Decisions 2015

[dr. t]

Congrats! She was my POI there as well. Her paper on masculinity and the Gregorian reform still sticks out as one which blew my little undergraduate mind. Choosing between her and Lyon is a task I only envy a little bit

 

I work on connectivity between monasteries and their surrounding communities in the long twelfth century, so I'm sure we'll see each other around!

Edited February 11, 2015 by telkanuru

[dr. t]

I'm having a phone call this week with a would-be adviser to get more information about the program, and I was wondering if you guys have any suggestions of things I should ask. I'm planning on asking about his sort of general expectations, comp exams/dissertation committee structure, his advisement style, etc. but I'm sure I'm forgetting things. I know I posted that extensive list for recruitment events, so I'll be pulling some stuff from that, but I want to ask questions specifically to learn more about my potential adviser and our working relationship if that makes sense.

 

I know about 50% of my questions concern travel, research, and conference funding - how can a medievalist work if he or she can't get to Europe? - but this may be less relevant to your field. I would certainly find out what projects currently interest your adviser, and what interested him or her about your SOP.

[greengoose]

I have two campus visits for Chicago and Berkeley (admitted to both), which were my top picks, and having to decide between the two is going to be agonizing. Berkeley gives better funding all around and will pay for my trip out though Chicago is only giving 2,000 less per year. However, the cost of living in both respective cities may tip the balance either way.

 

I'm also visiting Chicago and Berkeley! I have to turn down another visit day because it conflicts with one of those (and doesn't pay for travel). I'm likelier to choose a different program, but I don't want to write anything off right away. Is anyone else skipping a campus visit day but still considering the program? I'm planning on talking to professors there anyway, but I'm not sure how to approach evaluating a program when I can't visit. Any suggestions?

[ashiepoo72]

Thanks telkanuru, travel is definitely relevant for an Americanist looking at history transnationally!

[Annalistasaxo89]

I'm also visiting Chicago and Berkeley! I have to turn down another visit day because it conflicts with one of those (and doesn't pay for travel). I'm likelier to choose a different program, but I don't want to write anything off right away. Is anyone else skipping a campus visit day but still considering the program? I'm planning on talking to professors there anyway, but I'm not sure how to approach evaluating a program when I can't visit. Any suggestions?

I was told that there are two Chicago Phd admits for 2015 in Medieval history, not sure of the other sub-fields, but I do not know if they are going to visit from what I have heard. I would set up a skype chat with your POI and get in contact with some of the current grad students to make an evaluation on the program. What is your field?

[Aubstopper]

I have two campus visits for Chicago and Berkeley (admitted to both), which were my top picks, and having to decide between the two is going to be agonizing. Berkeley gives better funding all around and will pay for my trip out though Chicago is only giving 2,000 less per year. However, the cost of living in both respective cities may tip the balance either way.

I almost went to Berkeley for undergrad and I was at Chicago for grad school (and currently live in Chicago). I can tell you that it is much, much cheaper to live in Chicago than Berkeley (maybe why they upped their offer package?). I live in a 1400 sqft flat, near transport in a nice area 3 beds/1 bath for $1400 a month. When I was in Hyde Park, I lived in grad apartments; mine was $800 a month for a 1 bed/1 bath 650 sqft apt walking distance from the uni. I know people who found even cheaper housing when they looked outside of grad housing...though in some places it can be quite sketchy (we were encouraged to not walk alone after dark--esp women).  

It might end up evening out either way--so it might just come down more so to where you feel the most comfortable. 

[greengoose]

I was told that there are two Chicago Phd admits for 2015 in Medieval history, not sure of the other sub-fields, but I do not know if they are going to visit from what I have heard. I would set up a skype chat with your POI and get in contact with some of the current grad students to make an evaluation on the program. What is your field?

 

My field is history of science. I just got the same advice from the DGS of the program I'm not visiting, so hopefully I'll be able to set up some Skype calls with professors and current students there. 

 

To Aubstopper's point -- I did my undergrad in Chicago and can vouch for the cheaper cost of living there than similarly-sized cities on the coasts. Cost of living vs. stipend amount is one of those things I'm hoping to be able to talk to current students about to make my decision... hopefully people will be willing to talk about it.

[Annalistasaxo89]

I almost went to Berkeley for undergrad and I was at Chicago for grad school (and currently live in Chicago). I can tell you that it is much, much cheaper to live in Chicago than Berkeley (maybe why they upped their offer package?). I live in a 1400 sqft flat, near transport in a nice area 3 beds/1 bath for $1400 a month. When I was in Hyde Park, I lived in grad apartments; mine was $800 a month for a 1 bed/1 bath 650 sqft apt walking distance from the uni. I know people who found even cheaper housing when they looked outside of grad housing...though in some places it can be quite sketchy (we were encouraged to not walk alone after dark--esp women).  

It might end up evening out either way--so it might just come down more so to where you feel the most comfortable. 

I think that will be the case ie., where I feel more comfortable during the campus visit. The very close match of interests between me and my potential adviser at Chicago is weighing me more towards that program though. 

[HistoryMystery]

Yeah, the logistics of moving are weighing on me. I've been researching apartments and grad student housing at the programs I've heard from so far so that I can gauge whether the stipend is sufficient, how much I need to save, etc. Not to mention all the stuff I'll need to buy to move to a completely different climate (if I end up picking a school in the Midwest).

 

I have a spreadsheet that outlines general housing costs at all the schools I applied, what neighborhoods are recommended/safe, if there are elementary schools nearby (for my daughter) and if public transit is good (so I can sell my car before I move). It's all a bit overwhelming!

 

Strangely enough the moving/logistics aspect of Grad School is what makes me nervous! I know I can tackle the coursework.

[Chiqui74]

The logistics of moving thousands of miles with all my stuff is terrifying, but more so is getting the timing for everything right. We need to let the kid finish the school year, sell the house, my husband find a job in the new location, etc, and time it all so we don't have to do short term leases here while we settle there.  The thought alone makes me want to withdraw all my applications!

[ashiepoo72]

I'm lucky it's just my daughter and I, but setting her up at a new school and moving all our stuff, let alone finding a place to live and getting a lay of the land, is terrifying.

[gsc]

I'm lucky it's just my daughter and I, but setting her up at a new school and moving all our stuff, let alone finding a place to live and getting a lay of the land, is terrifying.

 

I've recently taken to staring at all of the books in my apartment and wondering how on earth I'm supposed to move them. I don't even have any kids!

 

Question for y'all: a friend of mine applied to law school, got full rides from schools A and B, and maybe a 1/3 of tuition from school C. He took his offers from A and B and asked C if it was possible to receive more scholarship money, given the full rides from the others; school C came back and offered him a full ride. (He ended up going to school D, a where he received no money whatsoever, but that's another story!) Is it possible to do this for grad schools? Funding seems to work so differently for PhD applications, so I'm not sure if it's even worth my time -- do individual departments even have the power to offer students more funding? Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks! 

[ashiepoo72]

I have a few things to say about that question. I personally don't feel comfortable trying to get more money from programs. I know most don't have the ability to add money to funding packages, although some have been known to in rare instances. I simply won't attend an institution that does not fund me outright because I wouldn't be able to do the PhD otherwise.

 

However, I HAVE been encouraged to try to bounce programs off each other by more than one professor. I was told that even if programs can't up the stipend, they may be able to offer guaranteed summer funding for a year or two, or maybe provide financial assistance for moving expenses.

 

I don't have experience haggling with programs and, to be honest, I don't want to get that kind of experience. But I definitely will be asking questions about summer/conference/moving funds and opportunities to get such funds.

[gsc]

Yeah, for sure! I don't expect a program to magically give me another fellowship year or anything like that! I realize that if the program had the funds to offer me two years of fellowship or whatever, they would have done so, and it's not really fair to ask. But I'm curious if bouncing programs off each other (as you say) is common/accepted practice, as it seemed to be for law schools. 

[ashiepoo72]

I feel like it must be if my professors are suggesting it. I don't think it'll hurt as long as you're tactful about it. I was basically told, mention to programs that you're concerned about going into debt and if there is anything more they could do. I probably won't because I feel weirded out about it, but I can see why it's worth a shot. It's not like you'd be a diva or expect an exorbitant amount of money, it's pretty reasonable to want enough food and book money haha

[Fianna]

One really great piece of advice one of my faculty mentors gave me (and which was wholeheartedly agreed with by everyone else on my committee) was not to go to a place that didn't fund you and to be really skeptical of an offer that doesn't fund you at the rate they are funding other candidates. Even if it's a "better" program, even if you're one of the lucky few that can afford to pay. What they offer is a measure of how they value your work. If they admit you to round out a cohort, but don't give you support, you probably aren't going to get support in other areas (mentorship, conference and research support, etc.). I've been constantly reminded to look at this process as part of my professionalization and to think of the PhD work as a job, and part of the funding offer is usually teaching, which is a really big deal in the job market. Great research alone is not going to get you a TT offer. They expect you to have done some teaching before that, because the state of the market is such that institutions can afford to be really picky and they don't have to do all that much training anymore. If you can't come in ready to teach a class, they're going to have 100 other vita of candidates who can.

[catsandscarves]

One funny note about campus visits...get ready to get STUFFED. They feed you so much and very well because they want to impress you (at least on the visits I went to). Enjoy being on the other side of things...now they get to make YOU want to choose THEM!

[ashiepoo72]

I've been told there will be beers haha they're seriously pulling out all the stops

[catsandscarves]

I've been told there will be beers haha they're seriously pulling out all the stopsI

I was absolutely exhausted on one visit, and then they took me out for Italian. So first of all carbs are going to put me to bed. Then they (2 profs) insisted on getting a bottle of wine for us, though I kept telling them I was fine..I mostly didnt want to fall asleep mid conversation or over the drinks we were getting AFTER dinner ha! 

[Chiqui74]

I'm looking forward to my NYU visit.  First, I LOVE NYC and I've dreamed about living there pretty much all my life, and second because I have had such great interactions with several faculty members there and it makes me feel like they really want me.  If other offers come through, (like from UPenn and Harvard) I think it's going to be a difficult choice.

[Jezzlin]

Hey guys, 

 

I've posted a couple of times on the Fall Applicants threat but this is my first post here. I was hoping I could get some advice on declining an offer. I got a funded offer from Chicago early this week and will probably accept it if I don't get into either Austin or Michigan. I had also seriously applied to Emory because I felt my chances of getting in there were higher and there was a decent faculty fit. I genuinely did not expect to get into Chicago so early, I was anticipating being wait-listed, so I understandably expressed quite a bit of enthusiasm when my POI at Emory interviewed me in late January. The department made me an offer yesterday and my POI wrote me a personalized email saying that they hope I will join.

 

So, any advice on how one goes about writing a polite letter/email declining the offer? You obviously want to be very respectful and appreciate the effort your POI made to get you to work with them. I also don't want to take up more time than I need seeing as they could extend a new offer to someone who has been wait-listed. I know there are probably threads from previous years on this but perhaps some insight from those of us who are in the midst of the admissions process may be more helpful. Thanks!

[ashiepoo72]

Sent you a PM

[Professor Plum]

So, any advice on how one goes about writing a polite letter/email declining the offer?

 

"Prof. Smith: Thank you again for the time you spent in January discussing the opportunities at Emory with me. After much thought, I have decided to accept an offer at the University of Chicago, which seemed like a slightly better fit given my research interests and professional goals. I really appreciate your willingness to discuss my research and the program at Emory, and I hope to have a chance to discuss your new project at conference Q sometime in the coming years. Thank you again for your help--Best, Jezzlin."

[L13]

I realize schools like to know who you're turning them down for, but you don't actually have to tell them. "I have received an offer from a department where I believe I would fit in better" is a sufficient explanation unless you actually want to tell them where you're going, in my opinion. Also, could giving them the name of a higher-ranked program and mentioning your professional goals be construed as implying they're not good enough for you or something...? I mean, that would be the worry going through my head if I were trying to write such an email, but I'm more anxious about hitting the right tone in emails than most people.

 

Basically, Professor Plum's suggested email is totally fine and I'm sure Emory won't actually care at all, but if I were sending it, I would probably take out the bit about professional goals.

 

Good on you for letting them know so early, Jezzlin! That way it's easier for them and for whoever they're going to accept from the waitlist (if they do that).

Edited February 13, 2015 by L13

[Jezzlin]

Thank you guys! Yeah I agree the department probably won't care, but the POI is very closely related to my field, so from that perspective I'd probably want to write them a slightly more personalized email thanking them for the offer and their encouragement.