Brisingamen

... When your LOR writer texts you around 10pm one night to let you know she sent off your LOR -- and then accidentally texts you again at 3 am, with a dirty text meant for her husband, who's out of town.

Teehee.

This thread is fantastic, really made me grin.

... When your LOR writer texts you around 10pm one night to let you know she sent off your LOR -- and then accidentally texts you again at 3 am, with a dirty text meant for her husband, who's out of town.

Teehee.

This thread is fantastic, really made me grin.

... When your LOR writer texts you around 10pm one night to let you know she sent off your LOR -- and then accidentally texts you again at 3 am, with a dirty text meant for her husband, who's out of town.

Teehee.

This thread is fantastic, really made me grin.

... When your LOR writer texts you around 10pm one night to let you know she sent off your LOR -- and then accidentally texts you again at 3 am, with a dirty text meant for her husband, who's out of town.

Teehee.

This thread is fantastic, really made me grin.

Okay, I just heard from a friend who is three years into a PhD program in the US.

She says she had to awkward moments: one, she accidentally sent a pic intended for her boyfriend's eyes only (cough, cough, we get it) to a POI. Two email windows open. Augh!

Two, she accidentally signed off one email to a POI with 'hugs'.

... When your LOR writer texts you around 10pm one night to let you know she sent off your LOR -- and then accidentally texts you again at 3 am, with a dirty text meant for her husband, who's out of town.

Teehee.

This thread is fantastic, really made me grin.

It is not uncommon for people to get graduate degrees in fields different from their undergraduate. Two of my letter writers got their BAs in literature. The fact that you are already doing research in history with notable historians already gives you stronger credentials than most applicants with BAs in history. The enthusiasm you seem to be showing, along with your research and collaborations indicates that you are a strong candidate.

To answer your question more directly: apply to any program where you believe you would be a good fit. As long as you provide letters of recs from historians, a strong historical writing sample, and a statement of purpose that explains why you are a good fit for the programs you are applying to, you should be a very competitive applicant.

I keep feeling like I should be spending the next five months doing some sort of epic training to prepare for grad school, like rereading all of the primary source information on my research topic or learning a new language … maybe just walking around with books balanced on my head and hoping that I can reacquire all of that knowledge that has left my brain since finishing undergrad ...

I do not have similar feelings as you guys; I think that my new school is lucky to have me.

Waking up and realizing you're Justin Beiber?

Getting rejected by your bottom choice program. 

another gem
 
 
and i have a semi-random question: I keep seeing people write some variation of #a/#r/#w in the notes. What on earth does that mean?

Ok, there was one (not going to try to find it) that said, after an acceptance, something like,
 
"I saw a moose today and took it as a good omen. It was."
 
And then someone afterwards who was rejected, something like:
 
"Did not see a moose."
 
LOL.

"Fine! I'll go make my own geophysics department! With blackjack! And hookers!"

As I search the forum I come across all sorts of old conversations. Forum archeology. I see stuff from damn near antiquity... or the 2010 season.

Whatever happens to those folks who stuck around for a year and got denied from everywhere?
Why did they stop at 55 posts? 
They were so highly praised.  Where did they go wrong?
Are they okay?

Occasionally I stumble on an old thread and up-vote the folks. We may have never simultaneously shared G.C. but I feel they are my brothers and sisters in arms.

I love you, past rejects; I hope you've found your future. 

I saw this post to day while being accepted in the Results page
 
My brain just exploded.    

All right people, time to start declining those Penn offers!

Congratulations!!! Fingers crossed!

I'm also going to agree to what everyone else said. If they did not think you would make a good addition to the program, they would have rejected you rather than waitlisted you. Right now you just have to be patient. Have you asked how the waitlist works? Is it ranked or not? If it is, can they tell you your ranking? Moreover, regardless of how the waitlist works, it will not be used until after admitted students turn decline their offers, which means at this point in the application season nothing you do can really increase your odds of getting in. The only additional email you should send out at this point are ones to let the program know about other offers, ones to let the program know if you win any awards, and possibly one in April reiterating your interest in the program and letting them know it is your top choice. Other than that, it is a matter of chance. 
 
Last year I was wait-listed at my top school and also told that my program historically used its waitlist. When I found out that I was waitlisted, I emailed my POI to let him know I was still interested. I emailed him again in mid-March to let him know I was still interested in the program after he asked if I wanted to remain on the waitlist  and if I had any other offers. Finally I emailed him once again at the beginning of April to let him know that I still had not accepted any offers, that this program was my top choice, and if offered admission I would accept. I was offered admission shortly after that last email. I know being waitlisted at your top school is incredibly difficult and anxiety inducing. I felt stuck in some perpetual limbo. I was constantly afraid that I would open my email and find that I had been rejected. I just wanted to get in so badly and was there was nothing I could do to ensure that I would be admitted. I know you are really eager to get in to this program, but unfortunately for the most part your admission from the waitlist is a game of chance and there is little you can do but try to be patient. 

No flame. Your advice is reasonable and seems well-intentioned. You may be overlooking one thing: the enormous symbolic value and satisfaction of finishing third-level studies for people who don't fit the predominant middle-class Anglo background. I wasn't going to offer actual advice until I read your advice (which, again, makes excellent sense in some cases), but now I will: Fiz, hombre, go to grad school and kick ass. Even if you never get the tenure track job that people have been first-world whining about on here for months, you will certainly be able to use your skills to help others -- maybe by teaching at community college, maybe by writing. How can you know until you try? You're obviously smart and put-together enough to get a fellowship, so now I order you to make the most of it. Read a lot, write a lot, think a lot, make contacts and find a way to give back. No digo más, no vayan a pensar que soy un pesado.

Mine was the acceptance with Citibank loans to cover the $60k annual tuition, but I don't see it now.

There is still the "I can not believe they did not except me" response to being rejected after applying for a PhD in English.

...when you spend ages cleaning your room for a Skype interview only to realize you have your pants hanging in full view of the camera--fifteen minutes into the conversation--and you try to hide it by sitting at an angle.

..when you have to send the following mail to four universities after you submit the online application.
 
   
Two let me submit a new SoP, one attached it to my application, and one never got back. I hope this doesn't hurt my chances...

When you spam/try to sell stimulants to a department chair over twitter while twitter-hacked. Whoops.