Do you know, I'm still waiting? :-s

I'm funding my own Masters so there's nothing like that going on. Not sure if this is a 'bums on seats'-type Masters, or one where they want a small, select and high-fee (international?) paying group. Not the sort of thing you can ask them directly...

The Admissions Team say they should know by the end of the week. However, am tonight gonna do a last-minute application somewhere else, just in case.

Thanks for your input, guys (up)

I think I'll just have to sit tight and possibly badger the admins. Assumed I had got in but life can have cruel twists...:p

Cheers Swantje (up)

How long are universities taking to get back to you guys? I had a phone interview on Monday. It went well. The convenor was saying things like "We'll have to arrange for you to come down over the summer" so I kind of thought it might be in the bag. He said they'd be in touch.

It's likely my references arrived at the Admissions Office on Tuesday as well. I'm 90% sure they were both positive. But I've asked if they could tell me that refs have arrived safely and I've heard nothing.

Am getting antsy and am longing to hand in notice at work!

How long are people taking to get back to you? :-(

I think it's best to assume the number of stars is random and they're laughing like hell watching all of us well educated people trying to divine a system within it...:p

Does anyone know about half-decent and B&Bs in Uxbridge?

Have applied for a full-time Masters at Brunel, but I live in North London. Either I'll have to commute two days weekly, or I could stay overnight between the two teaching days. As the commute will be costly it might well be cheaper to stay.

For personal reasons I can't move house.

There is a small chance that I'd be able to stay with my friend's nan, but she's quite elderly and I don't want to impose. And am waiting to hear back from accommodation office re: only staying one night. So where else could I stay?

Any genius ideas?

So, logically speaking (I'm new to this academia game), by the new year departments will have a new 7-year era of higher or lower funding ahead of them.
My dept often employs GTAs and pays their PhD tuition on top. I suppose in the new year they'll know how many of those they can afford.
This is relevant to me as my dept isn't taking on any new PhDers till Feb as half the building's currently being demolished, but it also strikes me that in Feb they'll know a lot more about their forthcoming budgets as well.
Interesting...

Yeah, it's like the charts, or the hit parade for our older readers. Your favourite can go down as well as up...

Well that must be true because although we have +3 recognition, we only got 3a in the last RAE.
Maybe try multiplying the scores on each dimension to get a single score for your department....

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/opportunities/postgraduate/eligibleoutlets/index.aspx?ComponentId=297&SourcePageId=1312

This is where I went. Put in either institution or subject. I think the top rating is 5*.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Hi
Re: Accreditation
Yes, it's interesting that my department hasn't got 1+3 accreditation, but just +3.
That means they haven't yet felt they've got a Masters worth much, but that the PhD programme is good, I presume.
So it seems that the PhD students occasionally have an ESRC Masters, but just as often have an unrecognised one, or none at all. I wonder if my dept will go for the full shebang, given time? I must snoop.

My potential supervisor's a good enough bloke. Doesn't suffer fools gladly and pretty busy, so only seems to respond to e-mails when he can tell he's REALLY needed. But I've got used to him...

Thanks Olivia

I reckon they only hear a fraction of what you say anyway. This guy only really responds to bullet points, written or verbal...

Thanks Olivia

I reckon they only hear a fraction of what you say anyway. This guy only really responds to bullet points, written or verbal...

As a result of your very helpful replies I've decided to go for it and am now brainstorming my research proposal for PhD.

Only worry is that during my chat with my potential supervisor earlier in the week I told him that my lack of confidence meant I was STRONGLY considering doing a Masters first.

I expect this is paranoid, but you don't think he'll remember what I said and think I'm not cut out for a PhD personality-wise now that I've admitted lack of confidence? When we met he started speaking about a PhD and it was me that changed the subject to Masters courses. It's just that I tend to take a long time to make major life decisions and I tend to say all the steps on the way out loud lol.

Am just hoping that actions speak louder than words and I can do an impressive proposal. You don't think he'll hold my previous honesty against me, will he?

Thanks for all your replies.

Well we have +3 recognition, but not 1+3. Think we were 3a in the last RAE. Another option for me would be to do an ESRC-accredited MSc - then I'd have the world at my feet...

Think I'll force myself to decide by the end of the week...

On one hand I think it would give me confidence, experience and contacts prior to a PhD, on the other hand perhaps I'm too old to fanny around for yet another year. Two of my lecturers from the conversion went straight from BSc to PhD as mature students, but other PhD students I know have MScs already.

My potential sup actually said that the students at highest risk of dropping out in our dept tended to be women of my age (we can all speculate on reasons why). But perhaps it makes sense to make the journey to PhD as smooth as possible with a Masters in between so that I can head off this possibility, as after years of boring jobs I would really like to see this through and work in academia.

Aaaarrrrggghh!?!? I must make my mind up in a matter of days. Any wisdom?