nerdguy

Dealing with the same issues. I've narrowed down my choices to about two schools (I think). School A is a top school with at least four or five faculty with whom I'd like to work, a great cohort of grad students who'd be studying similar things, a beautiful climate, and a good track record with jobs. I'd have a great shot at getting additional outside funding if I went there, but obviously there are no guarantees. Living there is expensive, and the stipend is less than my other offers. School B is still a well known school, with a number of star power faculty, tons of money to go around, and lower cost of living in an up and coming city. But less of a track record with jobs (maybe due to the fact that it is an up and coming program), and a smaller cohort. I'd effectively have twice the salary at school B, and I do like the faculty (and they like me), but everybody is telling me that school A is probably where I ought to go - mainly due to the jobs thing - and I do have this gut feeling that school A might produce the best historian/happiest person out of me. School B would allow me to save and perhaps buy a decent used vehicle, and I do think I could do my project there and do it well. The point being I don't know how to decide because I don't know what will happen over the next few years. I don't really know what is more important in fostering a successful graduate career - funds or atmosphere.

Why not a middle ground? Find good fits at multiple levels of prestige. Top ten, top 25, other moderately well ranked programs as well. Unless you pigeon hole yourself, you probably could find people to work with in various places. And as much as adcoms are looking for specificity, they also want people with open minds. But let's face it though, the level of sophistication - I'm not saying unnecessary complication - but yes the level of the work in your writing sample and the level of the project you propose is all important at getting you in. The LORs and the CV, GPA, GRE, etc. are there to prove you are not bullshitting right? A big name might be important, but we can't all get those. Focus on the core of the whole thing - the things that show your writing and ideas. Yes in the end prestige might count, and I think we will all need to join hands to fight for the rights of adjuncts - the lot they are being handed is garbage - but we aren't there yet. We are just trying to get in to a program that will pay us to sharpen our skills and minds and eventually produce a dissertation.

I'll be quick, because I've written something similar somewhere else on this board recently. This is my second cycle. Five years ago I was rejected across the board, but offered the MA at Chicago, which I did, incurring a significant amount of debt. I moved abroad after that and have spent three years learning my second (and much more difficult) foreign language. Essentially, this time around I had a better CV, a master's from a widely recognized top-10 institution, well known LOR writers who offered to write strong letters, a writing sample based on primary sources in a foreign language, a language certificate to vouch for the new language I have been learning, and the required GPA and GRE scores. All things I don't think I had the first time around. But all this won't get you in unless you can articulate a specific question in the SOP. I could, but it wasn't easy and I stressed out about it for a few weeks. I made every word count. Name archives, frame the question around the scholarly debate that does exist, start from the big picture and how your work relates to that, progress toward the details in the next two paragraphs, and then show them that you are ready to tackle this problem because you are so well trained. If you aren't able to show them that, the rest of your application better be something. Definitely reach out to the professors beforehand. I don't care what anybody says. Do it - it helps you get your name in the heads of professors who will be involved in the decision making process. Some will be really appreciative and helpful. Now I'm sitting on offers from at least 6 (maybe seven schools), out of the 11 I applied to. Three are in the "top-10", another three in the "top-25", and another one is not far off. The places I was rejected from did so most likely because they weren't accepting so many students this year, or they didn't have the faculty to support me, or because I fucked up really badly on the interview - which only happened because I suck at interviews and this one occurred at least two hours before I would normally be awake (remember I'm in a foreign country).

Just remember, most history professors are cool as heck. They are fully aware that new PhD students won't be on their level. They know you are ready and want to help you achieve your potential (which your application suggests you have). You'll be fine!

According to the results search, those who will be accepted at Ann Arbor are likely to find out today. Good luck!

Thanks. Luckily you've been accepted at one of the best programs in the nation - and with one of the better placement rates.

20th century comparative. I applied to the late modern Europe fields at most schools, and East Asian/Japan fields at others. But all the schools I applied to know that I want to work comparatively.

Thanks ashiepoo72. Looks like you have a big decision on your hands as well!

I'll claim one of the Vandy admits. So far admitted to Columbia, Berkeley, Vanderbilt, Rutgers, and Wisconsin. Still waiting on Michigan and Harvard. Looks like I didn't make the cut for Chicago and NYU. The only reason I applied to so many places was that I was warned that my chances were slim anywhere and everywhere. This is obviously surprising, but I can only choose one, so those on wait lists have a chance to grab my spots.

accepted at Madison too!

I was oddly not interviewed. Strange. But I'm in too! I'm studying transnational history as well (late modern europe as first field).

I'll give my short story: I finished my undergrad in 2009 at a big, moderately well-ranked state university. Great GPA, loved the history program and the professors, and knew that I wanted to apply for a history PhD that fall. I thought I had a shot. Shored up my LOR support, researched programs, and wrote my SOP, but I was honestly incapable of planning and pitching a feasible and specific research project. Naturally I was rejected from seven programs flat out, and luckily admitted into three entirely unfunded MA programs - one from a top ten university. Knowing that it would saddle me with loads of debt, I went to the top ten school to do my MA anyway. It was incredibly challenging, but it gave me the skills necessary to do real academic work and write a good SOP. After finishing that degree in 2011, I took three years to live abroad, boost my language skills to the point of being effectively tri-lingual, and rethink my project. And the results of this year's applications have reflected my hard work and commitment. So far I have been accepted with full fellowship to no less than four top universities - two of them in the top ten. Maybe I'll even have some more acceptances if I'm lucky. But the point is none of this was easy, all of it required time, effort, and tough decisions, and the endgame payoff is still far away and will require more hard work. To those who succeeded, great job! To those who haven't yet, don't give up if you don't want to. Remember, going into academia IS one of the most intellectually stimulating careers out there, and you DO have a shot if you keep trying. Also, rejection may also give you an opportunity to explore another creative outlet. So don't be stubborn. I used my three years in limbo to write and record music and learn a bit about audio engineering as well. I launched a Kickstarter page and, like the hipster I want to be, even raised enough funds to press my album on vinyl. Another dream of mine accomplished. So don't get depressed about any of this!

It's entirely possible they have only done a few. They were closed for two whole days. Maybe only the few definites have been notified at this point.

You should write those who contacted you and still express your supreme interest in the program. It might get you in if someone doesn't take their offer.

Congrats to the chicago admits. I did my masters there. A challenging and great place. Looks like I didn't get an acceptance there, but who knows, maybe I'll make the wait list.

I don't think I'll go. Just got offered a full funding package for a PhD at the other top ten UC school (I almost feel bad about it - but I can't feel too bad because I have literally spent the past five years of my life building my resume and skill set after getting rejected from everywhere the first time around), so I can't imagine ending up at UCLA for an MA now when I already have one. I'll turn it down, and hopefully that will make funds available to others (again, I don't even know if I was in line for those funds either).

Is the UCLA MA actually a funded program? I've been accepted, but I'm completely unaware of the chances for receiving funding there. Also accepted at Berkeley, but having received no news on funding there either, I'm worried there won't be any. Does anybody know if Berkeley typically funds all admits?

Sorry to hear you didn't get in. I didn't get a reply yet. My guess is that they chose people according to fit above all else. Lots of people with super hero stats get rejected all the time. I'm sure you'll get in somewhere else though. Good luck!

Oh great, good luck! I'm in Nagoya. I'm somewhere between N2 and N1. I think I'll be fine. I recommend studying Heisig's Remembering the Kanji religiously. It will work if you do it. Seriously good luck to you.

My area is German/Japanese post-War comparative history. I already have an MA (German history), and I'm hoping to go straight to a PhD program without taking another master's course (spent the past three years in Japan beefing up on my Japanese), and luckily I've one acceptance so far in the PhD realm. I'll be going as long as it's funded (looks like I'll have to wait and see about that), but UCLA seems to have a really legit master's program. If I were you, I'd take it if it's funded.

I just got accepted to a UCLA master's program instead of the PhD. They actually reached out to me a few weeks ago and asked if it would be okay to transfer my application, given that one of the professors I had hoped to work with would be retiring and they just couldn't take me in without an advisor. It was a shot in the dark anyway (couldn't get any email responses after I tried to contact professors), but glad they read my application. If I get funding it will be a nice backup plan in case the PhD apps don't work out.

You could always just drink continuously throughout the whole process...

Good luck to everyone over the next two weeks. I'm wicked on edge myself.

I contacted roughly thirty professors this time around. My MA program told me I ought to contact two at each school - sending more would appear desperate. However, other professors from my school told me to reach out to as many people as possible, as graduate students tend to work with numerous faculty members. I had a couple of informal skype conversations with two professors at one school, and both of them suggested I reach out to a number of other professors at that same school. Decisions are often made by committee so having more people knowing about you is certainly a plus. And believe it or not, the nicest folks I emailed with were from the nation's most prestigious schools. Some of them took longer to reply than others, but every single professor who replied to me (and some 70% of those I emailed did in fact reply) was kind, appreciative, and offered really great advice. Just do it. The one's who don't reply may still remember your name when they read your application. Anyway, I wouldn't want to go to a school where the professors are too busy to be bothered by people interested in their work.

You may find a number of specialists in each field (Germany and Japan) who are interested in comparisons between the two. And most historians who study the post-war histories of those countries may have a decent interest in that topic. Indiana seems like a great choice - Mark Roseman's book A Past in Hiding is maybe the most interesting piece of history I have ever read. But Berkeley and Columbia, as well as Harvard, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Vanderbilt would also be great. I'm sure there are many other schools that could accommodate you. Send out some emails early on so you know where to focus your energy.