DanaJ

Hey, everyone! I want to thank you all again for the advice given on this thread, because it's been really helpful! 
I took into consideration the points made here (especially the point that I could very well be burnt out on American history) and spoke with my faculty mentor (an early modernist). He did mention the job market for 20th century Americanists being not great and did give me some reading suggestions since I'm considering early modern (including a series on early modern women's history). I was also able to speak with the director of the masters program at Villanova, who mentioned that the program is very flexible and most students don't stay with the concentration they applied with. Right now, I'm leaning heavily towards doing a Masters to fine tune my interests, get language training, and get more acquainted with methodology and historiography. Depending on funding, I will probably accept Villanova.

Good luck to everyone as this week starts.

Just received word from Harvard that the application committees list has been approved! I am *GSAS* officially admitted to Harvard's history PhD!

Oh my god I got into Yale!!!!!!

I WAS JUST ACCEPTED AT YALE!!!! 
Crying with happiness. 

Decisions are starting to fly in. Last night I was rejected from my second choice program and was absolutely heartbroken, I thought they were very interested. 
Then, this morning while I was in a classroom working, an e-mail came in to check the application portal from my top choice program. I sat in the GA office and panicked about opening the portal. I GOT ACCEPTED!!! After 2 rejections, this was a shock, but a pleasant one and nice to hear while sitting in an office across the hall from my current department head. 

Congrats @DanaJ! That's awesome news and I'm sure it feels especially good coming on the heels of a rejection. 

Congrats! That's fantastic news! 

Thank you for letting us know @urbanhistorynerd!
@DanaJ, what a roller coaster of emotions! So glad it all worked out in the end, congratulations!

Decisions are starting to fly in. Last night I was rejected from my second choice program and was absolutely heartbroken, I thought they were very interested. 
Then, this morning while I was in a classroom working, an e-mail came in to check the application portal from my top choice program. I sat in the GA office and panicked about opening the portal. I GOT ACCEPTED!!! After 2 rejections, this was a shock, but a pleasant one and nice to hear while sitting in an office across the hall from my current department head. 

Decisions are starting to fly in. Last night I was rejected from my second choice program and was absolutely heartbroken, I thought they were very interested. 
Then, this morning while I was in a classroom working, an e-mail came in to check the application portal from my top choice program. I sat in the GA office and panicked about opening the portal. I GOT ACCEPTED!!! After 2 rejections, this was a shock, but a pleasant one and nice to hear while sitting in an office across the hall from my current department head. 

Decisions are starting to fly in. Last night I was rejected from my second choice program and was absolutely heartbroken, I thought they were very interested. 
Then, this morning while I was in a classroom working, an e-mail came in to check the application portal from my top choice program. I sat in the GA office and panicked about opening the portal. I GOT ACCEPTED!!! After 2 rejections, this was a shock, but a pleasant one and nice to hear while sitting in an office across the hall from my current department head. 

Decisions are starting to fly in. Last night I was rejected from my second choice program and was absolutely heartbroken, I thought they were very interested. 
Then, this morning while I was in a classroom working, an e-mail came in to check the application portal from my top choice program. I sat in the GA office and panicked about opening the portal. I GOT ACCEPTED!!! After 2 rejections, this was a shock, but a pleasant one and nice to hear while sitting in an office across the hall from my current department head. 

Decisions are starting to fly in. Last night I was rejected from my second choice program and was absolutely heartbroken, I thought they were very interested. 
Then, this morning while I was in a classroom working, an e-mail came in to check the application portal from my top choice program. I sat in the GA office and panicked about opening the portal. I GOT ACCEPTED!!! After 2 rejections, this was a shock, but a pleasant one and nice to hear while sitting in an office across the hall from my current department head. 

Decisions are starting to fly in. Last night I was rejected from my second choice program and was absolutely heartbroken, I thought they were very interested. 
Then, this morning while I was in a classroom working, an e-mail came in to check the application portal from my top choice program. I sat in the GA office and panicked about opening the portal. I GOT ACCEPTED!!! After 2 rejections, this was a shock, but a pleasant one and nice to hear while sitting in an office across the hall from my current department head. 

Decisions are starting to fly in. Last night I was rejected from my second choice program and was absolutely heartbroken, I thought they were very interested. 
Then, this morning while I was in a classroom working, an e-mail came in to check the application portal from my top choice program. I sat in the GA office and panicked about opening the portal. I GOT ACCEPTED!!! After 2 rejections, this was a shock, but a pleasant one and nice to hear while sitting in an office across the hall from my current department head. 

I can absolutely relate to the intellectual environment issue! I also attend a relatively small commuter school, we have a very small MA community and the town itself is small. I got lucky with a good friend group from my program, they all live in town as well. Even as people graduate we make a point to stay in contact, spend time together, and those who have finished ask about my thesis project often. I also finished my undergrad at this school, so I sometimes run into people I took undergrad courses with. The whole thing makes me happy I chose to do my MA before pursuing the PhD because I learned a valuable lesson in that you CAN build your own community, but it is a challenge. I'm sure those issues are much less challenging with a larger program.

I'm refreshing my e-mail every 5 minutes at my desk in the Grad Assistant office, plus keeping my phone by my side at all times! It's painful!

I'm kind of relieved it's been so quiet on the grad school front today so far in terms of the results page. It's good to know I'm not alone in today being radio silence. 

I'm refreshing my e-mail every 5 minutes at my desk in the Grad Assistant office, plus keeping my phone by my side at all times! It's painful!

I've been checking my application portals every hour, refreshing my email, watching my phone like a hawk for potential calls from POI... help. 

Someone tell me that I’m not the only one finding today agonising ?

10 page limit?! I was whining about programs who had a 15 page limit (Notre Dame). My POI told me not to cut something artificially to fit a page limit, at the same time I selected a chapter from my MA thesis (it flows best in chapter form) that was 24 pages for the sample I sent to most programs. I managed to cut that to 17 for ND and hoped they wouldn't be too upset. Some of these ranges are entirely too short to allow an applicant to feel comfortable with both a strong sample and being sure that it demonstrates their interests!!
Good luck to you on your remaining applications! I've only heard back from 1 of 5, and it wasn't good news... granted they were not my top choice program and beyond my POI, I would really have struggled to find committee members, which is likely why they didn't take the chance on me! I think the next 2 weeks will be big, but 2 of my applications had rather late deadlines (Jan 15 and Feb 1), which might mean I have to wait until March to hear from them, and one is my top choice program!

I'm still in utter shock from my big surprise yesterday. Here is hoping everyone hears back from one of the places of their choosing!
I'd also like to add just this: I'm a community college graduate, grew up in a union working-class household, and attended a commuter state school that isn't at all prestigious. I worked incredibly hard but I also know that this was partially a numbers game. But to anyone who feels like places like Harvard are out of reach simply because you don't fit the traditional applicants "mold," screw that. Write a good application and hope for the best. Academia is in tough shape but that doesn't mean working-class people and those from non-traditional backgrounds don't have a place there - it is the opposite. 

We are in exactly the same boat. I applied to 4 schools (Notre Dame, Alabama, Kentucky, and South Florida). I tried to keep them practical for the University that I'm coming from, Notre Dame was my reacher school. I didn't get an interview there, so I assume I'm rejected. Alabama rejected me on Friday, but it was the same thing. One POI that would've been a great fit but not really anyone else to even put on the committee. USF has one POI but multiple other people who could be on the committee for my intended topic, and Kentucky has 2 good potential POIs with LOTS who could be good for a committee. I'm just crossing my fingers, as they are my best fits and practical options for me. I feel like academia was different 12-13 years ago, which is concerning, but we are all in this together and just have to hope for the best.
I'll second that congrats to all who got into MSU. I'm a Michigan native, it's a great school and East Lansing is a great little city.