Qtf311

Yes, history isn't a big world. Let's say you're up for a job, and Professor X knows about you from his friend, Prof. Y at the university you flaked out on. That's not going to end well for you at all. Even if you've a Harvard PhD and 3 books + 10 articles in top journals, you might not get the job for "character reasons."
Part of getting along in academia goes beyond your work proper and to relationships. I've been in my program less than a year, and I already know people I could never in good conscience vouch for.

Personally I'm extremely grateful for the consortium--not just because I can take classes elsewhere but because it means that I meet people from other grad schools who have shared interests, I end up attending talks etc in other departments, and I have a broader range of scholars I can go to for advice. The latter's been super, super helpful so far. Faculty from other schools have led me to grants etc that my own advisors didn't know about, and suggested other grad students to work with on side projects. Not everyone draws on the consortium, and it's probably easier to make use of it from NYU than from Stony Brook (at least in the early years) but, for @Guest1101 as well, I have friends at Stony Brook (in their upper years) who live in Brooklyn and regularly attend talks at NYU and CUNY and work with NYC archivists. I think all of this is especially useful if you're at all interested in public history (defined very, very broadly) and/or community collaborations. 

I had another course that included bringing in a scholar in residence from England to work with students, and consult privately on projects. This course also invited biweekly lectures from visiting scholars from the chemical heritage foundation, Hopkins, and Indiana-Bloomington. As a consotrium member you can take those courses. 
Most importantly, NYC has archives! Aside from the NY public library, Columbia has extensive archives, including the Butler library (rare books, and we just acquired medieval Islamic texts), Harriman institute, etc. All on campus.
NYU has impressive archives (Fales Library and special collections). And very accessible. There is the New York historical society archives, I think hosted at NYU library as well. 
There are special grants that only consortium grad students are elibgible for, but some of those maybe just open to Columbia and NYU grad students for now. 
In your decisions, the NYC consortium should not be taken lightly.
 

Patience.   Before you know it February will be over and we will all know what the immediate future holds.

Patience.   Before you know it February will be over and we will all know what the immediate future holds.

I’ve heard back from one school and it was an acceptance, so i am happy about that.  My POI worked hard for me.  I would love to check the others off just to move on.  At this point, if I was a top choice I would have heard something so i am not feelng confident.  I don’t take it personal because I can really see how it works s a question of fit and politics.  

I’ve heard back from one school and it was an acceptance, so i am happy about that.  My POI worked hard for me.  I would love to check the others off just to move on.  At this point, if I was a top choice I would have heard something so i am not feelng confident.  I don’t take it personal because I can really see how it works s a question of fit and politics.  

I’ve heard back from one school and it was an acceptance, so i am happy about that.  My POI worked hard for me.  I would love to check the others off just to move on.  At this point, if I was a top choice I would have heard something so i am not feelng confident.  I don’t take it personal because I can really see how it works s a question of fit and politics.  

Academia in a nutshell!

I hear you man, the wait is ridiculous.  Even after receiving one acceptance, waiting for the others is agonizing.  Patience is the hardest part.  I need to move across country by august and I would like to start planning as early as possible.
PS. If anyone has any suggestions on cheap moving options...I’m all ears.

I hear you man, the wait is ridiculous.  Even after receiving one acceptance, waiting for the others is agonizing.  Patience is the hardest part.  I need to move across country by august and I would like to start planning as early as possible.
PS. If anyone has any suggestions on cheap moving options...I’m all ears.

I’m waiting on NYU as well and the wait is killing me.  No update to website yet.  

That sucks.  Donkt give up though, from what I understand it usually takes most applicants two or three attempts to get in somewhere.  I was rejected by every schoolI applied to last year but it was a great learning experience.  Hang in there. 

You have time to decide what you want to do.  Going back to school has always been a goal of mine and I finally have the opportunity and time and support.  Getting into a phd program focusing on social justice issues and civil rights is a dream come true.  I put everything into going back to school and didnt have a back up plan because it was school or bust.  You have time.  Plus it sounds like you have other options you can persue.  Not getting in might be a great opportunity for you to really fine tune your goals.

I’m 41.  This is my second career...or will be hopefully.  My uncle is a professor at UMass and he didnt finish his Phd untill his mid-40s.  Age means little.  

That sucks.  Donkt give up though, from what I understand it usually takes most applicants two or three attempts to get in somewhere.  I was rejected by every schoolI applied to last year but it was a great learning experience.  Hang in there. 

@Assotto @fortsibutand @hats thanks for the feedback.  I am not making any decisions for atleast another month but sometimes it helps to hear how others perspectives.

I just wanted some opinions from others.  If you have a good relationship with a POI at one school and get admitted but later you get admitted to a “better” school but dont feel the same level of support from the POI at the school, what would you do? Attend the better school and take a chance or go with the former program ?
I am also curious what a good funding offer might look like?  What would they offer as stipends and covering other expenses like conference travel?  Just curious what other people’s experiences have been. 

Congrats to @TheLearnedPig and @Qtf311 on your acceptances.  Two thumbs up!  
 
 

Email from program director and my POI.  I was told earlier this week to expect something because of a potential fellowship deadline.  I wasn’t expecting to hear anything till March.  Good luck!  

Email from program director and my POI.  I was told earlier this week to expect something because of a potential fellowship deadline.  I wasn’t expecting to hear anything till March.  Good luck!  

I was accepted into SUNY-Stony Brook and, although it is not my first choice and I am still waiting to hear from other schools, I am excited for the opportunity and chance to work with a professor that I really respect.  Also, I feel so relieved...thanks for all the advice and guidance from everyone on this site....seriously, it is extremely helpful to get feedback and hear other students concerns, challenges and victories. Good luck everyone!

I was accepted into SUNY-Stony Brook and, although it is not my first choice and I am still waiting to hear from other schools, I am excited for the opportunity and chance to work with a professor that I really respect.  Also, I feel so relieved...thanks for all the advice and guidance from everyone on this site....seriously, it is extremely helpful to get feedback and hear other students concerns, challenges and victories. Good luck everyone!

@khigh I wish you all the luck in the world as well.  I’m sure it will work out no matter what.  Clearly you know what you want.  And if it doesn’t, don’t get discouraged, try, try, and try again.  Good luck

ALCON--
September has been turbulent and is racing to a close. October will have surprises of its own.
Do what you can to stay focused on the tasks at hand.
Keep working to finalize your list of schools. At least institution on your list should be a dream school. Focus on areas of overlapping interest among faculty members. Focus less on POIs--professors move on, retire, decide not to take additional students, end up being disinterested in graduate students, or just end up not liking you. Trust but verify information that you receive from the schools to which you're applying. Keep developing relationships with confirmed and potential LoR writers. Go to office hours if possible. Have intelligent, informed conversations about the craft, your interests, and your goals Make sure the conversation demonstrates that you're genuinely interested in the person to whom you're talking. If you're not, she will absolutely know. Keep your letter writers informed of your deadlines WITHOUT being a nag. Some (many) professors will wait until the last minute to submit your letter. Figure out a way to touch base without being a nuisance.  Keep banging away at your SOP. Fine tune versions for specific programs. Edit for clarity and concision. Stay within proscribed page/word limits. Demonstrate that you'd be a good fit in the program. (If you focus too much on how the program fits your needs...yikes.) Express an appropriate level of interest in potential research projects. If you're an undergraduate and you indicate that you know exactly what you want to do a a professor, you're putting the horse in front of the cart. If you're currently a graduate student, you should have a clear idea of your fields, preferred methods, and (somewhat) likely area of focus for a dissertation. Unless you're an Americanist, you should be working on your language skills. Keep working on your writing sample.  Stay within the page limits. Make sure that it demonstrates your ability to connect your research interest(s) with the existing historiography. Stay focused on your current classes. If you're currently in a graduate program and working as a TA, remember that undergraduates are counting on you to do a good job. If you're working in the private sector and haven't told your bosses that you're applying to graduate school, start developing your exit plan now. There are many threads on this BB in which different perspectives and tactics are discussed that may be helpful. To the extent possible, put aside the concerns of the external world. Yes, things are going badly in the world, but when has it ever been otherwise? Keep in mind that you're competing against applicants who are so focused on their goals that they have zero idea what's happening outside their fields of vision. have never heard of this BB because they can go to a professor or a graduate student and ask questions directly, and will get into their top choices. It's your mission to kick ass and take names this application season and then in the following years (in a professional not bitter in the least kind of way, of course).