Gambaosaka1

That's brilliant news and Toronto is a great school. Congrats!

I wouldn't wait much longer personally

Hey, that's great. Thanks, I will do! So jealous you'll be living in Manoa. There is very very little on my topic as you would expect. A lot of Professors I emailed would reply to me saying it was a fascinating topic but they had no idea about it. If you get a chance when you are in Tokyo, check out the Turkish style mosque in Yoyogi-Uehara. It feels so out of place it's kind of cool.

I would love to! Seen photos and read up about it (my close friend also comes from Nagoya) but don't think I'll have time this trip sadly. Hawaii looks like a perfect fit for you. Congrats again. I am looking at the relationship between Islam and Japan. My MA thesis looked at the institutionalization of Islam in Japan. There is a lot of scope and I will be working with someone who really knows this area well (Cemil Aydin), so cannot wait. Just need to get my Japanese down ASAP.

I'm hoping it will be the same for me in London. Heading back early next month so I don't have to stress about it. Wish I had a chance to visit Nagoya on this trip. Will have to save it for Summer language immersion time. Did you write earlier that you were going to the look at US-Japan relations?

Where are you from in Japan? I'm British studying Japanese in Tokyo. Sadly I have to go back to the UK next month and apply for my visa. How much time are you giving yourself to get one?

Holy crap! I have 2, working on my third now and would love to add Arabic too.

I'm from the UK, but moving to Chapel Hill this fall (as long as I get my bloody visa)! I know there are strong links and cooperation between NCSU/Duke/UNC. One of the research institutes is at looking was a joint-venture between the three: http://carolinaasiacenter.unc.edu/triangle-center-for-japanese-studies/ Regardless, hope the apartment hunting goes well! I haven't started looking yet at all myself. Thinking of getting a graduate apartment on campus possibly.

Congrats ashiepoo! UC Davis is a lucky school.

Congrats KB! We will be uni neighbors. Probably see you at a lecture in the area.

Hey, of course! Sorry I've been AWOL for a couple of weeks (language exams + had to move + cherry blossom viewings). PM me and we can exchange emails maybe? Would love to read it

Congrats! I just accepted my UNC offer as well! Wish me luck with the US visa!

Sounds odd to me for them to say that. Maybe professor plum can help out here. If the idea is that the LOR are confidential is even saying they were "weak" or "not great" unethical or, at the very least, unusual? I remember going into an interview for an MA program in the UK who really wanted me to attend them over another uni and one of the Professors there told me one of my mentors wrote a bad LOR which I thought was out of order but that's just me.

UCSB is great for EA Religions. I only know Fabio Rambelli whose work is great and seems very friendly and approachable. I just got their (EALC) funding package today as well. Good luck with the Mandarin!

Congrats!

Sorry, I had 2 academic ones and chose to have one from work. Not having at least one academic source will be tough to get away from and would look bad even if they accepted it in all honesty (in my view). Have you tried every avenue to get references? I am assuming you have but what about emailing the head of the undergraduate or graduate program coordinator asking advice. Do they just not remember you? I've always had great experiences from my former professors so apologies for being confused with the idea that academics wouldn't write (even a generic) recommendation letter. Feel bad for you as that is a tough position to be in! Hope you can figure it out.

I had one from work (had been out of education for 4 years)...if anything it was important for me to have someone say I was mature, professional, committed and hardworking (maybe qualities I didn't have as a student).

Yeah, me too. I think I saw on their page that if you get their merit scholarship it would cover 25% of tuition. Pretty shit deal really.

Hey ellebelle: Really sorry it didn't work out for you this semester. I don't have any experience being anywhere near admissions committees so can only speak from my own experience and from what Professors told me. I think I was in a similar position to you with regards to my grades: I was decent in both undergrad and Masters but did not excel. My Japanese isn't up to scratch like others, however, I think I have a really unique/understudied topic which is timely and have an 'interesting' background (where I come from originally, what other native language I speak, and when/where I happened to intern that happens to connect with my research somehow) and worked for a news organization post-MA. My MA professor said I was a "non-traditional" candidate and so it is even harder to judge how my cycle would go and so I should a) have a wide-range of places to apply b)focus on selling my USP (feels yucky to write it) and my "story" in my SOP and c) really work hard on making contact with places I have a good research fit. My area is so small it is bound to help if I can find the research connection. In addition to his advice I felt my writing sample wasn't strong enough so wrote a literature review of my research area from scratch and I think that might be something you might want to do? Aside from having a great writing sample if it connects with your SOP it might help alleviate any issues about your interests being all over the place maybe? I haven't done incredibly well like Ashiepoo for example but considering my limitations at the moment I am more than happy (especially with UNC which is the dream fit for me). Don't dwell on the past grades, I think nailing an interesting research topic + strong writing sample is what will make the difference. If they need proof that you have ability as an aspiring historian that they can't see from your grades then that is what they might look at. Having French is great and if you can add some Spanish (for example) that would really add to your CV. Also selling your years away from academia might be something you could look at it. Do you think that came off OK in your SOP? Either way, I am certainly NO expert...just my uneducated 2 cents

Not related to applications but was wondering if anyone else listens to the "New Books in History" podcasts? I particularly follow the New Books in East Asia podcasts but there are loads of others that may be related to all of your interests. http://newbooksinhistory.com/list-of-all-interviews/ Doing intensive Japanese means I don't really get to read much but listening to podcasts on my long commutes is pretty useful. Either way, thought it might be interesting to anyone who hasn't come across this yet.

In my first year of being an undergraduate I randomly took a course in Japanese Politics through literature and film and was fascinated by a) the influence of the U.S. in post-war Japan which I was completely ignorant of and Japan's post-war 'victim identity'. Looking back now my understanding of that period was quite superficial (understandably so) but John Dower's work on Japan under the U.S. occupation was what got me into Japan (prior to that I was looking to study the Middle East where I grew up and had studied previously). I now look at minorities/religious minorities in Japan.

I used the eri website which shows the figures being much closer now that you mention it (Ann Arbor being 111% of the national norm as opposed to 119% according to that page), although it still shows CH being slightly cheaper. http://www.erieri.com/CareerPlanning/Student-Cost-of-Living#appstart Good luck with getting them to top up your offer! Would be great if it works. I know mine is a standard offer and am sure they will not countenance adding any more to it.

Java008 (this thread might be worth looking at and asking that question): This is from their website (cost of living page which takes data from the economic research institute): http://gradschool.unc.edu/funding/costofliving.html I'm also almost certain to accept my offer from UNC as well (I'm an international student as well). I am guessing this page will heat up after April 15!

Congrats!

Only recently noticed this thread...I focus on modern Japanese history and am very close to accepting my UNC-CH offer. Assuming there aren't too many East Asian focused historians heading there?