Coconut Joe:

That's a good link. I would, however, suggest that beginning teaching right away isn't that bad.....particularly for incoming PhD students with teaching experience. (That link seems more geared toward undergrads doing BA-> PhD...though most everything else looks spot on for CW PhD applicants as well.)

Also, I'd suggest adding:

• teaching load?
• other funding sources? (e.g., dissertation year with no teaching? How likely?! Editorial funding? How likely?!)
  
• opportunities to teach summer?

Definitely know what you're getting into...

Cheers,

Les

Question: would you accept an offer that only extended an offer for tuition remittance (in the hope of securing better funding in future years)?

...I have spots on several wait lists for fantastic schools (fingers crossed!) and one acceptance from a great school but with a sub-par financial package...

Just curious, as this is my first go-round with PhD apps....

Question: would you accept an offer that only extended an offer for tuition remittance (in the hope of securing better funding in future years)?

From where? Full tuition waiver, or out-of-state tuition waiver?

From where? Full tuition waiver, or out-of-state tuition waiver?

In Reply To

Again, brand new to this. Didn't realize there was a difference. Non-resident tuition remittance, whatever that means!

Wow, this gets more depressing the more info I find out...lol

I'm happy to have an acceptance, I'm old enough that I don't want to wait another year, and I have a working spouse... But I still wish the offer was better...don't know what to think about all this....

Here's hoping for one of my wait list spots--at least those will come with real funding. *sigh*

Wow, this gets more depressing the more info I find out...lol

I'm happy to have an acceptance, I'm old enough that I don't want to wait another year, and I have a working spouse... But I still wish the offer was better...don't know what to think about all this....

Here's hoping for one of my wait list spots--at least those will come with real funding. *sigh*

I just want to pipe up in order to differ, Coconut. If one can get teaching somehow (and part-timing is extremely available in any large metropolitan area or even smaller one, as more and more colleges and universities use/abuse this cheap option) it really can be a better option, imo anyway, to use the connections and time to get publications accomplished. Get the teaching experience, for sure. But that's not hard to do, in almost all cases (all, in my experience) as an independent contractor, as long as one is enrolled in an MA or PhD program.

In Reply To

Teaching experience is only a part of preparing you for the academic job market. I was talking about getting full support from the program. So are you suggesting she should accept the unfunded offer?

I just got rejected from the last couple schools I was waiting to hear from, so it looks like--barring some unforseen financial disaster--I'll be heading to Milwaukee in the fall. bordercrosser, I'll probably be bugging you for your impressions later.

I don't have any funding--plan to pay for at least the first year out of pocket (if I can swing a non-resident tuition remission) through continuing my adjunct work and other things, and try again for an assistantship the second year. It's been my experience from my MFA program in the past that financial support and faculty support are not mutually exclusive.