UBC Faculty of Education PhD Interview

[litzzie]

Hi, 

Just saw an update on the result page re. an interview with the language and literacy studies (phd) at UBC. Just wanna see if interviews are common. I am applying to EDST and needless to say...no news yet...  

Thanks!

Edited February 13, 2016 by litzzie

[Hemmelig]

Hi Litzzie,

I updated the results page a few hours ago. I did not contact any faculty members before submitting my application. The professor who contacted me for an interview was one of two whom I mentioned in my SOP. She has requested a 30-minute interview via Skype to discuss my background and research interests. 

As well, yesterday I received an offer of admission from the U of Calgary (language & literacy). They did not request an interview! So, I think it depends on the program. It appears that some schools will request interviews while others will not. 

I hope UBC will release their decisions soon as the U of Calgary has given me until March 15th to respond to their offer. UBC is my first choice, but funding may also play an important factor in my decision.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Hemmelig

[litzzie]

 

8 minutes ago, Hemmelig said:

Hi Litzzie,

I updated the results page a few hours ago. I did not contact any faculty members before submitting my application. The professor who contacted me for an interview was one of two who I mentioned in my SOP. She has requested a 30-minute interview via Skype to discuss my background and research interests. 

As well, yesterday I received an offer of admission from the U of Calgary (language & literacy). They did not request an interview! So, I think it depends on the program. It appears that some schools will request interviews while others will not. 

I hope UBC will release their decisions soon as the U of Calgary has given me until March 15th to respond to their offer. UBC is my first choice, but I funding may also play an important factor in my decision.

Hi Hemmelig, congrats on your UofC offer! It's good to know that you will definitely be going somewhere for your PhD in September.  I have only applied to two and haven't heard back from either of them. Like you I am really hoping to hear back from UBC asap (I also applied to UVic but their official deadline isn't until the 15th!), just so I know...this drawn-out waiting game is driving me mental...

I am applying to Educational Studies rather than Language and Literacy Studies at UBC, and did contact one of the profs before I submitted my application. In fact I only submitted my applications to schools where I managed to secure faculty support. I hope I have made a good enough impression during our Skype session prior to my application...

Judging from the results of the past years UBC Education seems to release their results the first two weeks of March, so I guess it is quite likely that you will be informed of their decisions before your UofC deadline. Will you consider mentioning that to the POI during the interview? Sure at this point if they wanna talk to you it will be because they have decided you are a competitive candidate, and the interview is the last step for the POI to decide if she would like to work with you? 

Funding will be my main consideration as well (if I got an offers at all  ). Do you mind if I ask what your area of interest is? It may sound very strange but I applied to Language and Literarcy at UVic. They don't divide the areas quite the same way as UBC and my research interest is a mix of policy and curriculum, so I just go with the profs that I would like to work with. 

I wish I was as certain as you are when it comes to which school is my first choice. I really have no idea which one I prefer. I would like to the reputation of UBC but I would also quite like to study in a smaller department where it's easier to get to know people. Sounds silly though, as UBC is ranked so much more highly world wide (first 50) while UVic is in the 200-250 range...

Anyways good luck with the interview!!! If you don't mind me being cheeky, please keep me posted on how things go. Sending you good vibes!

[Hemmelig]

Hi Litzzie,

Thank you for the good vibes! I had my interview yesterday and it was pretty standard (I think!). She asked me about my previous experiences, both education and work related. We spent a lot of the time talking about my research interests (i.e., RQs, methodology, geographical area, what age group, etc.). She also asked me about funding - if I have outside funding, would I be applying for SSHRC. It seems all a blur now, but I hope I was able to clearly articulate my thoughts to her!

About applicant interviews, she said that she contacted me because of her potential role as my supervisor (i.e., UBC does not randomly assign faculty members to interview applicants). In your case, maybe because you have already spoken with the faculty member you would like to work under and they "know you'', they don't feel the need to talk with you again??

Most importantly, the professor said that the committee will meet next week to finalize their decision and applicants will know w/in the first 2 weeks of March -as the Grad Cafe data suggests!

My general area of interest is minority language learners and their impact/relation to policy and pedagogy. UBC is the best fit for me and I like the size of the department. I think you have to go where you feel you will learn the most and where you find  a supervisor who will really mentor you - regardless of ranking. 

Let me know if you hear anything from UVic. I applied to SFU and their deadline was also Jan 15th, so I am curious as to when the schools with the later deadline send out their decisions.

[litzzie]

On 17 February, 2016 at 4:34 PM, Hemmelig said:

Hi Litzzie,

Thank you for the good vibes! I had my interview yesterday and it was pretty standard (I think!). She asked me about my previous experiences, both education and work related. We spent a lot of the time talking about my research interests (i.e., RQs, methodology, geographical area, what age group, etc.). She also asked me about funding - if I have outside funding, would I be applying for SSHRC. It seems all a blur now, but I hope I was able to clearly articulate my thoughts to her!

About applicant interviews, she said that she contacted me because of her potential role as my supervisor (i.e., UBC does not randomly assign faculty members to interview applicants). In your case, maybe because you have already spoken with the faculty member you would like to work under and they "know you'', they don't feel the need to talk with you again??

Most importantly, the professor said that the committee will meet next week to finalize their decision and applicants will know w/in the first 2 weeks of March -as the Grad Cafe data suggests!

My general area of interest is minority language learners and their impact/relation to policy and pedagogy. UBC is the best fit for me and I like the size of the department. I think you have to go where you feel you will learn the most and where you find  a supervisor who will really mentor you - regardless of ranking. 

Let me know if you hear anything from UVic. I applied to SFU and their deadline was also Jan 15th, so I am curious as to when the schools with the later deadline send out their decisions.

Hi Hemmelig! Glad that the interview has gone well. Your conversation with your potential advisor sounds very promising! When I spoke to the prof that I would like to work with, she didn't ask me much about funding. It was mainly about my area of interest and hers. I hope it was because the conversation was in November and she thought funding wasn't the most pressing issue back then...Do you feel the prof you spoke to is somebody who would work well with you?

When you say you like the size of the department, do you mean you like it small, medium sized or large? What do you think are the advantages of departments of different sizes? I still find it a little hard to judge which place is a better fit for me. For UBC, because it's a bigger uni, I'm sure there are more opportunities, but UVic isn't exactly a small uni either...I really have no idea how to rank the two places...

UVic's application was Feb 15!!!! I am pretty sure I won't hear from them until April. But if I did receive an offer from UBC I might just email them and see if I could hear from them a little sooner...

Let's stay in touch!

[litzzie]

On 17 February 2016 at 4:34 PM, Hemmelig said:

Hi Litzzie,

Thank you for the good vibes! I had my interview yesterday and it was pretty standard (I think!). She asked me about my previous experiences, both education and work related. We spent a lot of the time talking about my research interests (i.e., RQs, methodology, geographical area, what age group, etc.). She also asked me about funding - if I have outside funding, would I be applying for SSHRC. It seems all a blur now, but I hope I was able to clearly articulate my thoughts to her!

About applicant interviews, she said that she contacted me because of her potential role as my supervisor (i.e., UBC does not randomly assign faculty members to interview applicants). In your case, maybe because you have already spoken with the faculty member you would like to work under and they "know you'', they don't feel the need to talk with you again??

Most importantly, the professor said that the committee will meet next week to finalize their decision and applicants will know w/in the first 2 weeks of March -as the Grad Cafe data suggests!

My general area of interest is minority language learners and their impact/relation to policy and pedagogy. UBC is the best fit for me and I like the size of the department. I think you have to go where you feel you will learn the most and where you find  a supervisor who will really mentor you - regardless of ranking. 

Let me know if you hear anything from UVic. I applied to SFU and their deadline was also Jan 15th, so I am curious as to when the schools with the later deadline send out their decisions.

Hey Hemmelig, just got my rejection email today! I hope you will hear good news from them soon!

[Cayella]

7 hours ago, litzzie said:

Hey Hemmelig, just got my rejection email today! I hope you will hear good news from them soon!

Hey litzzie! I'm so sorry to hear about the rejection... I hope you get into UVic! 

[litzzie]

2 hours ago, Cayella said:

Hey litzzie! I'm so sorry to hear about the rejection... I hope you get into UVic! 

Hey Cayella! Thank you for your post!!! I am in the habit of checking email first thing I wake up in the morning, so I saw the message this morning even before I got out of bed! I had thought that I would be bitterly disappointed if I got rejected but when I read the message I felt more relieved than anything...at least I know the result now and know that if I got admitted into UVic that'd be it...if I didn't then well...at least I have tried!

How about you, Cayella? Have you heard?

[Cayella]

2 hours ago, litzzie said:

Hey Cayella! Thank you for your post!!! I am in the habit of checking email first thing I wake up in the morning, so I saw the message this morning even before I got out of bed! I had thought that I would be bitterly disappointed if I got rejected but when I read the message I felt more relieved than anything...at least I know the result now and know that if I got admitted into UVic that'd be it...if I didn't then well...at least I have tried!

How about you, Cayella? Have you heard?

I haven't heard from them yet, I am still anxiously waiting for a rejection... I just want to know already. I really hope you get into UVic! Keep us posted!

[litzzie]

11 hours ago, Cayella said:

I haven't heard from them yet, I am still anxiously waiting for a rejection... I just want to know already. I really hope you get into UVic! Keep us posted!

It's probably a good sign...I heard they usually hand out the rejections first...  sending you good vibes!!!

[Cayella]

On 2/24/2016 at 0:16 AM, litzzie said:

It's probably a good sign...I heard they usually hand out the rejections first...  sending you good vibes!!!

Thanks! I'm pretty much expecting a rejection at this point. I just want to know already! Oh well...

[Hemmelig]

Litzzie!

Sorry to hear about UBC...I am keeping my fingers crossed for UVic. I haven't heard anything yet from LLED. The wait is starting to get to me!

[litzzie]

On 26 February 2016 at 11:13 AM, Hemmelig said:

Litzzie!

Sorry to hear about UBC...I am keeping my fingers crossed for UVic. I haven't heard anything yet from LLED. The wait is starting to get to me!

Thanks, Hemmelig! I I was a little disappointed that I didn't get UBC, but like my husband tells me all the time, there are always more rejections than acceptances, and I shouldn't lose my heart.  I saw an acceptance in Language and Literary Education! Guess that's you??? If so congratulations!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for UVic as well. But to be honest I am not betting my hope on that at all...I guess I should start thinking about another round of apps next year

 

[litzzie]

On 25 February 2016 at 8:29 PM, Cayella said:

Thanks! I'm pretty much expecting a rejection at this point. I just want to know already! Oh well...

Hey Cayella! You don't know that! Won't know until you hear back from them! Crossing my fingers for you!!!

 

[Hemmelig]

Hi Litzzie,

I just saw that posting on the results section and it's not me! I am getting a little more anxious now!

[litzzie]

5 hours ago, Hemmelig said:

Hi Litzzie,

I just saw that posting on the results section and it's not me! I am getting a little more anxious now!

Hey Hemmelig, fingers crossed for you! I supposed it does take a while for all the results to be sent out...hang in there!

[Cayella]

Hey @litzzie! Thank you soooo much for the energy you sent my way -- I got accepted into the MEd in TESL today. If you get into UVic, we can grab a coffee! Now I need to figure out the visa application process... 

[litzzie]

On 7 March 2016 at 6:15 AM, Cayella said:

Hey @litzzie! Thank you soooo much for the energy you sent my way -- I got accepted into the MEd in TESL today. If you get into UVic, we can grab a coffee! Now I need to figure out the visa application process... 

I most certainly hope we can meet in person!!!! Fingers crossed!! Congrats, Cayella!!!

 

[litzzie]

On 28 February 2016 at 0:12 PM, Hemmelig said:

Hi Litzzie,

I just saw that posting on the results section and it's not me! I am getting a little more anxious now!

Hey Hemmelig, any news? I got into UVIC, but no funding at this point...  sigh...not sure what I should do...

[Hemmelig]

Hi Litzzie,

Awesome news about UVic! Do you have any idea when they will forward you info about funding? Surely, they don't expect you to make a decision without knowing how much you will be awarded! 

I found out this past week that I didn't get into UBC - . I am disappointed because it was my first choice and since I thought the interview went well! Oh, well! I do have options with UofC and, I have been waitlisted for SFU. 

[litzzie]

On 20 March 2016 at 9:47 AM, Hemmelig said:

Hi Litzzie,

Awesome news about UVic! Do you have any idea when they will forward you info about funding? Surely, they don't expect you to make a decision without knowing how much you will be awarded! 

I found out this past week that I didn't get into UBC - . I am disappointed because it was my first choice and since I thought the interview went well! Oh, well! I do have options with UofC and, I have been waitlisted for SFU. 

Hey Hemmelig! Thanks! But funding isn't looking so good. The POI told me the fellowship is more like 5000 here and 3000 there...wont' make a huge difference; and he couldn't get the funding he was hoping for. He would have to reapply and until his funding came through I would have to go unfunded. He said I could still apply for other scholarships but they super competitive. In the meantime my husband got a job offer in Switzerland and it complicated things even more (seriously!!! the timing!!!!) I am still thinking what I should do...

So sorry to hear that you didn't get into UBC. I am with you about how things looked just a few weeks back -- things did look pretty positive. That said, UofC is a very good uni, and the lower cost of living in Calgary will be a plus. 

Do you mind if I ask about the funding you are awarded? I just kinda want an idea what is considered acceptable. I asked about whether TA-ship comes with tuition remission, but was told that we don't get TA-ship at all...is it even possible???