R_Escobar

In the United States we have something called the "zip code rule" for this situation.

As a female I get these two alot:
"Are you getting a divorce? "
"How are you going to manage having kids in grad school?" (Ugh, I'm not)

Okay so for all of the Spanish Empire and Latin America scholars. I have your daily dose of language prep:

Just received my email from UVA, which brings my season to an end. Now all that is left is decisions.

One time I looked terrified on a plane and ordered a little $7 jack daniels bottle and they handed me three for the price of one. He said "You look like you need these." Success.

It drives me nuts that none of these questions are asked of my male colleagues. I guess it just goes to show how "progressive" we really are.

"Aren't you getting to be too old to go back to school?"

Asked this by my grandfather at Thanksgiving dinner. I was 22 at the time.

"You study the Holocaust? I love the Holocaust!" (five seconds later...) "Well, you know what I mean."

Bonus points:
"I know all about it. I saw a six hour documentary once."

"when are you going to have babies?" [when are you going to die in a fire?]

Ok, so I just got an email from the DGS at Rochester letting me know that I'm on the waitlist. It was a really kind and somewhat flattering note. He actually enumerated the specific strengths of my app. I guess this is something!
Now I have to figure out how to respond..........
Addendum: I really like the idea of a History Dept housed within a library building. It's a pretty library too! I'm very sensitive to environment/ambience and I'm afraid that may hurt me because I loathe brutalist architecture with the same ferocity that Oseirus loathes the History Channel. Anyway.......

I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers here, though I fear I might...

The requests for details via PM from rejectees strkes me as poor etiquette and I'll tell you why...

The only reason I would want details of someone else's rejection would be to hopefully distinguish my circumstances from theirs. For instance, did the rejectee receive a template email from the DGS, where I did not? Does the rejectee's status on the website show the rejection, where mine does not? These are the only reasons I would care about the details of someone else's rejections.

If there are other motivations, then obviously I might reconsider my thoughts on the matter. Assuming that these are the motivations for these requests, however, I would respectfully suggest that it is better decorum to remain anxious (and in the hunt) than to ask some one who is smarting (or worse!) from a fresh rejection to spell out the details so that you can have that peace of mind...

Again, if I am off base on my assumption of motivation, I apologize. But, like I said, this would be my only motivation for wanting details on somebody else's rejection...and in any event, its just my humble opinion...

For my part, I will address my future advisor as "Domina" or "Dominus" and approach them while genuflecting and singing the "Laudes regiae" as they enter rooms if this is what they want so long as they give me the professionalization I need and help me open the doors to a job when I'm done. Whether they behave like the Gracchi, Augustus, Diocletian, Gandalf, Galadriel, Andy Griffith, or Lucille Ball is really beside the point so long as they have a sincere interest in aiding me.

D**n this ivory spring! I knew democracy was an evil burden that would come back to haunt me ... d**n you Klemenz von Metternich for not stopping it! D**n you Otto von Bismarck! Curse you English Philsophers of the 18th century ... a pox on the Grecian ideal of education being a universal equalizer .... and I think that covers my morning rant! YAY!

I feel like everything is happening so fast this year. Is it just me? It's like February started and then all the floodgates opened.

I have been thinking of those of you still waiting on good news, and just wanted to let you all know I've been sending good vibes your way and you've been in my thoughts. I know how stressed out I was waiting to hear back from Yale (which obviously I did not get), but it really worked out for the best. Northwestern is a much better fit for me, and I've had really great interactions with the faculty and students there so far. Who knows what sort of decision I might have made if I got an offer from Yale, which I thought was the best fit? It wasn't meant for me. I'm just sharing this to hopefully alleviate any anxiety/sadness you guys might be experiencing about rejections. I hope everyone finds the right fit.

They were crazy in ways that didn't really touch their undergrads, and I had sort of been aware of the department's strange qualities before I went down there for an interview. But it was like moving away and coming back to realize your home town friends are all crazypants.

OVERLY POSITIVE MODERN NONSENSE RESPONSE!

Just got a call from the Grad Chair at Nebraska.

I'm in!!! Masters with full funding and a stipend!!!

When I'm a professor someday (hopefully...) I'm only going to accept correspondence from prospective graduate students in haiku form via text or tweet.

I'm enthusiastically voting this post up. Let's all take a deep, deep breath and try to just let things happen.

Hello. Yes, I was a lurker. And am still just lurking about...

Or this one

I just got my first "unofficial" acceptance (from my POI) today, WITH funding, at UC Davis! I can't believe it!