earlymodernist

This may not be the best advice, but I would say go for the MA. It is so rare that MA programs are willing to offer you money (especially 9k more than a PhD program!). So if I were you, I would take the offer. It's in the right location, the money is right, it's a more highly ranked program, it really does sound like a perfect fit for you. While having the security of a PhD program would certainly be a nice thing to have, I think taking a chance here will be more worthwile for your future interests. You could apply to that particular school's PhD program or to more highly ranked programs after your MA is complete. Do what you think is best for you. Good luck!

Funding for stand-alone MAs is rare, but it can happen. I'm still waiting to hear from one more fully-funded MA program. If doesn't work out, looks like I'm taking a year off!

Hey guys, I just got my official letter. No funding I knew it was coming but I just thought I'd let you all know. Hope everyone else's luck is a bit better!

Well, and I may be thinking ideally here, our situation seems to be a little different. Because we applied to the PhD program but were bumped to the MA we are all still eligible for funding. Those who apply specifically for the terminal MA are not eligible for such funding. I'm not looking for full funding with a stipend or anything, maybe just a tuition waiver or something like that. Anyway, it is bizzare for any department to kick back so many people to the MA, and I don't know if that means that they did anything differently with us than say those MA applicants who are applying specifically for the terminal MA. I would say that you are probably right though, that they like us, but they can't afford to fund us. I would almost rather be rejected than be accepted to a school that I can't afford to go to :\

I also received an e-mail from the department. The part where they talk about "limited funding" makes me justifiably concerned about the funding situation. I wish I knew how other MAs in our situation were treated in the past. Did they even have a wait-list? What if those who are admitted to PhD have other offers and don't take their spots? Ugh. I just want more information... :\

Wow, only 5? Do you know how many MAs they admitted by chance? From looking at their website it looks like they have about 15 or so MAs each year (acceptances anyway). I don't know if this year is any different because so many of us were bumped to the MA program. Perhaps what makes it more bizzare is that the actual deadline for their MA program isn't until April 1st. So odd...

Wouldn't it be nice if they put MA on the general letter but actually meant to put PhD instead? Fat chance, but it would be nice. The fact that you were accepted last year with funding gives me a little bit of hope. That you applied twice with similar credentials and got accepted PhD in 2009 and MA in 2010 seems to indicate a shift in the direction of the program. Obviously all the acceptances so far applied to PhD directly from BA programs. We were all kicked back to MA...coincidence? I think not. I will gladly take your funding! I mean that in the nicest way possible, haha.

Also I've done a little bit of research which may or may not be a good sign. All of the PhD students receive fellowships- we know that from the GWU website. Students on fellowships can (but certainly don't have to) TA or work as graduate assitants. GW's History department DOES offer TAships...even if we aren't getting a fellowship, a TAship still could be a possibility... I need to let this go. >_<

One of the things that we should consider is that by applying for the PhD program we were automatically considered for funding...Any MA students applying by April 1st will not be eligible for any of funding. We therefore have priority on available funds (under the PhDers I suppose). Just like that example you gave, the guy there got rejected. They could have just as easily rejected us but they liked something about our application that made them decide to keep us. I live near(ish) to GWU and I should get my letter within the next few days. I must try to be patient.

I COMPLETELY agree. I mean, honestly, the tuition at GWU is far too high for them to not offer something. It does look like there were more acceptances than rejections so far which may be a bad sign for funding but who knows. I might call the secretary tomorrow to get the low down on the funding situation. They seem to have bumped people to MA in the past but never at this level. Maybe they (like every other school in the country) are suffering budget cuts and are using this is a cash cow to fund the lucky PhDers. Maybe they are offering more MA spots with significantly reduced funding because they can't secure 5 years of funding for any students right now. At least for the time being we should celebrate our acceptances and fret about the details later. Again, I'm just happy for something positive....FINALLY!

I'm just happy to finally be in somewhere! I had given up hope...Terminal MA or not an acceptance is cool. I'm more interested in funding..it looks like they are bumping a lot of us to the MA program so I don't know what that means for the funding situation. It looks like the make an effort to fund all of their PhD students, but for the MA im not so sure. One of my LORs went to GWU for his MA, and he said that they offered some tuition remission and sometimes TAshis for Master's students. I just want to get my letter so I can have more answers. Anyone else have any more info?

That seems to reflect my experience so far... I would take it then that no word is a bad sign...sad!

I just don't know if everyone receives them, or if they are sent to all the applicants that are in their database. Crossing my fingers for you though

Has anyone heard anything about USC? There were a couple acceptances in mid-February, but since then the news has been pretty silent. I saw that a couple of applicants have received something about financial aid recently, but no affirmation was sent from the department directly. The trend on the results page shows that the majority of applicants are usually admitted in early to mid February... Anyway, would anyone like to claim the USC admits? Thanks

I know where you are coming from. I crossed myself off the Rutgers list a long time ago. Sometimes hope isn't realistic, but until we receive the rejection letter that's all some of us are clinging to. I've given up on that and started lining up Plan B. We'll see how it goes for all of us who are still waiting for some sort of positive affirmation...

No need to be so haughty about it...I didn't say it was a realistic possiblity, just that it WAS a possibility on the basis of what happened in past years...I counted myself out on Rutgers a long time ago, but it doesn't mean you should dash the hope of others who are still waiting.

Seems like they usually don't tell you if you are waitlisted or rejected, so maybe there is still some hope for those of us who are still waiting... I saw there were already a couple of accepts from earlier in the month from USC...has anyone heard anything from them recently? Because the admits were from two different fields I suppose I can bank under the assumption that their admits have already been notified. I just wish they would let us know so we weren't waiting forever to get confirmation of our rejections... Has anyone heard anything about GWU? Seems pretty inactive on the boards so far...

Rockchalk, I'm sorry to hear about OSU...It's a terrible year to apply and I don't think it is in anyway reflective of your abilities as an historian. If you wouldn't mind, how did you receive your notification? Did you e-mail the grad secretary, or did they e-mail you? I haven't received my rejection yet, but I'm expecting it any time now....

I live near Richmond and I think the trek between UVA and Richmond would be quite a bit over an hour...especially from the Richmond end of things- afternoon traffic can be dreadful. Fortunately after getting out of the city it should be smooth sailing. I never thought about living in the middle, but that could work out I too have a boyfriend who will be going to school with me when I move. He is a little bit older than I am and he already has a steady job here, so I was really surprised that he agreed to go. Both of our families and all of our friends are here so I feel like I'm uprooting him a bit, but he's willing so I suppose I shouldn't feel too terrible. It looks like I will be headed to a MA program in the DC area where he should be able to find plenty of work as a computer geek...At least it isn't too far from where I live so it shouldn't be such a big change for either of us.

I got 3 rejections in two days- Penn State UT Austin AND UPenn. Time to apply for late MA programs no? What an awful start to a week.

I am hopeful that knowledge of paleography will help my applications. It would seem that it is much better (with how few spots are being offered by schools) to get an MA then apply to PhD programs after. What you think? I've still got 6 more schools to hear from, but I'm not feeling too confident. Maybe if I get my MA I can apply again in a few years to more competitive programs. At least there are a few funded MA programs that I can still apply to for the Fall 2010 season. Where are you guys completing your MAs? Seems like you both have gotten into some pretty heavy-hitting PhD programs (which is another reason why it might be better to go the MA route now!) I love all of Henry's queens, KP and Catherine of Aragon are perhaps my favorites...

Are you both still undergrads? I didn't know how common it was for undergrads to work with paleographic sources...My school funded me to go do research in London at the British Library and the National Archives on Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII. I had a LOT of fun with that I couldn't believe that I was allowed access to the documents of a queen. I'm still working on my paleography, but they don't have a class at my university so I am trying to teach myself with the help of a professor at my school. Its pretty fun in English, but I couldn't imagine it in Spanish...I'm going to need to learn how to do paleography in Latin (religious history ) so I am dreading that hardcore!

Hey guys...I just got an update from the secretary at Penn State about their applications. She said she sent out a bunch of letters today but that decisions could come any time between now and April 15! Expect news soon!

I haven't heard anything yet about my Vandy application...I hope thats a good thing. Looks like the person on the results page probably got their notification via their PA, but who knows. Sorry to whoever it is!

Yes, I totally agree. This site makes me a little paranoid, and I'm just ready for this whole process to be over with. My GRE's are abysmal and the scores people are talking about on here make me feel pretty insecure. But everything else on my app is pretty rock solid. I'm worried that I am going to be rejected from every school purely on the basis of my GRE. Anyways, I contacted the graduate secretary at Vanderbilt yesterday and it sounds like they are still reviewing the applications. Hopefully it won't be too much longer though... I don't know what the deal is with all the fake posts, but while most people on this site are nice and friendly, others are far too damn pretentious for their own good (especially on the results page!) Sorry for ranting!