Fall 2015 Acceptances (and Rejections) Thread

[brokenwindow]

Knowing Whitford, it doesn't seem like a not very nice response. Just his personality.

Yeah, in the beginning of my post I was writing from my memory from a year earlier. Then I paused, searched for the email, and realized that, all things considered, it was actually not that cruel. It's just that for various reasons (including what I thought was one very strong in with a professor) I had thought I had a real shot, so I was pretty disappointed that my app clearly didn't even ping on Whitford's radar. He was polite, but that could have been written to anybody. Then again, they get zillions of candidates for a few spots -- maybe it was luck of the draw, or maybe I was just a weak candidate or otherwise a bad fit for the program.

Edited February 22, 2015 by brokenwindow

[brokenwindow]

Just FYI, I got into a number of programs after what seemed like a period of silence after others got notifications. Be patient y'all. Nothing is a rejection until it's a rejection. 

First off, that's always nice to hear for those of us still in limbo. Also, I hope you're killing it at UC-I.

 

Second, were you accepted late to programs that had weeks or months earlier sent out acceptances and wait lists? I was under the impression that that's really really unusual.

Edited February 22, 2015 by brokenwindow

[MaxWeberHasAPosse]

And Chicago? Do they have a formal waitlist? I had no news about it!

And about NYU, whats means not being notified yet? good or bad?

When did columbia send the acceptance email?

I have no idea. You can check the results search and construct your own explanation: you are a sociologist! 

[rlb]

So who got the Amherst acceptances so far? What time did you receive them today?

[ritsukot74]

I got one today at 6:27pm (Eastern time). E-mail from Millie Thayer with funding letter attached and invitation to recruitment event at the end of March. Not sure of they are done sending out acceptances, though.

 

EDIT: From previous years, it seems like they send all acceptances on the same day, and then they send all rejections a few weeks later. I wonder if they have an unofficial wait list.

 

So who got the Amherst acceptances so far? What time did you receive them today?

Edited February 22, 2015 by ritsukot74

[ritsukot74]

I think it's safe to say BC is a rejection, they have a history of accepting all people at the same time, then wait listing and then rejecting. So far, there is an acceptance on the 12th and a wait list on the 20th, so the next wave should be rejections... :/

 

 

Anybody claiming the waitlist from Boston College? 

[hillary511]

Anybody claiming the waitlist from Boston College? 

I was just accepted to the MA program. My concern is it seems very costly.

[sluggerotoole]

I emailed their GSAS on the 17th and got the response: "All applications for Sociology are currently under review and decisions will be mailed out shortly." So I figured that there's still some hope...

 

I think it's safe to say BC is a rejection, they have a history of accepting all people at the same time, then wait listing and then rejecting. So far, there is an acceptance on the 12th and a wait list on the 20th, so the next wave should be rejections... :/

[Owenofhawaii]

The DGS at Columbia told me that they have sent out all admits for PhD applicants, and now sending notification for MA admits.

 

Basically, if you haven't received anything official yet from Columbia (nor have I), focus on other universities.

 

I really don't know. There is a lot of theorizing on this forum about this issue, but I am of the opinion that the evidence points in a lot of different directions, so, we just don't know! (still, it's better than rejection).

[ritsukot74]

I wouldn't pay for an MA if I already have a funded PhD offer from CU Boulder, that's such an amazing school!! Everyone there does amazing work that is so important for the world! I would definitely go there. 

 

I was just accepted to the MA program. My concern is it seems very costly.

[ritsukot74]

I really, really hope they aren't done making decisions, but based on the past 2 years, that seems to be the trend. 

 

I emailed their GSAS on the 17th and got the response: "All applications for Sociology are currently under review and decisions will be mailed out shortly." So I figured that there's still some hope...

[MaxWeberHasAPosse]

If anyone has questions about CU Boulder let me know. I'm currently a student there.

[nycres]

Didn't see anything on the results page, but has anyone been accepted to Hopkins? I was wait listed, but considering they only accept (approx) four students a year, I doubt I'll get in...

[hillary511]

I wouldn't pay for an MA if I already have a funded PhD offer from CU Boulder, that's such an amazing school!! Everyone there does amazing work that is so important for the world! I would definitely go there. 

Thanks! You're basically mirroring my thinking. I'm not really taking the waitlist from Uconn or the MA from BC seriously at this point in comparison to the boulder offer.

 

also MaxWeberHasAPosse I PMed you. If anyone has questions about Stony Brook I'm fairly involved in the department (I work with Marrone and Kimmel most closely) and I work for the off campus housing department. I'm happy to answer questions!

Edited February 22, 2015 by hillary511

[hgp]

hey guys just for the record Northwestern is NU not NW 

[ritsukot74]

For anyone who is wait listed at Stony Brook, I'll be declining their offer tomorrow, so a spot with full funding should open!!! 

[Starbuck2015]

hey guys just for the record Northwestern is NU not NW 

 

I wish people would refer to Northwestern at NWU and Northeastern as NEU in order to prevent confusion.

[theoryoftheories]

I'm curious: will anyone be taking the Columbia MA offer?  I'm surprised at the unenthusiastic reactions so far.  I have an MA from Chicago and I'd be thrilled to get the offer.

[Whatishistoryanyway]

I'm curious: will anyone be taking the Columbia MA offer? I'm surprised at the unenthusiastic reactions so far. I have an MA from Chicago and I'd be thrilled to get the offer.

I've gotten advice from some people who went through the program and there are definitely plenty of positive things to say about the experience and opportunities the MAs at places like Columbia and Chicago have to offer. With that said, I've concluded that I can't take $50k-$100k out in loans to finance a program that may lead me nowhere. Even if guaranteed success, I can't see how I could justify that much debt in addition to old undergrad debt and eventual doctoral debt that will surely come later. Perhaps things would be different if I had family that could help with the disgusting (and in my opinion, unethical) pricetag. But if that were the case, I'm sure I'd have more interest in pursuing some bourgeois field (pretending for a moment sociology isn't one). By no means am I trying to offend anyone who pursued an MA at a place like Columbia. They've always given me solid and helpful advice. As someone who contemplated doing it, I was just hoping to explain why some people can't.

[MaxWeberHasAPosse]

I've gotten advice from some people who went through the program and there are definitely plenty of positive things to say about the experience and opportunities the MAs at places like Columbia and Chicago have to offer. With that said, I've concluded that I can't take $50k-$100k out in loans to finance a program that may lead me nowhere. Even if guaranteed success, I can't see how I could justify that much debt in addition to old undergrad debt and eventual doctoral debt that will surely come later. Perhaps things would be different if I had family that could help with the disgusting (and in my opinion, unethical) pricetag. But if that were the case, I'm sure I'd have more interest in pursuing some bourgeois field (pretending for a moment sociology isn't one). By no means am I trying to offend anyone who pursued an MA at a place like Columbia. They've always given me solid and helpful advice. As someone who contemplated doing it, I was just hoping to explain why some people can't.

I'm with you. I feel like there is something a bit opportunistic about it on their end. 

[uselesstheory]

I'm with you. I feel like there is something a bit opportunistic about it on their end. 

 

I would say very opportunistic. 

[letstalkshop]

It's obviously opportunistic. But it's Columbia higher ups, not the department, that's forcing the high costs.

[Whatishistoryanyway]

It's obviously opportunistic. But it's Columbia higher ups, not the department, that's forcing the high costs.

Perhaps, but is it not the adcom who admits students knowing of the unethical costs associated with it? I won't pretend to be smarter than people in those positions, so perhaps it's just a misinterpreted situation on my end.

[460178985]

I've gotten advice from some people who went through the program and there are definitely plenty of positive things to say about the experience and opportunities the MAs at places like Columbia and Chicago have to offer. With that said, I've concluded that I can't take $50k-$100k out in loans to finance a program that may lead me nowhere. Even if guaranteed success, I can't see how I could justify that much debt in addition to old undergrad debt and eventual doctoral debt that will surely come later. Perhaps things would be different if I had family that could help with the disgusting (and in my opinion, unethical) pricetag. But if that were the case, I'm sure I'd have more interest in pursuing some bourgeois field (pretending for a moment sociology isn't one). By no means am I trying to offend anyone who pursued an MA at a place like Columbia. They've always given me solid and helpful advice. As someone who contemplated doing it, I was just hoping to explain why some people can't.

Thay may offer tuition waiver (this is what ingot for Chicago master). Don't lost hope!

[theoryoftheories]

I've gotten advice from some people who went through the program and there are definitely plenty of positive things to say about the experience and opportunities the MAs at places like Columbia and Chicago have to offer. With that said, I've concluded that I can't take $50k-$100k out in loans to finance a program that may lead me nowhere. Even if guaranteed success, I can't see how I could justify that much debt in addition to old undergrad debt and eventual doctoral debt that will surely come later. Perhaps things would be different if I had family that could help with the disgusting (and in my opinion, unethical) pricetag. But if that were the case, I'm sure I'd have more interest in pursuing some bourgeois field (pretending for a moment sociology isn't one). By no means am I trying to offend anyone who pursued an MA at a place like Columbia. They've always given me solid and helpful advice. As someone who contemplated doing it, I was just hoping to explain why some people can't.

 

To anyone who doesn't have a financially supporting family or the professional means to mitigate "the disgusting cost" of an MA please consider the following.

 

An MA from Chicago or Columbia certainly improves your odds of finding gainful employment relative to, say, that BA in gender studies and postmodern literature that you incurred debt for in the first place. Top firms from all fields recruit from top tier schools, what you actually studied ("bourgeois fields" included) playing a largely minor role. Depending on where you live, how you live, etc., a year or two outside of academic work may go a long way to mitigate the $75,000 price tag. It might, it might not, there are a lot of factors at play.  

 

There may be an even higher opportunity cost of not attending an MA program. If you have academic aspirations but have never been in a graduate environment, dealt with academic politics, etc., etc., you may find that you really dislike the academic world. Now if you're a few years into a Ph.D. program, and especially if you have completed it, you may not have incurred any debt, but you're not going anywhere else professionally. And, like Marx's capitalists, you've dug your own grave. Get comfortable there. If you haven't noticed the American public is only slightly hostile to science and intellectuals of any kind. I think most people would rather be buried in debt than having a doctorate and (minor but meaningful edit) taking fast food orders or being otherwise miserable for the rest of their natural lives. I could be wrong.

 

Now if you find that you do love academic work and you really want to research, teach, and publish at a (major) university, then these MA programs are, in the context of the long run, an incredible opportunity to advance those life-long goals. Nothing is guaranteed, sure, but that is the nature of life. These opportunities are almost entirely what you make of them. (I can say this because I largely squandered mine the first time around.)

 

So to anyone out there considering the MA route please feel free to contact me. I'm happy to help in anyway I can.    

Edited February 23, 2015 by TheoryOfTheories