PhD Applicants 2019

Really silly question but how long do people wait until they are contacted? Deadline was today and in the advert it says 'It is anticipate that interviews will be held on Tuesday 19th March 2019' however I was told over the phone it'll probably be a month at least before any contact from the university. I'm confused.

Had my interview this morning, and found out I've been nominated for the studentship this afternoon.

Just got to wait for the final decision to be made by the DTP, I think I'll hear that some time in April.

Congratulations!!

Had my interview this morning, and found out I've been nominated for the studentship this afternoon.

Just got to wait for the final decision to be made by the DTP, I think I'll hear that some time in April.

How fantastic ! Huge congratulations- what was the interview like ? How did you find it ?

After an interview earlier this week, I have been offered a place at a Russell Group University to do my PhD. It's a self funded place.

I'm applying for scholarships elsewhere,(they are very limited in my field) to give myself some options, but does anyone have any thoughts on self funding? I love the uni, the supervisors are awesome, and it felt like home when I was there, it's just the funding. I'm wondering if it's just jump in and work it out as you go along? Or is self funding just a ridiculous notion?

There are people who are going to tell you that you are mad to self-fund. Personally I think it depends on your circumstances. I am going to self fund, and I’m ok with that. I will do some part time work to supplement my income and will focus on the PhD without having to teach (I’m a teacher at the moment so relish the thought of not teaching for a while).

I have had people say SF will affect my future career options, but then I think not doing the PhD will affect them more. I’m going for it and will work the details out as I go along.

So I guess the question is, can you jump in? Do you have enough financial support to get going, while you look for money elsewhere? Or can you wait, and hopefully get a funded place in the future.

After an interview earlier this week, I have been offered a place at a Russell Group University to do my PhD. It's a self funded place.

I'm applying for scholarships elsewhere,(they are very limited in my field) to give myself some options, but does anyone have any thoughts on self funding? I love the uni, the supervisors are awesome, and it felt like home when I was there, it's just the funding. I'm wondering if it's just jump in and work it out as you go along? Or is self funding just a ridiculous notion?

I think it's easy to overanalyse it, I don't have experience of applying for funding bodies being offered a PhD and then waiting on the funding body.

One of the issues I had was the central admissions v departmental. As sometimes I'm sat in an office with an administrator and the last month there have been a lot of comings and going between professors, readers, senior lecturers and about a dozen people on MScs talking a lot about their PhD process and waiting and offers, within one of my departments I 'understand' things a bit more. I understand the 're-arranged' interview I had is somewhat more normal than I had thought. I now understand that each of the staff have more recent/distant past with particular funding bodies so the answers they will give students can be different or 'I don't know' when they know a bit, but that'd be unhelpful to say otherwise. Or they have to keep their views quiet as they think the candidate is fantastic but they've had fantastic candidates knocked back by the funding bodies before.

It's genuinely really difficult to get the people in the room at the same time and it seems to give them time to prepare, so I wouldn't read too much into it just like I did. In universities there's also seems to be the process of 'back up' candidates for jobs and PhDs. If they have to re-advertise it's catastrophic and people really, really do drop out/get offered multiple PhDs and then occasionally not tell people oh I'm accepting the other one for a while (which wastes time). So sometimes the backup candidate it kept in the dark for a while (say a week).

If you don't hear anything by thursday night on Friday I'd send a polite e-mail enquiring about whether there are interviews next week. If the interviews don't happen next week I wouldn't worry that much, I'd be contacting again last few days of March as it's starting to get awfully close to Easter.

One of the things you probably want to think about is if you're offered it or when they ask how long you want to decide. Some people will want to bump you into it straight away. I told them a week, which I stuck to and it seems normal to say a few days a week. The academics do genuinely for reasons already stated worry like mad about the top candidate dropping out.

I had re-arrange, re-arrange, delay, delay, problems with dept admissions, problems with central admissions - off you go!

I sent my application on 1st February, and I didn't get an interview invitation until 4th March. Other people who applied to the same DTP heard a few days before me, as the weekend got in the way.

As it only says 'anticipated' and not for certain, I wouldn't hold my breath about their proposed date.

I sent off the polite email and got this response: Dr .... said they are shortlisting today, and that you will hear from her tomorrow.

I guess I'll know soon enough if I have to start thinking about self funding.
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It's good that they won't make you wait for a response, otherwise it's very annoying being in limbo.

Let us know how you get on!

Is it bad that I can't concentrate at work since I keep on checking my email?

Is it bad that I can't concentrate at work since I keep on checking my email?

It's good that they won't make you wait for a response, otherwise it's very annoying being in limbo.

Let us know how you get on!

Had my interview this morning, and found out I've been nominated for the studentship this afternoon.

Just got to wait for the final decision to be made by the DTP, I think I'll hear that some time in April.

There are people who are going to tell you that you are mad to self-fund. Personally I think it depends on your circumstances. I am going to self fund, and I’m ok with that. I will do some part time work to supplement my income and will focus on the PhD without having to teach (I’m a teacher at the moment so relish the thought of not teaching for a while).

I have had people say SF will affect my future career options, but then I think not doing the PhD will affect them more. I’m going for it and will work the details out as I go along.

So I guess the question is, can you jump in? Do you have enough financial support to get going, while you look for money elsewhere? Or can you wait, and hopefully get a funded place in the future.

Shortlisted and have a Skype interview on Tuesday.

omg just realized I don't know what to expect!!

Whey! That's great news! Do you need to do anything for the interview or is it just a Q&A deal?