Maguire

You're definitely right in what you say about trying to predict! (I think this has just been a tough and overly-anxious week for me TBH - a family member has had major surgery and I've been trying to help them recover) Hopefully we'll start hearing back from some places from the end of this month/early February onwards! Best of luck!

Hello, yes, I too am waiting on decisions and am finding the process excruciating! I think the fact I applied way back in early October makes this seem even longer but now that decisions are likely to come in the next few weeks it just seems more frightening and real now. I’m an Americanist and have applied to 16 schools hoping that at least one might pull through! I made contact and corresponded with professors at 14 out of the 16 I applied to, so hoping that they remember me now that they’re reading through the applications. You may want to check out the forum titled 2021 Application Thread in History as there is a lot more activity going on there! Recently it’s been a bit odd though with a dispute over a SOP... ?

I’ll send you a DM ☺️?

Thanks - this is helpful! I’ve corresponded with another person on here who’s been interviewed in that same field as yours, so it may be that the Americanists assess their applicants differently. Best of luck to you.

So I guess those of us who haven’t heard from Berkeley (or don’t hear in the next week) should consider ourselves counted out? I have previously been in contact with around 4-5 faculty members via email several months ago, so I think they have a good idea of my project but if interviews are now a formal part of the process I guess I’ve been counted out. Thanks and best of luck ? Edit: I realise that it is only mid-January, but it seems the bulk of interview offers have gone out.

Anyone here had interview invitations from UC Berkeley? On the results page it seems like a few went out on the 5th, but I haven’t heard anything. (Had emailed with 4+ professors there though prior to applying). While we’re at it, anyone had an interview invitation from Chicago? I think these two and Yale are the only ones which seem to do interviews out of all the many places I’ve applied to. Thanks.

Does anyone know if interviews are essential to getting accepted to the Yale History PhD programme? I’ve seen people posting about getting interviews from them but have not heard anything myself. I have previously corresponded with 2 professors in the department and those exchanges were positive. Have seen cases where people have gotten in without interviews but don’t really know what to expect? Thanks in advance.

Thanks - this is really helpful. I agree that everyone seems to be more nervous this year than usual (myself included!), but since many don’t do interviews I think we don’t need to worry about not hearing anything this month (also I think it depends on who your POI is). I think it may be likely - depending on where you’ve applied - some may hear towards the end of this month, but February is definitely the far more common month to hear back from places. It’s hard to not think about it and be quite tense this month, but it’s only 2.5 weeks to February so at least we know resolutions are on the horizon.

Hi, just like the previous poster, I’m wondering about the status of interviews and trying to gauge when decisions will come (based on past posts from the Universities I’ve applied to it seems like anytime from mid-January to early March, but quite a lot come in Feb). I’ve applied to 16 US PhD programmes and 1 MA - have already been accepted to 2 MA programmes here in the U.K. at Cambridge and Edinburgh but am hoping from good news from the US as I want to return! From what I can see, only perhaps 3/4 of the programmes I’ve applied to have done interviews in the last few years - Chicago, Yale, Berkeley. I’m a US History scholar, with a timely dissertation proposal and have held two research positions in the last year, one with a well known political scientist. I’ve been in touch with at least 2 professors from every university but one - so 15/16 - (in some cases I’ve corresponded with 4 or 5) and have had positive responses (this was a few months back), with several seeming keen. Hoping for the best - and for my fellow applicants also. But yes, if anyone could answer the post above and my query about timing and perhaps allay our concerns slightly?