crazedandinfused

I can sympathize with these feelings. My family, friends and even some profs all think I should be able to get into any school I apply to. It's painful to explain.

I have also not received an acceptance this cycle. But that doesn't make me, or any of the rest of us still waiting "losers". If we had taken the time, energy and pain and applied it to most other endeavors, we might be stars... but this is a cruel, often unfair process that doesn't always adequately reward the intelligent and hard working. If I fail this cycle, I will not take it as a sign of my personal worth or ability as an historian. I will be (and have been) very sad, but I'll just come back with a more prepared, ambitious application next year. Don't get discouraged - least not of all when most people still have some schools to hear back from.

Keep the faith.

Yes, don't jump to conclusions! I know someone who was admitted to UVA on Feb 1. Yep, Feb 1. And then another great friend of mine heard back today. Clearly, it's more of a rolling system.

It's the weekend--enjoy the family, take some deep breaths, and know it will work out. This cycle or the next it will work out.

My version of twiddling my thumbs... I hope this helps some of you, but maybe it hurts. The red spikes are pretty intimidating!

If only we could have one of those midnight decision rushes......

I have a very positive feeling today. Not necessarily about my applications, but about life in general. Somehow, I feel it won't be the end of the world if this application cycle doesn't work out for me. At least I have my health, a wonderful partner and steady income. I truly hope we all get into the schools of our choice, but remember to take time for yourselves and your families AND enjoy your day!

If the silence continues for me I might need to be notified by my schools in the padded room I'm going to be confined to...

Ok, my girlfriend is getting her MLS and apparently elements within the archival community criticize Ken Burns for precisely this. It's been a hot topic in our house, and it really sticks in my craw, so it's cool to see it brought up here.
I really don't think the criticism is fair. First of all, he's doing public history and he's trying to relate history to a mass audience - he's not writing a dissertation. Anything that makes history more accessible, I'm all for.
Secondly, he's a filmmaker, and images aren't always available. Last night I was watching his Mark Twain documentary and he was treating Twain's travels in the Mid-East. He didn't have an image of Twain at the Pyramids so he used some random image of a mustachioed, late 19th century man. Would archivists prefer that he just leave the screen blank? I don't see what the problem is. Again, he's not writing a dissertation.
I think it's nitpicking and I really don't think it's right to criticize the one person trying to inject some history into an intellectually neutered and de-historicized popular culture because he doesn't live up to the rigorous standards of the archival community. Again, he's an artist not a scientist. I don't think it's fair to import scientific standards into his craft.
That was cathartic. I will now step down off my soapbox.

There is no way to describe the intense anxiety, fear, nervousness, and impatience that I am mired down in. I hate junk mail - so much. I kinda want to go pay little kids in the village to call departments and see where they are in the process.

Ok, my girlfriend is getting her MLS and apparently elements within the archival community criticize Ken Burns for precisely this. It's been a hot topic in our house, and it really sticks in my craw, so it's cool to see it brought up here.
I really don't think the criticism is fair. First of all, he's doing public history and he's trying to relate history to a mass audience - he's not writing a dissertation. Anything that makes history more accessible, I'm all for.
Secondly, he's a filmmaker, and images aren't always available. Last night I was watching his Mark Twain documentary and he was treating Twain's travels in the Mid-East. He didn't have an image of Twain at the Pyramids so he used some random image of a mustachioed, late 19th century man. Would archivists prefer that he just leave the screen blank? I don't see what the problem is. Again, he's not writing a dissertation.
I think it's nitpicking and I really don't think it's right to criticize the one person trying to inject some history into an intellectually neutered and de-historicized popular culture because he doesn't live up to the rigorous standards of the archival community. Again, he's an artist not a scientist. I don't think it's fair to import scientific standards into his craft.
That was cathartic. I will now step down off my soapbox.

Ok, my girlfriend is getting her MLS and apparently elements within the archival community criticize Ken Burns for precisely this. It's been a hot topic in our house, and it really sticks in my craw, so it's cool to see it brought up here.
I really don't think the criticism is fair. First of all, he's doing public history and he's trying to relate history to a mass audience - he's not writing a dissertation. Anything that makes history more accessible, I'm all for.
Secondly, he's a filmmaker, and images aren't always available. Last night I was watching his Mark Twain documentary and he was treating Twain's travels in the Mid-East. He didn't have an image of Twain at the Pyramids so he used some random image of a mustachioed, late 19th century man. Would archivists prefer that he just leave the screen blank? I don't see what the problem is. Again, he's not writing a dissertation.
I think it's nitpicking and I really don't think it's right to criticize the one person trying to inject some history into an intellectually neutered and de-historicized popular culture because he doesn't live up to the rigorous standards of the archival community. Again, he's an artist not a scientist. I don't think it's fair to import scientific standards into his craft.
That was cathartic. I will now step down off my soapbox.

I don't know if I can deal with another week of anticlimactic boredom.

I'm with vimundi on the support front. My family, friends, and colleagues never, ever gave up and pushed me to keep trying if this was my dream. They reminded me of all the hard work and efforts I've put in to plan for an acceptance into a PhD. There were so many times that I just wanted to drop the ball and move to another country and get a whole new identity. My professors, for what it's worth, went along and trusted me to do what i thought was the best for me.

That said about connections, I was going to PM you, Grimm, but I think my experience should be heard. Your comment made me think and I should tell what one can expect in graduate school.

Yes, I have professors who are well-connected. But they never, ever introduced me to anyone personally. No e-mail introductions. No handshakes when people came on campus for talks. At a recent conference, my adviser and I barely saw each other. So what did they do, really? As someone who's used to the professional job market and parents who relied on networking, I've been very frustrated that my professors didn't do any of what people do in the "real world." I doubted my self-worth in their eyes many times. I even wondered if my adviser's previous two students were actually introduced because, well, they seemed to be beter than me. Did she even care?!

Then while thinking about your comment, it hit me. They are passive. They're more likely to say, "I think you should apply to X and work with A, Y with B, and Z with C" and left it at that. I said, "Um, okay." Then I contacted A, B and C and introduced myself and said that my adviser suggested that I talk to you. Then there's more. One of the qualities that my adviser has that I truly admire is her savvy networking skills. I have stayed behind in talks or stopped in my tracks whenever I saw her talking to someone from outside of my university just to watch her engage with others. I did it because I thought, "Well, she's a big star and I want to be like her and be proud to be her student." It paid off to watch her body language and listen how she talked to those people. She taught me how important it is to be widely read and establish rapport with others who have different methodology or view on a particular subject (especially that our sub-field can be quite political!). All in the act of observation, no conversations on how to talk to So and So.

I employed what I've learned from her at a recent conference and... it really worked. I had professors hanging on every word that I said and were disappointed that the conversation was over so quickly. I was no longer just my adviser's student but someone who they'd really like to have as a future colleague.

FWIW, when I called my other professor abut my news, I shared that I had gotten into OSU, saving UW-M for when I officially got in. She said, "Well, did you have from Wisconsin?" I said, "Well, how would you know? I wasn't planning on telling you until it was official." She shrugged, "Because I heard from POI saving that he'd give you good news." I was surprised that he called her. I assumed that he also called my adviser. When I talked to her the next day, I asked if she had heard from UW-M, she said "No, I haven't heard anything. What do you know?"

Everyone operates differently in terms of networking. My adviser knew that if I wanted something badly enough, I'd take the intitative after she suggested places and names. She certainly wasn't aware that I had been paying attention until I told her and thank her for being a great example. Now that I'm realizing this, I can be a little less frustrated when my future professors are like this. Everyone's different.

I hope this makes you feel a little better, Grimm. I know you're very jealous right now. Everyone gets jealous in this process. Even I do get jealous whenever I hear of someone who got a BA from a top 10 history program and I just wonder to myself, why, why, why didn't I transfer to those places as an undergraduate? I don't get jealous of anyone who has a higher GPA/GRE than mine, just because I've done what I could.

I myself have had very good fortune this year, but I like to emphasize the patient support of my wife and son, the stellar support of my advisor and committee members, and the luck that I happened to apply at a time when, and to schools where, I have been well-received. I've worked incredibly hard to get this point, but I couldn't have done it alone and I, personally, will save all of my self-promotion for grant proposals and the like. I'm personally not comfortable with the "self-made man" narrative that is so prevalent in our society. If I were to subscribe to it, I would be ignoring the importance of those who helped me to get to where I am now.

TMP: Just to get things straight. Are you saying that you made it into OSU and UW-M on the connections of your advisors? I guess it really is who you know!!! Lesson learned for next year's batch of applications. Congrats on your admits. Congrats to everyone else who received admits as well!

Please remember, there are those of us who haven't received good news or any news at all. So, instead of being preachy, try to be sympathetic. Many of you have done this more than once and I think that the experience of being turned down so many times should create a humbling affect, no? I'm not trying to be disagreeable, but in many instances I feel like some of those with multiple acceptances are literally trying to rub it in. Not cool.

For some. I'm proof that there really are foxhole atheists.

Dear all --

Wow! What a week it has been. I wish that I could remember the large list of people to whom I should extend congratulations, but the only names that I can remember right now are Safferz, Goldielocks, and TickleMePink -- however, congratulations to all of you who have received news this week that will help you to move forward with your dreams/plans of earning a Ph.D.! What wonderful, intense, overwhelming news it is -- at least it has been for me. And for those of you who have not yet heard, or have only heard news that is of a negative nature, please accept my sympathies -- this entire process is painful, and while I cannot imagine how you must feel right now, please know that my best wishes are with you.

I have not posted much to this board because I try to avoid reading it overly often -- it tends to cause an unhealthy increase in my level of anxiety and in my sense of inadequacy (I am a chronic sufferer of imposter syndrome)!

I received word from my dream school today -- Princeton. I've been wait-listed there, which was somewhat devastating as I have aimed all of my efforts at getting into that school for several years now. I am not complaining, however -- I've been blessed today with an acceptance to Yale which helped significantly in terms of mediating the pain of a long-cherished dream that is probably in the process of slipping away...!

Anyhow -- best to everyone...!

I feel like everything is happening so fast this year. Is it just me? It's like February started and then all the floodgates opened.

I have been thinking of those of you still waiting on good news, and just wanted to let you all know I've been sending good vibes your way and you've been in my thoughts. I know how stressed out I was waiting to hear back from Yale (which obviously I did not get), but it really worked out for the best. Northwestern is a much better fit for me, and I've had really great interactions with the faculty and students there so far. Who knows what sort of decision I might have made if I got an offer from Yale, which I thought was the best fit? It wasn't meant for me. I'm just sharing this to hopefully alleviate any anxiety/sadness you guys might be experiencing about rejections. I hope everyone finds the right fit.

Wow. Kindly take your bitterness elsewhere, ok? I don't want this forum to descend into invective so I won't respond directly; just don't bring that shit around here.
" Those who indulge in or need human attachment are weak, they lack the resolve to suffer and destroy themselves for the sake of their art"
Who does this guy/gal think he/she is? Oooooh, a suffering artist! Balls. Sorry, I had to. I'm very happy in my relationship and i already have a graduate degree, so thank you very much.

Wow. Kindly take your bitterness elsewhere, ok? I don't want this forum to descend into invective so I won't respond directly; just don't bring that shit around here.
" Those who indulge in or need human attachment are weak, they lack the resolve to suffer and destroy themselves for the sake of their art"
Who does this guy/gal think he/she is? Oooooh, a suffering artist! Balls. Sorry, I had to. I'm very happy in my relationship and i already have a graduate degree, so thank you very much.

My partner has his PhD and understands what it is like. Thanks for your concern, but my marriage has survived a hell of a lot more than graduate school- trust me. So I am "overly cheery" to report that this aspect does not concern and/or apply to me.

Wow. Kindly take your bitterness elsewhere, ok? I don't want this forum to descend into invective so I won't respond directly; just don't bring that shit around here.
" Those who indulge in or need human attachment are weak, they lack the resolve to suffer and destroy themselves for the sake of their art"
Who does this guy/gal think he/she is? Oooooh, a suffering artist! Balls. Sorry, I had to. I'm very happy in my relationship and i already have a graduate degree, so thank you very much.

Wow. Kindly take your bitterness elsewhere, ok? I don't want this forum to descend into invective so I won't respond directly; just don't bring that shit around here.
" Those who indulge in or need human attachment are weak, they lack the resolve to suffer and destroy themselves for the sake of their art"
Who does this guy/gal think he/she is? Oooooh, a suffering artist! Balls. Sorry, I had to. I'm very happy in my relationship and i already have a graduate degree, so thank you very much.

Be warned, top PhD programs are the bane of many relationships and marriages. Being a graduate student at a top program does not make you a great scholar, most are not and never will be. I am frustrated by the cheeriness of this forum, the last thing our field needs is more overly positive modern nonsense. Those who indulge in or need human attachment are weak, they lack the resolve to suffer and destroy themselves for the sake of their art. That's why the average time for PhD completion is 7yrs these days when it should be 4-5.

Yes...and this is what I, for one, want. For some, the fun is in the work/research/writing. I'm taking this with the levity it is intended, but I'm also just clarifying that many applicants do know exactly what we are getting ourselves into and the rejections are still painful even though they might be doing us a favor...

I will get into a doctoral program, whether it is this time around or another time. It is my dream and it will be what I accomplish, job market be damned. Luckily I have a supportive partner (who has a PhD) who doesn't care about what the house looks like or if we go out a lot or if I make a ton of money. My partner just wants me to pursue my dream and understands what will be in store for me/us if/when I get accepted into a program.

Again, I'm not reacting negatively, just wanted to say "yes! this is what I want!" I might be nuts but...oh well. I have no children and will not be having any. I've got my partner, pets, and history. Life, for me, is great with those elements.

Now I just must wrangle the elusive doctoral program...

Ok, so you have 6 more. Don't necessarily interpret the first few rejections as reflections on the quality of your app - they could just reflect the particularities of those specific programs..... Don't let it be a synecdoche, in other words.
Anyway, cheer up!!! We're all in this together (somewhat) and all it takes is one acceptance with some sweet funding and you'll be over the moon, to use the popular parlance. It's really difficult, I know. But you'll be fine once this rotten month is over.