jce8491

You're in a better spot than I am. Only waitlists and rejections so far for me. Good luck with your decision!

FWIW, just received the heads up from Northwestern that I was waitlisted.

I haven't, FWIW.

And now I'm applying to all history programs lol. Conversations with potential advisers and the process of writing SOPs made it clear where my true interests lie. Wish me luck. I have no idea what to expect

I'm considering applying to a few history programs (alongside some political science programs).

Nobody can give you odds. It's an idiosyncratic process. Are you finished? No. Your cumulative GPA will make it harder for you, but you can overcome it. The key for you is writing a killer statement of purpose and finding programs with professors who match with your research interests and are taking students. Publishing will also help you. I'll also say that getting into a PhD program directly out of undergrad is not easy. If it doesn't go your way the first time, you can pursue a Masters (if financially possible) or spend time working and try to publish or gain relevant experience to bolster your application.

Disappointed but undeterred. I applied to a relatively short list of top programs and struck out. It was my first cycle, and I learned a lot. Over the past few weeks, I've talked with people from the political science world and know where I went wrong. I was expressing my research interests and fit from an attorney POV, rather than a political science perspective. From talking to political scientists, I've gotten great advice on how to speak the right language when conveying my interests and on books and articles to read to enhance my fluency. (I've also received advice on how to better determine which programs fit with my interests.) If I apply again next cycle, that advice will be invaluable. And I am leaning towards giving it another go. I will also have gone from zero publications to at least two publications. (I have two forthcoming pieces and anticipate publishing more between now and November/December). That should make my application stronger. All this to say, I'm not letting a little rejection stop me from continuing to pursue this.

I think I had the background and credentials to be accepted, but I think I screwed up my statement of purpose. That said, I'd be interested in hearing what your concerns are. Very sorry to hear you did not get in either!

Received Harvard rejection, as expected. That's it for me. 0 for 8 lol. On the plus side, I know what went wrong and how to fix it. Might take a shot again next year. Might skip the PhD, as it's not strictly necessary. While this was disappointing, I'm grateful to have a career I enjoy that pays the bills. Best of luck to all of you who were accepted to programs! You earned it. To those who aren't, keep your head up. It's a tough process. Don't let rejection deter you from pursuing your dreams. It's a temporary setback and may prove to be a blessing in disguise.

You're not alone. I'm about to get my final rejection. On the bright side, you still have eight pending. I'm not deterred by the rejections. I know where I went wrong. I am confident I can fix it if I apply again in the future. And I'm finally making time to publish. So I'll be exploring my options in the next few months to decide how I want to approach things next fall. Even if I'm disappointed with how it all panned out, I feel blessed in life and am happy to continue with my current job. Academia will be there when it's my time. Failure is temporary and breeds success. 🙂

Same here. Received an email directing me to the portal. Congrats to the folks who made it in!

Received a rejection from Stanford a couple hours ago, FWIW.

Yep. Rejection in the portal. Expected after the calls went out last week. At least they moved quickly with the rejections. Might apply next year. Might just skip the PhD and go on the market without it. Will have a lot to think about over the next few months.

Nothing on my end. Think I'm at the point of giving up hope. Best of luck to those who made it. It seems like a great program, and I'm very jealous. Looking like this year will be a bust for me, so I'll keep doing what I'm doing and see if I want to apply again in the future. I hope I'm wrong and that those of you who are still waiting get some good news!

Congrats! I have no doubt it was well deserved.