denim_pocket

My apologies for the implied accusation. These admissions folks on the other end of the phone really will say anything- they're no more reliable than anonymous grad cafe posts.

I called today- acceptances will go out this week. No information is available via website. The results search posts on Yale must be fake or a mistake.

amen. Poor Ned does not deserve the beating he's getting here.

I talked to her a few days ago and she said all of the decisions had been made, and they're just figuring out the funding and will let applicants know by the end of the month. At this point they'll say anything just to stop us from calling, so I think we just have to stick it out.

Has anyone heard from Michigan yet for sociocultural anthro? I saw acceptances for history/anthropology and archaeology, and an informal rejection from a POI. Anyone else?

My feeling is that since all applicants to departments under the Division of Social Sciences go that e-mail, included those who had been accepted already as well those who haven't heard, it's just a standard mass e-mail that is no indication of any admissions status. They're probably just sick of people asking and want to give them something to chew on for a while. I wouldn't be concerned with it one way or the other.

Did everyone applying to U of Chicago get the e-mail from the Division of Social Sciences?

anthro programs are the sloooowest every other discipline seems to be hearing already

A few things... The good news is that I spoke with an admissions coordinator at Berkeley today on the phone, who said that he had no idea about any short list and that someone must have misinterpreted that information because he would have been the one to compile that sort of data. He said no decisions of any kind have been made that he is aware of (and I think he would know). The best part was that he assumed I had heard the rumor off thegradcafe, and told me that I should take anything on the site (and I quote), "with a pound of salt." Talk about ironic. So bottom line: there's no reason to fear about not having heard from Berkeley. I feel the same way about Chicago and the FLAS e-mail. Though I got the e-mail myself, it's dated from December 29th- I highly doubt that in less than two weeks they already made any cuts, though that's just my opinion. I don't think it means anything. In terms of the admissions stats I heard about Chicago, an admissions officer there told me that over the phone when I called to asked a question about my app. That info also wasn't gained from any "first cut" e-mail, so nothing to worry about there. Just some advice to those who are waiting like myself- you'd be surprised at how willing admissions staff (not faculty) are willing to talk to you and can share info about dates or the selectionprocess. That doesn't mean you should bombard them, but none have had any problems answering my questions, even if they give a generic "by the end of February" response. Hope this helps.

In this spirit of sharing (and shared suffering), here is a copy of the e-mail I received from Cornell (made anonymous, of course) "Dear Mr./Ms. X We are currently considering your application for graduate study in anthropology at Cornell. You are on our long list and if your [X language] still needs improvement, it would enhance your chances of admission to apply for a FLAS fellowship in [X language] for next year, which will provide you with a year of support and allow us to spread our resources more widely. It is not a difficult application, and you can download the forms from the Cornell Institute for European Studies web site: http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/Europe/funding/flas.asp. While the deadline to get it to us has passed, it will be all right if you get it in no later than Thursday (Jan. 28). Please send it directly to the Anthropology department. We can use the letters and transcripts from your Anthropology application. Thanks, and hope to hear from you soon." My first reaction was mixed/confused, though my adviser tells me its a very good thing, and that I've gotten past the first round. No clue though whether admission is somehow contingent upon receiving the FLAS, or whether they already want me and see an opportunity to accept someone with potential outside funding for a year. No guarantees either way of course. What about the applicant who already heard from their potential adviser at Berkeley about being on the short list? I want me one of those. PS- some inside scoop from Chicago: They have 11 spots for a pool of 286 applicants. This year, rather than accepting ~40 and expecting a yield of a third, they're only accepting as many spots as they have funding for and going down the alternate list when anyone declines. Acceptance or alternate list status will be out no later than February 20th.