angesa01

Congratulations on Cornell!!!!!! I just heard from CUNY yesterday: I got an informal email from a prof accepting me. Unfortunately Grad Cafe posted the acceptance as Ethnomusicolo... The waiting game is awful, and I'm sort of outraged on your behalf mus68...you wasted your time and $$ applying to Duke, and they didn't have any openings? That's just not right.

Good luck!

I just had an interview (a three person interview actually) and here is what I'm doing: I am sending individual emails to all three interviewers that are more or less the same, but slightly tweaked incase they CC each other and note that I responded. I get that that is highly unlikely, but I would be so embarassed if the three of them realized I sent the exact same note. Hope it works out. Here is a sample of what I wrote: Dear Professor X, Thank you for the interview and the chance to meet current students last Friday. I really enjoyed our conversation and thought that you and your colleagues raised very interesting and thought-provoking questions for me. Altogether, the visit further convinced me of the strengths of X's program in (program) and why I find the program such an ideal fit. I especially appreciated hearing about your particular research interests in music and society. I remain extremely interested in the X University and look forward to hearing from the program soon. Sincerely, Name (I don't know why I was compelled to take out anything descriptive). Feel free to use it as a template, or as an example of what not to do...

Congratulations to whoever is accepted to SUNY Buffalo Musicology!

I probably shouldn't be checking all my admissions stats every day, right? Most programs don't do acceptances until March or April, and I would get an email if a decision were up...still, checking my email 12 times an hour gives me a strange paradox of emotions: relief that there are no rejections, and frustrations that there are no acceptances. How are you all holding up?

So glad I found this thread. I was thinking about my interview next week and just dreading what to wear...I had actually taken out my official Black Interview Suit, but now I realize that would be a Death Suit. Nice slacks, low heels, cardigan, and a necklace that hints at a bit of character. It's my personal mantra that you can never go wrong with a cardigan.

Hi John, Go for it! Why not? Really....why not?

I hate waiting! So far I have an interview scheduled with CUNY and I had a weird informal phone interview with Brooklyn, but nothing else. I know rejections come before acceptances, so no news is good news...but still. Most of my friends already know exactly where they are going, and I'm checking my email 999 times a day. You're right about Columbia: they are preposterously selective, and they don't even have fully funded positions. But they have a fantastic program, great faculty, good resources, and many opportunities for their students to publish. Most of the schools I applied to want the social sciences background, and luckily I have that. I was a double music and political science undergraduate, so hopefully that is working in my favor when people realize my other shortfalls. I selected UWashington Seattle because of a personal recommendation. They have a large program in American, popular, and contemporary music and a significant faculty. They have tons of assistantships and fellowships, and I heard financial aid can be generous. The only downfall is you have to finish the MA or MM program before you are officially a PhD. candidate. So even though I applied for the PhD., I would be a masters student. Good luck!

Mine: Ethnomusicology Invariable Responses: Whatawhatogy? Cool, what do you play?

Thanks for your reply! I hate the waiting game so much, but you are right...we do have to wait until February. I'm nervous about this whole admissions thing, to say the least. I have a strong application, I think, but I think my age is going to work against me. I'm finishing my undergraduate work now, and as a double-major at a small liberal arts school, I don't have the enormous amount of upper level music courses other applicants have. From what I read, most schools prefer students with an MA already. But getting an MA and then going for PhD in music seems like a waste of time and money for me--if you know what you want to do, do it, and so many schools don't transfer masters credits. I am so happy to have someone who commiserates.

I might be extremely late to this forum, but I'm another Music PhD applicant! Musicology with an Ethno concentration--depending on the program, that's either Musicology or Ethnomusicology. I think I applied to 8 programs, each with different titles for the degree I want. About Brown: one of my current professors and advisors is an ethnomusicologist from Brown. He says the program is academic and creative, but he didn't really recommend it very highly. He actually listed many programs he thought were better than Brown. I guess it depends on who you want to work with, and what you want to study. Has anyone heard from any programs yet? I applied to: UCLA WashU UC Berkeley CUNY Graduate Center CUNY Brooklyn Harvard Columbia U Michigan I'm scouring each site daily for a hint of a decision timeline.

Honestly, I think it is dangerous to directly mention a faculty's name if you haven't previousl established contact with them. If you have emailed, or met at a conference, or if you are somehow connected to the faculty in question, go ahead. If you only know them as a name on a website, it seems presumptuous.

Any other music people out there in the universe? I'm applying to mostly ethno programs, but a few Musicology PhDs also: I'm an undergrad, so my resume is a little sparse compared to others....so I'm terribly nervous and intimidated by the process. But GREs are out of the way and I'm brushing up on my writing samples. I'm applying to 9 schools. Anyone want to commiserate?

I don't know much about which program could get you a job, but I was wondering why you are considering such different programs. UTexas is an MM program and musicology and ethno are so different!

I really appreciate the time you took to write this reply. I'm stunned by some of what you said, but grateful! I've narrowed down the list of where I should apply and also, narrowed down my interests. I learned that it would be better to apply to PhD programs and that my interests really fall into ethno rather than traditional musicological study. I'm considering Harvard, Columbia, CUNY, Brooklyn, UWashington, UCLA, Berkely, and UTexas Austin. I didn't realize GRE scores were so important! Columbia apparently expects a 1000 combined score. I'm rocking the GREs in a few days and I'm hoping for something in that range. Phili is near my school, so I will definetely be at the conference in November. Schmoozing with researchers, professors and other students sounds awesome and interesting. How is Brandeis treating you? I was actually considering the school for awhile, but an email conversation with the chair of the program turned me off. What are your interests and what is the overall environment like at the Brandeis program? Again, I really appreciate the time and consideration you put in the above response. It's nice to feel less alone in this process: I don't know anyone else applying for musicology programs.

Greetings to any Musicologists out there either starting the grad search or working on their degrees. I'm an undergraduate senior completely overwhelmed by the applications process and the lack of unified information concerning programs. I'm also going at this alone: no one at my conservatory (Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College) is applying for grad study in musicology. I'm looking for an MA program that leads to a PhD, or a PhD program where you earn your MA along the way. I am primarily interested in twentieth-century American music, Russian music and music of East Africa. Anyone with any information regarding applying to grad school for musicology? I'm really clueless and would love information on HOW to get in, how many programs I should apply to and what, realistically, I should aim for. I'd love to attend Columbia, but I feel like that is a stretch coming from an undergraduate degree. Thanks!