fortiesgirl

To answer your question, I'm gonna go with blood in a vial. In all seriousness, I'm in the same boat as you and it is pretty disheartening. I've been rejected by two school thus far, but with no acceptances. Fortunately no one has yet posted about the schools from which I'm waiting to hear news so I'm still holding out hope. I graduated summa cum laude with honors in both majors. MY GREs are great. My M.A. is from an excellent program. I have research experience, worked in archives, and professional editorial experience. A former grad prof read my SoP and was the reader for my thesis sample and said both were very good and effective. Like you, not bragging, but trying to assess objectively where I could have improved. I'm sure my LOR were supportive. I speak and read several languages that are pertinant to my field. I taught in a French immersion program for four years and have been teaching History at the college level for two years. As you mentioned, I really don't know what else these programs are looking for. I'm just trying to keep a sense of humor about the entire process, though the chair of my dept did mention the other day that I've lost a considerable amount of weight (stress much?).

I agree. I lived in different parts of Jersey (both North and South) for over seven years. Jersey is a decent place to live--depending on where you live--as long as you aren't a homeowner and don't have to pay the ridiculous property taxes! That's the only reason my husband and I left. Our taxes increased 300% in 5 years on our home and we made no major improvements to our home. Yes, you read that correctly--300%. :shock:

Just received my rejection from Princeton. I applied to nine schools and have communicated with dozens of professors, graduate secretaries and students throughout my admissions process. Princeton's faculty was the group who did not respond to my emails during the inquiry process. Definately for the best, imo.

Congrats on the acceptance to Princeton! I'm waiting to hear back as well, but I won't be too surprised if they don't take me. slawkenbergius--have you received a definate yes/no from JHU yet? I was just curious because you have it listed on your rejected/probably rejected column. I know they notified some candidates a few weeks ago. I haven't heard anything, either good news or bad. Does that mean it's probably a rejection?

My bad. It's hard to keep track on the threads sometimes.

synthla- I also applied to Delaware. I met with several professors who told me that the committee doesn't even begin to review applications until mid-Feb. Even though I applied to a few top notch schools, Delaware is my top choice because I really liked the faculty and general feel of the institution, response from grad students currently studying there, etc. And I'll second the comment on Philly (born and raised). It's a great city, but like all cities....

Vichy et l'eternel feminin by Francine Muel-Dreyfus Both recommendations are excellent books. I used both throughout the duration of writing my Master's thesis. Muel-Dreyfus analyzes the legislation and "symbolic violence" used by the Vichy Regime to essentially keep women in check. She demonstrates how the regime used no-nonsense policies to view and thus treat "less than" desirable women, i.e., single women, unmarried mothers, liberated women, or others who did not fit the desired "barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen look," as the Nazis (and colloborationist French) treated the Jews and other undesirables in Europe. Reign of Virtue:Mobilizing Gender in Vichy France by Miranda Pollard This book is along the same lines of thinking and scope and that of Muel-Dreyfus, but Pollard uses propaganda to support her argument, whereas Muel-Dreyfus' argument is from the perspective of legislation and policy. Fascinating book and research to boot. I think I've read it three times. Auschwitz et Apre~s by Charlotte Delbo This book changed my life. I discovered it as an undergraduate when I went hunting for a French departmental honors topic and I have continued to do work on this powerful memoir. Her story speaks to me on a very personal level because both of my maternal grandparents were survivors of the Holocaust. The book has since been published in English, but the original version in the author's original tongue gives a more complete and accurate testimony to her experience. I've read both versions several times and I prefer the French. I hate to sound trite, but some things just can't be translated. THanks for all the recommendations. Perhaps I can tackle one or two of them over spring break.

National Research Council. I'm the first to admit I had to google that one! Thanks for the tip!

I actually worked full-time while getting my MA from there. The school district where I was teaching paid for my Master's degree in full because they were pushing teachers to earn higher degrees. For some reason I state that. No offense taken though. :wink:

Nikki, I applied to Temple in October, so pretty much around the same time frame that you did. I used their old online system. When they updated, there was "no record" of my application and I couldn't log back in after a certain date, but it was actually still there. They did the same thing to me before--did not post accurate dates for receipt of my materials (I sent them in Nov.--they had Jan dates) or indicate that they had received them at all (when, in fact, they had). I would suggest calling the dept. secretary if it will put your mind at ease.

Riss, Actually Temple did something similar when I applied this fall. They decided to use a new application system, so it appeared as though my application was missing. I applied very early, so I don't think they were expecting that. I freaked out when I saw that my application was missing. I called the school, and as it turned out, they did have my info and record of the application. I would definately give them a call--it might just turn out the same for you. I sure hope it does. Louiselab

I earned my M.A. at NYU so I'm curious to see if I get accepted to the Ph.D. program. I'm applying to one of their joint programs in history, so I'm in a bit of a different situation. As far as the prospective students weekend is concerned, here's how I was told to view it after I attended the school. You aren't really competing with other prospective students because they are likely interested in so many different disciplines. It's true that there may be some students who are interested in the same fields as you, but for the most part, the program at NYU is so diverse that the weekend shouldn't be viewed in terms of competition. Some applicants might discover that the school isn't a good fit for them, and a weekend like this will save both parties a great deal of pain in the long run. Also, the faculty might want to meet potential applicants for various reasons, but you aren't necessarily "ruled out" if you aren't invited. I was never invited to a prospective weekend and I was admitted. Btw, NYU is a totally awesome school. I loved it there. I can't say enough great things about the place, the faculty, the environment, etc. You get attention from faculty, which can be rare at some other institutions. I experienced this even as a Master's student, whereas other programs tend to ignore their M.A. candidates and focus primarily on their Ph.D. students. I can only imagine the type of attention I would have received had I been in the doctoral program at the time.

Re: Penn... My rejection was also posted there hours before I received an email telling me to check my application status online. If you haven't heard anything, then that might be a good sign. Here's a few positive vibes ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*.

Saw my rejection letter from Penn posted on my application site earlier this afternoon. Oh well. One down, six more to go.

Someone posted a rejection from Penn this morning. A few others posted acceptances yesterday. I still haven't heard anything. Ugh. I checked the department website and it states that applicants will be notified mid-late March of their admissions status. What gives? It appears that several of us seem to be in the same situation with our respective schools.

misterpat- I don't know if this helps, but when I applied to Temple in the past, I was notified of my acceptance on Feb. 20. I was notified online via the Temple portal system. My previous application is still there and the decision date is still posted. I'm waiting until that date to check my status. I applied there as well.

Nothing changed in terms of the "status." That remained the same. For some reason, the sub-components are no longer listed. Oh well. If my application was rejected, I am prepared to hear that news. I would still like to know in either case. edit: Congrats on your acceptance! I "literally" just put two and two together that you were the one who was accepted. Better go eat something...

Hi, I'm new to this site. I've been catching up on the history board posts and it's nice to hear that I'm the only one fretting over the application process, though I'm sorry that we all have to agonize over it :wink: I applied to Penn (one of my top choices). My status page changed this morning from listing all parts of my application to just stating "Submitted." Hopefully I'll hear something today.