uhohlemonster

I'm planning on applying if I don't hear back from PhD programs by then...

To ask him/her what your decision status is? I think it's best to let it be.

Cool, thanks teachgrad! Btw, is anyone here in the sub-field of Jewish History or Middle East and want to PM in support of one another? It also may be good networking..

Anyone hear anything about when we may hear back from Rutgers, UCLA, or Brown? Just obsessing, no biggy.

Truth, Kelkel, truth. At least this site looks as antiquated as our database system, so no one notices I'm on here every 10 minutes (sidenote: I actually like that this site reminds me of the online forums of yesteryear!)

SO MUCH SILENCE I'm at work not doing enough work because I'm staring at this site. Bad.

So in the end, it didn't switch departments (this is UCLA, btw.) It switched sub-fields. Totally confusing. Anyway got an email from a POI in the subfield it got switched to that it is a good fit for me and that he's there if I have any questions. Promising? We'll see.

I have no intentions of actually initiating conversations with any of them. I know that that would be purely annoying from their perspectives. It's that kind of feeling in the pit of my stomach that whispers, "Someones talking about you!" Eep!

guys, i got an email from a POI at UCLA that i'm obsessing over. not getting too excited yet but, ohh, i hope you're right about it being soon, Roxelana! meanwhile, have any of you guys been in touch with your POIs in recent weeks? for me it feels weird that in november i was talking to POIs fairly often in person, on the phone, or over email, but since then it's mostly been silent. it freaks me out even though it makes sense. i just keep thinking "hey guys, remember me!?! over here! yeah!"

I...can't...wait to hear back from somewhere! Suspense is killing me!

I second the $$$$$$$$

Thanks guys! Glad to know that I'm not alone. The hunch my profs from my old undergrad institution have is that the ethnic studies department there is very well-funded and that the History department probably thought, as long as my two potential advisors are there anyway, I may as well be put in an applicant pool that is inevitably smaller with more funding... Interesting politics. Shows how it all boils down to numbers. Good luck to all!

Hi All, Just wondering if anyone has had the experience (this year or in the past) of applications switching from the History department you originally applied to a different department in the same school. I got an email from a top university that they reviewed my application and think I'd be better suited for an ethnic studies department because the two people I requested to work with were a part of it (however, one is also the History department chair). Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else yet this cycle. Or, if it happened to you in the past, what happened in the end? Thanks!

so glad i read this. i didn't even realize that this stuff had to be submitted separately. oy. now i'm india, but ill be back by dec 30. deadline is jan 15. we're okay! thanks all

This is all really interesting feedback. I think I'm learning the difference between the people I've had sort of standard discussions with, and the ones with whom I've had lengthier and more personal talks. So for example, one woman met with me at her University during her sabbatical semester when she hadn't been there in months (I did not insist that by any means), and spoke with me for an hour and a half. She told me at the end that she would support my application as long as all the other things were in check - GPA, GRE, LoR, SoP, etc. We've had just a little correspondance since, but the feeling at that meeting was really comfortable and wonderful. With other professors, we've spoken on the phone anywhere from 15-45 minutes, and I came out of those discussions with various hunches. With one school, I've found that they are looking for people in my field because they hadn't had a strong Mid-East History faculty in the past, but that because they were hiring 4 new ME profs and a well-known leader for them, I might have just struck at the right time. I suppose that after all of your feedback, I've come to the conclusion that it really depends with these things - if you have a connection, they may just go to bat for you. This also depends on the circumstances, like who hasn't gotten advisees in a while, which areas need more students/strengthening, which ones are over saturated - that we have absolutely no control over. We just have to hope we strike gold. Good luck all, and I'm still open to more experiences and perspectives. It's always fascinating.

Thanks guys!! Really interesting perspectives. Keep them coming, fellow aspiring historians...

Thanks for the answer! I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I plan to not be bitter if/when I do not get into various places. These professors are doing me a huge favor - each time I speak to them, I get valuable information and advice, and perhaps most importantly, I get clarity of purpose for myself. I'd love to hear if other people have similar and different experiences, or from current applicants who are in touch with POIs and just want to chat about it.

Hi all! I've been having some really great phone and in-person conversations with professors at Rutgers, Brown, CUNY, and NYU. My question is - how much do you think these positive informal interviews help come admissions decisions time? I mean, I know this is by no means an exact science, but perhaps current students could reflect on their admissions experience and whether or not previous correspondance correlated to where they actually got in. For example, did any professors outwardly say they would be excited to work with you, and in those cases, did the admissions result mirror that excitement? I'm just trying to analyze how much my efforts with correspondance will end up mattering. Thanks!

That's very interesting advice... My courses, I should amend, did have a some tests, but they were all essay writing under timed circumstances. Hence my very decent AW score. But no multiple choice type stuff. Do grad schools mostly have writing based exams or multiple choices? I feel that with History it would be doubtful to see a multiple choice exam but I could be wrong.

Absolutely. Well the two main letters are from professors who know me VERY well. The famous professor actually had me in a class of only 5 people, so although it was only one semester, I definitely left an impression and he seemed glad to write it. So, I think the balance is good, and so do the profs in my undergraduate department. Thanks very much for your advice! Very kind.

No, of course established scholars thinking highly of me is very nice and good. I only am implying that it's a shame that their prestige might matter more than let's say a letter from someone who knows my work better. For example, for one of those people, I chose him because other professors encouraged me to find someone famous, and he is indeed very famous. However, many other professors can write much more detailed letters about me and had me in class for more semesters. Now, of course, I am going along with it, so I inherently accept it as useful to my apps. It just doesn't sit perfectly well with me. You know? I do feel lucky to have him on board with my recs and feel lucky in general that I went to a school where so many professors know me well enough to write - I realize that is a privilege. Thank you for your advice! I appreciate it.

Hey - thanks for responding! I actually have had meetings at NYU where they have emphasized that exactly. They still want me to take Hebrew next semester and during the summer because my Hebrew skills are extremely colloquial and were derived from informal Hebrew education. However, I do plan on taking advanced Hebrew (don't know what level they will put me in yet) at NYU next semester, so hopefully they will see my effort and consider me TRULY fluent. Apparently, to them, being able to carry a conversation fluently is irrelevant - and I've never read academic books in Hebrew. I see their point, but still. But again, thanks for your opinion! very helpful..

Hi everyone - I'm applying to History programs to study Israeli history post-1948, although more broadly I am interested in Jewish history as well. Here are my stats: I went to The New School, Eugene Lang College (a good liberal arts school in NYC, 1200 students, very small classes, writing based - no tests) 3.86 gpa 3.94 history Excellent letters of rec from professors who know my work very well, and two are famous in the field of Jewish history (unfortunately, that matters) Wrote a 70 page honors thesis which will be shortened as my writing sample. Lots of primary source research. I've been emailing with professors at every school I'm applying to, and have been visiting some (NYU, CUNY, Rutgers, Princeton because they are close by). Mostly good vibes on that front. Fluent in Hebrew, learning Arabic, semi-fluent in French. I got a 161 on v, a 144 on q, and a 5.5 on the essay. I feel that I studied hard and that the 144 is the best I'm ever going to do (I'm *historically* terrible at math), and the 161 is on the low end for me (I was getting great scores on the practices) but that just might be how I perform under pressure and at the computer. Should I study more and take it again in a month? I feel that it is more important that grad schools see you as a match than the scores, but I don't want to be shut out of top programs for a mere 4 points.... Help me decide, please! Thanks guys!

i'm applying to do israeli history, which falls in the cracks of jewish history and middle east history. lot's of politics there. but hi! yes! i exist! I also want to study the middle east broadly - taking arabic now and am fluent in hebrew.

took Sept 23: V: 161 (projected 610-710), 89th% Q: 144 (projected 460-560). 26th% (ouch!) Essay: 5.5, 96th% I think I'm happy with the V and the E but the Q is pretty bad. However, I'm applying to History PhD programs and I've heard that my quant should not matter at all - I have good recs, a great statement of purpose, and a solid writing sample. Any thoughts? Should I take this again or accept that I'm as bad at math as I always was - no, worse.