Korean Job Discussion Forums

[winterfall]

I was wondering if anybody that got their masters or phd could chime in. Is teaching in Korea really unrelated experience? Alot depends on how you weigh your application and GRE scores. But, don't admissions committes tend to look for certain perserverence traits?

I know once I start my doctorate, I'm locked in to research and publishing. So is it right to assume that I'm safe, as long as I start before I'm 30?

I just finished my first year's contract and I'm planning to stay in Korea for another 2-3 years. Pay off loans and I've got some other obligations I need to handle. But, I'm getting more and more worried, the longer I stay here and not do research the less competitive my grad school application becomes.

I want to do my doctorate in Political theory & Social Justice at top tier US schools (Yale, Berkely, Brown, Harvard, NYU, etc). Its a very specialized branch of philosophy thats more theoretical, so there's not many places I can get quality training. My undegraduate grades were decent at a very reputatble school and while I was an undergrad I did a lot of doctorate and masters level course work (That was hell). Anyway, right now I work at technical high school with SMOE. At risk youth & very high poverty district. I'm close to getting my school's approval to start reading & gang intervention programs.

Can anyone offer some input is my Korea experience going to give me an edge? How long would you say the acceptable time range is until I should start applying or grad school? How would grad schools weigh my application (Especially if I'm competing with people with direct research experience). Has anyone gone on to their Masters after Korea, do you think Korea helped or not? Any other issues?

[ttompatz]

I did my ABD after a short (3 year) stint in Korea.

Didn't help, didn't hurt -

... did use my time here to get my debts paid off so that was a non-issue for me when I returned to do my ABD. I could concentrate on my program instead of the bills.


Returned to Korea again after my ABD for unrelated reasons.

.

[moosehead]

[winterfall]

Thanks for your advice. I lost contact with most of my professors. They actually suggested that I go straight through. But that wasn't an option. I'll see what I can do to get back in touch.

I've already got a stack of recommended readings lists, finding the time to get around to them is another issue. I was actually hoping for things to settle down by the 2nd year before I start moving back to the grad school issue. It's just that time question kept popping up.

[v88]

A prof at my uni basically said that after 8 years your previous education really isn't worth much if you were not getting experience in your field of study. 3-4 years is OK...but of course the more time spent getting exp the better. I can't imagine your experience here being of much value unless you were studying education of esl.

I actually had to do a year of pre-masters before I was admitted because I took so much time off after my first degree (basically 7 years of skiing, travel and army....). What I saw as a real strong foundation in how what I studied at university fit into the 'real' world (cause, despite not studying, I never stopped thinking, reading or even writing about what I studied) was seen mostly as play by the institutions.

It's a shame really, because I had plenty to say on the subject I was studying....but they really look first and foremost at your education and GPA. There is little room within the application process to show what you may have learned outside of the most obvious of routes. So, to make use of your time here, try to work on your writing and attempt to publish things, do volunteer work in your field, take some distances classes....

[winterfall]