TMP

It's February! Dear Other Schools, Someone, please be my Valentine. *holds a rose* TMP

When I saw that Berkeley acceptance, I thought, "YAY! FEBRUARY IS HERE!" (well, technically not until tomorrow). C'mon, adcoms, come out of those conference rooms...we won't capture you and torture you to get all of us accepted... we can handle rejections and wait lists, seriously. Any predictions for this week? I'll wager for Yale... just because it gets so many applications for so few spots. And it's my competitor's dream school and this is her second try. I was going to apply there but our advisor said no to me but she was all "dreamy" about Yale that I think she applied anyway.

I am in the exact same situation as well! ARGH! My current thesis advisor would be my PhD advisor. She's the one who gets to fight for me. Fortunately for both of us, she's on sabbatical (but is still in town for most part...) and I'm working on my MA thesis (in which we send back and forth by e-mail). So we don't see each other at all. Actually, she didn't even want to see me at all unless it was "super" important (and she said this with a roll of eyes as in "give me a break!"). So I'm turning in my thesis draft tomorrow to let her review for the next 2-3 weeks... by the time she should be done, decisions will be out. I'm still e-mailing her occasionally with requests for LORs for Plan B. I'm trying not to read too much into her positive e-mails regarding how I'm doing this semester. But wait, I'm afraid now that any e-mail that she sends me after February 15th will contain the decision, not thesis feedback! *whimpers* I've done my best to put a smile on my face when I'm around the department and act neutral. (Well, I'm not dying to stay here but would LIKE to have an opportunity to have this for a choice!)

women

Are you serious?

I've had some dreams... Another one. I was visiting one of my top choices after getting accepted. So it was just me. The potential advisor was pretty cool like everyone said except I sorta looked at him and thought, "You know, you don't really look like your picture on the department page, have you lost some hair since?" He almost sort of looked like my 6th grade social studies teacher. We went for drinks with another grad student of his. Then the grad student took me on a "tour" of the town which was... unimpressive, like something out of Cormac's The Road, not much of a college town but more like something you'd find driving through rural areas of California or in the West (and this school was in Midwest!). Bizarre.

Once my thesis draft is turned in this weekend, I'll actually attempt to start reading Tolstoy's War and Peace. Soon I have to read Henry Roth's Call It Sleep as one of my professors recommended it to me last semester and is actually teaching it in a seminar this semester and I want to come in for the discussion. And I have a couple of books waiting to be read as well.

I'm in history as well. Jewish history to be more specific. Person: Grad school for what? Me: Jewish history. Person: You're going to be a rabbi? Me: I think the bigger catch is that I study the Holocaust as a broad theme Person: So what kind of Jewish history? Me: the Holocaust Scenario A: Person: *uncomfortable silence* Me: Really, I'm okay with it. It should be talked about. Scenario B: Person: So, have you seen that article about Auschwitz sign being taken down? (or any other relevant recent article) Me: Um, yeah, I read that. Person: I think (states opinion). What do YOU think? Me: Um, as a historian, or my personal opinion? Person: As a historian. Me: (explains from a historian's perspective) Person: Wait a minute, you don't mean you don't really believe in that, don't you? Me: I didn't say that I agree with it! Person: But isn't it really terrible that Hitler killed millions of Jews? (Then we get into a bit more political side of things) Scenario C: Person: OH! My parents/grandparents/cousins/etc. is a survivor! His/her story is just incredible! Me: Uh-huh, so what's the story? (I've read sooo many stories that sometimes they blur together that it takes at least one distinct fact to make it unique for that survivor) Person: He was deported in 1942, had to ride the cattle cars to Auschwitz/Treblinka/etc. It was horrible. The conditions were horrible (blah, blah, blah...) Me: *nods along in rhythm* Scenario D: Old person (born before mid-1930s): Oh goodness gracious, the world MUST know about the terrible things that Hitler did to Jews. I'm so glad that a young person cares! What are you going to do with the degree? Teach? Whatever you do, make sure it gets told to the next generation. We were so shocked... we couldn't even talk about it.... Oh, the responsibility...

Guild

Actually, I do like the idea of a drop down menu and a keyword search for the school(s). I should suggest that... but then again there are programs out there with weird names like Harvard's MA program in technology, education, and something else... program. No, really, I'm a fan of AH stuff but it's the damn keyword search function!

I feel like smacking my face or hitting my forehead on my desk every time I think about one of my potential advisor. Ever since we met in person 2 months ago, he always signs off his e-mail as "Let's keep in touch." I've tried to follow up with more questions and enthusiasm until my application was turned in. The ball's in my court in terms of e-mailing but it's really in his court as he's reading my app file now, probably. As much I'm comforted that he consistently ended his e-mails that way (considering that my other potential advisors didn't end anything like that other than "I'm looking forward to reading your application!"), I'm annoyed at this point. I'd really like to work with him and keep him aware of the fact that I DO want to attend his school over my current school (I'm in terminal MA but applying for PhD). Just having that is making the wait a bit unbearable. When I look at the e-mail, I think, "What do you want me to do?!" *sigh* I've asked one of my professors about this and he has no answer for me. Anyone in the same boat?

AHHH!!! I'm almost on the verge of being neurotic. Every time I see a new listing under "History" keyword, I get eager and then when I see "Art History" for program, I just want to smack the table. When I type in "history" I mean HISTORY, not ART HISTORY. Who's with me?

Hey! We made it! A couple weeks down! We can do it! Thankfully the time doesn't actually stop even though it does feel like it.

salmon

Congrats to the Duke admit!

Not really the usual in history to have complete silence. That's why your LORs and writing sample are so important. Your LORs speak of you as a PERSON (well, well-written ones at least) and professors trust their colleagues to be honest about the person's good and bad virtues. Your writing sample demonstrates your abilities as a researcher and a writer. It demonstrates your potential as a serious scholar. Your SOP... demonstrates your knowledge (aka awareness of the field's problems), creativity, and whatever might reveal through your writing. So, what do they need to interview you for? Unlike labs, you're not around your department ALL day long. What professors just want to know is that you're easy and interesting to work with. But yes, in-person meetings do help to put your face on the application and say things that you can't put on the application. But it's still possible to get in without such a meeting.

I Skyped with a professor at one of the schools a few months ago. So obviously he saw a very pretty picture of me from a cousin's bar mitzvah. The Adcoms: "Well, she does seem like a good fit for our department. But her GPA is... kind of low for a MA student. It's like 3.2, isn't it?" Potential Advisor: "Um.... what? I talked with her a few months ago and she seems really bright! I want to give her a try." The Adcoms: "But, dude, we've got stronger applicants who are just as bright... with a HIGHER GPA." Potential Advisor: "So? She's really excited to come! Please, I really want her. She may not exactly be in my field but she's got great ideas that I'd like to explore with her." The Adcoms: "Dude, you already have...what? 4 grad students? What do you need another one for? Even if her project idea does sound... compelling." Potential Advisor: "Don't make me do this." *cringes in his seat* The Adcoms: "Do what? You win or lose. There is no middle ground." Potential Advisor: *flashes a picture of me* "Please? We need some beautiful women in the program!" The Adcoms: "Whoa... she is beautiful..." *stammers* "I guess you get this one, Dude. She's accepted. I guess you can e-mail her." (Potential Advisor walks out of the room) Adcom #1: (calls after the Potential Advisor) "Yeah, don't forget to tell her that her advisor's going to f*ck her!" Adcom #2: "Did we just pull a Legally Blonde moment here?" Adcom #3: "He's a lucky dog. Let me look at her SOP again so I can figure out my chances of being on her committee!" Adcom #4: (to Adcom #5) "I'm suspicious. We, historians, aren't that shallow, aren't we?" Adcom #5: "No we aren't that shallow. Her SOP is a killer, really. I just felt like being a Simon Cowell to Dude." (thanks for thread, I'm seriously laughing now! )

Oslo (yo, you broke the rule, Sparky!)

Let me revise that for this particular school in the South: Dear School in the South: I've lived in the North, under all the snow, ice, and bitterly cold wind, ever since I was born. When I had a choice of two MA programs, I thought if I moved to the Midwest, I would get a change of scenery. Boy, I was wrong. Yes, it was nice to leave the Northeast but I realized that what I really wanted was a change of climate. So please, you are my ONLY hope for constant sunshine and relative warmth. And I mean it literally, not just figuratively. After all, don't the Southerners have a nice reputation for their charming manners? From, *shivers* M-m-m-m-m-e-e-e-e *coughs*

acceptance!

dogsleds

Well, my recommender, my thesis advisor, is on sabbatical and really doesn't have any desire to see my pretty face for a while. She's also involved in the admissions process for our university so I think it's important for me to wait for my decision from the University before I break any news to anyone in the department. That includes Recommender #2. Recommender #3, my undergrad thesis advisor, well, I'm hoping to have SOME news on hand when I go to my parents' house for the break. If I have nothing, then I won't visit her, and just call her when I have all the news. Tell them however you want to!

Moses

Sounds to me that they moved up the deadline just to accommodate the influx of applications due to the recession. Although, I must admit that I've been feeling a lot of tension because we're all on thin ice here, just waiting, and waiting. Once Wisconsin broke the ice, I actually felt relief. It's like "SOMEONE FINALLY OPENED THOSE DAMN CONFERENCE ROOM DOORS!" Now I can move on with my day and know that my schools will come out of their doors as well. Sort of like Donald Trump's THe Apprentice show... It's like, who cares, we just want those doors open, even if it's one of us who gets gutted. Enough of backroom talking.

I feel like in my FB situation, I can't post anything obvious. Because A) I have a cousin who's one of those FB users who likes to post "happy quotes" and doesn't care about anyone else except for herself. I have serious issues with her attitude and I don't really want her to post any comments after my status. She's a total fake. And I'm Facebook-friends with a previous student who's applying for 2nd time as well. We already follow each other on Twitter... and while I'd like to rub in her face on getting THAT spot at one of our overlapping schools (in our field they only take one person) and maybe I'm better than her, it's just not proper. I wasn't raised to be a bitch. So I've seen some pretty classy status. Someone wrote out "5-1!" If you kind of know what the person's doing (grad school apps), then you'd know it's the number of acceptances versus rejections. Another friend wrote, "Atlanta, anyone?" to suggest that she had gotten into Emory. That was very good- so I'll be doing similar thing. And my parents are on Facebook. Thing is that my dad goes on it but my mom never does. So obviously, I'll tell my parents and close family and friends before posting on Facebook.