[Reapplying After Rejection?]

5 hours ago, ZippyZup123 said:

Also the accelerated program you applied to in the spring only admits 25 people in that cohort. Hunter accepts around 425 students for their fall program so your odds of getting accepted are way higher. Even the most qualified students that apply for the spring cohort might not get accepted. I hope this makes you feel better in some way.

Oh wow this is actually so good to know and it does make me feel better. I was so discouraged! I had no idea that schools like Hunter and Rutgers were harder to get into, especially coming from academia. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for your advice! I am also looking at Rutgers for fall admission. 

[Reapplying After Rejection?]

Hi all! I am currently in a PhD program in history of medicine, and because of some experiences in academia and changes in my goals I have decided to leave my PhD to pursue clinical work instead. It's something I had been thinking about for a few years, and am finally going for it.

I applied to Hunter's spring start accelerated program and was rejected. My letters of recommendation were late, however (frustrating), and I kind of applied knowing NOTHING about what MSW programs are looking for, just to get an application in, so I am wondering if it is worth it to apply again for the fall semester? I will also be applying to a number of others programs, but was wondering if reapplying to Hunter is worth it or typical having received one rejection.

I also have a question regarding statements of purpose. In my PhD program, social justice-type work was really discouraged (odd, I know, but partly why I am leaving). I think I may have censored myself a bit regarding my activist/organizing work because of the fear that it would not be well-received. Is political organizing something that one should leave out of an application or is this something that might be look at positively? 

Any advice or thoughts would be super appreciated!!

[2021 Application Thread]

25 minutes ago, AP said:

Right now and through May, universities will be deciding on their budget for next year and how to cut it as EVERYONE is anticipating losses in staff, funding, and enrollment. Simultaneously, as there will be less jobs in general, more people will apply to funded graduate programs. 
 

My advice is:

1) Communicate with potential POIs early on, probably during the summer. Do not -I repeat, do not- e-mail us now. We are in the last few weeks of a very difficult semester caring for our students and our families. We are all holding our breaths waiting to hear about furloughs, cancelled research funds, indefinitely postponed leaves, and layoffs. Now is absolutely not the right time to contact your POIs, but it is the right time to do the appropriate research. I doubt anyone will be doing much traveling during the summer so most faculty would be available to respond relatively promptly.

2) Consider that most programs will be highly competitive so prepare excellent applications. To be clear: your application is NOT your GPA. Also, if you have questions about GRE or TOEFL/IELTS, e-mail the graduate administrator or the graduate school, they will have updated data. Do not email POIs about that. 

3) Do not imagine possible scenarios but prepare for them. In other words, do not speculate with “do you guys think they will take less students?” Because there is no way for anyone here can answer that and speculation can lead to unnecessary hysteria and anxiety. However, do prepare for the possibility of all programs admitting less students. Prepare applications that illustrate your resilience and your ability to work across disciplines, as you would likely TA for a course outside your field. Also follow @Sigaba´s advice on contingency plans (and I would always advice that regardless of the situation, design plans B, C, and D.I come from a country where there is always a crisis so I’m used to contingency plans). 
 

4) Psychologically, it’s very healthy to project into the future. I’d argue that it’s healthy to acknowledge the crisis while working towards your goals in the best way you can control. I have to write a book and I can’t go to the archives this summer, so I will write it with what I have. but I will write it. Similarly, I urge new applicants to continue to project your careers (in grad school or not) while maintaining an informed perspective. As historians, we are aware of the deep, rapid changes this pandemic is forcing on the world while we can also appreciate the continuities. While I’m sure you are all re-evaluating your life now, remember that faculty are working hard to keep programs open and provide continuity. 

my two cents. 

 

 

 

Thank you! That is all really sound advice, and definitely makes sense. I am struggling with the uncertainty right now, which makes me inclined to ask people questions as if they can predict the future. But I think you're right about projecting towards the future being healthy, even if it feels uncertain. It's easy to get caught up ruminating in unknowns, and anyway, working on making applications even more excellent will be a welcome distraction. 

[2021 Application Thread]

Hello all! I am in a strange position, and am looking to reapply (with support from my current program) to history of science PhD programs this coming fall. I work on the history of 20th century European psychiatry and neurology, and my project deals with the functional neurological symptom in relationship to the history of the body/self-hood. I am sorting through sources from interwar psychoanalytic psychiatrists working through questions of "reductionism" in medicine and the relationship of language to (especially political) subjectivity during this period of crises in democratization.

Anyway, my plan was pretty straightforward and I had everything laid out in terms of reapplying, but the current global health crisis is worrying me (as I am sure it is worrying everybody else). Do people anticipate doctoral programs will cut admissions in the upcoming application season? I know there's really nothing I can do but wait at this point, but any insight people have would be helpful.