gorgogliante

I am disabled so I am also sometimes in this situation. First, disability and chronic illness does count as "diversity." But when applying for fellowships, you need to pay attention to the specific language of each individual fellowship. Some fellowships might specify that they want to support students of color. Others might specify that they want to support first-generation students. Still more might just ask for anyone with a "diverse perspective" or other generic language. If the fellowship falls into the latter category, then yes, you are eligible. You can make a case for yourself in the application materials. And if you really aren't sure, just reach out to the granting institution and ask!

Award recipients have only just begun to receive paperwork asking us to accept or decline awards, so I suspect alternates may begin to hear about their places over the next month or so.

Are any other rejected finalists still waiting to get feedback on their application? I sent an email to the IDRF a week ago and haven't heard back.

No, my name is not on the website.

Thanks

Congratulations! Did your letter say how many awards were issued this year?

Just got rejected. ? Huge bummer knowing I won't be able to apply again.

I haven't heard anything yet so I'm guessing Monday. It looks like in previous years that's when the announcements have gone out.

Well, it turns out that unfortunately this year's fellows will actually be the last. The Mellon foundation has stopped funding the program. For clarity, if you applied this year, you can still win funding. But there will be no application this fall or thereafter. Here's the announcement: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/idrf/idrf-announcement/

Just learned that I received the fellowship! Hope you got good news, too.

Apparently alternates have been named; I haven't heard one way or the other about acceptance/rejection.

I'll let you know when I hear.

Does anyone know when award recipients and alternates are likely to be announced?

I'm also waiting to hear... any news on this yet?

Find out what the Grad School's parental leave/other leave policies are. I don't know what the school is, but it may be in the Grad School Bulletin or Student Handbook. It should be somewhere on their website. If you can't find anything, email someone in the Dean's office to ask for clarification. In my experience, the admin are likely to be more supportive or neutral about students taking leave, whereas faculty/programs may be a little more stingy. (Of course, some programs are entirely supportive.) Be aware that whatever is listed in the school Bulletin/Handbook is the official policy regardless of what anyone else tells you. (I work in a graduate Dean's office.)

It sounds to me that due to the similarities of the programs, it's likely that at the least you would be able to transfer into the correct program once/if you are admitted. It might take a semester to transfer or they may do it immediately when you are enrolled. signed, current uni admin

Thanks for the advice. You're right, I need to wait until my visit to gauge their interest/the program fit. My visits are a month apart which is also influencing my perspective right now. When I've met with both sets of faculty and students I'll probably have a clearer sense of where to go.

And you'd have to pay NYC rent on top of that. Not worth it. VU sounds like a great option. Right now I have two choices for an EM World focus, so I have to compare departmental focus on multiple regions. Here's the problem: School A has a significantly stronger focus on region X, but they work on modern/contemporary and don't use the methods I need. School B has a weak focus on that region, but the expert there has interests that are significantly closer to my own. She is also the director of a relevant national institute. I'm worried that although School A has great regional expertise, in the long run their faculty would not end up being as interested in my project or as helpful. Any thoughts on this?

I wholeheartedly agree with @TMP. Speaking from admin experience, I've seen a huge number of grad student medical leaves of absence for anxiety/depression. To add onto the mental health treatment question, find out what the leave policies are at your school: medical, parental, personal, etc. Find out if you will lose a semester of funding if you go on leave. Some departments may defer your funding for your return--others might not.

I just got my Harvard rejection. Frankly, I am relieved to know at this point!

Georgetown's committee has finalized its list. Not sure when the letters will be going out. Good luck everyone!

I have withdrawn my application from Georgetown so another transregional candidate has a chance. Now time to decide between Michigan and Duke ?

I was rejected from PhD programs out of undergrad and ultimately, it was a blessing. I went to a partially-funded MA instead. It gave me the chance to develop my languages, broaden my research interests, and network through faculty. In undergrad, I was interested in 18th-century British imperial history. During my MA I took courses on a variety of world regions, and now I'm more interested in early modern Indian Ocean history and material culture. By this PhD cycle, I had more languages, more archival research experience, and a better grasp on historiography and how to propose a feasible research project. The applications were also easier: I only applied to 4 PhD programs because I know what I am looking for. Re: early modern Italian history, there is definitely a demand for more globally-oriented research on Venice, Livorno, etc. Plus, I can attest that Italian archives have their, err, quirks... but there are benefits to travelling there!

Congrats! So exciting!

This is outdated information. The main problem these days in DC is cost of living. I've loved living in DC for 5 yrs. Congrats @Jericho !