Sent to all current applicants on 11/2

Hi everyone,

We are writing to let you know about our process for selecting participants for the PhD information session/recruiting event on Friday. We are thrilled to see the degree of interest that this event has inspired! Unfortunately, there are more interested participants than we have the capacity to invite.

Therefore, in the coming days, we will be informing students of their status in batches and will ask for speedy confirmation that you intend to attend; in the event that you must cancel, this will allow us to select another student to take your place. We will continue to consider new applicants until Nov. 4.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Most, if not all, materials generated and distributed at this event will be posted publicly.
• This event is not a substitute for the normal PhD application process, nor does it guarantee admittance to a PhD program.
• We will not be using affinity groups to select participants; this information is strictly for connecting students with each other, and possibly with more senior mentors who may or may not be faculty.
• Some respondents included MA/MS information. Therefore, we have opened the Participant Questionnaire up for editing with two additional questions, including “If you have a Master’s Degree, what is the field and name of the degree-granting institution?” You may update this as you see fit.
• Depending on your circumstances, you may feel safer and better supported applying to programs outside the US. Sixteen of the 17 recruiting faculty participating in this event are from US institutions, therefore we will have a US-focused discussion of graduate school. If you are primarily considering programs outside the US, much of what will be discussed will not apply and we ask that, if you are selected, you cede your position to someone else. If this program proves effective, we (or some subset of us, plus new faculty) will run another version of this event next year. If you are not chosen this year, and deferring your applications (or were not planning to apply until next year), know that there will be other opportunities to participate.

ATTN: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

There has been a great deal of interest in this event from international students, from a broad range of countries, and undoubtedly from individuals from a broad class of circumstances. To all international students: we cannot answer any questions about immigration. This event will not feature any discussions about US immigration policy, nor will it feature any discussion about university policies regarding immigration.

We simply do not know what the future of immigration and the role of international students in higher education looks like.

For those of you who may not be aware, US immigration has been particularly volatile in the past four years. New proposals (https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/09/25/trump-administration-proposes-major-overhaul-student-visa-rules) would further restrict immigration, and are seen by many as a prelude to a complete shutdown of immigration to the US. There has been additional complexity surrounding residency requirements and travel bans, putting international students in a precarious position. We encourage you to think about where you want to be in 4, 6, and 10 years, and plan accordingly.

Even if there is a change in federal administration to a more immigration-friendly one, the repair process will take considerable time. Given the current economic, health, and civil rights crises in the world (particularly in the US) right now, immigration reform may not be addressed for years.

Best,

Emma Tosch + Brittany Johnson-Matthews