cranberry

I hate to be a downer, but if you have a 2.21 now and you have one year left, I don't think it's even mathematically possible to bring it up to a 3.0. That is assuming you're currently a junior, though. On a more important note, though, have you taken any Greek? It'll be near impossible to get into a grad program in Classics if you've only taken Latin.

Knowing how to present yourself well is part of life. Knowing how to present research or an argument is part of academia. Plus, doing well in an interview can be the deciding factor in an acceptance or job offer. Edited to add: I am as introverted and awkward as they come, so I know that reaching out and engaging can be difficult, but its necessary and I'm happy to do it.

At this stage in the game, you're probably going to have to take a year off anyway - most application deadlines have passed. Were you asking about applying for entry this coming fall? If so, there might be a few programs with late deadlines, but even so, applying to grad school is a huge time commitment and you need months to get recommendations, personal statement, writing samples, and the GRE together.

While no one would admit so to me, I think coming from a no-name school does hurt you. I myself went to an academically rigorous but relatively unheard-of liberal arts undergrad and on top of that majored in a subject with a miniscule department. However, I aced the GREs to backup my uninflated GPA, had very strong letters and writing sample, and my resume showed that I was at this institution because of a prestigious undergrad scholarship. I had no publications, very limited research experience, and even less teaching experience. Even so, I only applied to top 20 programs (made sure to apply to as many as I could afford) and got into half the schools to which I applied. So, while it's definitely not easy, it's possible.

Nothing here, but I haven't checked my postal mail in a while. I'm assuming I have a rejection waiting for me, but if you haven't heard anything and you've been checking your mail you might have been waitlisted. I have heard it through the grapevine (so take this with a grain of salt) that they have extended offers to all accepts and that they took 8 out of over 90.

Is the UVa waitlist out there?

Not a history student here, but this caught my eye since I myself am a slow reader and consider this to be one of my biggest weaknesses. Anyway, my school had a speed-reading lecture one time which I attended and learned this skill: take your finger and as you skim zig zag it across the page, moving at a steady rate. I personally don't use my finger, but I have made my own variation on the technique. Of course, I try to read the material as closely as I can if I have the time, but when I'm in a pinch I do this and it works reasonably well. You don't necessarily remember the fine details, but you definitely get the big picture.

On a somewhat random note, why the negative reputation on the opening post?

I haven't read this entire thread so I'm sure I'm repeating what others have said, but I do post my acceptances. It's not bragging or rubbing anything in people's faces, it's just a "something cool just happened to me and I'm excited" deal. My friends post about job offers all the time and some even about doing well on papers and exams. If we're all being offensive, then maybe my friends and I are just really, really conceited?

I have no personal experience but have friends who have done post-baccs at UNC, Georgetown, and Penn. My friend who did his post-bacc at UNC loved it (but also did his master's there, so perhaps he's a little biased or whatnot). My friend who went to Georgetown raved about it, and the one who went to Penn was unimpressed with her experience there and actually thinks Georgetown would have been better. Not trying to bash Penn at all, just relaying what I've heard through the grapevine.

As a humanities Ph.D. applicant I agree that it is not worth going to a second-rate program just to get a degree, however I think it's necessary to define what "first-rate" and "second-rate" are exactly. Just because a school isn't an Ivy doesn't mean it's not first-rate. I only applied to top 20 (maybe 25) programs in my field and yes, my list included a handful of Ivies, but also several less nationally prestigious universities that were nonetheless top programs in my field that have a lot of respect and consistently have excellent job placement. Just because a program isn't part of a brand name school doesn't mean it isn't an excellent program, and people in the field who are hiring you know what schools are strong in the area, not just what schools everyone has heard of.

There's really no way of knowing what the school chooses to do. I have received acceptances through phone and email and rejections through post and email (a couple directing to a form letter on the application website). Acceptances through snail mail are uncommon but not unheard of, however phone rejections seem to be very rare and the ones I've seen on the results board are usually responses to status inquiries.

I got into my dream school with full funding (visited, absolutely loved it, wonderful fit) so I started to reject my other offers. Maybe I'm a wimp, but I found it kind of heartbreaking. Many of the professors at these schools reached out to me personally and it was difficult having to tell them that I'm going elsewhere. Also, hitting that "send" button on the email or clicking "decline" on the website sent a panic attack and a wave of neurotic fears - what if, in the time it takes to decline my offers and accept the dream school's offer, they decide there's been some horrible mistake and they don't want me anymore? Guess I'd better get on accepting dream school's offer pronto - cold feet isn't as much of an option anymore.

I keep thinking that the longer I go between notifications, the greater the odds I'll hear from someone. What is everyone waiting on?

Not sure if this is good news or bad, but I've been contacted by schools after hours several times already (both email and phone).

I think you definitely need to think about why you want to go to grad school in the first place. Lots of people apply to grad school for the sake of going to grad school, thinking "Hey, I've been doing this school thing for a while now, so grad school seems like the logical next step." They think that grad school is just an extension of undergrad, and when they realize it's not, they burn out. Several acquaintances have done this, and trust me, it's not good. Of course, it depends on the program and subject, but in general you should apply to Ph.D. programs only if you are serious about pursuing a career in academia. M.A.s give you a bit more leeway, but it's hard to get funding. Basically, I suggest figuring out your academic passion and career plans before looking at grad school, rather than the other way around. If I misread your post, my apologies, but it sounds to me as if you're trying to find a program to make the grad school plan work.

Oh my God, YES! My undergrad sends lots of students to professional schools, so I have lots of friends who have gone onto law school in recent years and think they're pros in admissions for Ph.D. programs since, after all, they went through the process for law school. NOT THE SAME!!!

Pizza. Lots of it. Acres of hot, cheesy, gooey, delicious pizza. Of course, I would celebrate in the same way. Heck, I do this about once a week anyway.

Of course there's still hope! Although I went into this whole mess with a "hope for the best, expect/prepare for the worst" mentality and I like to think it's kept my sanity relatively intact (complete lie - I was insane long before this process).

I briefly brought this up with my professors when I had been accepted into a few schools but hadn't heard anything from my top choices. They all basically told me that I would be an idiot to turn down a funded offer at a great program (top 20 vs. top 10). The more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to agree with them (okay though, I later heard back from a top choice and it was a yes), but I definitely know what's going through your head. I know there are several cases of success stories on this board where people reapplied to their dream schools later and got in, but with the level of competition rising every year, it's not wise to turn down an offer if you have one. Of course, we all want to think that if we keep trying, we'll get into our dream school eventually, and it does happen for some people, but it's a huge risk. Going to your top choice school will not guarantee you success later on, so I think it's wise to make the best of what you have now. Best of luck!

Ah, well this was just the advice I received from a friend who recently completed his Ph.D. in England. I had been looking into studying overseas myself but decided against it when he told me how much harder the market was for him when he came back.

If it makes you feel any better, several of my schools had application fees that were over $100. So at least you're saving some money there.

Keep in mind that a British Ph.D. and an American Ph.D. are not equivalent - with a British degree, you don't exactly come out as an expert in your field as you do in the States. If you want to go on the job market in the States after you finish, this might pose a problem, and it will be much harder to network from overseas to prepare you for the job market. Not to scare you, just something to think about.

Anyone have news from Harvard? It's a long shot, but it's pretty much the only school about which I haven't heard anything.

I totally know what you mean, and people drive me insane when they do that. They think the world operates purely on a do well, get rewarded system, as if making good grades and getting high GRE scores automatically entitles me to a full ride at any school of my choice. Or I'm also a fan of the "Oh but everyone else applying is an idiot, so those numbers don't mean anything." I think it's just that unless you are going through the application process of have recently (and even then maybe not), you just don't have any idea how competitive these programs are.