Lit

[Kursty]

Hey everyone,

Today I spoke with the director of CUNY's compLit on the phone, who personally emailed me the day before saying he'd like to chat with me ASAP. He basically said that he really liked my application but that its unfortunate that I did not apply earlier because he would have loved to give me a full fellowship package. Now they are all gone. He said that he would love me to go to CUNY but the best he can probably do is offer me a TAship which would cover my tuition but not much else. He also said he cannot promise a 'bump' to full fellowship in the 2nd year. He did say that if I reapply next year for 2010 I would be 'favored' and would not have to go through the entire application process. He was concerned what I would do with a year off but less as an academic director and more as a paternal figure as if though not getting into grad school is the end of the world (or so it seemed to me). He really made it seem liked this was a 'missed opportunity' (ie if only I applied a bit earlier). He did seem to really like me, was surprised i didn't get accepted anywhere (i didnt apply anywhere else, see below) and said that I belong @ CUNY when I mentioned that I was considering New School for Social Research MA in Liberal Arts.

I am thanking of deferring till next year in the hopes of receiving a better package but have some concerns and was hoping you guys and gals can offer me some advice:

1. Could the director 'forget' about me or change his interest in me the next year? Could CUNY just say that their funding is limited because of the economy? In that case I feel like I would have just wasted a year. Has anyone have experience in negotiating this kind of situation or rekindling the committee

[cath2024]

re: your P.S. and P.P.S questions, I think you should ask him. Those are all reasonable questions.

As for your problem, I would try to get into CUNY Grad Center's MA in Liberal studies program, which would allow you to take the same courses as the PhD students and then apply to the PhD again next year. Ask the advisor about doing this. (The app deadline was April 15, perhaps they would make an exception.) Your credits would obviously count toward the PhD, and you could enter the PhD program next year as a first year and be eligible for funding. Hope that works!

[Kursty]

re: your P.S. and P.P.S questions, I think you should ask him. Those are all reasonable questions.

As for your problem, I would try to get into CUNY Grad Center's MA in Liberal studies program, which would allow you to take the same courses as the PhD students and then apply to the PhD again next year. Ask the advisor about doing this. (The app deadline was April 15, perhaps they would make an exception.) Your credits would obviously count toward the PhD, and you could enter the PhD program next year as a first year and be eligible for funding. Hope that works!

I really doubt the Liberal Studies credits would count towards my PhD, even if its @ CUNY. Plus, it would be way cheaper for me to take extra courses at Uof Toronto, and these courses would seem more legitimate, I think.

[cath2024]

They'll count because they are the same classes in the same building with the same professors and the same work. I'm in the program. Masters students are not at all separated from the PhD students at the Grad Center. There's nothing illegitimate about being in the Lib Studies program.

If you get good grades in the classes it'll also show you can do the work and might mitigate some of the damage done by your last semester's grades.