Applications 2019

[fordlandia]

10 hours ago, Karou said:

Aah, that's very soon! I hope the visit/interview goes really well, keep us posted!

Thank you @Karou and will do! Wishing you luck in this later week as well!

[elx]

48 minutes ago, fordlandia said:

Nothing on my end either ? Judging from the results page from last year, they used to send out interview invites in late-January/early-February so it might be a no from them. Fingers crossed for all of us though!

I'm thinking that it might be a POI choice whether they interview or not, but I'm certainly bracing for a rejection. Hope is there for all of us though! ❤️

[grcalt]

Hey, reposting from anthropology: 

Anyone apply to U Chicago's conceptual and historical studies of science committee? I need to hear back from them before I make my decision and am considering reaching out. Would that be rude?

[pilisopa]

Just wanted to thank you all for the advice provided in this thread. I took the MA plunge last year after a couple unsuccessful application cycles. I am trying to complete my MA in one year and I applied again this year and, thus far, all of my applications have been unsuccessful again. Wondering what the problem is. From what I've gathered, it could be me, my proposal, that my thesis is incomplete, that I haven't published anything, or that my LORs aren't strong enough (even though I was hoping this year, with fresh professors writing them, they'd be better). Fact is, I don't know and I'm at a loss and even though I'm considering applying again, I'm having a hard time justifying doing so without knowing exactly what I need to improve or change at this point. 

[spacea]

31 minutes ago, grcalt said:

Hey, reposting from anthropology: 

Anyone apply to U Chicago's conceptual and historical studies of science committee? I need to hear back from them before I make my decision and am considering reaching out. Would that be rude?

I haven't heard from them yet either, but based on the results page, in the previous years they usually sent out the notifications on the 20th. If you do reach out, however, let us know!  And fingers crossed for you.

[grcalt]

12 minutes ago, spacealien said:

I haven't heard from them yet either, but based on the results page, in the previous years they usually sent out the notifications on the 20th. If you do reach out, however, let us know!  And fingers crossed for you.

Thank you! Fingers crossed for you too ?

[dr. t]

1 hour ago, pilisopa said:

I don't know and I'm at a loss and even though I'm considering applying again, I'm having a hard time justifying doing so without knowing exactly what I need to improve or change at this point. 

This is a fairly concise one sentence summary of what needs to change before you apply again.

[Rekishishu]

On 2/17/2019 at 11:47 AM, potsupotsu said:

I was admitted to Northwestern in January, but I am planning to turn down my offer soon (tickets to Chicago from where I am located are very expensive and I cannot afford the upfront costs to attend to the visit weekend, unfortunately). I am guessing (from your username) your field is also Japanese history, so perhaps when I turn down my offer you will come off the waitlist!

Thank you very much again for your kind information!  My POI contacted me and said that I was considered as a Chinese history candidate.

Is anyone considering turning down Northwestern in Chinese history? Northwestern is my top choice so that I really want to be off the waitlist.

Sorry for my multiple bothering replies.

Edited February 18, 2019 by Rekishishu
grammar corrections

[elx]

1 hour ago, pilisopa said:

Just wanted to thank you all for the advice provided in this thread. I took the MA plunge last year after a couple unsuccessful application cycles. I am trying to complete my MA in one year and I applied again this year and, thus far, all of my applications have been unsuccessful again. Wondering what the problem is. From what I've gathered, it could be me, my proposal, that my thesis is incomplete, that I haven't published anything, or that my LORs aren't strong enough (even though I was hoping this year, with fresh professors writing them, they'd be better). Fact is, I don't know and I'm at a loss and even though I'm considering applying again, I'm having a hard time justifying doing so without knowing exactly what I need to improve or change at this point. 

I feel this so much. I'm deeply hoping I'll get at least one thing of individualised feedback this cycle because while I have a good idea of the mistakes I made, I'm not sure what I could be missing. I'm already dreading getting rejected from everywhere next year too.

Good luck to you! And thanks to everyone who has contributed, your input is fantastic!

[pilisopa]

14 minutes ago, telkanuru said:

This is a fairly concise one sentence summary of what needs to change before you apply again.

I've really been trying to get answer by talking to POIs and even professors in history departments who wouldn't advise me but who could possibly offer insight. It's been very difficult getting useful feedback. Best thing I got this year was that the language I was previously using in my SOPs was outdated and made it apparent I wasn't current on scholarship trends and I updated that considerably. Also the SOP itself changed considerably to shift from a national to transnational study (still within the scope of my interests, though). But after being in my current MA program, I get the feeling my topic, however refined and well composed, doesn't stand a chance if it doesn't incorporate popular themes like East or South Asia, gender issues, etc. Nothing wrong with those but is my candidacy hopeless if I don't include these things?

[Volozo]

Has anyone heard from Harvard History of Science by chance?

[thisisnew]

On 2/15/2019 at 7:07 PM, latecalifornia said:

i'm on the wait list for UVA too but don't have the answer!

Totally didn't see this - when did you get the waitlist notification and what's your field/POI? Anyone else heard from UVA?

[potsupotsu]

15 minutes ago, Rekishishu said:

Thank you very much again for your kind information!  My POI contacted me and said that I was considered as a Chinese history candidate.

Is anyone considering turning down Northwestern in Chinese history? Northwestern is my top choice so that I really want to be off the waitlist.

Sorry for my multiple bothering replies.

Even if you are their choice for Chinese history, you are still considered part of the East Asian history subfield. If I am not mistaken.

[Rekishishu]

3 minutes ago, potsupotsu said:

Even if you are their choice for Chinese history, you are still considered part of the East Asian history subfield. If I am not mistaken.

Thank you again for your reply! I sincerely hope to hear some good news from Northwestern soon.

[DanaJ]

5 hours ago, fordlandia said:

Nothing on my end either ? Judging from the results page from last year, they used to send out interview invites in late-January/early-February so it might be a no from them. Fingers crossed for all of us though!

New York had a lot of the severe weather/snow/ice that delayed a lot of responses compared to last year... don’t lose hope yet!

[OHSP]

1 minute ago, DanaJ said:

New York had a lot of the severe weather/snow/ice that delayed a lot of responses compared to last year... don’t lose hope yet!

Unfortunately it's actually just that the incoming cohort is designed to be very small, weather didn't really affect the department this year. The prospective students day has been announced. 

[Balleu]

7 minutes ago, pilisopa said:

I've really been trying to get answer by talking to POIs and even professors in history departments who wouldn't advise me but who could possibly offer insight. It's been very difficult getting useful feedback. Best thing I got this year was that the language I was previously using in my SOPs was outdated and made it apparent I wasn't current on scholarship trends and I updated that considerably. Also the SOP itself changed considerably to shift from a national to transnational study (still within the scope of my interests, though). But after being in my current MA program, I get the feeling my topic, however refined and well composed, doesn't stand a chance if it doesn't incorporate popular themes like East or South Asia, gender issues, etc. Nothing wrong with those but is my candidacy hopeless if I don't include these things?

I see you saying here and in your other thread that you've struggled to get useful feedback. What kind of feedback have you sought or received from your professors in your current MA program? When you do get feedback ("language I was previously using in my SOPs was outdated and made it apparent I wasn't current on scholarship trends"), how and where do you incorporate it? 

[DanaJ]

16 minutes ago, OHSP said:

Unfortunately it's actually just that the incoming cohort is designed to be very small, weather didn't really affect the department this year. The prospective students day has been announced. 

Aw, I was trying to provide some hope, but I never want it to be false hope! 

[psstein]

42 minutes ago, Volozo said:

Has anyone heard from Harvard History of Science by chance?

Someone posted an acceptance on Thursday. I think it's reasonable to expect disappointment if you're still waiting.

[Volozo]

Just now, psstein said:

Someone posted an acceptance on Thursday. I think it's reasonable to expect disappointment if you're still waiting.

Yes, I'm fully prepared for rejection--I'd just like it to be official so I can move on

[fordlandia]

31 minutes ago, OHSP said:

Unfortunately it's actually just that the incoming cohort is designed to be very small, weather didn't really affect the department this year. The prospective students day has been announced. 

Thank you for this! So it's safe to assume that if we didn't see an invite for prospective student's day, its probably a no?

[eks933]

Does anyone know if we haven't heard from UT Austin is that an assumed rejection at this point? Can't believe this cycle is sort of ending already...I'm still waiting on a few MA programs I applied to. BTW is anyone is waiting for the Ole Miss history MA program we hear back on the 25th

[spacea]

57 minutes ago, OHSP said:

Unfortunately it's actually just that the incoming cohort is designed to be very small, weather didn't really affect the department this year. The prospective students day has been announced. 

Hey, are you talking about History or History of Science here? (And Harvard or Chicago, or both? I am confused as to which one you are referring exactly.)

(ETA, sorry, figured it out. Eek, how do you delete comments.)

Edited February 19, 2019 by spacealien

[potsupotsu]

I just turned down my Northwestern offer. Hopefully someone on here can make it off of the waitlist. @Balleu and @Rekishishu perhaps that means one of you!

Writing to your POI whose work you admire so much and telling them that you are "rejecting" them is a really difficult thing to do. I did not really anticipate just how hard it would be at the beginning of the process!

[ssmall1]

On 2/17/2019 at 1:34 PM, HRL said:

A belated congratulations to you! My subfield is 19th and 20th century U.S. labor and working-class history. Yours? 

Kind of moving between two eras here - broadly a Southern historian, more specifically Civil War/Antebellum period , but I also have some interest in the late 19th/early 20th century as it pertains to Confederate memorialization.