Fall 2021 Theater/Performance Studies PhD

[DoctorMusical]

Submitted my applications a few hours ago. Wishing everyone best of luck!

[CaptainHoseok]

22 hours ago, CaptainHoseok said:

Has there been any interview emails sent already to applicants? I also applied to Northwestern and UC Berkeley Performance Studies! And yes, the waiting game makes me anxious.

I received the rejection letter from UC Berkeley. Email to check results on portal.

[sadficus]

That UC Berkeley rejection was a real gut punch. I was happy to have closure on at least one program but also kind of wish my first rejection hadn’t been my top choice. 

[Post-It]

This board looks very quiet compared to last year's. This is my first attempt with PhD Applications - applying to Cornell, Northwestern, CUNY & Univ. of Washington. Would love to hear about everyone's experiences. Fingers crossed for us all!

 

[ellohell]

On 1/19/2021 at 11:58 AM, Post-It said:

This board looks very quiet compared to last year's. This is my first attempt with PhD Applications - applying to Cornell, Northwestern, CUNY & Univ. of Washington. Would love to hear about everyone's experiences. Fingers crossed for us all!

 

Not a lot of results trickling in either.  Wonder if things are going slow this year or if grad cafe is just dying out...

[Post-It]

50 minutes ago, elleaygee said:

Not a lot of results trickling in either.  Wonder if things are going slow this year or if grad cafe is just dying out...

Let's make some noise!! ??? 

We are dramatists, after all. 

[DoctorMusical]

The pandemic has honestly been overwhelming, so I opted to pursue an additional master’s degree before jumping into the doctoral race. 
 

This is such a relatively small field and I was hoping to find camaraderie with fellow applicants.

 

Are any schools offering admission this early?

[Boxedwine]

I'm wondering if schools will adhere to the timelines they had last year. I'm guessing no one is going to ask for in-person interviews, meaning that the timelines could be completely different than from previous years. That makes my neurosis much stronger as we approach (and maybe kind of pass?) the time that Stanford and Northwestern reached out last year. 

[ellohell]

3 hours ago, Boxedwine said:

I'm wondering if schools will adhere to the timelines they had last year. I'm guessing no one is going to ask for in-person interviews, meaning that the timelines could be completely different than from previous years. That makes my neurosis much stronger as we approach (and maybe kind of pass?) the time that Stanford and Northwestern reached out last year. 

I've been assuming they will still do zoom interviews. So yes, looking at the interview request dates from past years is really making me squirm!

But you're right, the timelines could still be very different since a zoom interview request does not require enough lead time to buy a plane ticket. 

?

[sampsun]

Hi guys, thought I’d pop in and play the waiting game with you all. I applied to UCLA, UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Northwestern, all (Theatre and) Performance Studies PhD programs. I have a Zoom interview with UCLA tomorrow ? if anyone’s at all interested, I can report back about my experience. 
 

Haven’t heard back from any other schools.... yikes

[sampsun]

Also @sadficus, what does a grad prep program entail? Obviously too late for me this round haha, but I’m intrigued

[sadficus]

@sampsunIt is a free program which provides you with advisers (general and SoP specific), webinars on different aspects of the application and post-application process (interviews, negotiating funding, etc.), fee waivers for all consortium schools, and discounted GRE prep and registration. The one I am in is geared towards multiply marginalized people who intend to enter the field of education. Under normal circumstances they have about an 80% matriculation rate, but obviously this is an unprecedented cycle, so they will be welcoming back everyone who is not placed this year, next year. It has been an incredible help, and if I am not placed this cycle I will absolutely be participating in the program again next cycle. 

[ladymatre]

lol I didn't even know grad cafe was a thing until I saw it mentioned in a Facebook group ?, so I'm super late to the game here. But happy to chime in that I also applied for Performance Studies PhDs this round!

So far I have applied to Northwestern, NYU, and Cornell. Working on UMD and UGA. I have a colleague in the Cornell Dept., and they say they are only taking 2 students this year due to Covid. This was also separately confirmed to me by a professor when I reached out. I am wondering if other programs are taking fewer students as well? Anyone have any intel?

Similar to you all, I was also trying to figure out if programs are receiving more or fewer applicants this year due to the pandemic, but I haven't been able to piece anything together. From what I've read on here, and from what my friend told me, I think that since not every program is accepting applicants, some people are deciding not to apply this go around in general. So perhaps there are fewer applicants in general for PS?

I haven't heard back from any programs whatsoever. 

I'm changing fields (was formerly enrolled in a PhD program in Musicology) so I am quite nervous. But I will say that from my experience back then, I still hadn't heard from like two Musicology programs (UMich, UCLA) like five days before the deadline (deadline to accept most schools is usually April 15th). This was in 2017. From what you all are saying and what I've read in the previous thread, it seems like PS seems to send out decisions a little quicker than that. My friend said Cornell PS got back to him in like early February last year.

Good luck to everyone, and if I find out any more info, I'll be sure to post back here.

Edited January 25, 2021 by ladymatre

[dancedancestudies]

I've heard back a rejection from UC Berkeley - it sounds like other folks are in that boat too. I received a program acceptance to OSU (dance studies) but waiting on funding/fellowship!

I also applied to UCR and Stanford. 

Keeping all my fingers crossed!

 

@sampsunhow did the UCLA interview over Zoom go?

anyone else have interviews coming up?

[sampsun]

@sadficus sounds like such a great resource!! This whole application process was honestly so expensive and inaccessible

@ladymatre Welcome :) yup, I've heard from various programs that they're only accepting 2-3 students this year (opposed to 4-7 like usual). Not sure if that's affected by students who were accepted last year but chose to defer? 

@dancedancestudies Congrats on OSU, I hope you get more good news soon! The UCLA interview went well, but it was incredibly fast paced. It took exactly 15 minutes, and felt like a speedrun with professors firing off questions... all pretty overwhelming.

 

Hope everyone's doing well! 

[hyphenleigh]

Hi friends! International TAPS applicant checking in. Curious to know if any other internationals have heard back regarding an interview at any American schools yet? 
Cheers and luck to us all for being brave enough to apply to schools in this season of applications! 

[Boseph16]

Just checking in to say: UGH!!! 
 

The waiting game is making me go crazy. 
That’s all. 

[Post-It]

I really thought that I could walk away after hitting submit without thinking too much about it or becoming obsessed, but the more I hate my interim job, the more I hit refresh. 

OCD, much. Much OCD.

 

 

[ladymatre]

@sampsun When I was applying for Musicology PhDs 3 years ago, I was under the impression that PhD students were not allowed to defer. But you bring up a very good point! I have no idea how that works in TAPS PhDs (and Masters) and whether programs allowed students special permission to defer this past round given the global pandemic. Do you know if that’s the case?

@hyphenleighIt’s super amazing that you’re applying internationally! I’m American so I can’t help much. However, in my experience applying before, most top programs admitted international and domestic applicants around the same time? I think. Programs with lower funding might not? Can anyone else corroborate that? It might be worth reaching out to graduate admissions and asking their policy on international student admits if it’s not outlined on your department website?

@Boseph16 and @Post-ItI feel that ?

If it’s helpful to anyone, I heard from the University of Georgia that I got in. I wasn’t expecting to hear so early from them at all. If anyone wants any more details on that school’s process, I can go into further depth, but off the top of my head, I don’t recall anyone saying that they applied to that school ? but just let me know!

At the end of the TAPS thread from last year someone went in and did a summary of all the programs they applied to and what the process was for each one, so I might do that ?

It’s still January. I expect everyone will have much more to report come February and even March! ?

[sampsun]

Congrats @ladymatre on your acceptance, that's such a great program ❤️ David Saltz is still there, right?

 And I didn't know that PhDs may not be allowed to defer! I don't actually have any information about that, I just assumed that some admittees from last application cycle might have wanted to wait a year... anyone know anything about the deferral situation?  

5 hours ago, ladymatre said:

It’s still January. I expect everyone will have much more to report come February and even March! ?

Totally agree ^ it's still very early, let's all hang tight

[DDM22]

I got a call from DGS at Northwestern tonight at 7pm EST! He let me know that I made it to the final round (8 of 124 applicants) and that I am invited to interview / attend a virtual "campus visit" in late February. I am absolutely shocked. I really thought I was going to receive straight rejections from every school I applied to. 

Note: I am @sadficus. I somehow logged into an old account and can't get back into the one I've been using this cycle, lol. 

Edited January 30, 2021 by DDM22

[ladymatre]

@sampsunHe is still there! 

And congrats @DDM22! I'm sure your app was great ❤️ That is definitely a lot of applicants, so I imagine the competition is steeper than we thought this year (At that rate, I bet NYU got like 400 apps hehehe)! I really hope you get in tho! That program is amazing.

I applied to Northwestern PS too, but I didn't hear anything (yet?), so I guess it's a reject for me lmaoooo but it's all good ❤️❤️ still hoping for positive news from other schools  

[Post-It]

@DDM22 that is amazing news!!! It looks like the number of applicants doubled this year, if Northwestern’s statistics site is correct. Well done!!! Please keep us posted on your adventures.

[PSward13]

@DDM22 amazing news, and I look forward to (virtually) meeting you and getting to hear about your surely brilliant ideas! I also got the call from Northwestern PS for the end of the month -- am really excited and humbled.

 

I also have an interview with Stanford TAPS on Monday as a part of the "semi-finalist" round -- just in case anyone was wondering about that program's status. 

[sadficus]

@PSward13congrats!! Did you happen to ask how many spots are available? I definitely forgot to ask that very important question, as I was in total shock. I suppose I'll just ask when the email comes next week, if need be.