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Wow, what a strange way to say it, but I think it's a short interview. Maybe he said conversation to try to make it seem less formal? But I'm so jealous. I want some contact from my POIs. It's hard to have the applications in the wind and just simply... wait.

I definitely agree here. I have family members asking where I'm living next year and a boyfriend, who, when I lament my worries, tries to console me by saying that I have to have gotten in somewhere. Then I have to get annoyed telling him (umpteenth time) about the dreaded "odds" of it all. I seriously was okay forgetting about applications until I got my Hawai'i letter in the mail. Getting a rejection right off the bat has made me feel like this year is not my year, and it's made me hyper aware of the impending news. But hey, at least my back up plan is going pretty well, since I have an interview with the JET program. Something is looking positive at least! Anyways, good luck everyone! We can do this!

Under consideration is a pretty typical thing for a program to say after any interview. Basically, the person/group who interviewed you is going to consider your interview in addition to your application to decide two things: (1) if they want you and (2) if they want to fund you. Interviews are just sort of a chance to see if the applicant is "the right fit" for the program. I see it as an opportunity to maybe make yourself seem even more awesome for that program. Yeah, so the interviewer was just trying to let you know that we haven't made any decisions--don't call me tomorrow for an answer. I'll get back to you, sort of thing. If that makes sense. Anyways, don't freak out. The news will come soon.

Two applications submitted. The weight is slowly lifting! One more due on Monday evening, and then I have until December 15th. Hope everyone is enjoying the first day of December! Let us all finish these applications before Christmas so that we can have a very merry holiday season. (:

I am suppose to call a POI today, but she emailed me this morning with a different number to call than the original number because she actually won't be in her office. However, when I called and asked for the POI, I was told I had called the wrong number. I quickly sent off an email to the professor, explaining the situation and asking if there had been a typo/mistake. Should I try to call the original number just in case? Or just leave it be until she emails me back? I checked my phone twice now and compared it with the number provided. It's the same, so yeah. /: Thoughts? Also, I know I'm probably being crazy over dramatic. (;

Good point. It's incredibly hard for me to think of something to do with my life, if I wasn't going to get a PhD. Probably work in a company doing translation projects or a museum. I do think he was pushing me more to find Japanese-centered programs that would pay me while providing language learning opportunities. He really wants me to teach English in Japan as a backup plan, but it's incredibly hard to get into. As challenging program to get accepted into, it seems to be more of Plan A than a Plan B, in my mind. But regardless, you made a very good point. Oh, my advisor is always telling me to look into other things, as back up plans for my back up plans. I just think I was being a bit more sensitive than I usually am, and I really wanted to know what everyone else had, just to get an idea if I wanted to add more back up to my long back up plan list. I try to always remain positive, but what can I say? It's hard to feel like a really competitive application when you see all the flaws. But having a Plan B has definitely helped me sleep at nights. Teaching English in Korea, I feel, would incredibly fun and give me an opportunity to learn Korean, and I do think I'd still be able to use my Japanese skills whilst there. Plus, the pay isn't bad at all. (: But thank you for your advice! Hi! (: Well, currently I'm uncertain of the program, due to its very high fees. I hope there is funding opportunities for it, because even if I was accepted, I can't go into more debt these days. But I definitely understand what you mean.

Feeling a bit pessimistic tonight about my chances of getting into a graduate program (MA or PhD). I blame the fact I had a dinner with my thesis director and his family where I was poked about my thesis and then about graduate programs. I basically got asked, "What are you back up plans?" I offered a few. If not a PhD program, hopefully a Master's. If not a Master's, I hope to do Inter-University Center for the Japanese Language Studies to bolster my language skills. If not that, I hope to avoid debt and still gain some experience in Asia by teaching English in South Korea, which is one of the best paying English teaching jobs in Asia. My director sort of responded and shot down most of my ideas, telling me that I should look further into other options. Now I feel very doomsday about my prospects and feel I should bolster up my Plan B package with more options. I'm still, of course, applying, and I feel really good about one program who has responded very nicely back to me so far. However, I want to know -- what kind of Plan B do you have? How are you trying to spend a year bettering your application for the next season? Oh, and context, just in case it gets confusing. I'm a History and Japanese major, graduating this upcoming spring semester, with a focus on modern Japan (social, cultural, race and gender).

That is information I'm very glad to hear. (: Also, to add a note, all the advice I gave earlier was based on information I know about American schools. I realized later that this was possible that perhaps you were thinking of universities in other locations as well... To further add a positive to the mix, since you are a resident of India, I imagine you have a strong language background in a South Asian language, which is a definite plus side. That would, I imagine, help you get into an MA program. But this is, of course, just an assumption based off your location and citizenship. (;

My focus is on East Asian history so I sort of have a vague familiarity with your field... So here's some basic advice. Now, to double check here, you said you had a great undergraduate career but in Engineering, correct? Have you taken any history classes or done any significant research in history, meaning at least a one long undergraduate paper with primary sources? Personally, unless you have a great research background, you don't sound that competitive. You need to take some sort of classes in History to prove you are capable of succeeding in the historical field. However, you might be able to just do this by jumping into a history master's program. Beyond that you also need LORs from professors who know you academically and should be in the field of history. You need to have a good verbal GRE score. But honestly, I think your big problem is the lack of research listed. You need at least one kick ass primary source based history paper, and a publication would certainly help. You need to make a kick ass SOP that explains clearly why you changed careers and perhaps explains some great advantages having the previous career will be to graduate school. I would say you have very slim chances for acceptance, as is, into a PhD program. You don't have much proving that you are excellent in historical research. However, I have to say as a final note. History is a very hard field to find a job in, and I think it is especially hard for historians with a focus in Asia to find a job. Furthermore, once you get a job, it is not a well paying job.

My computer has a fingerprint access protection for documents. (; But definitely password protection for these files since you have usernames and passwords on it.

Good advice! I can't imagine cramming all the information onto an application a day before it's due, and I will definitely be triple checking my applications now that you mention it. You are bringing up memories of a post from a while back about someone who sent UC-Berkeley the wrong SOP. Yep, definitely a triple check. I already have two excel spreadsheets-- one listing my master's programs and the other has graduate programs. Each school has a space for me to write the date the application is due, POIs, and most importantly, the login name and password. I have friend apply a year earlier who literally forgot a password for an application. I tried to combat that with my excel organization tactics.

Awesome thanks! Also, I have to share my joy. Purely because after two POIs emailing me back and saying they weren't accepting students, I finally got a positive POI response where the POI wants me to apply to the program. Very exciting, especially since it is with a POI that I would really like to work with. /joy shared.

That reminds me. Veterans of previous application cycles, how much time would you say it took to fill in that minute information? (; I try to plan everything down to days and set time amounts, but I have no idea what an average application's length even is, though I guess I will soon!

All right everybody! 72 days and counting until my first application is officially due (December 1st). Are you guys freaking out a bit right now? I have a huge list of schools that I have POIs at for both master's and doctorate programs, and I'm shooting off all my personalized e-mails tomorrow. With 20 emails total, I'm starting to really freak out about the application season, whilst trying to write my honor's thesis. However, how is everyone else doing? Stressing like me? Feeling more confident? I keep finding things I wish I had done sooner or differently, but it's at crunch time so I have to brush it off and sort of work past it. Similar sort of feeling?

Just to drop in. One of my professors does a similar thing that I think your two LOR writers are doing. Whenever he gets busy, he ends up reading all of his emails and then going back through and responding once he's thought of a thorough response. He often forgets to email me back, and he always tell me that if I don't respond with x amount of time, I should email him again. Since it is summer, it has gotten much harder to get in contact with professors who I know aren't teaching summer classes. Most are home with their families or doing research, which means they are normally not very active in checking their emails. That being said, I would email one more time and then either make a visit to campus to ask or call them. (; If you've worked with them long enough, they'll probably ask you if you want a LOR before you can get the words out. (All three of my professors flat out told me that when the time comes they'll do a LOR for me when I wasn't even talking about the subject. /:) Good luck!

Well, I would definitely give the office a call. Most, at least in my department, graduate advisers are pretty nice, if you are politely expressing your concerns. (;

American History R_Escobar (20th century, American Indian), crazedandinfused (antebellum, intellectual), hopin'-n-prayin' (southern, religious), stevemcn (transnational), Simple Twist of Fate (early American), zb642 (20th century, labor/working-class culture), BCEmory08 (19th-20th century Catholicism, labor), irvinchiva10 (20th century, immigration/immigration reform) natsteel (early American political culture and intellectual history) unforth (19th century US political and military history, US Civil War) hbeels (colonial, early national, 19th century, transappalachain west, historical memory of these eras/areas) thedig13 (20th century U.S., culture and protest, African-American) Weepsie (North American Mapping, Exploration and Trade, Anti-Communism/Socialism in Interwar period, bit of a mixed bag) European HistoryKelkel (Modern Germany, political), goldielocks (Britain), SapperDaddy (Eastern and Central Europe), kotov (Modern Romania, Holocaust, labor), RevolutionBlues (Modern Western Europe/France labor and leftist politics), theregalrenegade (18th/19th cent British Empire/environment), jrah822 (19th century Britain; emphasis on colonial relationship to India), grlu0701 (Intellectual & cultural history,fin de siecle Germany and Italy), naturalog (modern European [mostly German] intellectual and cultural/sexuality and gender/political radicalism), runaway (Eastern/Central, memorialization & visual culture), Sequi001 (Modern France, gender and sexuality, colonialism/imperialism) Abetheh (19th/early 20th century Germany and France, religious politics vs secularization) NeutralKate (Modern Russia, modern European economic history) Crackerjacktiming (Modern Germany, gender and sexuality) African HistoryOseirus (precolonial/early colonial West Africa), Singwaya18 (20th century East Africa), Safferz (20th century Horn/Northeast Africa), The People's Scholar (Spanish colonialim in Africa- i.e. middle/West Africa) Jogatoronto (Psychiatry in early colonial West Africa) ronwill06(Social and political radical movements) Latin American HistoryCageFree (20th century, Southern Cone), BH-history, The People's Scholar (18th-19th century Colombia) StrangeLight (20th century Central America) East Asian Historyalleykat (Modern China) kyjin (Pre-Modern Japan) aec09g (Modern Japan) Near/Middle Eastern Historyuhohlemonster, (modern Israel, Iran, Palestine) oswic (modern Egypt, gender) Atlantic Worldsandyvanb crazedandinfused Global/World History cooperstreet (Cold War) melissarose8585 Jewish History [*]uhohlemonster, (modern Israel) [*]hopin'-n-'prayin, [*]kotov (Holocaust), [*]naturalog (sometimes modern European/Holocaust), [*]runaway (memorialization & visual culture), [*]ticklemepink (20th c. Germany/U.S) Science/Technology/Environment [*]shaxmaty1848 (Cold War) [*]StrangeLight (environmental history, ecological distribution conflicts) Social [*]annieca (Cold War and Post-Cold War East and Central Europe) Classical and Medieval [*]Hogs of War (Monastic Studies and Conflicts in Authority) Cultural [*]StrangeLight (gender, race, ethnicity, and religion) [*]hbeels (race/ethnicity, religious, masculinity/feminimity, print/literature) [*]crazedandinfused (race, nationalism, performance, rhetoric) [*]alleykat (religion, race/ethnicity, cultural relativism) Canadian History [*]truthfinder (New France, religious)

You still haven't heard back yet? I am current undergraduate student at FSU, so technically I haven't really heard back. However, I have several friends who have applied to various FSU graduate programs, so I have some understanding of this year's notices. For one, I have a friend who was accepted into FSU's History program Fall 2012. The notifications were sent out somewhere around late March/early April. End of April funding announcements were sent out as well. At least for the History program. As for other graduate programs, I know the law school sent out notification around mid March and Psychology programs sent theirs out early March. So I have no clue what's going on for you, but I would suggest calling up the graduate office for your specific program and talk to them. They'll be able to at least let you know if you've somehow missed your letter or if they are really late sending out notices. /: Good luck though. (;

Whew. I'm glad I'm not alone then, because looking over my record.. it's sort of pathetic how few of my history classes are truly about Asia. ): But I actually have been looking into that program! I need to look into funding options though, since it's expensive, and I definitely don't have the money to do it without any aid. The area of their website that gives the information regarding financial aids is down, so I can't even really get an idea right now either. >.< But I'm working on it.

I'm a little lucky in that sense. My main focus area is 20th century Japan, which is still "modern Japanese." Since I like more 1900-1950s, the real challenge is knowing all the kanji that aren't used currently but are used all the time in documents back then. When I graduate I will have taken all of the available undergraduate Japanese language classes (aka up to Japanese 6). I am also translating some, well, untranslated seized Japanese documents from World War II/Occupation of Japan, so I'm getting some language training. I still worry that my Japanese skills won't be up to the par I want them to be. Plus, I would like to start learning Korean soon. The more I think about it though, the more I am going to focus my net on Master's programs. I think I will start to look more avidly at East Asian Studies because an MA in East Asian Studies would give me a stronger Asian history background, cause I feel like my transcript has a little bit too much European focus since my college literally has two Asian history classes. /: (I took as many 20th century classes as possible and then made all my papers be about Japan. xd)

Hello, I figured I should pop in here and introduce myself. I'll be applying to an array of programs this application season for the first time. I would like to get into a PhD program, but I'm not the most amazing applicant so I'm casting my net into master's programs as well. My focus is on East Asian History, primarily Japan in the 20th Century. Good luck to everyone applying!

Two words: bat bombs. Created during World War II, incendiary bombs were attached to bats with the intention of using them against Japan, but because the research went so slowly, the funding for the bat bombs was taken away and given to Project Manhattan, aka the atomic bomb. Still hilarious that they wanted to use bats for bombing.

I never met anyone else interested in East Asian history, since it is such a small field, so it's pretty fantastic to meet both of you. Thank you for your advice. (; I'll definitely pop into the other forum areas. I'm definitely going to try for a few master's programs. I hadn't really considered doing an East Asian Studies master's program until this month since I wasn't sure if it would be something that a History department would like to see on an East Asian history applicant. But now I'm thinking I might apply to a few, so thanks. (:

"So what's your safety school? Like, what program are you for sure going to get into?" /: "Are you and your boyfriend going to break up?" [because I got into a program? No.. >.< ]

Hi (; I'm a bit new to Grad Cafe but I have been stalking the forums for quite a while. So far, I haven't seen anyone who has an interest in Asian history or East Asia, which is my primary focus, and I want to know if anyone else around here has a similar interest! (; Anyways, I would like to get a PhD in East Asian history, but because I have a 3.4 GPA and middle ground 154 Verbal Score on the GRE, I have been debating if I should also apply to a Master's program just to get my foot in the door.. However, my professor for my honor's thesis thinks I should definitely try to put a few applications in at the top East Asian history programs, like Princeton and Columbia. The reasoning is that because my field is so small, I wouldn't be competing against as many people. I'm not sure how that really would work out for me though. The point: Anyone else in a program? Wanting to be in a program? Have thoughts about a MA/PhD in East Asian history?