As a PhD in the humanities without a full-time job, working with lots of other PhDs in the humanities without a full-time job, and having read other academic bloggers on the topic of grad school being a scam, particularly Critical Mass and Community College Dean, I told a graduate student not to pursue graduate school unless she thought she couldn’t live without it, but instead to look for a career she would enjoy. She has an MA in English and wants to get a PhD.
I was told, by someone else, that I was being unfairly discouraging.
I am at a loss. I know there are some places with small application piles (apparently my alma mater only got 7 apps for 2 spots in English), but most places the applications are 200+.
I don’t think that was being unfairly discouraging.
But it does mean that next time I may not voice that opinion.