sarahpc2020

I accepted ND today. I feel confident in making this decision despite pending waitlists at some great schools. Ultimately, the day after I visited, I realized that I wanted to be admitted there more than I've wanted pretty much anything in a while (my decision to attend my MA program was comparatively quite cavalier), and was ecstatic to be accepted. Having had a chance to meet key people in the department was crucial, and proximity to family, low cost of living, and what seems to be a great professional development funding situation just made the deal sweeter. I've found my fit and I'm happy to be done with the process!
Thanks to all in the thread for being so supportive.

Wow, congratulations! What a fantastic program as well! And sunny California

It worked! I finally got my first acceptance today (UCLA off the waitlist) after a long slew of rejections that made me question my entire existence. I'm going to grad school!

Fingers crossed, y'all! We are so close to being done with all the waiting and unknowns lol @fongduee@coucoufan@confusinggrace

Fingers crossed, y'all! We are so close to being done with all the waiting and unknowns lol @fongduee@coucoufan@confusinggrace

I was rejected by UIUC History program (Ph.D.), but now I am awaiting the decision of the French Studies (master) program at the same uni. I got accepted by Western Michigan Medieval Studies, but I don't have any scholarships available  Besides that, I am still awaiting decisions on the Comparative Literature program at UCSB, wish me luck guys, fingers crossed!!!! 

Got rejected by Yale Medieval Studies and Harvard Comp Lit yesterday.

I just got my third waitlist decision this morning: I don't even know what to think anymore. I guess my application screams "great, but not great enough"!
At least I'm slowly growing a bit of hope, as the probability of getting at least one acceptance increases bit by bit. 

I sent an email of continued interest + an updated CV to the Director of Graduate Studies immediately after being waitlisted at my top choice. She forwarded it to the Director of Admissions for the program. I also contacted the POIs I had previously spoken with to let them know. But the waitlist letter I had said "feel free" to contact your program. Fingers crossed!

I sent an email of continued interest + an updated CV to the Director of Graduate Studies immediately after being waitlisted at my top choice. She forwarded it to the Director of Admissions for the program. I also contacted the POIs I had previously spoken with to let them know. But the waitlist letter I had said "feel free" to contact your program. Fingers crossed!

I hope so. I just received my first decision of the cycle this morning, a rejection from Dartmouth's comp lit MA. I figured it would be a nice backup in case I don't get accepted into a PhD program. Guess I was wrong, but I have two other masters programs to apply to as well. 
Anyway, how are your applications going? Any news yet?

Thanks! I really don't know what to think of the interview. I was let into the zoom meeting like 10 minutes late and I felt like we were in a rush to still finish on time. We went over by a few minutes, so I still got about 15 min of my 20 min interview slot, but it was a struggle to try to answer their questions in such a short time period. I felt I didn't have the time to explain much of anything outside of what was already on my application. I had read that Duke's interviews could be pretty brutal, but the adcoms all seemed pretty cordial with me. One of them (I think it was Antonio Viego) said he really enjoyed my writing sample. Although, another one hinted that my research interests may be too broad for doctoral research... I suppose I won't really know how it went until I hear back.

Congrats, @confusinggrace! How did it go?

Interview at Duke! Let's go! 🤯

Bonne chance!

Hello, all! I have just been offered an interview for a French PhD program. I was told it will be about 30 min., partly conducted in English, partly conducted in French. I'm very nervous! Does anyone have any advice? What should I anticipate? Merci beaucoup x

Hello, all! I wanted to start a thread for those of us applying in this application season. We're in the midst of app deadlines now! How is everyone feeling?

Bonjour à toutes/tous
I guess it's quite early but I figured I'd get the ball rolling so we can discuss, help each other out, etc. I'm so nervous, as I'm sure you guys are too. Wishing us all good luck  

Chillin.

I'm not in your field.  So I'll leave advice to those who are more qualified.  But best of luck with the interview!!

Hello, all! I wanted to start a thread for those of us applying in this application season. We're in the midst of app deadlines now! How is everyone feeling?

Hello, all! I have just been offered an interview for a French PhD program. I was told it will be about 30 min., partly conducted in English, partly conducted in French. I'm very nervous! Does anyone have any advice? What should I anticipate? Merci beaucoup x

Hello, all! I have just been offered an interview for a French PhD program. I was told it will be about 30 min., partly conducted in English, partly conducted in French. I'm very nervous! Does anyone have any advice? What should I anticipate? Merci beaucoup x

Thank you, I'd appreciate that! And best of luck!

I had two interviews last year, and was accepted to both universities after my interviews.  I had prepared some very basic interview answers (to imagined questions like "why our university?" and "what do you bring to the table?"), but was surprised by the specificity of the actual questions I was asked.  My interviewers wanted to know about very particular choices I had made in my writing sample, they wanted me to defend which texts I had selected, and they offered me a new direction and asked how I would, if I chose to, incorporate it.  The questions were chapter level, but they still quoted specific lines from my writing sample.  They asked about my understanding of the critical background and the varying approaches I could have taken.  It was, in short, a very personal interview.  I asked my basic "what's the culture like?" questions at the end, but I wish I had taken the time to read some of the interviewer's texts more fully so I had specific questions for them.  It's clearly not required, but I remember feeling very worried after the interview.
In my second interview things were looser, I had received a better offer from the first interview institution already and was merely investigating this other school to make sure, so I was more relaxed and I remember cracking a bunch of jokes and all of us laughing.  It was still a REALLY important interview, because I was able to ask more general PhD student questions (like, "what's something you wish you had known before your first year of the PhD?") and the answers I received have stayed with me.  But, the tone was very different because I was much more confident.  So, I'd say reread your writing sample, consider school-specific questions, and be prepared to be unprepared.  I had taken notes on the answers to questions I thought I'd be asked, and while I wasn't asked anything from that list, the list really did help me ad lib when the time came.  Being relaxed would probably help, but there's no magic way to achieve that, so don't be worried if you're a nervous wreck - I was for my first interview, but knowing my own writing clearly helped us all move past that.