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elx

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    Applications 2019

    in History

    Posted · Edited by elx

    25 minutes ago, Ccthomas95 said:

    Just got my rejection from NYU. Saw it coming a mile off, but it’s still disappointing. Good luck to everyone still waiting!

    Yeah me too. I wasn't expecting anything after the wisdom dropped by current students about admitted students' days having happened weeks ago, but once again, the email rolled in when I was least expecting it -- I've been drunk on wine for a couple hours, completely off the thought of apps or gradcafe. This happened with all of them; never when I was refreshing the results page, or checking the portals. I think that's some powerful messaging that it's less than pointless to chase up the application status, and it's a proper waiting game.

    Nevertheless, I'm amazed at the brilliant people I've met through this forum over the season, and I've felt a lot of joy for you guys as you got accepted, and shared your campus visit etc stories. It's been a huge learning experience -- thank you all who have shared your journey, congrats to the admitted and for those who were less lucky, much like NYU, I 'wish you the greatest success in your future endeavors'! ❤️

    Applications 2019

    in History

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, Ccthomas95 said:

    Got a funded offer from QMUL last night, and then an offer from the University of Oxford this afternoon! Still waiting to hear about funding for Oxford, but I’m absolutely thrilled - they are my first acceptances!

    Congrats, that's amazing!! You've applied for the PhD for both, right? :) 

    Do top grad schools care about your course load?

    in History

    Posted

    25 minutes ago, OHSP said:

    Controversial statement but US PhD programs are just rigorous in a very different way. I think people outside of the US, unfamiliar with the US system, assume that the two years of coursework are "unnecessary", time-wasting, etc (these are opinions I encountered when I was writing my MA outside of the US). Coursework years are better considered as focused reading years that both compel you and provide you with time to establish breadth of knowledge, to diversify research interests, and to work towards your project with faculty you might not otherwise encounter (and who often have thoughtful advice to offer re your work). Sometimes I've hated the coursework, but it's already made the dissertation I'm working towards so much better. Being in the US has made me even more skeptical of 3 to 4 year PhD programs--it's enough time to write a focused dissertation on a specialized subject, but I don't think it's enough time to become truly well-versed in literature across multiple fields. I'm really glad I didn't enter a program that would have had me writing my dissertation proposal and dissertation (and little else) right away--which isn't to say that I won't use the writing I've worked on in coursework years. US departments know about these differences, and so Oxbridge prestige doesn't mean all that much. 

    In the UK, you have to do a Master's programme before your PhD, you can't just get it on the way like in the US - so that's another extra year of learning and developing your interests. I see what you mean though. You definitely don't get the same type of teaching/research experiences, it's just a programme to write a dissertation. I definitely believe it's hard to find work in the States, but that might also be because Oxbridge are great, but still not as good as the Ivies -- at least that's what I've been told!

    Applications 2019

    in History

    Posted

    20 hours ago, telkanuru said:

    If you want to do a 1 year MA without a gap year after, you're asking your new MA profs to write for you after they've know you for maybe 6 weeks. 

    If you want to come out of a 1 year MA with a stronger application, plan on applying the following year. 

    I’m applying for year-long programmes and and never even thought of that issue!

    What would everyone recommend doing in the year between the MA and (hopefully) PhD then? Would it be a disadvantage to work somewhere that’s unrelated to history?

    Do top grad schools care about your course load?

    in History

    Posted · Edited by elx

    1 hour ago, historygeek said:

    Even if it is cheaper, you also have to consider the fact that you have to pay for living expenses, relocation, etc. In addition to spending ~33k in USD for tuition and fees, you would have to spend the money out of pocket to get to England (and back, including any visits that you want to have with family), rent/housing, food, etc. It's still a lot of money, just a little less than you have to pay doing an American MA. 

    Bottom line is that you shouldn't pay to go to grad school, at least according to several professors and people on GradCafe. 

    Yeah it's a lot of money, but you might have to relocate for an American MA too -- and living costs are $13,000 a year plus flights, which I believe is lower than you'd pay in the US. Paying for grad school is really common here, especially for MAs, because while it's expensive, it's not going to break the bank in the same way an unfunded MA would do in the states.

    I get an undergrad tuition fee loan as a non-UK EU citizen, but only $3,000 a year (means-tested bursary + scholarship) for living costs, yet I've been able to pay off all my living costs with working 15h/week. It's not easy, but it's doable.

    Sorry for hijacking the topic, OP! Promise this is my final post. Just looking to preach the system they have here :D

    Do top grad schools care about your course load?

    in History

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, speech-geek said:

    @historygeek, yes it is very hard to find funding for non-UK/Commonwealth/EU MAs. For funding, you would have to go into a MA/PhD and then go through the whole visa application process. The upside is that degrees are awarded in a faster timeline and are usually less expensive than US programs.

    Just echoing this! Oxbridge do offer some financial support and several universities have scholarships for international students now, but this is usually for students from Third World countries (that's literally how they say it I think).

    However, UK MAs are only one year full-time, and for History about £25k -- seems like an insanely high price to me, but considering the Columbia MA I looked at (HiLi) was $53k, it's a lot cheaper.

    Applications 2019

    in History

    Posted

    1 hour ago, fortsibut said:

    Sounds like you have some good options!  From your sig it looks like you’ve already applied to Oxford; do you have an app to Cambridge in progress?

    HiLi is Columbia, yes!  It looks like an awesome interdisciplinary program and I love Paris so a year studying there would be a dream, but it all comes down to finances.  I know the conventional wisdom of “never pay for a graduate degree,” but I’m willing to take on some debt for a great fit that would position me well for next application cycle.  We’ll see how it pans out!

    Had a better look at HiLi now. Wow!!

    Yeah, Oxford deadline was about 7 weeks ago (I've been counting because results come out 8-10 weeks after haha), and I've written my Cambridge application but if I'm lucky, I'll find out about Oxford before their deadline, and I might be able to save a little money on the application fee.

    I'm already dreading asking for references again. For those of you who have applied several times, is it as awkward as I'm imagining?

    Applications 2019

    in History

    Posted

    1 hour ago, I_Am_In_Paine said:

    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I was waitlisted for the PhD at W&M and they already had admitted students day last weekend so if you haven't heard anything i think it's safe to presume rejection unfortunately.

    This is off-topic, but your username made me laugh so much :D 

    Applications 2019

    in History

    Posted

    18 hours ago, fortsibut said:

    For sure!  I was planning to reapply one final time anyway, but knowing that I was pretty close just makes me that much more determined.  I'm applying to two one-year MA programs right now that would provide me with some more breadth (particularly HiLi, although I'd really have to get a pretty sizeable tuition break there to make it affordable) and I'll work on getting part of my MA thesis published in the meantime.

    What MA programs are you looking at for this coming year?

    I'm going to try for American History in Oxbridge, and Leeds for Race & Resistance, which is interdisciplinary and really pretty exciting! If I don't get in anywhere, my BA institution will likely have me, but that'd be a 12 month programme starting in late September, and I have a suspicion that my advisor's going on research leave next year. Lots of time to think though, one of the places I looked at has their deadline 25 days before the course is meant to start ?

    HiLi is the Columbia one, right? That sounds really really good!!

    Next year

    in Waiting it Out

    Posted

    18 hours ago, fortsibut said:

    Thanks so much!  I'm sorry that you've had the same bad luck this application cycle that I have so far, but I hope you get into a great MA program this year and I'll look forward to having a familiar...avatar? to commiserate with next cycle.  ?

    I'm genuinely looking forward to already knowing someone who's been through it all before! ?

    Next year

    in Waiting it Out

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Ternwild said:

    @elx@fortsibut Use this year to save up a couple thousand and apply to like 15 - 20 universities.  They may not all be your top choice, but at least you'll be able to increase your chances of getting in next year.  If both of you have the stats to compete in Ivy League, then you'll certainly fair better than I did doing that this year.

    As @e_randolph explained, it's a lot different with history (from the looks of it) -- but I just wanna mention that 'save up a couple thousand' made me chuckle. Even if I got a full-time, well-paid job after graduation, saving that much would take at least a couple years.

    I'm hoping to get into a top UK university for a MA, then re-apply next year. And if that doesn't work? Hmm ? let's cross that bridge when we come to it. . .

    Applications 2019

    in History

    Posted · Edited by elx

    11 hours ago, HRL said:

    Yeah, happy to confirm for you! I got my Cornell rejection email today and it said: "Your application for admission to the Graduate Program in History for Fall 2019 has been given careful consideration by the faculty in the field.  We regret that your application has not been approved for admission. The number of students who we can accept is limited and, as the overall quality of applicants is very high, it is not possible to offer admission to the many excellent students who would like to study with us. We appreciate your interest in History at Cornell and wish you success in continuing your studies at another university."

    I got this one too @fortsibut (the same as @HRL)! Looks like you missed out narrowly then -- are you thinking of reapplying?

    Next year

    in Waiting it Out

    Posted

    18 hours ago, fortsibut said:

    I'll be reapplying next year but it'll probably be my last cycle either way it goes; I'm in my late 30s and I can't sit around forever waiting for academia to work out.  My applications were much more competitive than last year (much better writing sample, better SoP, better LoRs due to finishing my thesis, designing and teaching an upper-division college course, and another conference presentation) but it didn't seem to make much of a difference compared to last year.  (That's my outsider's perspective, though, who even knows what happened in the committee room?  My application could have been considered 'til the last minute or laughed out of the room.)  I killed it on the verbal part of the GRE and did fairly well on the analytical writing, so there's not much room for improvement there.  I'm honestly not really sure what I can do to make myself a standout candidate for next year.

    I'm honestly pretty depressed right now.  This is going to be a long year, and not one with any guarantee of a light at the end of the tunnel.   I guess I don't know what to tell you since I'm up in the air about everything myself!  Application season is fucking awful.

    I'm sending you so much love! I've had 4 generic rejections and surely another one coming for the last PhD programme I applied for; I've got a lot to improve on, but it'd still have been SO helpful to get any kind of actual feedback. I hope knowing that programmes have to pick between equally very well qualified candidates gives you some comfort. ❤️ 

    Applications 2019

    in History

    Posted · Edited by elx

    I've got my Duke rejection in the portal now, I've just got an email. I've had the nicest day (18 degrees C in February!! T-shirt weather!! Last year it was snowing. . .) and I'm just thinking. . .I don't really want to open it. But it's there now. Ugh.

    Remind me, why was I so eager to get these rejections? :D 

     

    edit: Caved and looked. It's saying 'decision not ready'. Why is this happening my dudes?!

    Is anyone else just way too anxious?

    in Waiting it Out

    Posted

    My current uni's sending out a bunch of spam emails today (a department's emailed 80+ people without bcc'ing and of course, lots of people hit 'reply all' when getting back to them) and there couldn't be a worse day for this (except any other day this month and up until I get all my rejections). I'm so on edge when I hear the 'new email' sound, it's insane. Don't wanna turn my email off either because what if I finally get an email from a place I applied to?

    *deep breaths*

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