Aubergine

Hi all, I've been reading your results as they've been coming in over the past few days and wanted to add that I just got my letter today in the Boston area. I received a Category B award with a score of 13.7. My field is performance studies. I'm in the third year of an MA/PhD program and this is my second time applying. Last year I didn't make it past the first cut. SSHRC has indicated that they will fund me for three years, which would mean until the end of my 6th year. I only asked for two years on my application, as I was under the impression that SSHRC wouldn't fund beyond year five of a combined MA/PhD program. Does anyone know if that's the case?

I think that exploring these kinds questions could be supported by the right (interdisciplinary) English program or the right Theatre/Performance Studies program -- or possibly a history program -- but of course each discipline would approach them from a slightly different angle. You should think about which approaches/methodologies you are most interested in, and what would best suit your project. If you haven't done so, maybe have a look at some work in theatre historiography and see if it grabs you (Michal Kobialka's work on medieval performance might be a good place to start... as well as looking at the U of Minnesota Theatre History program). To me, your questions seem like performance/theatre historiography questions, but maybe it's a matter of where I'm coming from. Best of luck!

The MFA tends not to officially count as a qualification when applying for PhDs, but I think that having one when you apply is an asset in our field that shows that you can work on both sides of the (albeit spurious) divide between 'theory' and 'practice', which is often demanded on the job market. Two out of four of my PhD cohort came in with MFAs.

Hi all, I just stumbled upon your thread, and thought I might be able to answer a few of your questions. Have you looked at the University of Minnesota? They have an MA/PhD program in theatre historiography and an amazing faculty. Though I'm not sure about Renaissance studies specifically. roguesenna, are you applying for the MA or the PhD at NYU? I'm pretty sure you need an MA to apply to the PhD program -- I don't think they will accept an MFA. Also, they tend to only accept their own MA students to the PhD. I think it's theoretically possible to get accepted without going through their MA program, but highly unlikely. I know that they do offer some funding for the MA, but I'm not sure how good it is. If your goal is to get a PhD, I would apply to MA programs (as opposed to MFAs). Best of luck with the process!

Hi Michelle, I agree with Luna that it would probably make sense to add the Royal Academy Certificate to the credentials section, given your subject matter, especially if you are planning to incorporate your dance experience into your research methodology (which is common in dance studies). Btw, I work on dance as well! Safferz, I'm still waiting for confirmation of receipt as well. It was sent via registered mail (from southern New England) on the 6th-- according to tracking, it was delivered on the 14th. Hopefully soon!

Yes, but tuition remission is almost always (if not always?) part of the PhD funding package at US schools.

The GRE is an American thing. Canadian programs don't require it. I did apply to one Canadian MA program that allowed you to include your scores if you had them, but the majority of (Canadian) applicants will probably not have taken it, so I doubt that it will impact your applications too much.

Thanks! Phew! And yes... I paid for tracking as well.

My application is now in the mail. Which, given how many problems I've had with USPS since I moved to the States, I find terrifying. (All those original documents!) I'm currently a 2nd year in a humanities program in the US. This is my first time applying for a doctoral SSHRC. I did win an MA SSHRC a couple of years back, but ended up coming to the states and so declined it. I do have a couple things I'd like to double check with someone in order to appease my anxiety. First, we don't need to do anything with the online form we've filled out beyond verifying it, right? There's no "send" button that I'm missing? And second, our attachments are attached only in hardcopy, correct? In other words, we're not supposed to upload them to the online application? I'm paranoid that I've missed some silly little thing that will disqualify me, after those hours and hours of work. Okay... breathing!

Thanks, Konstantin!

For what it's worth, I know several PhD students in top tier humanities programs in the Ivies who started their PhDs at or around the age of 40. They all had careers as critics, art educators, and/or artists before applying to grad school.

Hello! I too am in the process of putting the finishing touches on my application for the Nov. 6th direct applicant deadline. I'm a PhD student in the US. I have a question regarding the listing of fellowship amounts in the Credentials section that I'm hoping someone can answer. Currently, I'm on a university fellowship that includes tuition remission, a stipend, and health insurance. Do I factor in all of those to calculate the worth of the fellowship, or just list the amount of the stipend? Thanks, and good luck to all!

Thanks! I'm really happy about where I ended up. And best of luck to you!

That was last season, and it worked out alright!

In my SOP (last season), I mentioned discovering a love of teaching while teaching abroad, which motivated me to return to school in order to eventually teach the subjects I love at a university level. I think it's a good idea to devote a line or two to teaching experience (if appropriate) in the SOP, since we are ultimately training to be professors. I don't think it implies that you would be any less capable or devoted a researcher. At least, that was my approach.

My British partner did his visa interview at the American consulate in Ho Chi Minh City when were were living and working in Vietnam. I don't think it will make a big difference whether you do the interview in Australia or New Zealand.

I would have put my vote in for option 1 as well, but I am obviously too late (it's the 15th... duh)! Congrats on your decision, fanon_fantastic! And on all of your admits. And perhaps I will see you at Brown in the fall. I am also an interdisciplinary type -- I accepted an offer from Brown's Theatre and Performance Studies program.

Probably not! I know people who have been offered a bit more funding after visiting weekends, but since my other PhD acceptance is offering quite literally half the funding that this school has put on the table, it's not like I'm in a position to negotiate. Plus, the financial package is already generous... I think I'm just getting slightly cold feet at saying "I do," but I probably will accept today...

I applied to Film and Visual Studies. Their rejection timetables are probably different. So now I've heard back from all of my schools, and can finally officially accept my top choice... but I am flying down for the campus visit TOMORROW! Strange/perfect timing... This is probably a ridiculous question, but should I accept now, and go into the visiting weekend with the program knowing that I will attend? Or should I wait until after the visit to formally accept?

Just got the rejection, via regular mail. It actually made me strangely happy, because now I can commit unequivocally to the school that was my top choice anyway. And on that note.... Brown course listings for next year just came out, and it feels like Christmas morning!

For me, location is actually pretty key! I am pretty affected by my surroundings, and know from experience that I don't do my best work in environments I find depressing.

Do schools tend to courier out official acceptances after sending already quite official looking acceptance packets via email? I just received a final delivery notice from UPS (wonder what happened to the previous notices?) which I can only assume is grad school related, since I've never received a UPS package before. Strange considering I am only waiting on news from one program, and I assume that Harvard doesn't send their rejections via courier! Edit: Never mind! I just deciphered the near illegible handwriting in the "from" section of the notice: Amazon. They usually ship through regular mail. Strange!

Sure! I am visiting at the end of this week and will report back. I will add that I too had a lot of problems with submitting my application through Embark. The largest of these was that none of my referees received their prompts, and they had to email their letters to the admissions office instead. I will say though that the people I spoke to in admissions about these problems were extremely friendly and helpful. It all worked out in the end!

Yep! Waiting on the Harvard rejection...

Meeeee neither! I vividly remember a high school English teacher giving an actual lesson on how to pronounce 'Goethe.' She once badly embarrassed herself in a university lecture...