Has anyone been accepted to a history Ph.D program without first being formally interviewed?

[3tc]

Some schools never seem to have anyone post that they received an interview request. 

Edited January 24, 2019 by 3tc
Typo

[Warelin]

I think most programs don't interview. Interviews are fairly rare within the humanities. Interviews are much more common in the natural and social sciences.

[3tc]

Thanks Warelin. I have one interview coming up so just worried that might be the only place that liked my app.

[Sigaba]

FWIW, at the time my insomnia was in overdrive and I was so stressed out that didn't understand what I was being told.

I got a call from a department during which I was simultaneously asked to come in for an interview and told that I was being offered admission. So I went to a kick-the-tires meet-and-greet conversation radiating anxiety and tension. And not that I'm #OCD or anything (because I'm not), I didn't believe that I actually got in until I was there for a week or two. It wasn't until much later that I learned what kind of a lasting impression my anxiety and tension made upon a professor; an impression that is 180 degrees of my self perception in the Ivory Tower.

This mindset has accompanied me to subsequent job interviews and job performance reviews.

If there's a useful take away from my experiences, it's this.

Relax.

And also...bring enough cash and/or a credit card to pay for parking and park as close to your destination as possible.

And also...relax.

Poise, composure, and an appropriate level of self-confidence will help you more than angst-driven readings of tea leaves.

[daradara]

3 hours ago, Warelin said:

I think most programs don't interview. Interviews are fairly rare within the humanities. Interviews are much more common in the natural and social sciences.

Yes, this is what I would say as well. From my research it appears that the majority of institutions do not interview for History, so I would not worry very much about it. Certainly, I understand the deafening silence can be maddening. 

[AP]

I was accepted into to programs with no interviews. However, they were the minority. For all other programs I got interviews (six). So I don't know how true this statement is or how much AdComms have changed (I applied in 2013)

On 1/24/2019 at 4:37 PM, daradara said:

Yes, this is what I would say as well. From my research it appears that the majority of institutions do not interview for History, so I would not worry very much about it. Certainly, I understand the deafening silence can be maddening. 

 

[daradara]

13 minutes ago, AP said:

I was accepted into to programs with no interviews. However, they were the minority. For all other programs I got interviews (six). So I don't know how true this statement is or how much AdComms have changed (I applied in 2013)

 

Yes, you may be right. As I did not apply to as many programs as you did, my research into other programs was rather superficial. To clarify my statement, I should have said that interviews are not necessarily mandatory the way they are at Yale and that, though they may be included in the process, they may not signify as much. Then again, like I said, I really am not too knowledgeable about the review process outside of a few schools, and I would certainly defer to someone who has more experience such as yourself. 

Edited January 28, 2019 by daradara

[I_Am_In_Paine]

9/10 of the schools I applied to either state that they do not interview at all or interview in very specific circumstances where they feel it is necessary to get a complete picture of the application. 

[AP]

On 1/27/2019 at 8:53 PM, daradara said:

Yes, you may be right. As I did not apply to as many programs as you did, my research into other programs was rather superficial. To clarify my statement, I should have said that interviews are not necessarily mandatory the way they are at Yale and that, though they may be included in the process, they may not signify as much. Then again, like I said, I really am not too knowledgeable about the review process outside of a few schools, and I would certainly defer to someone who has more experience such as yourself. 

The other day this topic came up in a conversation between postdocs that were surprised we interviewed. So it seems this program is more of an exception than a rule. It is also a smallish program so I don't think they get more than 200 applications per year for all fields. 

[mediumatcha]

I was admitted to two programs. First- I had a very informal Skype call. The second- there was zero contact after submitting my application. 

[islandsatlantic]

I've definitely seen people called for interviews before decisions are made, if you look at results for departments at some of the big unis especially it's a thing. I received an unofficial email acceptance from a big Canadian university with no contact at all with my potential supervisor or anyone at the university.