The Dude

I bit the bullet and called Berkeley - rejected. I was a bit shocked, but oh well... Also, she said the letters were mailed late last week - some on TH and some on FR. Better luck to everyone else!

Your sig says you got turned down from Berkeley. Did you find out via phone and do you know if they have indeed sent out letters yet? I'm impatiently checking the snail mail box every half hour. Due to yesterday's holiday, I'm sure the mail will come later than usual!

What about contacting the EU school and asking for an extension? Maybe they have some flexibility.

If I don't get anything in the mail by tomorrow, I'll call or email the departments. I live in the same geographic region as the schools, so if they mailed anything last week (good or bad), it should be here by today or tomorrow.

I think it's a good thing. An interest and aptitude in languages is a strong asset for an historian (access to more sources...), so I can't see how it would hurt.

You might send them a thin envelope enclosing a terse letter. In that, you might explain that you regret to inform them that you are no longer able to consider graduate work at their institution...

I only applied to 2 programs because I can stay where I am. I haven't heard from either one. A new school would be a big trade up in the school's overall reputation, but I'm already working with an advisor who is a renowned leader in the field so I can stay here and be satisfied. Also, if I get into one of my target schools, I'll be going "home" and the area is better for my wife's career. So, there are lots of intangible but important reasons why I want to make the move...

Thanks for the reply. I assumed that most undergraduates applying to a PhD program would likely have language shortcomings, mostly because I am already an MA student and have had to take 2 language classes each semester on top of my coursework. Most of the students (even at the PhD level) coming into my current program (late medieval/early modern Europe) usually have only one good language.

Understanding the nuances of words, obscure or otherwise, is a very important skill for historians. Afterall, in most cases we rely on words written in a completely foreign and distant culture, which means many of usages are specific to their cultural context and are relatively obscure. Just food for thought.

After wading through the threads on the GRE and GPA, I thought I would start one about something important to most historians... What role do you think language ability plays in the application? My program requires Latin, German, and French. Since I am competent in all three, I would like to think I have an advantage over others that are not as advanced in their languages. I have noticed that some schools make a point to say that language skills are a definite plus, but I haven't seen any relevant discussion on this forum. So, what do you think?