TMP

Absolutely go for it. It gives you some experience and outside perspective on what else one can do with a History PhD. I've never, ever regretted my internships as they actually inspired me to go for my PhD.

I said that in another thread but nobody listened. Nobody listened when I said to relax, departments will be in touch when something's missing. Nobody listens to me at all and I'm a third time applicant. Seriously, listen to the old-timers like me and StrangeLight, huh? I'm only here to keep you all from becoming disasters, or rather it's just hysterical to watch you all flip-out over every single little thing... only because once you all get into graduate school, you'll very quickly realize that you cannot control every single little thing that goes on because the world isn't about you. So let me say this explicitly. TOLD YOU ALL SO.

I just tried bikram yoga. The first class was hard because I didn't really know what to expect so it felt like forever (90 minutes). The second class was amazing. For the first in weeks I was seriously calm and relaxed! Right now I'm running. I can't really join a gym here in Germany just because I've had my fill of dealing with gyms overseas. So I'm running 5 times a week. I'm a marathoner so you don't really wanna know how many miles I can put in. Although just coming off from NYC marathon in November and 3 weeks of no running over the holidays (Thanks Lufthansa for losing my bag!), I'm just getting back into my training routine. I'm aiming for a couple of spring half-marathons so... I'm looking forward to those! Sometimes I think about PhD programs and the future but if I can choose a specific training plan/goal for the run, I can usually keep it all out of my mind and stay focused on the task.

I sent all of my official transcripts anyway. So I'm not surprised that I didn't get a call.

Absolutely nothing except to sit tight. Just because one professor called, it doesn't mean it'll happen for other schools in terms of getting acceptances. You don't know the politics of all the departments and what they need for next year's co-hort. You should just smile knowing that there is ONE professor who is willing to fight for you... and make an international call! That's impressive.

Did he mention the name of the company? I'll sign up to be a teacher!!!

Thanks for this thread! It's a comfort to know that there are a number of us in the same boat. This is my 2nd/3rd time, depending how you read my signature. But just going through the applications for the third time, in general, was very, very exhausting. I had to double the number of schools form the past because I just really wanted to get into a PhD program and achieve my dreams and goals. That's what happened in my first round. Amen! I see so much of it in my area's forum. I do feel that this is the strongest application that I could possibly put together. My writing sample was edited to death even though it's the same context as last year's. I just polished it a lot more with the help of a critical professor. Writing the SOP was a challenge in a way because I've been in this field for so long that I felt that I needed to show how I connected all the seemingly different dots within my broad interest. I also wanted the adcoms to understand how I think as a historian and solve problems. Two of my LOR writers were absolutely on board right away. They strongly believed that I should try again and get into a PhD program. I wavered a lot about my 3rd LOR writer even though I knew it couldn't be bad as two DGSs told me last year that there was nothing seriously wrong with my application. My 3rd LOR writer wanted me to experience life for a while and just get out of academia. But I couldn't think of anyone else suitable given that she knew me very, very well compared to another possible professor. So I had to have a heart-to-heart conversation with her over the phone and we each laid out everything on the table. She laid out her deepest concerns and I showed her what I had done since graduating with my MA the spring before. At the end, she finally said that she thought I should most definitely try again given how long and hard I've worked for this. I also had to admit to her that the outcomes from last year were certainly a blessing in disguise, although I didn't think so at first. My summer was extremely difficult with the job hunting. In the fall, I changed gears and resolved to do things I've always wanted to do that I would not be able to do in a PhD program. So I took up volunteering at a therapeutic horseback riding center near me (I tell people not that it's my second career if PhD fails me this year!). It was so, so, so wonderful to be around horses again as I rode for 15 years before stopping halfway through college. I also put in serious time training for the NYC marathon. Finally, I did what I had thought about for several years since graduating with my BA: Go to Germany and learn German. And this is precisely what I am doing now! I feel so incredibly lucky to have this chance to live in Europe (although scraping by a bit...) and, as a historian, see history all over the place. It's also my first time living in a city during the winter so this definitely is giving me an insight of what my life can potentially be like should I get into an urban school for the PhD as I've always lived in college towns, the suburbs, and rural areas, but never in a city. Now, OP, I want to know how exactly you got that gig. I wouldn't mind working on a ranch for the summer just to be around horses!!!

Whatever. It'll come when it comes.

This isn't just one case. I'm also talking about the other thread ("It Has Begun") as well of people reporting that departments called/e-mailed them.

No, this proves MY point in the other thread. Departments and professors DO follow up if something's missing. I think you're having a crisis of faith in the admissions process. I will repeat, have faith in the process. Have faith in the process.

Not really. Usually they notify all admits before March 15th. Waitlists is another story. Rejections is depended on the graduate school itself- some are good at letting people know ASAP while others take their sweet time because of massive bureaucracy (i.e. NYU).

I completely understand! I was incredibly frustrated with my job search after 4 months last summer. I began wondering if I should keep looking for a real job, just find one for the year, or just not at all. Just as I leaned towards #1 because, well, I really wanted to succeed in the job market, my MA adviser told me to start applying for PhD. She didn't want me to wait any longer. So I changed my strategy to find something I could possibly do for a year. But, as you said, the reality of applications and interviews being incredibly longer than ever, I just couldn't keep looking. To apply for jobs in November would mean I could start in February or March, which would, if accepted into PhD, only give me 6 months. That's stupid, especially if I needed to re-locate. So I stopped looking. I also talked to friends who had taken a year off (or less) to see what they thought. They all said it's generally not worth the time working and you should use the time to do something else like enjoying life a bit. As you said, you need money so applying to crap jobs is the best way to go until you find out for real about your PhD admissions results. Then you can start working on Plan B.

I realize that you have a "two-body" problem but did you ever consider Michigan?

I think many people thought the same thing. Who doesn't want to live in beautiful, sunny California where the temperatures are temperate year round and the horrible weather in San Francisco and LA only really show up when we're busy doing research work? The fact I'm not applying to any CA schools, I believe, has greatly decreased phone calls from my grandmother in San Francisco to ask if I've applied to any and when the UC system went broke, she stopped asking at all.

That program has really turned into a lottery since they changed the funding package rules from best offers (like Wisconsin) to guaranteed funding. My contacts at Indiana weren't surely kidding when they said that it's horrible there. Well, we'll just have to sit tight and wait.

This is for the MA program, not a PhD. So I doubt that they've really started the admissions process for MA applicants. Just make sure you say that you're applying for the MA program. The decisions will come out much later than PhD applications, usually. Just do it soon.

Absolutely! Just write a brief letter and e-mail it to the department/graduate secretary. Congrats!

Almost there? I stand by my statement that late February is it for most people.

Here's the link. You just sign up to a listserv (or a million) and you just get regular e-mails that a moderator puts together from e-mails that s/he received from other subscribers. http://www.h-net.org/

I never regretted my MA program, not even for a minute. I never asked myself "What the heck am I doing here?" I felt so privileged to be working with my adviser and being her student, and getting to know top-notch professors in my department. I truly enjoyed my friendships with all of my closest friends whom I've made in and out of the program. They kept me sane and cheered me on when things became difficult. I loved taking advantage of faculty seminars and on-campus lectures to learn a bit more about a particular subject outside of my own specific interests. The best part of graduate school was being able to control my time and weekly schedule. It did take a while for me to really figure out my routine and priorities. The other part was having a financed opportunity to conduct my MA research in another part of the United States and doing my language study overseas (Who can say no to an opportunity to earn 19,000 frequent flier miles on Continental in a single summer?!). And the student ID. Gotta love the discounts when traveling.

I agree. I have no desire to join AHA. I do enjoy following the blog to keep me updated about AHA and what's doing. The conferences aren't always appealing because of the themes. I never find panels that I actually like and wish that I could be part of it. The themes just never really struck with my own research. Otherwise, I've found H-Net to be much, much more useful. They are more field-specific and one could find CFPs, apartment rentals, book reviews, etc. I've forwarded CFPs to my friends who I didn't think really knew about H-Net since they're not in History but we share the same field and they've thanked me for these e-mails. My professors were quite surprised to learn that I've already found these H-Nets and subscribe to them and they were pleased... it makes me look more professional and that I care about my career. Also, I think it's more useful to do field-specific organizations so you can really target your interests and get the specific information that you need to succeed and advance your career. Also, you can get your name known better through this way. Furthermore, as discussed in "future of history" thread, history is becoming quite broad and it would be useful to learn about everything related to your own studies, even in literature or "studies" areas.

It is too early. If it's really the truth, chances are that the professor is pretty much guaranteed to have this student. Otherwise, I suspect a troll. It happens on the results form just to drive other people crazy.

Generally, it sounds like you need a better balance in your life. Go ahead and be an artist. Do it in your free time or as part of "me" time. Balanced graduate students find "me" time in their schedule (sometimes you may have to actually schedule it in), may it be an hour every day, or all day on a weekend... Don't feel that you have to restrict your time only to your program and your SO. Your SO should be understanding if you have to say "Hey, I need some 'me' time, can I please be alone?" If you did this artist thing full-time, I will guarantee you that you will be begging for academia within three weeks.

Agreed. Say it's "under review" or "works in the progress." Since you are the first author, sound assertive that you've done your part and are waiting for the editor's feedback. Sound responsible.

By all means, do it. Do what he says. He apparently really liked your application.