jpb

Congratulations! That's great news.

Eck. I'm sorry to hear that. I have a friend who is waiting for a response from GW, too, and she wasn't too optimistic about it, either. It sounds like a really difficult place to get into.

I'm a current graduate student at UChicago and have taken a lot of classes w/ MAPSS students and have a few friends in that program. Feel free to PM me, and I can answer to the best of my ability.

Excellent. Congrats!

Thanks for the thoughtful response. Boston College is actually one of my top choices, and I'm anxiously awaiting their decision.

I actually made contact w/ all of my potential supervisors. In relation to two of my three rejections, both said they were unable to convince their committees to take me due to concerns about my interests in religious history. Of course, they could just be saying that, but that's what I've been told. Neither of those POI have explicit expertise in religious history, but have research interests in my broader thematic interests. It is what it is, though, and I've already been thinking how I need to emphasize my work and interests in broader U.S. History, rather than just my projects in American religious history. It has just been frustrating and needed an outlet to vent.

I'm frustrated because I'm a U.S. historian who focuses on religious history within the United States. I have a B.A. and am finishing my M.A. in religious studies; however, I've decided to apply to History Departments to better explore the history of immigration and education, in order to better understand American religion at the turn of the century. Not to mention I ultimately want to teach broader U.S. history. But as soon as programs find out my research interests have something to do with religion, they immediately try to shift me over to a religion department -- and I would've just internally petitioned to stay in my current program, if it were that easy. I've been declined from three places, and all three places said that I should apply to their religion department. It's been maddening.

It's my understanding that internal offers have been made, but not all external offers.

I've been wondering the same thing, as I'm also anxiously waiting for a response from BC.