Minnesotan

How did I miss her clearly stating that she was applying to English programs? I blame the 150 mid-terms I had to grade over the weekend.

I try to alternate between feeding my anxiety about the admissions committees, my imposter syndrome (I'm already in grad school), and my inner perfectionist who *just knows* something got messed up in my statements of purpose. That way, I always have a fresh neurosis to wake up to every morning. Life is dull when you only make yourself sick worrying about one thing at a time.

Please don't cut/paste spam. Most people who read these forums page through most of the threads, so everyone will see your question if you put it in one general area, like "Applications." Thanks, The Forum Slaves

Sadly, I'm trying to finish up the last hundred pages of my master's thesis, so I don't get to drink beer and watch movies as much as I'd like. Stupid schoolwork - it gets in the way of a perfectly good university experience.

Being an American ex-pat studying in Toronto, now, I can tell you that UofT has the best overall reputation out of Canadian schools. Normally I think it's treated like a little brother of the Ivy Leagues, or like a large Midwestern Research I. People in fields where Canadian schools have a strong presence might have a better idea about other big Canadian schools - UBC, York, McGill, etc. - but it seems like UofT is very well-known among the people I talk to in The States (mainly in arts/humanities disciplines). You've probably got a fighting chance at any of those schools. It all probably hinges on fit, making sure you have a potential advisor to fight for you, and making sure your supporting materials look polished. It never hurts to apply to some mid-level programs for backups, though.

Van Wilder, which is a good representation of undergrad life. =)

Screw research! I should be taking conference trips with supermodels to exotic locations, where clothing is purely optional and rarely used. I should be spending my days studying the beaches and composing a better tan. I should be investigating interesting trends in zymmurgy, and doing literature reviews of poolside bar coasters. Research - pfft! I'll show you research!

Yup. Fair enough. I treated the initial email probes as a way to test the waters with potential advisors and PDs. If they were helpful and enthusiastic, I might take it to the next step. If they didn't reply, or were curt, I decided I had better find a new contact, or save the application fee. Funny thing - one guy at a west coast school yelled at me (via email, heh) because I said I thought our research interests were very similar. Apparently he disagreed. lol

Connections are good later on, but "fit" normally means more in the application process. In your case, you probably had to be very careful about where to apply, making sure that there was at least one (and preferably a bunch) of the experts in the field, whose research closely matches yours. You can connect all you like with the big names, but if they don't like your research ideas they likely won't fight for you. I was going to apply at Illinois, but their history department never got back to me after two polite emails sent in September and October. I said screw 'em! There are better places for me, if they can't get their stuff together. It looks like the two of you had better experiences with them.

They seem to be good about leaving messages. Just make sure nobody spams your voicemail inbox when you're expecting a call. =) Once they leave a message, though, they don't seem to make much effort beyond that. I had to call back quite a few times to finally reach one professor who had contacted me two years ago.

Good luck with Edinburgh. It's a good school, and a fantastic place to visit (and I would assume live). Great people, the Scots - very down to Earth, compared to the folk in some other major metropolitan areas in Europe. Doesn't Cambridge work it like Oxford, with the multiple-deadline system (not a rolling deadline, but something similar)? I remember when I was studying there as an undergrad, I filled out an MA app, and I had a choice of which pool I wanted to be in. I'm still not sure what the difference was, but I'm just a daft American. I'm used to a more straight-forward application process (i.e. they let you know ahead of time how they are going to torture you for three months, then eventually screw you over - Oxford was a little more subtle about it). =)

If they didn't send the password via the USPS, then the only option you've got is to get up bright and early on the 2nd, and call them for it the minute they open. I assume the deadline is either noon or midnight, right?

I have a history app in this year at WashU. What field are you in? PhD or MA? I have an MA already, and am going into Colonial/18th C. American, studying the classical influence on political/intellectual history of the early republic. I also have apps out in the history of rhetoric at some of the major Midwestern campuses, but those are all under the aegis of English programs.

From all of the volunteers here at the Grad Cafe, I wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas, a happy new year, and a delightful time during whatever holiday you celebrate during this most busy part of the year. For my part, Io Saturnalia! Also, best of luck in the coming months - not only for the applications, but for dealing with the stress of the process. Have a drink, relax, and let the universe sort itself out. Hopefully everything works out for the best.

That is possibly the funniest thing I've heard in relation to grad apps. Sheesh! I bet you were wetting yourself for a while, there. (And, yes, it's only funny now that we know it didn't burn you.) ETS overcharges for incompetence, but they're the only game in town.

No problemo, mate. Make sure to check up on your applications, though. I found out that one university - we'll call it the University of Schmashington in Schmeattle, so as to not give away the true location - completely lost my application packet this year. I had to resubmit everything, and have it sent international express, since I'm currently living in Canada, and Canada Post seems to fumble the ball as often as not when making the handoff to the USPS. That was all very stressful, and just goes to show you that you have to stay on top of these things. I've heard of a bunch of people now who have had ETS send wrong scores, or not send scores at all; transcript issues with undergrad institutions; false information on the grad application websites. It's kind of scary, all of the things that can go wrong and send your application to the slush pile - especially since most of these things are out of your hands. All one can do is keep checking until the application is complete, I guess.

Retaking the GRE only works if you manifest definite improvement. If you retake it and score poorly again, you may just reinforce the idea that you're not smart or dedicated enough to make it in grad school.

Based on the perceived effectiveness of the department in terms of educating grad students, and how other phds rank their faculty quality, BU blows BC and Tufts out of the water. Source: http://graduate-school.phds.org/ranking ... ?w1=5&w7=5 If you have other criteria in mind, there are quite a few options to choose from at the above site. I don't think "politeness of secretaries" is a category, nor can you sort by the "frequency of catch-phrases used" category, though it might be nice. "Is that your final answer?" No. My final answer is a letter bomb sent to anyone who regurgitates idiotic sayings they heard on television programs. Sorry re: the digression. It feels good to vent, though. =)

Your best resources are your professors in the area you want to pursue, and the professional organizations and their respective publications. For instance, if you're in history, the AHA and their publications would be a great place to look for calls. Also, there are normally tons of grad student conferences designed particularly for those of us who are still green, trying to make names for ourselves. Many are interdisciplinary in nature, meaning your topic will often fit the conference theme, with only minor tweaking. Again, your department, or the departments of humanities or interdisciplinary studies at your home institution will likely have information on such opportunities.

Ouch! Cross your fingers, then - gotta hope he likes you.

Sure thing. 1) I would hope you listed the schools you want to receive free reports when you finished the exams - those are sent out at the same time as the one they send to you. 2) Most schools will allow you to self-report your scores, as long as they get the official scores eventually. If it's not listed in the app, maybe contact the admissions secretary. 3) You can always call to check your scores - if the AW portion is listed, then you're good to order your additional reports.

I would take a chance on being short a LoR, rather than having a possible soboteur in my refs.

Yeah. I really liked the history programs at Virginia and Chapel Hill, but I didn't think I could physically handle the summers there. I've lived in cold climates all of my life. The best I could manage is cool and damp, like London or Seattle.

Yeah. Anytime they care enough to want more information, it's probably a good sign. =)

I wouldn't worry, Blue. This is how it went last year. All of a sudden, when Jan or Feb comes along, this forum will be friggin nuts. And, yes, the waiting is among the worst parts. I would say *the* worst, but I just found out one of my schools lost my application and supporting materials, so they want me to overnight a replacement packet. Do you know how much it costs to overnight something from Toronto to the W. Coast? sheesh! Grifter: none of the programs to which you applied. Thus, you have, like three other (reputable) programs in the NW to choose from - I applied to two of them. heh BTW, Minnesota is a fun school, if you can acclimatize. But don't be one of those pussies who comes to Minnesota, then complains all winter about the cold. We know it's cold - we were born here. We told you it was cold before you got here. Why then is it such a big surprise, come winter, that it's cold here? =)