Louiselab

Personally, I would not defer my PhD for his, not after all that work. But that's just me. It seemed that that was the initial issue: that he won't be finished 'til 2010. Also, all my programs explicitly state: no deferring admission. Take it or leave it.

I have to say up front, I feel great guilt about feeling this way because I acknowledge my luckiness for finally getting in after a second round of applying, particularly when most profs told me I had a snowball's chance in hell. I need to fast forward to Sept. or something. I don't want to be stuck where I am anymore, I can't wait to leave. And i really want my CONCRETE PAPER ACCEPTANCE ALREADY PLEASE. Because otherwise, I keep waiting for them to take it back. Juuust waiting for it. And tallying how much it's going to cost me to move, and buy a car, and that I now have to buy airplane tickets instead of train tickets to go home. I was thinking about this while I was opening a new account, and randomly telling the guy I was going to a PhD program, and for some reason blurted out "you know, being an adult is expensive. I'd rather be 4 again."

Go Violets! [and GSOC!] I went for undergrad. What field are you going for?

I applied to Penn last year, and can say from experience: The rejections usually got out en masse a la Yale. It's a computer generated email saying "Go check your status page." So if they were rejected (and you weren't yet) it's could be because a) they're [the department] not done and still debating about taking you the email was sent from a professor with a big mouth who just sent them a head's up or c) they've decided against you but think you should be the last to know and can wait awhile longer to hear about it. It's irritating, but there you have it. Here's to hoping it's A!

A rejection doesn't take away from my acceptance, right? So why do I feel like it does? 'Cause I have serious issues and being rejected by the same school twice kind of bites the big one. possibly.

As an archivist and card carrying member of the Society of American Archivists, I think we all agree on the tingly feeling good collections give us (hell, it's why most archivists chose the profession). Plus we all know that we shape history in a way historians never could, it's great.

So, you know how theoretically an acceptance is supposed to make you relax and you can return to your normal life? When this is all over at the end of the month i will definitely return to my regular schedule, when I get my acceptance I'll totally chill out and just return to normal functioning.... IT'S NOT HAPPENING! In fact, if anything, it's made things worse for me. I don't feel like doing my current job, I can't believe it's still February, it's like this month will never end. The last week alone feels like an eternity.

I personally prefer Ms. Mentor.

We fight. I research. Study. Debate. Publish. But he watched the Ken Burns special on PBS so he knows more. I'm wrong. Wong, wrong, wrong. My family responds to my news of acceptance by saying, "sooo, you're like, still a student?" or "But, you're not going to be a real doctor, right?" or my personal favorite, "that's because she can read, y'know." Although I did call and tell my grandmother who responded, "who is this?" and hung up.

Oh my god, what is worse being rejected from Yale or having my parents die in a car crash. Duh, Yale.

It's almost kind of funny, because for a second there I thought "Wow, everyone is getting in this year! I remember last year being a total slaughter! But it looks like everything is up and people are getting in!" and then the Yale rejections came out. it really does seem though like everyone is getting this year, or at least the people using the board... perhaps there is some luck in history '09? As for the no-funding-dilemma, I have no intention of paying for it. I will visit if it is in a really nice area, say on a beach where they serve tropical, sweet beverages with rum, but I will definitely not go since I already have an offer in hand with full funding and all the assorted statements that go along with that from a good program that actually trumps the unfunded one.

Being told their is no funding, in person, does not make it any more valid than being told there is no funding over the phone or through some other communication. The difference between your claim and his is that Columbia did in fact give him funding, which entirely repudiates your "no one is getting funding. Period." Your flippancy is a little surprising, as though you are disappointed that you were in fact wrong and columbia is giving out funding. Such a claim seems bizarre to even contemplate, Columbia is giving no money because it is so financially strapped and yet this would not be larger news particularly to those of us who applied there. In short, whatevs, dude you were wrong.

I have third party profs ask me, who know me because i've had class with them but who also happen to be doing admissions for another school I applied ask me where I school I was accepted to ranked on my list and if it was my first choice. I think an appropriate answer is "I would be happy to attend any of the schools I applied to, but before I make a final decision I need to evaluate what, if any, additional offers I receive." I've been playing sort of close to the vest though, by not telling anyone other schools I applied to. The only ones who know the final list are myself and the people who wrote letters for me.

Anyone? Anyone?

So now that it's my turn to judge the department, I am not really sure what I'm supposed to be asking. I'm reasonably sure that they will be the only department I'm accepted to, so there won't be much in terms of comparison shopping but I just wanted to know what kind of questions should I be asking them? I just want to make sure I know what I am getting into, because I definitely did not foresee an acceptance...

I was looking around, and it seems like we can find a 1 bedroom for under $1000 in that area, and then an "efficiency" for $600-$700 or less. I think efficiency is Midwest speak for "studio." It's definitely cheaper than manhattan, but I don't know if that also translates into a lot less money.

There was a lot of debate over this last year, so if you check there you'll find some info about it. Essentially, it's sort of a "this is who we're thinking about taking but we're not really ready to commit yet" kind of weekend, if I remember correctly.

unless people are just mistakenly selecting American History when they respond? Although it is the most popular field I think, so that might be why... and I think they do things by field, but acceptances tend to be together? After examining response dates of last year, it seems UNC still has at least 2 weeks... they're so sloooooow.

hmmm... I emailed them back and said "soo, you meant me right? You're sure? positive? this isn't a joke or a mistake?" It wasn't.

Well, I WAS reading Daniel Bell... Now I'm reading my acceptance letter.

Pinkie, totally speak for yourself. I'm American and I LOVE my foreign languages.

I don't usually recommend that which Stephen Colbert recommends, but the gut seems appropriate here. If B is leaving you cold, and A leaves you toasty and tingly, why bother? Sure A feels like home as your undergrad institution, but if you have a good working relationship and will be happier there, then you should follow your instinct.

That's so awesome! I haven't read anything about the Risorgimento since Modern Italian Lit freshman year... Which, ironically started with Galileo... Even stranger was that Garibaldi was living on Long Island after unifying Italy... I miss the Italian department/program. It was small enough that I knew everyone, and there were certain things and references everyone had. Like who Pasolini was. Will I ever get used to a program that doesn't Pasolini or Bettino Craxi?? In boca del lupo!!

What kind of Italian history are you doing? I have a soft spot in my heart for the italiani...