Jdealla

Thanks telkanuru; I've been waiting for someone to start this thread. PhD, History, Latin America, Nationalism and Social Memory in 18th and 19th century Colombia (second cycle; originally applied for Fall 2011). Contemplating: NYU, Yale, Minnesota, UT-Austin, Miami, Princeton, Columbia, Florida, Ohio State, WashU, Chicago, Penn.

diasporabound, "look for... someone who's a specialist in the region/archives/types of documents" - Thank you for this; since you've been through this process, with success, your suggestion validates the method I've been using. So far, I've found a few Colombianists who work on nationalism (directly or tangentially), mainly Marcela Echeverri at Yale, and Lina Del Castillo and Ann Twinam at UT Austin. But, by digging up dissertations on Colombia and Nationalism, then looking at those granting schools and the committee members, I've expanded my list to around a dozen programs that have advised a project on Colombia, a number I'll whittle down by the time applications are due. Your suggestion, to look for specialists in the types of documents, in my case 19th century periodicals and secondary history books, is one I hadn't considered as much as I should have, and I'll be sure to put it to good use when the time comes to finalize my list. You know, I did apply to Ph.D. programs back in 2010 for Fall 2011, but I didn't get in anywhere except for Indiana, and that was for a M.A. in Lat. Am. Studies, with only one year of funding. Since then, I've blamed my bad luck on the economy, which made that application cycle ultra-competitive for a number of reasons; but looking back, if I had been on those admission committees, I don't think I would have accepted myself either: my interests weren't as defined as they are now, and my reading hadn't been focused, which I'm sure showed in both my SOP and my writing sample. Anyways, let's move on to the good stuff. My interest in Colombia sort of just happened; I majored in History at UNC-CH, and more than half of those classes were in Latin American History, and most of those were with a professor who's married to a Colombian. And so, intermittently, as side notes in both his classes and his books, I heard bits and pieces about Colombia, though not much more than anecdotes, but enough to make me curious. Since UNC offered no exchange option to study abroad in Colombia, I settled on Mexico, which only left me wanting to see more of the region I was studying. Then, during my senior year, with a few friends, I took a trip to Bogota and to Medellin to satisfy my lingering curiosity. I loved the place enough to interview for an English teaching job while I was there, but unfortunately, I never got a call back. When I graduated, I ended up in the Peace Corps in Honduras, though I left after nine or so months, due to the coup and the widespread violence in the country, among other, more subtle reasons. Since I was only 22, still wanting both to explore Latin America and to keep up with my Spanish, I decided to move to Bogota. A year and a half later, I was back in the U.S., and ironically enough, with a Colombian wife. Here's a brief contribution to our bibliography. Since I'm interested in the late colonial period through the early national period, roughly 1780-1850, most of what I've added looks at issues between those dates. Also, following your lead, I've included mostly monographs, the new survey by LaRosa and Mejia being the exception. I do have more that I could add, along with some articles, as well as a few works by Colombian historians, but I'll wait for other additions to this before I throw them in. Aline Helg, Liberty and Equality in Caribbean Colombia Ann Twinam, Public Lives, Private Secrets Ann Twinam, Miners, Merchants and Farmers in Colonial Colombia David Bushnell, The Making of Modern Colombia Nancy Appelbaum, Muddied Waters: Race, Region, and Local History in Colombia, 1846-1948 Anthony McFarlane, Colombia before Independence Marixa Lasso, Myths of Harmony Michael LaRosa and German Mejia, Colombia: A Concise Contemporary History Peter Wade, Music, Race, and Nation: Musica Tropical in Colombia Peter Wade, Blackness and Race Mixture: The Dynamics of Racial Identity in Colombia Rebecca Earle, Spain and the Independence of Colombia John Leddy Phelan, The People and the King: The Comunero Revolution in Colombia, 1781 David Bushnell, The Santander Regime In Gran Colombia Saether Steinar, Identidades e independencia en Santa Marta y Riohacha, 1750-1850 James Sanders, Contentious Republicans: Popular Politics, Race, and Class in Nineteenth-Cen​tury Colombia Allan J. Kuethe, Military Reform and Society in New Granada, 1773-1808

@TL1234 and @Diasporabound: Since January, I've been preparing applications for Fall 2015, and I'm interested in studying Nationalism in 18th-19th century Colombia, particularly the role of history and literary culture (using the revolutionary press as a starting point, and then diving into the histories written post-independence) in the formation of social memory and, therefore, group identity. So far, I've compiled a tentative list of potential programs and advisers, but since both of you work on Colombia, and since at least one of you works on Nationalism, would you mind offering your guidance? Also, more generally, since we've got two Colombianists and one wannabe on the forum at the moment, (a rarity, I think), maybe a separate topic, one with a collaborative working bibliography on Colombian history (along with related topics), would be helpful and actually possible.

Thanks Loric, I suppose I do have a bit of time, but you know, I'd rather not spend my limited free time studying for a test, a standardized test, if I don't have to. After 9 or so hours in the office, I usually run low on fuel for my intellect, and I'd rather burn that little bit I have left for important things, things that I enjoy, things that will help me both in graduate school and in life: reading and writing. I should have stated this in the question, but I'm really wondering about how schools may view the old score, if they'll even accept it, actually. Most program pages I've looked at don't mention it.

Hi All, I took the old GRE in Nov. of 2010; for someone applying to History programs, I did fine, or so I think: 650 Verbal (163 est. current score), 640 Quant ( 151 est. current score), and 4.5 AW (ok, I did not-so-fine on this one). I have some time from now until application due dates in Nov. and Dec. to retake it, but really, I'd like to not retake it and spend that time on more important pieces of the application, like a new writing sample, program research, developing research ideas, new SOPs, etc. I work full-time, so the many months between February and November may deceive; my free time is limited. Did any of you retake the GRE because you took the old format test? Advice and opinions from those who didn't are welcome, too. Thank you to everyone.

Got an e-mail from my former professor at UNC today with a rejection. It's time for me to move back to the States and start job searching.

Checked Wisconsin today as well. I'm in the same boat, so far, I'm 0-2. I'm looking at it all as positive news. A rejection means the list of possible places I could live next year is shorter. An acceptance with funding means I know where I'm going to live. I'm hoping you have some good news for us BadgerHopeful.

Got my Princeton rejection today. It was my top choice but I'm happy to finally be in the game. 5 to go.

With the appearance of the Princeton poster today, results from 5 out of 6 of the schools (no word from Georgetown) I applied to have made it on the results board and I haven't heard a peep. Do Latin Americanists hear last? I'm trying to take the advice of not reading too much into the results, but it's difficult when your life's path is what's being decided and reported. Hopefully something will come soon.

It's my number 2. Maybe they'll let a couple of us in. That'd be nice. When I saw the results page today with Wisconsin and Indiana I refreshed my e-mail for about an hour straight but then decided to call it a day. Hopefully the rest of us will get something from them this week.

Oh, and congrats to natsteel. I'm pretty sure I would have just left class for good. I know that if I'm teaching an English class here and I get an acceptance with funding I'm going to tell my student that I'm going out to celebrate at that moment (even if it's my 6:45 am class) and they can come with me if they want, but if not, then we're done for the day.

I would love this. It's my top choice and I think it'll make things easier going ahead if I already know the response for my top choice.

Anyone besides me optimistic about getting some sort of results this week? I'm thinking that the adcom members up in Wisconsin dig themselves out of the snow and finally post the decisions on the website. Hopefully some of us who haven't heard anything back yet will finally get some (good) results this week. Let's hope so.

Congrats to the Lat Am history poster on the results page. I heard Duke was a tough acceptance this year due more of their acceptances enrolling last year than they expected. I'm hoping to hear the same from Wisconsin soon. Did they mention anything about funding?

As a Tar Heel and a UNC applicant I am offended by this comment. However, due to your winking face, a lack of response from UNC and their low stipend, I will forget your slight (subject to change if they do accept me). But hopefully at the end of all this I'll be able to say that I was just saving myself for Princeton. And hello, Wisconsin, we'd like a response soon....

I think last night was the turning point for me, which was symbolized by the creation of my signature. This countdown and the anticipation are giving me a feeling that is somewhat akin to the feeling I used to get in December as a kid while waiting for Christmas. But back then I knew that I would at least be getting something, even if it wasn't exactly what I wanted. There's no assurance this time around, which makes this feeling something like Christmas' evil cousin.

Sorry for the disappointing news kyjin. Maybe it's, however little, somewhat of a consolation to get the rejection out of the way so early? Good luck with the rest and congrats on the funded offer. At least you have an option for next Fall. @BadgerHopeful: I'm with you on the mix of emotions. The early decisions from Wisconsin on last year's thread have me checking "my.wisc.edu" about every couple of hours. But you know, the department website says we should expect results in Feb. I was wondering if you were basing the decisions to be coming this week on last year's thread like me, or if you had inside information. I was resisting before, but now that it's time, I guess I'll put a finalized list of where I applied and what I applied for in my signature. And you know, I don't think it really hit me that all those damn essays I wrote and all that information I filled and sent in was actually going to get me responses until Indiana wrote me a couple weeks ago

I had a long conversation with the assistant director at Indiana's CLACS and he said that half of the current full time students were funded. However, he said that some of them are doing dual degrees and might be funded by other means or, because of a different mentality of the financial returns with their other degree, are taking out loans. However, he did mention that, like what StrangeLight said, there are definitely not enough packages for the entire incoming cohort in a given year.

I'm ready, Badge, but the delay for what seems to be unlikely funding lessens my eagerness. But with the morale boost an acceptance would give, I am a bit anxious to see what they say.

Have you considered UNC and Duke? I'm not sure about the fit for you but there's a VA hospital in Durham. There's another VA hospital in Fayetteville, which is about 1 hour 30 minutes away from Chapel Hill, but there are pretty places to live where you both would only commute 45 minutes.

Perfect

I submitted the LA studies application today after a long talk with assistant director of the program. I also found out that this is a somewhat common occurrence at this school, so I wanted to go ahead and let it be known for future Latin American History applicants that it's Indiana. And this has really made me eager to find out about decisions. I had it blocked out of my mind until I got that e-mail last week.

I've gotten into the stock market. Something new and exciting and frustrating every day. Trying to see what I can do with the little bit of money I have left after paying around 1K for grad school apps. And 30 Rock. Lots of it.

UPDATE: I spoke with the professor that e-mailed me today and asked him about the situation. He said, because of severe competition for funding, applying for a MA in LA studies would offer me a greater chance of actually receiving funding. The deadline is Jan. 15, so that explains why I received the e-mail so soon. However, he said that they haven't made any decisions regarding funding so far, and that applying for the MA wouldn't affect my History PhD application at all. I didn't get any numbers about funding or admittance or anything like that. So, I'm hoping that he just wants me in the program and is trying to help me out by increasing my funding chances in a tough year. I'm hoping that this suggestion was not because I was low on the list, although I'm an optimist and a more reasonable answer would be something like I'm the odd man out of the funding equation.

Good idea, I'll call in the morning. rsldonk, Yea, I figured the same, I guess just optimism saying otherwise.