2020 application thread

[hajjibaba]

14 minutes ago, telkanuru said:

I would assume you're rejected and they just haven't bothered getting around to letting you know, actually. Academia is often casually cruel like that.

Haha. That’s my go-to idea, but they sent out rejections three weeks in a row and I didn’t get one, so I was hanging on to hope. Oh well

[FruitLover]

Do you guys think it's worth asking the program where I will most likely go if they offer any help with moving expenses? I know it's not common at this level, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever done this or heard of anyone actually succeeding at it.

[AP]

8 hours ago, FruitLover said:

Do you guys think it's worth asking the program where I will most likely go if they offer any help with moving expenses? I know it's not common at this level, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever done this or heard of anyone actually succeeding at it.

If you already have an offer, you can ask anything. If there is funding for moving expenses, it might be in the graduate school. A good way is to ask the program to point you into the direction where to find these funds, as opposed to asking “do you give me money to move”. 

[historyofamanda]

Got an email from Pitt today, I’m on the waitlist! It’s not an acceptance but it’s not a rejection so I’m feeling okay, keeping my fingers crossed to hear good news by April 15th!

[time_consume_me]

20 hours ago, FruitLover said:

Do you guys think it's worth asking the program where I will most likely go if they offer any help with moving expenses? I know it's not common at this level, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever done this or heard of anyone actually succeeding at it.

Do it. I did and the results were worth it.

Does your POI seem willing to go to bat for you? They can be of help on that front too.

[history110]

Well, I accepted UBC! Brief moment of alarm that on the portal is said "offer declined" but that's because the original decision date was March 24th, but it was extended by the department head until March 31st (in writing) and I think the portal just didn't know? Anyway, this means I'm going to start rejecting some other schools so hopefully that'll open up some waitlists!

[time_consume_me]

6 hours ago, starshiphistory said:

Well, I accepted UBC! Brief moment of alarm that on the portal is said "offer declined" but that's because the original decision date was March 24th, but it was extended by the department head until March 31st (in writing) and I think the portal just didn't know? Anyway, this means I'm going to start rejecting some other schools so hopefully that'll open up some waitlists!

enjoy one of the most beautiful campuses in one of the most beautiful parts of the world! Congrats.

[history110]

16 hours ago, hojoojoh said:

enjoy one of the most beautiful campuses in one of the most beautiful parts of the world! Congrats.

Thank you very much! It looks like a gorgeous place. 

[futuremexicanist]

I just got news today that I am off the waitlist at Indiana! I am sad I don't get the opportunity to visit, but I'm excited to be attending IU in the fall! Does anyone know of people attending who can give insight into the program/attitude there? I am planning on asking my advisor to be connected with graduate students but could love insight from anyone else.

[icanhavephdasatreat]

This might be a shot in the dark, but: if anyone in this thread was accepted at Berkeley (congratulations!) but doesn't plan to attend, I would greatly appreciate if you could let them know ASAP. Signed, an anxious member of the waitlist. 

[Marier]

On 3/31/2020 at 12:22 PM, icanhavephdasatreat said:

This might be a shot in the dark, but: if anyone in this thread was accepted at Berkeley (congratulations!) but doesn't plan to attend, I would greatly appreciate if you could let them know ASAP. Signed, an anxious member of the waitlist. 

I didn't apply to Berkeley, but I know someone who did and just declined his offer today for NU. So maybe it'll open up a spot for you!

[dr. t]

FYI this thread will be de-stickied on April 16 and the 2021 thread posted.

[historyofsloths]

Finally heard from Michigan today. They said they're not taking anyone off of the waitlist this season because of financial restraints due to COVID-19. I'm not shocked, the odds were stacked against me (in terms of the amount of people who still had to make their final decisions) and I wouldn't have been able to make an informed decision had they accepted me, but it does still sting a little bit.

Onward and upwards, I accepted my offer from Indiana University and I'll be moving to the Midwest in the summer! Good luck to anyone else still on the waitlist, I know it's rough with only one week to go, but I hope it's good news.

[Sigaba]

On 3/16/2020 at 1:21 PM, starshiphistory said:

Hi all.

This is a slightly uncomfortable question, but does anyone have any insight to what the environment regarding sexual assault now is at UBC's history department?  I've contacted current grad students to chat about the program in general, but it's a bit of hard subject to bring up and easier I'm sure here, online. In 2015 they had issues -- a grad student assaulted and harassed other students, it took a long time to expel him, and from what I can glean from the media some profs really stuck up for the students but the head of the department (who is now someone else) took awhile to actually do much and possibly deterred students from reporting.

 

On 3/16/2020 at 9:02 PM, TMP said:

Just ask the students how safe they feel within the department and interacting with others.  Ask how women are treated.

I am seeing @starshiphistory's question late. 

I think that an optimal way to gain insight is through listening more so than asking questions.

IME, individual encounters with violence and sexual harassment in the Ivory Tower and the private sector can be so personal that the answers to ostensibly straightforward questions can be fragmented, provisional, guarded, personal, and private. The very act of answering the questions can spark (trigger) a cascading set of non linear thoughts and feelings. 

My recommendation would be first to collect and to study (not read) publicly available information. Does an institution have established policies regarding violence and harassment? What are the processes for reporting incidents, conducting investigations, adjudicating allegations, and appealing decisions? Are there offices / programs with sufficient leadership, mission, and budget to prevent violence and harassment? Does the mantle of institutional protection shield all equally or are there signs (subtle to obvious) of bias?

Have there been lawsuits? Criminal trials? Settlements reached through arbitration with terms undisclosed due to NDAs? Have assailants and perpetrators lost their jobs? Have there been early retirements or resignations without admission of wrong doing? Have decisions been overturned on appeal?

After doing this research, I would then ask people of authority questions ranging from the basic to the complex about the policies. The questions could be framed as "Please tell me about the policies regarding violence and harassment..." to references to sections and subsections that are in tension with each other. The evaluation of the answers could take a "three-legged stool" approach that considers mastery of the details, professional comportment, and interpersonal reaction. 

From there, I would then consult people who work with students to get a general sense of how well existing policies work and how they could improve. This phase of inquiry would also include doing research on the number of events the campus and local police departments have handled for at least the last five years. Are assailants getting expelled, arrested, and convicted at rates that are credible.

Only after I'd spent a sufficient amount of time thinking about what I'd read, learned, and heard, would I be willing to let strangers know that I was ready to listen to them if they wanted to share their experiences. 

 

[histori041512]

Anyone currently attending: what, if anything, are you hearing about coronavirus provisions for Summer and Fall in your program? I know the university I work for right now has made all summer classes online out of precaution and the departments seem to be in a major state of disarray. I've seen post on here and Reddit where people are worried about funding, admissions revocations, classes starting on time, and all that jazz. 

[dr. t]

This is what my department/university is doing or trying to do. Another reason why it's important to prioritize a school with a lot of resources when you're looking at programs.

Quote

In our response to the Graduate School’s survey of departments, we were able to communicate many of these challenges and make a strong case for you all in several specific areas: 

• Summer stipend shortfall: We have urged the Graduate School to provide additional funding for summer 2020 to help cover the lack of research funding, ability to travel home, inability to sublet apartments, and other unforeseen expenses and funding shortfalls. 

• Setback in time to degree: Many of you (and especially the current and rising 4th years) have experienced potential program setbacks due to loss of research opportunities resulting from travel restrictions and archives closing. We have urged the Graduate School to provide funding support for additional time to degree.

• Challenges in hitting program benchmarks: We have asked the Graduate School to provide the maximum flexibility to help all students be able to hit key program benchmarks.

• Job market concerns: We have urged the Graduate School and the Dean of the Faculty to reinstate and even enlarge the departmental VAP program as a bridge for our PhD students after graduation (since the dean’s campus-wide hiring freeze prevents VAP hiring in AY 2020-2021). 

As we await policy announcements from the Graduate School--particularly those that require substantial additional funding--there are things we can implement in the department. This is primarily the case with regard to the timing of program benchmarks and some additional funding / support. Other items, however, really need to come from the Graduate School, such as extending supported time to degree, or the Dean of the Faculty’s office, such as supporting VAP hiring in 2021.

Here are the specific commitments to you that we as a department can make now: 

1. Reconfiguring program benchmarks as much as possible, and allowing flexibility for students as needed (see chart below); 

2. Providing one semester of teaching relief (no TAing) to eligible rising 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-year students in order to help make up for lost research, travel, and writing time (see chart below);

3. Allowing students to access this year’s promised research funding next year (in addition to the usual available research funds for next year). Any reimbursements due to cancellations will not be counted against future requests;  

4. Increasing the Open Fund to $700 and allowing a fourth use of it for those students who’ve already reached the limit of three; and

5. Providing summer stipend relief in some form and in some amount, if at all possible. We are committed to working with the Graduate School and the university to draw upon various reserve and emergency departmental and university funds to provide some extra support. This process may take time, but we will keep you updated. 

 

[Rauschenbusch]

Officially received my rejection from UNC today. Not a big surprise given the late date, and I'm just about decided between my two choices anyway, but this line made me think there's not much hope left for anyone still counting on being accepted from their waitlist:

"Sadly ... we won’t be able to admit any students from the alternate list this year."

[Sigaba]

1 hour ago, telkanuru said:

This is what my department/university is doing or trying to do. Another reason why it's important to prioritize a school with a lot of resources when you're looking at programs.

I recommend in the strongest possible terms that one's reading of  lists of action items and requests be informed by a review of a school's financial statements. 

Decisions over what should be done and what is going to be done are likely to be made in different places through vastly different methodologies.  An academic department and graduate school focused on supporting current students and programs may not be as focused on (or even aware of) the "big picture" dominating the horizons of the Powers That Be.

If you are going to attend a public institution, please do what you can to understand how much revenue comes from a state's taxes generally and sales taxes in particular.

[time_consume_me]

On 4/9/2020 at 9:42 AM, Sigaba said:

 

I am seeing @starshiphistory's question late. 

I think that an optimal way to gain insight is through listening more so than asking questions.

IME, individual encounters with violence and sexual harassment in the Ivory Tower and the private sector can be so personal that the answers to ostensibly straightforward questions can be fragmented, provisional, guarded, personal, and private. The very act of answering the questions can spark (trigger) a cascading set of non linear thoughts and feelings. 

My recommendation would be first to collect and to study (not read) publicly available information. Does an institution have established policies regarding violence and harassment? What are the processes for reporting incidents, conducting investigations, adjudicating allegations, and appealing decisions? Are there offices / programs with sufficient leadership, mission, and budget to prevent violence and harassment? Does the mantle of institutional protection shield all equally or are there signs (subtle to obvious) of bias?

Have there been lawsuits? Criminal trials? Settlements reached through arbitration with terms undisclosed due to NDAs? Have assailants and perpetrators lost their jobs? Have there been early retirements or resignations without admission of wrong doing? Have decisions been overturned on appeal?

After doing this research, I would then ask people of authority questions ranging from the basic to the complex about the policies. The questions could be framed as "Please tell me about the policies regarding violence and harassment..." to references to sections and subsections that are in tension with each other. The evaluation of the answers could take a "three-legged stool" approach that considers mastery of the details, professional comportment, and interpersonal reaction. 

From there, I would then consult people who work with students to get a general sense of how well existing policies work and how they could improve. This phase of inquiry would also include doing research on the number of events the campus and local police departments have handled for at least the last five years. Are assailants getting expelled, arrested, and convicted at rates that are credible.

Only after I'd spent a sufficient amount of time thinking about what I'd read, learned, and heard, would I be willing to let strangers know that I was ready to listen to them if they wanted to share their experiences. 

 

Check out on and off campus independent newspapers and blogs. Vancouver has a slew of them (though I think the Georgia straight was just bought up??? RIP my angel?).

 

@starshiphistory

[OHSP]

On 4/10/2020 at 11:29 AM, Rauschenbusch said:

Officially received my rejection from UNC today. Not a big surprise given the late date, and I'm just about decided between my two choices anyway, but this line made me think there's not much hope left for anyone still counting on being accepted from their waitlist:

"Sadly ... we won’t be able to admit any students from the alternate list this year."

I know that this is the case at other universities as well. 

[historyofamanda]

I was told about 2 weeks ago that I was on the waitlist for Pitt and I know their deadline for admitted students to accept or decline their offers was yesterday. When would it be appropriate for me to follow up with them? I’m not sure what timeframe is normal after April 15th for them to accept or deny people from the waitlist.

[psstein]

1 hour ago, historyofamanda said:

I was told about 2 weeks ago that I was on the waitlist for Pitt and I know their deadline for admitted students to accept or decline their offers was yesterday. When would it be appropriate for me to follow up with them? I’m not sure what timeframe is normal after April 15th for them to accept or deny people from the waitlist.

Immediately.

[historyofamanda]

Officially got my rejection after being waitlisted at Pitt today, they told me that they had a higher than usual number of applicants and a significantly higher than usual number of applicants that accepted their admission. Looks like it just wasn't meant to be for me this cycle. Congratulations to everyone who was accepted this cycle, I'm hopeful and excited to try again next year!

[Sigaba]

On 4/17/2020 at 6:13 AM, historyofamanda said:

Officially got my rejection after being waitlisted at Pitt today, they told me that they had a higher than usual number of applicants and a significantly higher than usual number of applicants that accepted their admission. Looks like it just wasn't meant to be for me this cycle. Congratulations to everyone who was accepted this cycle, I'm hopeful and excited to try again next year!

When you're ready to get back at it, I think you may find a lot of useful information in this forum and others for the new season.

[history110]

@sigaba and @hojoojoh Thanks very much for both your responses! I had made my decision before seeing your post -- however, I had done some of what you said and I do feel reassured after my research that both my advisors and the current dept head would advocate for the victim and that there is a better system in place now.