TMP Posted February 18, 2015 Posted February 18, 2015 You actually have as long as you want because you haven't been offered a funding package that requires you to make a decision by April 15. Unfunded offers have no deadlines.
Heimat Historian Posted February 18, 2015 Posted February 18, 2015 I think that's a reasonable thing to say honestly AZMoose. It lets them know they need to come up with some funding for you if they really want you. Granted, this is not something I've dealt with personally so I don't know. I'm in a bit of a similar situation with CU. They said you're in and they almost certainly will provide me full funding, but they haven't locked it down yet.
AZMoose Posted February 18, 2015 Posted February 18, 2015 Thanks for the tips everyone. I am trying to be patient, but I already have two rejections and I am really tired of this holding pattern feeling. OU has been my top choice from day one, I just really hope they fund me so I can get on with life. Good luck to everyone!
ellebe Posted February 18, 2015 Posted February 18, 2015 I'm not scared, I'm super excited! But being from the Bay Area, the most mild temperature part of California, means my extent of cold-weather clothing is a 5 year old hoodie and tennis shoes. I know I'll have to add some stuff to my wardrobe, but honestly I'm so ready to move away from here and start a program. I'm giddy about it! Ashiepoo, I think we're all a little giddy for you! You keep things so positive around here. Another Canadian chipping in: snoods are your new best friends. Such a great invention. Before: no matter how many layers you had on, no matter how many times you loop your damn scarf around your neck, you still end up with snow down your front and/or neck. By the time you get to class, you're warm from booking it in a massive winter coat (necessary) but there's still a trail of ice water down your shirt. After: snow trying to sneak down your neck? No way it's getting through the snood. Down your front? I don't think so! A lot of the winter boots will be going on sale around now so it'd be worth investing in a seriously sturdy pair. Realistically you'd only need them to get to class on a few of the very worst days, but if you're sledding and building snowmen and generally doing the awesome outdoorsy stuff kids love in that kind of climate, you'll need them. And waterproof gloves, which are also probably on sale by now. Chiqui74 1
Heimat Historian Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 Question for all: what kind of email is appropriate to send in response to an offer of admission, even an unofficial offer of admission?
ashiepoo72 Posted February 19, 2015 Author Posted February 19, 2015 I sent emails thanking them for the good news and letting them know I'm interested in attending recruitment weekend (if it was mentioned in the email) or that I'd contact them with any questions (also if mentioned in the email).
ashiepoo72 Posted February 21, 2015 Author Posted February 21, 2015 Just got my plane ticket for recruitment weekend at UMinn and I'm lightweight freaking the hell out...and that's my last campus visit!! My stomach is flipping. In a week I'll be in Santa Barbara chatting with my potential adviser and other grad students about my project, research in general, my plans...I'm half terrified they're gonna say "oh crap, you're actually hella underwhelming and we're rescinding your offer"
Heimat Historian Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 Nah, they will be suitably impressed!
remenis Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 Just got my plane ticket for recruitment weekend at UMinn and I'm lightweight freaking the hell out...and that's my last campus visit!! My stomach is flipping. In a week I'll be in Santa Barbara chatting with my potential adviser and other grad students about my project, research in general, my plans...I'm half terrified they're gonna say "oh crap, you're actually hella underwhelming and we're rescinding your offer" I visited both UMinn and UC Santa Barbara a few years ago when I was admitted - both were great experiences with wonderful, welcoming people and there's no reason to freak out. I imagine it's a different field, but in my experience (especially at Santa Barbara) once they've accepted you they really want you to go there and they are much more focused on selling you the program than on evaluating or judging you.
ashiepoo72 Posted February 21, 2015 Author Posted February 21, 2015 I know I'm being totally irrational...maybe it's residual anxiety from applying and waiting for decisions. Thanks for the reassuring words. I know Santa Barbara is a really chill university in general, so I'm glad to hear the department is welcoming. And everyone I've spoken to at Minn has been amazing and kind. I'm going to drink some wine and chill out now
nerdguy Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 Just remember, most history professors are cool as heck. They are fully aware that new PhD students won't be on their level. They know you are ready and want to help you achieve your potential (which your application suggests you have). You'll be fine!
Vr4douche Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 @ashiepoo72 You've made it this far, you've been accepted by 5 schools...you've done right. There is no reason to feel inadequate. Just remember that no one expects you to know everything or to have answers to every question. If you did, why would you be in a PhD? "I don't know" is a perfectly acceptable reply to questions about your project.
TMP Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 Just got my plane ticket for recruitment weekend at UMinn and I'm lightweight freaking the hell out...and that's my last campus visit!! My stomach is flipping. In a week I'll be in Santa Barbara chatting with my potential adviser and other grad students about my project, research in general, my plans...I'm half terrified they're gonna say "oh crap, you're actually hella underwhelming and we're rescinding your offer" Nobody's retracted an acceptance It only happens for undergraduate admissions! They saw the potential in you and want to see what you're like in person. Sure, everyone is awkward at the beginning and professors realize that. We have had some admitted students whom we were like " :blink:" at the beginning and they've turned out wonderfully. Do not worry. Easier said than done.
spellbanisher Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) Remember folks, it's recruitment weekend, not interview weekend. You are the guest of honor. These things are for the department to woo you. Don't concern yourself with impressing anybody. You should be focused on gathering facts and impressions related to these questions. 1. Is this a town/city that you can imagine yourself living in for at least the next 3 years? 2. Are the professors people you would like to collaborate with? Because in addition to working with your major adviser, you'll have a comps committee and a dissertation committee, and you'll likely be taking seminars with 5-10 different professors. While you won't meet most of the professors at recruitment weekend, you might be able to get a sense of the department culture, which will tell you a lot about how professors are expected to act towards grad students. 3. Are the other students in your potential cohort people you like or at the very least can tolerate? You'll be spending a good amount of time around these people. Edited February 21, 2015 by spellbanisher poliorkein 1
ashiepoo72 Posted February 21, 2015 Author Posted February 21, 2015 Thanks everyone, you guys rock. I know its ridiculous to feel this way. I guess I take it all a little too seriously. I get along fine with my MA profs, so it's not like I don't already know they're just people like everyone else! Spellbanisher, those are great questions to keep in mind. That'll help me focus on what I need to get out of recruitment events.
spellbanisher Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) Thanks ashiepoo. Related to the first question I posted, I am a student at UC Davis. I really like it. I like that the campus is built around biking, that I'm a 5-10 minute bike ride from all my classes and downtown, I love the greenbelts and the arboretum and the Davis bike loop, I love being able to bike down Russell into the sunset, and I like that it is a low-key town. However, I know several people from big cities in the program that hate Davis. They hate how small it is and they hate that it is a college town, which means that most of the people you meet even outside of school are 18-25 and that everything pretty much closes down at 11 and it becomes a ghost town in the summer. On the other hand, I know someone who grew up in New York and did undergrad in Boston who loves Davis. So, in terms of location, it is important to consider just how much urban stimulation and "happening" that you want or can handle, and whether you want to live in a town that is dominated by a college or not, an issue that is especially pertinent for grad students in their late twenties. But, as a caveat: it is difficult to get a sense of how much you'd like living in a place from a weekend visit. I know people who liked Davis when they visited but got tired of living here after a few months. Conversely, I know people who initially hated Davis (mostly Southern Californians and Bay Area folks who can't stand any variations in the weather) but grew to either like it or at least tolerate it after a few months. I know, I shat on my own advice there at the end, but there you go. I suppose one way to answer this is, are you somebody who likes routine, or are you somebody who needs constant variety, or how much variety do you need? Again, to use Davis as an example, it is pretty close to two cities, 20 minutes from Sac and about 75 minutes from San Francisco. But grad school life, especially in the first few years, can be a grind, making it difficult to get out except every once in a while. For some that is perfect. For others, however, the grind of grad life makes it necessary to be able to find action and variety just around the corner. Apparently the kind of people you meet in urban vs suburban areas is very different as well. My roommate says women in Berkeley and San Francisco are much more outgoing and approachable(which is his lingo for "easy") than women in Davis. I wouldn't know because I don't talk to people, ever. I mostly live inside my head, so I like my external environment to be as unobtrusive as possible. P.S. This isn't advice specifically about Davis. It's just my example. Edited February 21, 2015 by spellbanisher
ashiepoo72 Posted February 21, 2015 Author Posted February 21, 2015 Lol! Your advice is great, actually. I know how whiny us Bay Area folks can be. My family in Massachusetts tells me all the time that I've never experience actual rain. I love Davis! My best friend lives out in Sac, and a few of my good friends are current grad students at Davis, so I know the area decently well. I happened to go there one summer for cheer camp back in high school, so I experienced the heat and quiet of summer there. I remember liking the dorms they kept us in, but that was 10 years ago so my perspective may be skewed! There are plenty of city guides and also information on this site for people to get somewhat of a feel of where they're moving. Doesn't Davis have a dope wiki page?
spellbanisher Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) Yes, if you are considering Davis, or have already decided on Davis, Davis wiki is your friend. https://localwiki.org/davis/ Edited February 21, 2015 by spellbanisher
Heimat Historian Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Hi all. Anyone get an acceptance without a weekend recruitment event? What are your plans to visit those schools?
ashiepoo72 Posted February 22, 2015 Author Posted February 22, 2015 I remember catsandscarves mentioning that IU doesn't do a recruitment weekend, and she said that they try to get people out there individually when it works in the admits' schedules. Every program that's accepted me (other than Albany, which I turned down pretty quickly so I don't know if they would've) mentioned a recruitment event, so I don't know much else :-/ sorry Heimat. Maybe you could contact the DGS for more info, or ask to get in touch with a grad student there? On another note, I'm about to go shopping for recruitment events. I hate shopping, but for some reason I'm excited to buy clothes for the first time in my life haha mvlchicago 1
mvlchicago Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 I remember catsandscarves mentioning that IU doesn't do a recruitment weekend, and she said that they try to get people out there individually when it works in the admits' schedules. Every program that's accepted me (other than Albany, which I turned down pretty quickly so I don't know if they would've) mentioned a recruitment event, so I don't know much else :-/ sorry Heimat. Maybe you could contact the DGS for more info, or ask to get in touch with a grad student there? On another note, I'm about to go shopping for recruitment events. I hate shopping, but for some reason I'm excited to buy clothes for the first time in my life haha I'm irrationally excited to update/grade my wardrobe for next year. It feels like the cliché "new phase of life" sort of thing.
ashiepoo72 Posted February 22, 2015 Author Posted February 22, 2015 Oh totally! It warrants a new wardrobe. I'll probably celebrate with an orgy of book and kitchen appliance shopping. MollyTheMick 1
fopdandyhomo Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 I prohibited myself from buying books this year considering I'll probably have to ship them all cross-country at the end of the year, but for each acceptance, I allowed myself to buy one book. One of them is my POI's new book that just came out and it's (15 pages in...) amazing. I keep pinching myself thinking that someone this brilliant and empathetic and awesome wants to work with me. What type of clothes are you guys buying? While I recognize that I probably can't dress like a slovenly undergrad next year, I also don't have any plans to procure a new wardrobe for myself. Should I reconsider? MollyTheMick 1
mvlchicago Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 I prohibited myself from buying books this year considering I'll probably have to ship them all cross-country at the end of the year, but for each acceptance, I allowed myself to buy one book. One of them is my POI's new book that just came out and it's (15 pages in...) amazing. I keep pinching myself thinking that someone this brilliant and empathetic and awesome wants to work with me. What type of clothes are you guys buying? While I recognize that I probably can't dress like a slovenly undergrad next year, I also don't have any plans to procure a new wardrobe for myself. Should I reconsider? I've always been a fan of the tie-and-button-down look, even in casual settings, so I'm probably just adjusting my wardrobe to make that more the norm than was true in the past. I think one of the great freedoms of academia is that you don't *have* to change much of anything of how you look if it helps your work be awesome . And don't worry, my library is already in the process of large upgrades. Who says I don't need to own all the original Subaltern Studies volumes?
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