baxter

The Devil and Commodity Fetishism in South America, by Taussig (technically not history [anthropology], but still an excellent read)

what would your instinct say if a ph.d. student in a program you applied to contacted you to ask how your application process was going? ...if you had talked to that person previously, but not for several months. 1. it is entirely possible the person is just incredibly nice and thoughtful, which is great. 2. it is an informal way of the department to see what's up with somebody they're interested in, so to speak. any thoughts? i don't want to read anything into it without cause... thanks.

Has anyone received news from Cornell, Pittsburgh, UNC-CH, or Vanderbilt? :?:

nofia... thanks again. i would be curious about your area of study, if you don't care to divulge. also, how much tougher would you guess the coursework for a ph.d. will be compared to (what you know of) the master's i am doing now? its always good to seek the wise counsel of many people.

nofia & blukorea, i really appreciate your input - it does help me relax a little bit. are either of you two in history phd programs? the application process really hacks into any passion one has for a field of study. too bad. :roll: if anybody else wants to add insight, please, please do.

PS i also have emailed with potential mentors at all schools listed above, and all have responded positively.

nm