hey i had a similar issue. i got into columbia and upenn for mostly funded/no stipend masters programs (in expensive east coast places), a mid range school for phd...then i stopped attending interviews for others after that because i wasnt interested. my "mid range" school has strong mentoring, solid funding, great faculty, and community and more. the other phd programs i applied to could nto compare to it (with the exception of one in new york - but cost of living would have been such a hassle there). i chose the "mid range" school because i felt the benefits way outweighed the so called cons. this felt like what is right for me. if i were in your shoes, i would choose uiuc. besides, chicago isnt so far and you can always get to the east coast for 150.00 round trip. trust me, ive done it often...
oh also forgot to mention that at the level of applying for professor positions, i think the difference between a uiuc phd and a columbia (struggling financially, frustrated, and little support) phd would be minimal. you probably wont be able to do as good work because you will spend so much time looking for resources that you dont get from mentorship and trying to make ends meet. ...thats just another 2 cents i wanted to add to my previous comment.
One thing - in disciplinary fields, it’s often difficult to get a job when you have a degree in an interdisciplinary field. I’m in an interdisciplinary field myself which actually includes all of the requirements for completion for a psychology PhD and I’ve been told this by my professors and others
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This forum has been extremely helpful. I am so glad I found a community of knowledgeable individuals and those struggling with the same sets of questions.
So, today, I heard that my offer at UIUC might not actually be fully funded. I am still waiting for the details, but I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, as they say. I might even have to reapply... The thought of which makes me want to swallow steak knives.
Re: Well.......hermionemalfoyApril 14 2011, 20:28:37 UTC
Yikes! They really need to inform you of that before the April 15 deadline. Are they saying you might not be guaranteed a TAship? I don't know about the EdPsych Dep, but they don't seem to accept students at all as unfunded in the general Psych Dep. WTF. That blows for you. O_o
This might be a bit after the fact. I've lived in both C-U and Irvine as a graduate student (though I'm now at neither). I'd take C-U ANY DAY. Irvine--the city itself--drove me batty. And I actually had a car, which allowed me to get away from time to time. C-U is actually a pretty cool town (like Ann Arbor, in many ways). It's on the small side, and might feel cramped after several years, but there are cool, cheap restaurants...organic grocery stores...farmer's markets, etc, etc.
Then again, I grew up in the midwest, so it does feel more comfortable to me...especially compared to the culture shock that was Irvine.
I'm actually in English, but I studied critical theory at Irvine. (That's also the field I was considering when I looked at UIUC). Let me know if you'd like to discuss the programs at either schools, albeit from a slightly different field perspective.
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This forum has been extremely helpful. I am so glad I found a community of knowledgeable individuals and those struggling with the same sets of questions.
So, today, I heard that my offer at UIUC might not actually be fully funded. I am still waiting for the details, but I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, as they say. I might even have to reapply... The thought of which makes me want to swallow steak knives.
But thank you thank you thank you! :)
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Then again, I grew up in the midwest, so it does feel more comfortable to me...especially compared to the culture shock that was Irvine.
I'm actually in English, but I studied critical theory at Irvine. (That's also the field I was considering when I looked at UIUC). Let me know if you'd like to discuss the programs at either schools, albeit from a slightly different field perspective.
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