RockEater

Hopefully you'll get into your dream program, so I can take your spot I only kid. I kid 'cuz I love.

I know how you feel. I've referred to the wait-list as purgatory, too. But I prefer (as you can see below) to think of it as the Group W bench. Alice's Restaurant reference: Welcome to the Group W bench. You may not be "moral" enough to join the graduate school after committing your "special crime"!

I'm not sure. I think in order for that to truly happen, more would have to happen than students choosing to go to University of Y. A school would also have to cut classes and dismiss faculty. Unfortunately, we know this is happening at a good deal of schools. If X University is to "decline," then it must not offer the same standard of education that applicants seek. I think most students select which school to apply to based off four things, in this order: 1. Is this school known for producing quality historians? 2. Are there faculty currently at this school that share my research interests? 4. If I apply, do I stand a good chance of acceptance? 3. Is the funding adequate? Funding comes last, because there are so many ifs in the equation: "If the school produces quality historians," "If there are faculty that share my research interests," "If I get in." What I'm saying is that whether a school declines or not has more to do with its educational aspects than the money you can get from them. Let's say that for 2011 forward, Harvard only covered two years' tuition and a stipend of 12,000 per year. That's a pitiful offer, compared to what the standard appears to be, but people will still go because it's Harvard for God's sake, and you are still going to have access to a world-class education. So to summarize, when/if this economic clusterf*** ends, there will of course be some schools that will dip in our ratings, simply because they no longer have the intellectual resources to offer students, on top of the financial resources. But some, even if they've gone flat broke, will somehow remain on top. Will some emerge as more highly regarded? It depends on if they can entice the dismissed faculty from other schools to work for University of Y, if they can adequately fund incoming students, and most importantly, if they produce quality historians (that's where you and I come in). The last one is about job placement. Will the job market improve later on? It depends; some of us may get our degree just in time for the next economic downturn (a favorite joke I use when others ask me about my plans)! The job market may improve in the idea that there's a smaller number of possible hires, but if there's a number of active faculty members that far exceeds the fresh doctoral pool, then finding a job will be as hard as ever. Fortunately, I'd like to think that in 5 (or 6, 7, 8) years' time, a great number of the Boomer professors (or older) will either be dead or retiring, and that if/when we get out of grad school, there'll be a number of positions open at schools across the country. In general, I feel that the huge number of applicants this year is tied to a number of causes. First, people can't get jobs, and when they can't get jobs, they further their education (or sit on the sofa and drink beer). Now, some of these people see it as a chance to pursue a dream, or enter a different career track, and that is great- these are the people that should be accepted. However, some people see graduate school as a place to retreat to for a couple years and collect stipend, and when the economy begins to recover, bust on out with perhaps a Master's degree. These people shouldn't be in grad school, but some of them make it. How will we be able to tell? Check the retention rates of graduate schools next year, two years from now, and three years from now. Lower retention rates implies a less-able set of students (unlikely, given the smaller numbers of acceptances and generally higher qualifications), or a greater number who hid from the economy. The second cause is that the bachelor's degree has become cheapened. There, I said it. There's such pressure from family, friends, everyone you know; you have to go to college, you have to get a degree. Of course, this is the fate of any society that has an information-based economy. Everyone going and getting their B.A. or B.S. means the degree becomes cheapened. I've heard some people say that the bachelor's is the new high school diploma. This is true, in many aspects. But there are, in this world, some people just not cut out for college. I'm sorry, but its true. They end up going, wasting four years or more of their life to barely graduate, and then they have a degree but no one will hire them because there are better applicants out there. In reality, this individual should have gone to a technical/trade school, if they would have liked it more! We need electricians and plumbers, construction workers and mechanics. The reason our infrastructure is in the crapper is not only because we don't spend the money on repairs, but also because the lack of manpower. People don't want to become electricians, plumbers, construction workers, or mechanics because "everybody" needs to get a college degree! If only to increase the value of our own degrees, and to reduce the number of applicants to graduate school, people need to recognize that college isn't for everyone, and that you can still make great money in a trade. We need to make every job appealing so that someone will want to do it. Anyway, there're my thoughts. Sorry for ranting.

That's what they said about Harvard. Everyone's hurting. It really sucks.

If you do, and they let me in, give me your address. I'm gonna mail you a six pack of some great beer!

Emailed the grad coordinator. You could do the same. It seems that they think they sent out their notifications, and either no one has told them that they didn't go through, or something like that. It's strange. Right now, I'm just holding out that people that got into Brandeis also got into other schools, and they'll go to those other schools. Not much else I can do, asides from go on a bender. Maybe after thesis writing.

Glub, glub.

Well, just got the rejection notification from OSU. I've been screwed over because of the economy again (like many of us). That leaves Columbia, and I'm expecting a rejecting from them shortly, Harvard, and NYU - both will probably be rejects as well. So now I'm holding out on getting off the Brandeis waitlist. RockEater has hit rockbottom.

I can answer that. I'm just wrapping up four years of living in Madison, and I know I'm going to miss it so much. If you like to eat out, the food here will blow your mind. There is probably every style of cuisine represented here, from the lowly bratwurst to fois gras. Italian, Chinese, French, Irish, Tibetan, Indian, Middle-Eastern, American, German, Mexican, Vietnamese/Laotian, Brazilian, barbecue...I'm just describing a single street and the one block area surrounding it! If you want, I can recommend a list of restaurants that will cater to whatever you're looking for. As for cooking, that all depends on your own skills, but there are definitely places to get the ingredients. A grocery store just opened up that's central to campus and has a butcher and fresh veggies, and when the world thaws, the Capitol Square is home to a very, very large Farmer's Market that offers meats, flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables, and baked goods. Overall, I think Madison's got an offering that rivals most major cities. You can check this site out to find out the huge list of restaurants, complete with reviews: http://www.madisonatoz.com/ Anything else you want to know?

I wish you hadn't told me about this. I just went to check, and it says "incomplete" and they show that they don't have a transcript. But I KNOW I mailed them a transcript. It never got sent back by the postal service...So I assumed that they got it, or else they would have sent some sort of notification? I'm freaking out now...

I really, really want an acceptance from Columbia. They're probably the best fit I know of; but given how things are going for me, I think I should expect another rejection.

Got mine too. Not terribly surprised. I was actually sort of offended that, basically, their rejection letter is the exact same as Yale's.

I know how you feel, Septimius. I'm waitlisted at Brandeis right now. As stated above, only the university and those attending can give you a real good idea of the figures. If the email you received extended an offer to answer any questions about the program, feel free to email to see if you can get an idea of how large the list is; the university should let you know, because they know that such information can play a role in your decision of where to attend- the shorter the list, the more likely you are to weigh your option to continue to wait. Generally, I wouldn't contact to ask what number you are, because they won't tell you. You can gauge their general feel for you based on how personal your email was. Here are some clues: 1. Did they talk about anything related to your application specifically, such as your statement of intent? 2. Is your email cc'd to other faculty members? Are those faculty members potential advisors? 3. Did any other faculty (potential advisors) send you an email after the first email? What did they say? 4. How "personal" is the email? Does it seem really form-like? Are there personal touches, like ellipses and minor typos? 5. Did they offer to talk with you more about their program? These are usually signs that you're sitting either near the top of a large waitlist, or are in a very small waitlist, because professors are not going to kill their time sending personal emails to more than four applicants. I'm not absolutely sure about this, but you are probably competing with fellow ancient historians. It has more to do with how many new students each professor can mentor.

It was me. I was waitlisted a week ago, but I had a conversation with David Engerman today. He actually called me, not the other way around; I was quite touched and honored. I'd figure keep waiting, I'm sure that they'll send out their notifications soon. If you get rejected, I'm sorry. If you get accepted and have another offer, take the other offer so I can get in to Brandeis!

That is correct. I've been working with Suri for some time now, both with my UG thesis and helping develop content for his online summer courses. I wager he will have lunch with Alan Brinkley, who was a POC when I initially applied to Columbia.

Nothing yet on my end.

In all honesty, I've been here for four years and I've never been to Kabul, but I plan on going soon. Vientien Palace is absolutely awesome, especially if you like it hot. There's a bbq place opening up next door to Riley's. It's owned by the same people, and the head chef is the same one the runs Samba. I'm going next Tuesday, and I'll definitely post how good it is.

Yeah, I should be about. That ends just a week before Spring Break, so it's good that you'll see the campus where there are actually students on it.

That would probably be the Essen Haus, if I recall correctly. Yes. There are giant beers there. A few friends and I have had more that a few boots, and once I went with four other people and split a five liter stein. Bring your drinking hat if you have one, and go get one if you don't have one. Of course, the food in the city is good too. When is the welcome weekend? I'll probably be around.

Go. There will be free drinks. I guarantee it.

It could mean a variety of things. The person that updates their application statuses has been fired, or is incapacitated. They've received so many applicants, it would be more efficient to have the applicants contact the school. I don't think it means you've been rejected or waitlisted. Give them a call regardless.

Yeah. I'm really praying for good news this week. I've really felt the despair this past weekend, and I talked to my advisor about it. He's still adamant that I will be accepted somewhere, and he is going to Columbia this week to give a lecture. Maybe he can give them a nudge? I kid.

Beer

Mail

I believe 8 is the minimum for graduate students to be considered "full-time." It's 12 for undergrads.