Catalystica

I'm so glad that helped! This is my second cycle and yet it's the first time I ever heard anyone explain what the 15th is and why it's so porous as a deadline.

Just as a note, I read this post on reddit explaining what exactly the 15th is. I think that it's important information that not enough people know: " I’ve been seeing a lot of talk on this sub about April 15th approaching and the anxiety that it is causing. I wanted to share the link to to the official April 15th Resolution to clarify what this date means and who it applies to. The bottom line is that this resolution tells signatory universities that they cannot require students to accept OFFERS OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT before April 15th and students have the right to withdrawal from commitments of financial support (e.g. assistantships) until this date if they accepted early. Each university has the right to set this date whenever they want, as long as it is AFTER April 15th. So what does this mean for you? You are only impacted if you are being offered financial support. If the university that has given you the offer is a signatory to this Resolution and tried to force you to make a decision before this they are in violation. Everyone should ask their department about deadlines if they haven’t already been communicated clearly. April 15th is sometimes touted on this sub as being “dooms day” when in reality it has very little to do with students and only applies to certain applicants. Yes, many schools have began using this date as a “universal” deadline for all admits, regardless of funding status. So it may apply to you. But it is also very likely that it may not. A lot of people are getting irritated with their programs because they are still waiting for admissions decisions even though the date is approaching, but it reality these programs likely have a later decision date and/or you are not a funded student and this doesn’t apply to you. Check in with your department (especially in unfunded cases) and save yourselves a lot of panic and confusion in the coming weeks so you can make the most informed decision without the pressure of an arbitrary deadline. Here is the text of the official Resolution for anyone in need of more clarification: ”Acceptance of an offer of financial support* (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties. Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15, and sub- sequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student to first inform the program that they are withdrawing or resigning from the offer of financial support that they previously had accepted. Starting in Fall 2020, applicants are no longer required to obtain a formal release from the program whose offer they accepted, either before or after the April 15 deadline. It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution or a link to the URL should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer. " That said, I'm also really unhappy with schools holding us without information until after the 15th. It's incredibly difficult and really shows a lack of compassion. I had a school do that to me my first cycle too. I think the funded MA's always get short shrift next to the PhD programs and are prone to giving late acceptances.

@ClassicsCandidate Thanks. It's been a really hard year, but I haven't had a year without school since I was 3 years old. I'm sure I'll benefit from the gap. Let me know if you want to talk privately as we get our apps ready for next year (assuming I can face putting myself through this again). I'm happy to do a reading group or accountability group or something!

So, it's April 16th and I have heard absolutely zip from UCLA. I'm actually angry. I figured after not being invited to the prospective weekend that there was no way I got in, but now that it's extended this long I started thinking I was on a waitlist. I reached out to the SAO yesterday morning for an update on my status and have gotten no response. My online app says submitted. Am I supposed to put my life on hold at their convenience with no communication? Edit: Just got news of being rejected off the waitlist. See ya'll who are in the same boat next year.

So, I was an undergrad there and tried to major in the Classics/AH track, but I ended up switching to full Classics. I'm not sure how different it is for the MA, but if it means you're in both the history and classics departments, I think most of the classes you take will end up being within the classics department itself. No one knew about the track when I talked about it, and all of my professors were in the classics dept., so I just went and did a full classics major. But again that was undergrad so I'm not sure if the MA is a different thing! Either way I loved the department and it's a great place to be.

Hey all, is anyone willing to claim that UCLA rejection? I was wondering whether or not you attended the prospective weekend, because I did not, but have not heard anything (at all) back yet, which I'm suspecting may mean I'm actually on the waitlist. Or I was rejected months ago and they haven't put that news out yet lol. Trying not to actually be hopeful at this point.

I’m also still waiting on UCLA but they already had their open house and sent at least one acceptance out according to the results page. I can’t imagine we’re in for good news at this point but last time I applied I’d heard from or at least was waitlisted by all the PhD programs I applied to by mid March. Honestly my brain has already closed off the idea of being in school next year, it would upend my life again to get in now lol.

Congrats on Stanford!! Could I ask what your specialization is?

Hey all, also looking at all rejections this year. I'm probably going the route of applying to "real jobs" for a few years, hopefully I'll find something with relevant skillsets, but I'm not looking to be history-adjacent. I'd rather make some more money and have time and energy to keep reading on the side. Will probably be looking at tech fields/project management/business. It's been a hard year all around and I want to decouple my passions from my stress and remember what the real world is like.

Same, I was waiting for it so at least it wasn't a shock. I applied with a focus on Iron Age-Archaic Greek religion.

@ClassicsCandidate I’m afraid if we haven’t heard anything from ISAW at this point we’re not going to get positive news, unfortunately. Bracing myself for it. Same with UCLA who I also have not heard anything from.

I posted about my experiences a while up in the thread, I had an interview with UC Berkeley AHMA but was rejected, to answer @ClassicsCandidate's question. Edit: Oops, @PeppermintTea was the one who actually asked.

Yeah, concluding I didn't make UCLA if I didn't get invited to that weekend interview, which is depressing. Counting them as a rejection I'm 2r and haven't heard anything from the last two now. It's taken a few days to come to terms with it.

This feels crazy early. I wonder if semesters starting later is giving profs more time to do admissions stuff now?

I applied to NYU ISAW but haven't heard anything back yet. It's still pretty early and the SCS/AIA is this week so I'm sure that's biting into many professors' time.