Dylan

I'm almost finished with my first semester at Temple. While I'm primarily interested in 20th-cent. US cultural history, I've really enjoyed my coursework on the early republic this semester. David Waldstreicher (taking his American Political Cultures readings seminar) is quite the mind--impassioned, historiographically-attuned, etc. Highly recommended.

I'm starting an American History PhD at Temple in the fall...I've received a University Fellowship, which is 18,000/year (nontaxable), plus free healthcare, etc. The basic TA-ship nets around 15,500, I think. Hope that helps...

I just got notification yesterday that I'd received the university fellowship, which is one of four that the department scooped up this year (out of 50 in the entire university). My PA estimates there will be 10-11 phd candidates out of an applicant pool of 130 or so. Best of luck to all of you. Wally, hopefully I'll see you down there.

My professor contact Temple said the funding decisions should be official today/tomorrow...he gave "unofficial" word on mine, but said the dept. should notify me for real by email.

In the same boat as you, eempey, except I'm pursuing a PhD in 20th-century US history. I got into my backup plan (Temple--a superb faculty match) with a great funding package/hefty stipend, but I just got the nod from MAPSS folks today. While my applications/recs/scores were all competitive, I was a PoliSci major and a History minor; I can see why Chicago thinks I'm best suited for this probationary MA experience. My question to y'all--what's the reputation of this MA? Is it merely a cash cow that helps to fund the current PhD students? With strong grades and an additional rec, will it bolster my application come next year? Or is it simply intended for terminal MAs who are looking for public sector/social work type positions, as suggested per the UC MAPSS website? And most importantly: am I falling for Chicago just because they've deigned to accept me (at least in part) after I was flatly turned away by six other schools? Maybe Chicago's trying to prey on us beleaguered PhD applicants, desperate for approval after a string of rejections. Dunno.

Funny--I was going to post an almost identical question, as I'm in nearly the same boat. While I have one application still pending, I've been rejected by six schools and accepted by one (Temple), which I applied to as a stop-gap afterthought (and is the only school I considered out of the Top 20 due to an excellent faculty/department match). The initial affront of receiving so many rejections has faded. Now I'm left with two not-so-great choices: attend a school with an unremarkable national reputation but featuring strong faculty in my field (U.S. post-WWII social/cultural) and a solid funding package, or start from scratch back in the dreaded corporate world. Is it worth committing to a PhD program of this ilk? I have no pretensions of grandeur when it comes to the name of the school on my resume, but I don't want to languish unemployed after finishing up. I know we all repeat the same nostrums about how your publishing and research record is what counts re: hiring...I just don't know if it'll matter if I'm toiling in obscurity at Temple. That said, it does not look like it's getting any easier to find spots in any top programs in years to come. Sigh...what are others doing who are in the same situation?

Don't let it get you down...I'm still in the dark regarding funding, and they've been sending out acceptances pretty sporadically. Hopefully we'll both be lurking around the Temple history dept. together come September

Just fyl, I spoke to my potential advisor there (David Farber) who said funding etc. was still being worked out by the university, but should be determined in a week or two. So you should at least get a definitive admissions answer in advance of that.

Hey Rachel, While I'm still waiting on NYU and UMich, Temple is my only acceptance so far. They sent me a (physical) letter almost two weeks ago, with funding info to follow. I'm planning on working with David Farber on post-WWII U.S. social and cultural history--what are you looking to do there? Do you have any helpful info on the program/department? (Temple was originally my safety school, so I never bothered to look into it as closely as my other choices.) Best of luck to you!

fantastic. well, congrats to those privileged eight!

Ugh....still waiting for NYU, Chicago, Michigan and UTexas (which may or may not have already contacted its admitted bunch already). Maybe plan B will be a paper on the whole gut-wrenching PhD application/waiting process.

chum

Just poking around the UTexas website to check (well...re-re-check) when they'd be sending out admissions decisions. Looks like they've amended their FAQ page to reflect the dire financial situation at the school: "How competitive is your program? How many students get in each year? For the past three years our application rate has been around 300 with an enrollment rate of about eight percent of applicants. In fall 2010 we will enroll only eight students due to budgetary constrictions." Certainly doesn't bode well for us applicants. Does anyone have any idea the size of classes/cohorts schools are planning to fund this year? I imagine the news is similarly bleak elsewhere...

No, haven't heard anything from UT Austin yet...fingers crossed. Still waiting on Michigan, Chicago, NYU, UVA, Northwestern. Ugh--the time can't pass fast enough.

hipster