2021 Application Thread

[Shraman Guha]

Does anyone have any update about the History PhD program at UChicago?

[Sheila Fu]

Does anyone have any information on Yale's history master's program? It seems that the decisions for the Phd programs have been released, but I haven't heard anything about their master's program yet.

[TagRendar]

9 hours ago, Shraman Guha said:

Does anyone have any update about the History PhD program at UChicago?

Grapevine says that the department contacted admits and waitlists via email.  Official information hasn't come from the grad office yet (and judging from past years I wouldn't expect the portal to be updated with all of the above plus rejections for another week and a half at least).

[boydivision]

Has anyone heard from Indiana Bloomington? Seeing one rejection on the results page but nothing else.

[4everstudent]

Welp 4 rejections and 1 waitlist at Berkeley. I have had two different POI's reach out and tell me that they could only admit 1 student for Latin America and I'm the back up. I'm trying to not get my hopes up but I wish I sort of knew the odds of someone declining their offer. Any advice?

[history202-]

7 hours ago, TagRendar said:

Grapevine says that the department contacted admits and waitlists via email.  Official information hasn't come from the grad office yet (and judging from past years I wouldn't expect the portal to be updated with all of the above plus rejections for another week and a half at least).

Decisions are out - I got my rejection. Very kindly worded, so that was appreciated!

[hibbiejibbies]

Anyone has any news on U Michigan?

[kleio]

My History PhD application to UChicago was rejected, but I was referred to the MAPSS program. I am very excited but I am wondering if anyone has any insight about how they accept students (by field/program)? I am also nervous since my application was not tailored to MAPSS, though referrals seem common. I did talk a lot in my application about wanting to work with professors in the anthropology and sociology department so perhaps that is what led to my referral. Thanks guys!

[boydivision]

4 hours ago, boydivision said:

Has anyone heard from Indiana Bloomington? Seeing one rejection on the results page but nothing else.

As an update, received an email offering admission about an hour after this post! My only acceptance so far and a great academic fit, so I'm feeling great.

[aco2]

1 hour ago, boydivision said:

As an update, received an email offering admission about an hour after this post! My only acceptance so far and a great academic fit, so I'm feeling great.

Congrats!!!

[Boarskin]

2 hours ago, kleio said:

My History PhD application to UChicago was rejected, but I was referred to the MAPSS program. I am very excited but I am wondering if anyone has any insight about how they accept students (by field/program)? I am also nervous since my application was not tailored to MAPSS, though referrals seem common. I did talk a lot in my application about wanting to work with professors in the anthropology and sociology department so perhaps that is what led to my referral. Thanks guys!

It is common for UChicago to refer their PhD applicants to the MAPSS program. 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Boarskin

[TagRendar]

4 hours ago, history202- said:

Decisions are out - I got my rejection. Very kindly worded, so that was appreciated!

Same on my end - not unexpected, but it was very gentle and I appreciate that after such a rough season.

I did not get referral to MAPSS, probably because I already have a master's degree.

[bakeseal]

Okay so, some news I'm trying to make sense of. I'm up for a fellowship through my school worth 35,000, which would cover a year of a hypothetical PhD program. However, I can only accept the money if I am enrolled next year in a graduate program-- I can't defer it for a year if I end up having to reapply. So now I'm in a scenario where I could win the fellowship but not actually get the money without an offer, and right now I'm stuck in waitlist limbo. 

Would a year of outside funding be a compelling reason to help get a spot off of a waitlist? I know the cohort size was cut because of funding restrictions related to COVID, I'm not sure if that means that entering with a single year of funding would help solve that dilemma at all. I'm also hesitant to bring this up with the faculty I've been in touch with, because I haven't actually won yet, so this is purely hypothetical. But I also need an update on applications to give to the fellowship people to convince them I still need the money-- or to suggest this is all the more reason to award me the money. 

 

[psstein]

On 2/14/2021 at 8:59 PM, TsarandProphet said:

True, but also the other way round: There are brilliant and kind professors who'll be wonderful advisors, but they work at institutions whose graduate programs typically (or decisively) lead nowhere. Like always, the unhelpful response would be "you need a great advisor in a great school," with a great advisor in a low-tier school and a bad advisor at a great school being equally bad alternatives.

Definitely. It is true that some programs have the resources/clout to help students get around mediocre or outright bad advising. One of the top programs in history of science is widely known to have indifferent supervision and average training for most students.

This program happens to also do very well when it comes to placing its students in TT jobs. The resources, financial and otherwise, that it controls, happen to be beyond par.

[psstein]

29 minutes ago, bakeseal said:

Okay so, some news I'm trying to make sense of. I'm up for a fellowship through my school worth 35,000, which would cover a year of a hypothetical PhD program. However, I can only accept the money if I am enrolled next year in a graduate program-- I can't defer it for a year if I end up having to reapply. So now I'm in a scenario where I could win the fellowship but not actually get the money without an offer, and right now I'm stuck in waitlist limbo. 

Would a year of outside funding be a compelling reason to help get a spot off of a waitlist? I know the cohort size was cut because of funding restrictions related to COVID, I'm not sure if that means that entering with a single year of funding would help solve that dilemma at all. I'm also hesitant to bring this up with the faculty I've been in touch with, because I haven't actually won yet, so this is purely hypothetical. But I also need an update on applications to give to the fellowship people to convince them I still need the money-- or to suggest this is all the more reason to award me the money. 

 

It could be, depending on where you're waitlisted. Based on the situation you described, it seems like the university is concerned about its future ability to financially support graduate students. A graduate student who comes in with some external funding may very well help to allay those fears.

[TMP]

1 hour ago, bakeseal said:

Okay so, some news I'm trying to make sense of. I'm up for a fellowship through my school worth 35,000, which would cover a year of a hypothetical PhD program. However, I can only accept the money if I am enrolled next year in a graduate program-- I can't defer it for a year if I end up having to reapply. So now I'm in a scenario where I could win the fellowship but not actually get the money without an offer, and right now I'm stuck in waitlist limbo. 

Would a year of outside funding be a compelling reason to help get a spot off of a waitlist? I know the cohort size was cut because of funding restrictions related to COVID, I'm not sure if that means that entering with a single year of funding would help solve that dilemma at all. I'm also hesitant to bring this up with the faculty I've been in touch with, because I haven't actually won yet, so this is purely hypothetical. But I also need an update on applications to give to the fellowship people to convince them I still need the money-- or to suggest this is all the more reason to award me the money. 

 

I would email the DGS at the school you're waitlisted at and ask a very simple question if you secured external funding for a year, would the program consider admitting you?  The problem is that the program would then need to come up with funding for you for the next 3-4 years form of TA/RA-ships.  Don't go to a PhD program without minimum of 5 years of funding altogether, upfront.

Edited February 16, 2021 by TMP

[AP]

12 hours ago, TMP said:

I would email the DGS at the school you're waitlisted at and ask a very simple question if you secured external funding for a year, would the program consider admitting you?  The problem is that the program would then need to come up with funding for you for the next 3-4 years form of TA/RA-ships.  Don't go to a PhD program without minimum of 5 years of funding altogether, upfront.

@bakeseal ditto. 

[historyofsloths]

17 hours ago, boydivision said:

As an update, received an email offering admission about an hour after this post! My only acceptance so far and a great academic fit, so I'm feeling great.

Congratulations! You'll get an email from someone in my cohort to welcome you, but if you have any questions about the program or Bloomington, feel free to send me a DM!

[steinein]

On 2/11/2021 at 7:42 AM, iotres said:

Also curious about this. Did anyone apply to Chicago's CHSS and know if offers are out already?

Hi there: No idea about all offers, but I can report that, yesterday, I received a rejection from CHSS in my portal.

Then, today, I received an email from the dean of students that this rejection was an error, and that, in fact, I had been wait listed. There was no concrete information about when I would receive an update. Just "in the coming weeks."

 

I don't trust my luck: I was the alternate for Fulbright 2020-2021, which was cancelled altogether. Best to you this cycle.

[boydivision]

3 hours ago, historyofsloths said:

Congratulations! You'll get an email from someone in my cohort to welcome you, but if you have any questions about the program or Bloomington, feel free to send me a DM!

Thank you so much! I may very well send you a DM.

[TagRendar]

Don't know if it's the same for anyone else, but I am so, so anxiously awaiting UIC's admissions right now.  They are my last (and admittedly, my best) shot at a Ph.D program this year.  I see that Champagne-Urbana's admissions are popping right now -- congrats to all of those folks who got in or at least made the waitlist.

UIC's admissions decisions are expected toward the end of the month, based on department contact.

Anyone else having anxiety over University of Illinois at Chicago right now?

Edited February 16, 2021 by TagRendar

[Hillz]

Dying to know if there is any chance still at getting into duke. Does anyone know for sure that all their acceptances have gone out?

[coffeehum]

On 2/15/2021 at 4:13 PM, hibbiejibbies said:

Anyone has any news on U Michigan?

No, but I'm in the same boat. Last program I'm waiting on and extremely restless about the prospects of waiting another few weeks! Hang in there...

[CafeConGabi]

7 hours ago, TagRendar said:

Don't know if it's the same for anyone else, but I am so, so anxiously awaiting UIC's admissions right now.  They are my last (and admittedly, my best) shot at a Ph.D program this year.  I see that Champagne-Urbana's admissions are popping right now -- congrats to all of those folks who got in or at least made the waitlist.

UIC's admissions decisions are expected toward the end of the month, based on department contact.

Anyone else having anxiety over University of Illinois at Chicago right now?

Me me me me me! ? 

I check the portal every ?day! ?

[setori]

Did anyone hear back from Harvard History of Science Dept?