maeisenb
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Posts posted by maeisenb
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I was just wondering if there are any grads in NYC who have children? I am looking at Teachers College (Columbia) and need a SAFE yet affordable ($1500 for 2-3 bedroom) place for myself, the hubby, and the kids. Am I just going to have to resort to outlying areas? Thoughts??
2-3 bedrooms for that amount in Manhattan is going to be really really tough to find, if even possible (but I defer to others here since I haven't looked at places in the city in a few years). Maybe somewhere farther out in Queens is a possibility, but even that for $1500 is going to be tough. If you look up the thread a bit, you'll see that someone has a 700 square foot place for $1200 in Bay Ridge, which is as far south in Brooklyn as you can go and I'm sure that's not a 2-3 bedroom.
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Roxelana are you going to Princeton or Georgetown? or do you have a top choice among the remaining schools you are waiting for?
This seems like a good question for a PM (personal message if you aren't familiar with them, my apologies if you are), rather than in the forum itself.
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Good morning! What are the predictions for today? I wish that some of these schools would just send out the rejections so I can cross them off of my list. Any more info on the University of Maryland? I am anxious to hear back from that school...
I'd guess Maryland will be hard copy (or a phone call for acceptance maybe) either next week or the week after looking at previous years' stats. And since I live in the area there hasn't been any snow to delay meetings at least...
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I've been invited to a "reception" at one of my schools, and I am wondering if anyone knows what to expect. The email says that it is a chance for already-admitted prospective students to meet faculty and vice-versa and to enjoy good food while socializing. I'm assuming this means no interview-type questions; just be friendly, not crazy, and maybe ready to chat about your research, but that's it. What do you guys think?
Well if it's admitted students only, then it's more like a visitation weekend where they are trying to recruit you it sounds like. Just be friendly and sociable and be read to talk about your research, but it sounds more like them trying to sell you than any type of interview.
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I agree that he repeats himself and I think he's at his best when he does something completely crazy - so the lizard books, Guns of the south, and the Atlantis series to name a few.
I should add on my critique of his re-use of Byzantine history that he does have a PhD from UCLA in Byzantine history and translated a substantial section of a really important chronicle, so he has that going.
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The issue with Turtledove (and I used to be a huge fan) is that he basically just adds magic to Byzantine history in all of those Videssos series that he did. He changes the names and combines some events, but they take place during the reigns of: Heraclius, Basil (combines the 1st and 2nd), and the Komenos (various ones).
Now Guns of the South is so ridiculous that I love that one...
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Hey guys. I didn't hear a peep last week from anyone. Is it for sure that I will hear SOMETHING (rejections, too) this week? Is this a "big week" for admissions? Or should I learn my lesson from last and be relaxed about checking emails? This weekend has been such a nice breather from the worrying and waiting, and it kills me that last week I stressed so much and then heard not a single word.
Well everyone is different, but if you want some idea, I would check that cool graph that was made!
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I have a dumbass question:
When one is entering a MA program and they're faced with 3 semesters of full course loads + languages and then summers for languages and then they don't do the thesis until the last semester how in the world do youuuuuuuuu find time to:
write original work for publication and presentations
put together applications for PhD programs/
*undergrad ignorance- I've got it.
One way is that the work you will try to publish and/or present could (should?) come out of your classes and papers that you're writing. For example, if you have to write a 15 page research paper for a course, you can use that as the basis for a presentation. If you wrote 2 of those a term, that's several presentations the following term that you can do with some adjustments for public speaking, PowerPoint, etc.. Publications will take a little more time to do, but could conceivably work as an extension of the same papers over the summer when you're doing language. That way you are working off the kernel of something that you have already done and just be shortening, adapting or extending it.
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To be very honest, you seem to be more asking us to justify that it will "be ok" if you take a reduced course load for the rest of your time at college, which I'm sure it probably will be. I'm not going to echo what others said about languages, although I strongly agree with everything they have said. I will, however, chime in that you might as well take random classes since it doesn't sound like you're paying per credit hour, so why wouldn't you. If you're doing as well as you say you are, then taking a full load of classes like you previously have been, shouldn't reduce your grades much if at all. So why not take them, even if you think you otherwise wouldn't have an interest.
Short of that, do you really need all the extra time preparing for classes? I think most of us will agree that during your undergraduate degree you have plenty of extra time not spent studying anyway (I certainly played a lot of video games and did about 3-4 major extracurricular activities). Sure, your fall term senior year you can take fewer classes so that you can work on applications, but before that what are you doing that would take up your time otherwise? Maybe you're also working to pay through school, but i don't know.
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Oseirus- I do agree that there seems to be something "missing" from Columbia and I didn't mean my comment as a response to your specific points, since I agree with you on Columbia. Just more of an overall question.
Pugsley- While I do agree that the level of talent on this board is much higher than the average applicant, I'm still not sure it's that much about the numbers I gave. As an example, Harvard aims for a class of 20 or so and there were 3 acceptances and 1 wait list, which are in line with my numbers. There are probably another dozen or so people who applied there who post frequently on this forum, so the overall numbers are better than average for sure, but they still only make up a small percentage of the overall accepted pool.
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And that's what's piqued my interest the most ... why did only the medievalist hear back ... and strangely enough they didn't waitlist anyone ... so is their cohort set regardless of who accepts and who declines? You would think they would have at least room for 5 people on a wait list or something ... or is my math off?
Well the question with all of this has always been: what sample size do forum members comprise in the overall application and acceptance pool? My hunch (but maybe Aedes can look at the numbers here) has been something around 10-15% of total acceptances at each school. This is from seeing around 2-5 acceptances at schools that take in 30 to yield low 20s. Overall numbers are harder to gauge, since we don't know the total applicant pool though.
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That's amazingly well done. Great job! I guess we know where we are now, so no more speculating.
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Glad to see that other people on here support Arsenal. 2:45 Fox Soccer Channel!!!!
IU question. Last name probably isn't why people are hearing since they all seemed to go out last night at basically the same time. They were also all wait lists and for PhD programs, so they are probably all done together.
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Haha I just noticed that, how ironic. I wonder what's going on over there at IU...this whole process is so mystifying. I was waitlisted there last year on February 14th, so I was hoping for good karma that today would be the day.
I am the second wait list for IU (medieval one list that is).
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I don't want to clog up the results survey, but for the person who asked "Is there anyone still waiting for reply?" for IU Bloomington - I am. I am now choosing to interpret that as a positive sign.
Lots of acceptances today on the results board. Maybe schools have learned that it's impolite to reject on Valentine's Day?
Hey everyone...I've been lurking on this thread for a long while, sorry I haven't said anything. Does anyone have any idea when Indiana is going to make its decisions? I've seen several rejections on the results board, but no acceptances for the Ph.D program.
Vorenus see the above and the probably correct analysis of the situation, although as with all of it, who knows.
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So if people are bored and going nuts (and by if I mean we all are), I have a project for us to discuss. Basically, why is it that the history forum does all it's replies off one long thread, which is at least twice as long as any other one that I've seen (Poli Sci, anthro, socio, literature, art, etc.) whereas the other threads have various spin offs. Anyone care to analyze that and take a stab? (And yes I get that antsy that I have explored other subjects and thought about that).
Thoughts?
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No, because both Protestants and Catholics can trace their beliefs back toward this period. This is when basic ideology developed... it wasn't just about rituals and hierarchical organization.
Using Catholic for this period is simply anachronistic. It makes no sense in the context of ancient times. It'd be like saying that Spaniards can't trace their origins to Rome because the Ostrogoths invaded and took over.
Catholicism was first created as a term after the Council of Nicaea, but it first came into use in contrast with the Orthodox Church (The Great Schism), rather than with Protestantism.
I think you meant the Visigoths, but overall well done.
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I haven't heard yet from IU (PhD). I believe there's at least one other person on this board who didn't hear when the massive wave of rejects/acceptances went out earlier this week.
I haven't either.
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yeah, mechanics wasn't the right term. i just mean quality of argument and structure and all that. I've written excellent papers that I don't really care about because I constructed great arguments and offered excellent evidence. Certain programs told me to send that paper rather than the more "relevant" one that is shorter and less subtle. then again, I was applying to interdisciplinary programs.
Yea completely legitimate points. I guess the question for the person asking the question is what length it needs to be as well...
Also, I just realized I wrote "suburb" writing mechanics. I'll blame that on the stress of the last few weeks. Though I suppose you could have writing mechanics that are tailored toward the suburbs. Now there's something to ponder.
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i think it depends. i've emailed programs about this---what's more important to you guys? appropriateness of topic or writing mechanics and ability? I've gotten different responses from diff programs and have tailored my writing samples accordingly. You should do the same.
I don't disagree with you, but I think you would want to submit something with suburb writing mechanics and ability regardless, so topic could the be adjusted after that depending on what you choose.
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I think you should change your focus a bit from most recent to most in-depth and best researched (sorry if I misconstrued your meaning and you are using them interchangeably.) So which one of these papers has the most use of primary sources and uses secondary sources extensively as well? As for your overall question, you're probably better off using a paper for a field that you want to concentrate on so that you show you understand the various historiographical debates in your topic.
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I mean the school made an offer, I really like the school, and barring something crazy happening from the schools that are left, I have essentially made a decision.
Should I just wait until a 100% decision has been made before contacting them?
*yes, I'm very concerned about manners and being very polite at all times. I also don't want to break any rule I'm unaware of.
Well I think you have to sign and send them something formal to accept their offer and a lot of schools haven't sent that out yet. But overall probably comes down to your comfort level really and if you want to visit and take few weeks to think about it. I think if you're accepted at a bunch of places and there are those you know you won't go to, then sure let them know. I would think about it as college admissions if you had choices in April when you got into a few places, but the one huge key would be make sure to talk to your POIs at other places regardless, since they are also going to be in your field for your academic career. Just remember to be polite and gracious to everyone at every place.
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I also posted a Penn ancient history as well (yes I know my tag says medieval).
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Berkeley rejections seem to have just come out...
Fall 2012 Applicant Chit Chat
in History
Posted
Well there are two issues here, sorry to be somewhat overly political, but that was my previous career so I come from a particular angle on this.
1. In some of the strongest Midwest state university systems (e.g. IU, OSU, UW-M) there were significant budget cuts in education due to the 2010 gubernatorial election results, in some cases even as there was a surplus in other areas. That certainly reduces the total spending on universities overall, which then means fewer PhD spots all around. Or in some cases a change to where PhD funding goes, so Gov. Rick Scott in Florida has literally come out and said he doesn't see the need to support social science and humanities education spending.
2. The end of state funding from the Stimulus package in 2009 has reduced the amount states and cities receive from all types of funding, but particularly Medicaid spending among others. This has the effect of reducing overall state budgets, which since many states have balanced budget amendments but requirements on Medicaid and other funding, has let them to cut funding in education and other areas.
The economy is certainly better than it was in early 2009, but we are now seeing the results of state based austerity measures in education funding that will require at least several more years to reverse. That's if states even decide they want to return to education funding levels of pre-2008 - which I'm not sure they will, but time will tell.