2019 Applicants

[pdh12]

@jonnyboy, ah, revolutionary info! Do you think this is *just* UChicago's practice, or a universal approach? I get the sense that some schools interview their ''shortlist of candidates.''

In a fever I found this albeit dated little article from Yale, sort of documenting reticence around the shift in humanities to interview: https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2012/01/11/grad-school-divided-over-interviews/ 

My UCSC acceptance came without an interview, which may be precisely why I was accepted. I swear I'm not a monster, but my interviews (so far, all Skype) *always* spiral into chaos--for me, the tech interface Essentially deforms what could be meaningful, telepathic communication into a solipsistic fugue-state. I know it's important to field candidates in some form of human-interaction, but Skype don't cut iiiiiiitttt.

[placeinspace]

@pdh12 Skype interviews are literally the worst. I've hated every single Skype job interview I've ever had and always seem to mess it up. I do fine with in person ones though!

[thismortalcoil]

2 minutes ago, pdh12 said:

@jonnyboy, ah, revolutionary info! Do you think this is *just* UChicago's practice, or a universal approach? I get the sense that some schools interview their ''shortlist of candidates.''

In a fever I found this albeit dated little article from Yale, sort of documenting reticence around the shift in humanities to interview: https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2012/01/11/grad-school-divided-over-interviews/ 

My UCSC acceptance came without an interview, which may be precisely why I was accepted. I swear I'm not a monster, but my interviews (so far, all Skype) *always* spiral into chaos--for me, the tech interface Essentially deforms what could be meaningful, telepathic communication into a solipsistic fugue-state. I know it's important to field candidates in some form of human-interaction, but Skype don't cut iiiiiiitttt.

I can't speak for other schools. The only reason I have this information about Chicago is because I discussed it with a professor yesterday. That said, I believe a similar process occurs at Columbia; while I had a few friends who interviewed there (and were not accepted), the friends I have who were accepted to their PhD cohort were accepted straight away. From a logistic standpoint, it makes sense: if the candidate is a good fit, if she has an interesting resume, and if she has strong LORs and has demonstrated excellence in some way (whether through conference presentations, winning grants, extracurriculars, etc.), why would one waste their time interviewing? The language of Chicago's emails seems to ratify this perspective. After all, not every candidate who signs up for an interview gets an interview—and if the school based all their acceptances on these interviews, would that not be unfair, or at the very least myopic? 

As an aside, I also do not like interviews, and am grateful most schools seem to function off application materials alone. I interviewed Charles Bernstein a few days ago for a book chapter and essentially sweat through a shirt because I could not hear him but pretended I did, rather than say "could you speak up," etc., ad nauseam. 

[jadeisokay]

penn comp lit said they do interviews via Skype for a short list. i guess skype is better than the video interviews I've done where you record your answers like you're talking to a person but you're really staring at the webcam. 

[pdh12]

@jadeisokay oh man, anecdote fun. i just did one of those crazy pre-records for a job--i don't have electricity so had to leech wifi outside various buildings. i was accosted and 'hit-on' by various, seemingly drunk or opiodally-influenced transients (my town has a problem) *several* times. Like, As i was answering the questions. by the last question it was dark out and i was recording it blairwitch-style.  

[placeinspace]

I'm now obsessively checking all my application portals for updates even more than I was earlier this week. This waiting is killing me!!

[havemybloodchild]

8 hours ago, FiguresIII said:

Damn I just realized that I mention one of the profs who's interviewing me at Chicago in a footnote in my sample, and what's more, that I take issue with their entire argument in the work I cite. HMMM this is about to be interesting.

I think, if I were that prof, I would be much more interested and excited to talk to a potential student who did a great job of pulling apart my argument than one who just agreed with it. You got this!

[dilby]

Two of my POIs are major secondary sources in my writing samples. Hopefully they won't think it's weird or sycophantish  but I am generally confident in that thesis chapter so I'm not too worried.

[pdh12]

@placeinspacefeelin this hard--the precipice of no return is palpably nearing.

Edited January 24, 2019 by pdh12

[dreid]

@pdh12 and @placeinspace - I feel ya. Just now,  my phone made a beeping noise and I literally leaped out of my chair to check my email thinking it was finally time. There was nothing. Then I realised the beeping noise had come through TheGradCafe, and was caused by someone else posting on the forum that the wait was sending them crazy. Good grief we all need help.

[pdh12]

@dreid SO META

[Bopie5]

Today's dubiously healthy coping mechanism is...listening to podcasts about death!

[havemybloodchild]

20 minutes ago, Bopie5 said:

Today's dubiously healthy coping mechanism is...listening to podcasts about death!

Oooo which ones?

[Bopie5]

@kendalldinniene Currently listening to the THIS podcast episode on Death! It's a podcast about non-dual thinking from various spiritual perspectives (kind of Buddhist, pantheistic, pseudo-Christian). Not quite as juicy as like, true crime podcasts, but very philosophical/thoughtful and sometimes funny.

[havemybloodchild]

Is it just me or has spam email production gone up about 1000% this week? I keep getting the most random junk I feel I’ve never seen before. Like I just got an email from ticketmaster, a company I probably haven’t even thought of, much less used, since the early 2000s. Wth? Why, universe???

[Bopie5]

@kendalldinniene LMAO I also just got an email from ticketmaster. urrrrghhhhhhh.

[dilby]

I made a Julius Caesar "oh my god he has Airpods he can't hear us oh my god" meme, but apparently I've used up all of my media upload bandwidth for this forum ?

[Bopie5]

@dilby Shakespeare's tragedy cannot compare to this tragedy, of knowing this meme exists, and knowing we will not see it.

[lyonel_]

2 minutes ago, dilby said:

I made a Julius Caesar "oh my god he has Airpods he can't hear us oh my god" meme, but apparently I've used up all of my media upload bandwidth for this forum ?

this is top tier meme content lol 

[mandelbulb]

@dilby upload to like tinypic and then "insert other media" and select insert image from URL ?

[LurkersGonnaLurk]

Hey guys!!

I am on the waitlist at Tennessee! I noticed several on the results page. Anyone have details on their waitlist? Within their English department, there are three different concentrations. Are the waitlists different depending on the concentration?

Thanks!

[dilby]

brilliant idea @mandelbulb, here is the meme:

 

as an aside (heh), this is basically my version of Caesar putting aside the crown three times before accepting it

[mandelbulb]

congrats @LurkersGonnaLurk ! (and great name)

[SomeoneAcceptMe]

5 minutes ago, dilby said:

brilliant idea @mandelbulb, here is the meme:

 

as an aside (heh), this is basically my version of Caesar putting aside the crown three times before accepting it

This meme is everything I needed and so much more

[mwils15]

This is random, but has anyone else listened to Vampire Weekend's new music yet?