Venting Thread

[doxazein918]

20 minutes ago, Abendstern said:

I woke up to an email this morning entitled "Graduate Admissions and Funding 2016-17 Application..."

..."Survey"

That was a dirty trick Oxford. You can bet my reaction will be included on that survey!

SAME.  I was thinking how crazy it was that they let me know so soon…alas.

[pecado]

45 minutes ago, Abendstern said:

I woke up to an email this morning entitled "Graduate Admissions and Funding 2016-17 Application..."

..."Survey"

That was a dirty trick Oxford. You can bet my reaction will be included on that survey!

 

24 minutes ago, doxazein918 said:

SAME.  I was thinking how crazy it was that they let me know so soon…alas.

Could you please explain why this was a trick and how it works?

[MVSCZAR]

Is anyone else a masochist and watched that Donald Trump rally right now?

[currentphilgrad]

11 hours ago, MVSCZAR said:

I hope they call you!! 

 

They may have called me extra early. I do go to CUNY Hunter, after all. 

Thanks!

[doxazein918]

5 hours ago, pecado said:

 

Could you please explain why this was a trick and how it works?

From the email subject it sounded like an offer of admission, but it was just a link to a survey about the application process.

[andaval]

The way I feel now

 

[gughok]

I don't know why I ever dared hope that graduate admissions would go better than my undergraduate experience. I'd rather be shut out than get into just one place because at least then I can decide that I wasn't ready and come back next year with significant improvement. Now I'm at risk of deciding to go somewhere because I have no other options and I don't know if I could survive five years knowing that nobody I wanted wanted me.

Edited February 26, 2016 by gughok

[MVSCZAR]

All these analytics freaking out about NYU  acceptances and I'm a continental native NYer like: 

[majorshake]

1 hour ago, gughok said:

I don't know why I ever dared hope that graduate admissions would go better than my undergraduate experience. I'd rather be shut out than get into just one place because at least then I can decide that I wasn't ready and come back next year with significant improvement. Now I'm at risk of deciding to go somewhere because I have no other options and I don't know if I could survive five years knowing that nobody I wanted wanted me.

You got into Harvard. You're ready.

[Erratic_Akratic]

1 hour ago, gughok said:

I don't know why I ever dared hope that graduate admissions would go better than my undergraduate experience. I'd rather be shut out than get into just one place because at least then I can decide that I wasn't ready and come back next year with significant improvement. Now I'm at risk of deciding to go somewhere because I have no other options and I don't know if I could survive five years knowing that nobody I wanted wanted me.

I think you will survive!

Each rejection hurts, but it's unreasonable to take any single rejection too much to heart. The application process is insanely competitive. We all know this. At any given place we're rejected, it's actually far more likely that the admission committee simply preferred some other applicant, than that they did not want us in the program simpliciter. The whole process is a competition, not a personal evaluation. Consequently, I don't think we should take any single rejection on the personal level. 

Any single acceptance, conversely, is an incredible academic encouragement! And if you've been admitted in a program where you think you'll be able to flourish as a philosopher, nothing can take that away from you.  

[Siegfried42]

5 hours ago, MVSCZAR said:

Is anyone else a masochist and watched that Donald Trump rally right now?

I don't have the stomach to watch any Republicans on TV anymore, lol. I used to watch every debate on both sides: but I can't deal with the fifty shades of insanity into which the Republican race has descended  On the bright side: this election has got to be an easy win for the Democrats 

[psm1580b]

13 minutes ago, Siegfried42 said:

I don't have the stomach to watch any Republicans on TV anymore, lol. I used to watch every debate on both sides: but I can't deal with the fifty shades of insanity into which the Republican race has descended  On the bright side: this election has got to be an easy win for the Democrats 

I was, rather hilariously, emailed and told of my WL at a Canadian school the morning after the GOP debate. Coincidence? or pity?

Edited February 27, 2016 by psm1580b

[matchamatcha]

My partner called me to ask me to pick up a drink while I was getting pizza today.  I felt the buzzing in my pocket and instantly thought, "OMG PITT WANTS ME AFTER ALL?!?!"

[MVSCZAR]

10 minutes ago, matchamatcha said:

My partner called me to ask me to pick up a drink while I was getting pizza today.  I felt the buzzing in my pocket and instantly thought, "OMG PITT WANTS ME AFTER ALL?!?!"

 

At least you got pizza, though. 

[MVSCZAR]

1 hour ago, psm1580b said:

I was, rather hilariously, emailed and told of my WL at a Canadian school the morning after the GOP debate. Coincidence? or pity?

Good point. I should probably tell Toronto I'm a commie so they can get me off of that waitlist. 

[Disgruntledlurker]

I was just at a campus visit at one of my top choice schools and I feel a bit sick to my stomach. It seems like a great program and a great fit for me, the issue is the other graduate students. It happened multiple times as one or another of the current students said goodbye to our group of prospectives that they shook all of the men's hands but not mine. Then at dinner, there was a point where I was caught in a conversation between two male current students. They were acting as though I wasn't there and talking through me, and then one of them actually suggested that I leave. Like, take my plate and find a different spot? That's not what you do when you realise that you're excluding someone. I feel gross.

[Disgruntledlurker]

4 minutes ago, MickeyRay said:

Is it your only program? What's the girl/guy ratio of both grad students and faculty? What kind of philosophy do you do? Does anyone there do feminist theory?

 

Also, was it Duquesne?

Not Duquesne, and it is a program with a good proportion of female students with at least one stellar feminist scholar and a department head who is enthusiastic about, though not explicitly working on, feminist ideas. Those are calming points to focus on, thanks for pointing them out. This is my only full-blown acceptance so far. 

Edited February 27, 2016 by Disgruntledlurker

[MickeyRay]

Just now, Disgruntledlurker said:

Not Duquense, and it is a program with a good proportion of female students with at least one stellar feminist scholar and a department head who is enthusiastic about, though not explicitly working on, feminist ideas. Those are calming points to focus on, thanks for pointing them out. This is my only full-blown acceptance so far. 

Well, since you got into one program so far (Congrats!!) I definitely wouldn't write off a program because of a couple of assholes. Especially since they may just be insecure about incoming kids showing them up (and god forbid if that new all star doesn't even have a penis). Feminist scholar doesn't always translate into good feminist practices, but a good proportion of female students may be okay. Ask them how they feel in the program and ask them how involved they are in feminist theory as well (chicks can be misogynists too). 

 

I would be super wary about the girl/guy ratio of faculty moreso than students though. Having female full time profs really does change the way that female TA's and instructors are viewed by students (especially undergrad, but grad as well). If we envision "philosopher" to mean dead white guy then its going to be harder for non-white non-guy individuals to be taken seriously regardless of merit. 

[psm1580b]

57 minutes ago, Disgruntledlurker said:

I was just at a campus visit at one of my top choice schools and I feel a bit sick to my stomach. It seems like a great program and a great fit for me, the issue is the other graduate students. It happened multiple times as one or another of the current students said goodbye to our group of prospectives that they shook all of the men's hands but not mine. Then at dinner, there was a point where I was caught in a conversation between two male current students. They were acting as though I wasn't there and talking through me, and then one of them actually suggested that I leave. Like, take my plate and find a different spot? That's not what you do when you realise that you're excluding someone. I feel gross.

Holy shit. The silencing never ceases

This is fucking irritating. What school was it?

[MVSCZAR]

1 hour ago, MickeyRay said:

Is it your only program? What's the girl/guy ratio of both grad students and faculty? What kind of philosophy do you do? Does anyone there do feminist theory?

 

 

Idk if you asked, but if you did, is there something notably off about Duquesne and how they treat women?

[MickeyRay]

3 minutes ago, MVSCZAR said:

Idk if you asked, but if you did, is there something notably off about Duquesne and how they treat women?

A lot of my information is hear-say but someone I know presented at a conference at that school (I'm trying not to spread rumors, but I am failing horribly) and was being recruited hard by everyone there.... but apparently female students told her not to come and that it was a rough environment for women. I would definitely consider directly asking the students their about their experiences of gender and the climate of the department. I would encourage this for any student about any program though. (:

Edited February 27, 2016 by MickeyRay

[MVSCZAR]

2 minutes ago, MickeyRay said:

A lot of my information is hear-say but someone I know presented at a conference at that school (I'm trying not to spread rumors, but I am failing horribly) and was being recruited hard by everyone there.... but apparently female students told her not to come and that it was a rough environment for women. I would definitely consider directly asking the students their about their experiences of gender and the climate of the department. I would encourage this for any student about any program though. (:

Cool, thank! I don't expect to have an easy time no matter where I go, but I'm okay with that. I'm largely used to it. 

[MickeyRay]

15 minutes ago, MVSCZAR said:

Cool, thank! I don't expect to have an easy time no matter where I go, but I'm okay with that. I'm largely used to it. 

Actually, Vanderbilt is the best place for women hands down. From what I've heard. 

[MVSCZAR]

Just now, MickeyRay said:

Actually, Vanderbilt is the best place for women hands down. From what I've heard. 

I have a few reservations about Vanderbilt. First of all, it's in Tennessee, which is god awful for women's rights. Sure, if I don't get myself into "trouble", I'll be fine, but why risk it? Then, they don't really have a Plato scholar, which is super unfortunate. I'm kind of sad about that. And then a whole host of reasons why the south is terrible, but that might just be northern prejudice. I'll try to iron all of these out by the time I get back from my visit. 

[MickeyRay]

1 minute ago, MVSCZAR said:

I have a few reservations about Vanderbilt. First of all, it's in Tennessee, which is god awful for women's rights. Sure, if I don't get myself into "trouble", I'll be fine, but why risk it? Then, they don't really have a Plato scholar, which is super unfortunate. I'm kind of sad about that. And then a whole host of reasons why the south is terrible, but that might just be northern prejudice. I'll try to iron all of these out by the time I get back from my visit. 

I'll be interested to see how your viewpoints have changed or maintained after visiting. Honestly, I think their grad students are pretty happy.... but I would nto go to a school without a Plato scholar if that's what you wanna study. Especially with so many choices. That'd be silly. However, I have also heard villanova is pretty good for women. Idk about the others. Good luck