Applying to Colorado schools for Fall 2015

[hnotis]

So I will be graduating next Spring with a BA in Communication Studies and minor in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado.  I am doing what I can to prepare for applying to grad schools, but I just want a little bit of advice.

First of all, I have decided that I want to stay in state for grad school.  Financially, it's the only thing that makes sense.

 

So I plan to apply to the comm programs at: UNC, CU Boulder, CSU, CU Denver, CU Colorado Springs, and University of Denver.

Does anyone know much about these programs?

Anybody in these programs?

They all sound like they could be a great fit under the right circumstances.  My research interests float in the area of female sexuality and homosexuality and how they are (mis)represented in the media and in our culture along with social change/activism regarding those misrepresentations.

 

I will be graduating with a 3.8, possibly a bit higher, and solid GRE scores (my prediction based off lots of practice tests).

 

I don't really have any research experience, that's something I want to look into this next semester, I'm just not entirely sure how.

Other than that, does anyone have any advice for me?  What else I can be doing to improve my chances?  Also, do I have much of a chance of getting into the programs I mentioned?  (They are all MA programs.)

 

Thanks!

 

[CommPhD20]

Be advised that I do not believe any of these programs give full funding - I think CSU might offer a full TA-ship to a few MA students. I would only pursue a PhD at CU-Boulder among these schools if you're planning on staying on that track past the MA.

 

I don't know what circumstances lead you to feel like staying in CO is the only financially feasible option or how knowledgeable you are about this process, but be aware that the norm is for graduate students to be funded by their graduate school; ie, you don't pay your tuition. You will find many people who will tell you that if you are being forced to pay for/take loans for anything, then the school isn't worth your time and/or doesn't want you enough. I tend to agree. It is significantly more difficult to find funding for an MA than a PhD, though. Unless there are specific, personal circumstances tying you to CO, I'd cast a very wide net in this search if I were you.

[hnotis]

JLRC,

 

Based on my research CU Boulder, CSU, UNC, AND DU all offer full TA-ships to a few MA students.  CU Denver and Colorado Springs both offer TA-ships for stipends and possibly tuition waivers but I am not clear on how much.  I do plan on going to whatever school (if any) funds me with a TA-ship.  I just think the time and money it costs to move out of state for what might only be a few years seems like a huge waste to me if I can get funding in the state I love am grounded in.

[CommPhD20]

I do believe CSU has fully-funded MA slots. I never could get a firm answer out of DU. I can confirm to you that CU-Boulder does not fully fund any MA student, short of one special slot for someone interested in environmental studies. I was told that I could roll the dice and hope for additional TA-ships to open up when I arrived but that it was a remote chance, at least in the first year. When they were telling me to take a half courseload to save money, I realized they weren't joking about lack of funds. They fund PhD students handsomely though and have a fabulous PhD program, so there's always that.

 

If you haven't already, I would speak to a trusted advisor who has experience on admissions committees and/or recently applying to grad schools. They will know best and you'll need them for guidance and letters of recommendation soon.

Edited June 14, 2014 by JLRC

[hnotis]

JLRC

 

Thank you for that info about Boulder.  On their website it had said that there are TA-ships available to MA students that include remission of tuition and a stipend (it even gives the stipend amount) so I was just going off of that.  It also specifically says that 1/2 of the open positions are awarded to incoming MA students.  Do you have any idea why they would provide all this specific funding information if that's not really the case?  I'm trusting that you have more insight into this since you've been through the process already and I'm just extremely confused.

I definitely want to look into Boulder for my PhD, but obviously I'm not there yet.

I guess I just figure that if it's so hard to find MA funding, it can't be any harder in Colorado than anywhere else (based on the fact that I'm seeing that it's possible to receive TA-ships on a competitive basis).  And if I can save money by staying in the extremely, and I mean extremely, cheap apartment I already have or even by living with my parents, that may be an option to avoid as much debt as possible.  Also, I'll be earning my undergrad in 3 years total (much earlier than I thought) so taking out a little bit more in loans for these next 2 years of MA work wouldn't be much more than if I stayed for a year or two more of undergrad, which most people do.  And then at that point I will definitely only seek out fully funded PhD programs.

[CommPhD20]

I think I realize why we're getting this discrepancy - I can't believe I forgot!

 

I'm thinking of mass communication, which is the department I applied to after discussion with the chair of communication. I'm not as well-acquainted with what they are up to, but be aware that they are in the midst of massive change that will be uniting both departments in addition to six others. http://www.colorado.edu/cmci/ I'd make sure to question them thoroughly on that as you don't want to risk a great deal of turbulence just as you arrive.

[hnotis]

That makes so much more sense now! I'll definitely look into that as it does seem like a huge change! Thank you so much for the link.

[lyrehc]

Have you thought about looking at border states as well as Colorado?  Moving is expensive but if the state is adjoining it might not be all that much more and you are fairly close to some solid communication programs.  Most programs that offer funding waive out of state tuition as well.

[jujubea]

Hey hnotis!  I'm applying to a couple Colorado schools also!  Also must have a TA-ship, and also geographically bound to the region, but not the state.

I don't know if you know but UNM has some kind of tuition agreement (or so I've heard) which allows Colorado residents to get in-state tuition rates.  You might consider looking into it.

 

My focus will likely be intercultural or interorganizational communication - though I'm checking out the Discourse & Society options as well.

 

And thanks JLRC about the heads-up on that.  I had read about it, but wasn't thinking of it in terms of what that might imply to my individual grad program.  Just in time - I have a visit up there in a few weeks, so I'll be sure to ask a bit about that.  If I learn anything helpful, I'll come back to share.

[jujubea]

Just got some in-person scoops on a few campus visits:

 

DU does not fully fund anyone at the MA level. Best they offer is half tuition waived. They also do not offer teaching opportunities while at the MA level, even though they require teaching experience of their own incoming PhD students. You can't teach unless you teach, but they don't give you a chance to teach. Sounds like we'd be better off getting our MA first, then going to DU for the PhD, which they fund for 3-4 years. It's a grad-heavy school: campus-wide, half of all students are grad students. Within Comm Dept however (not MassComm), the ratio is about 1:3 grad to undergrad. Around 50 grad students (MA & PhD) at a given time. Nice, intellectually serious atmosphere, conducive to scholarship.

 

CU-Boulder offers every student it accepts funding, and they have just updated their website to reflect the most current TA-ship information. You teach two or three days a week, generally not as a stand-alone class though - you are the actual TA for a primary professor for a class of 100+, and then one or two days a week after that, you run a small discussion section of about 20 students.  Very heavy supervising and personalized mentorship/feedback sessions. Around 50 grad students at a given time, 1200+ undergrads, and the undergrad culture is palpable. Summer teaching AND research opportunities. Multiple course options for teaching.

 

University of NM offers most students varying forms of funding, including up to full tuition remission, either in-state or out-of-state (despite what website says) and a TA-ship stipend on top of that. You teach two sections of one class per semester, and you are the primary instructor. You get advising and mentorship as a TA, but the students there emphasized that it is not "heavy" supervising, or in other words, they really let you run the show, because there is a very set, and structured curriculum for you to teach from. I can't recall the grad:undergrad numbers, but I do recall the grad community to be tight and collegial. Limited to no summer teaching opportunities. Occasional summer research opportunities. Course options for teaching grow with time.

 

Faculty at all three seem basically stellar. (Who am I to even make that call!). Pretty different environments all around (inside, outside, structural, environmental, intellectual, etc...), so if you can swing a visit, I'd highly highly recommend it.

 

I learned a lot more than just these things, but this is most relevant to our current discussion. Any specific questions, feel free to PM me.

[hnotis]

@jujubea Thank you so much for this information!  I was just actually trying to figure out about MA funding at DU, as the website is kind of confusing.  I really needed to know if they fully funded MA students and whether or not there were TA ops, and since there's not, I don't see myself applying there.  Again, thank you so much! I really needed clarity there.  I will have to look at U of NM.  

[lyrehc]

From what I've heard Kansas offers good funding packages.  If you'll consider UNM I don't think KU is much further away from the Denver area. 

[jujubea]

Thanks lyrhc.  For complicated reasons, we can't go any further east than NM & Colorado (and no further north than CO either).

 

Np, hnotis. Glad my trip was fruitful for others

[Meanyus]

I graduated from CSU last year and as far as I'm aware, they fully fund tuition + remission for every student they admit and about half of your health insurance. This might have changed now that they added the deliberation track as a plan B option instead of writing a thesis, but I'm not sure, it was added this year. They also got a new departmental chair because the old one retired last year, but he's a wonderful, wonderful person.

 

CSU was awarded by NCA as the top MA program in the country this year and my advisor, Kari Anderson won top MA advisor as well. You also could work with Katy Gibson and Tom Dunn (who will be your advisor for the public speaking classes you would teach for the entirety of both years).

 

Great program and it prepared me exceptionally well for a lot of the troubles I've faced since moving onto my Ph. D. program.

 

Also of note, CSU is a terminal MA program, so you are among the top concerns for each of the faculty.

 

I'm incredibly biased but for what you want to study, CSU is a great place to go.

[jujubea]

I graduated from CSU last year and as far as I'm aware, they fully fund tuition + remission for every student they admit and about half of your health insurance. This might have changed now that they added the deliberation track as a plan B option instead of writing a thesis, but I'm not sure, it was added this year. They also got a new departmental chair because the old one retired last year, but he's a wonderful, wonderful person.

 

CSU was awarded by NCA as the top MA program in the country this year and my advisor, Kari Anderson won top MA advisor as well. You also could work with Katy Gibson and Tom Dunn (who will be your advisor for the public speaking classes you would teach for the entirety of both years).

 

Great program and it prepared me exceptionally well for a lot of the troubles I've faced since moving onto my Ph. D. program.

 

Also of note, CSU is a terminal MA program, so you are among the top concerns for each of the faculty.

 

I'm incredibly biased but for what you want to study, CSU is a great place to go.

 

Errrrrhghhhhh..... How did I not find this in my searches?...??!!

Maybe because I got so focused on finding places I can get both my master's and Phd..... 

What a bummer, looks like a great program, and a great fit.

[Meanyus]

I'm actually really hoping the stars align so that I can get a job back at CSU when I graduate because the program was pretty great all around, for me at least.