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Posted
2 minutes ago, Imperator Totius Hispaniae said:

@wynntirsame! ive been reading through the 2021 application thread and one of the ppl I saw was rejected from Berkeley didn't get an interview. When is your interview? And is it with Berkeley as well?

Nope! I'm the UPenn HSS interview :) I haven't seen anyone else here or on reddit mention that program this year so I've no idea what to expect, but preparing for anything!

Posted

@Imperator Totius Hispaniae I had an interview with Berkeley last year and I’m a Latin Americanist so hopefully I can shed some insight. The two people that were cc’d on my email invite were there for my interview. Think of it more as a conversation about how you think you will approach your dissertation and the feasibility of your project. I would say that I knew people who had interviews and didn’t get in and then people like myself who were waitlisted. They did not take any Latin Americanist last cycle. Fingers crossed that’s not the case this year. 

Posted

I just got an interview request with my POI at Berkeley as well. I'm a 19th century Americanist btw. Can anyone give me a rundown of what theirs was like? Any idea what fraction of applicants get interviewed for a preliminary shortlist and accepted? Just a little nervous and trying to gauge my chances and get in the game beforehand. 

Posted (edited)

Re: Questions for interviews

When you ask a questions, faculty are actually looking at another interview response. While they might be able to answer it, your ability to ask a clever question will tell them more about you than you think. For example, some questions can reveal you are petty, or a complex thinker. 

Good questions to ask: 

  • More about the people: Can you tell me more about graduate demographics in the program? What is the top priority of the program at this moment? 
  • More about the relationship between the program and other parts of campus: Do students typically work in parts of campus? (DH? the museum? etc) In what ways does the school support the program? (make them proud!) How do you see the program in five years? (ie investigate possible changes)
  • More about the program and causes important to you: I've noticed the DEI statement in your website. How do faculty and students put this into practice in the graduate program? I've noticed there is a possibility to carry out public history projects. Is this something students have done recently? 
  • One that I always ask: What comes next? 

Good luck!

@BalkanItinerant @Imperator Totius Hispaniae @flowersandcoffee @emeraldsapphire

 

Edited by AP
Posted
5 hours ago, Imperator Totius Hispaniae said:

@APthank you so much this is very helpful! My interview is tomorrow so this advice came just in time! What are some questions faculty normally ask in these interviews? 

Well, I only vaguely remember the interview of the place I was accepted to, and it was harder than I thought! In general, it was an intellectual conversation, like "You said this, can you expand on how do you see X concept applied here?" I haven't participated in interviews myself, but my colleagues want to make sure you are intellectually mature (for an incoming student) and with potential. Yes, I know this is vague, how do you show you have potential? 

A good way, is to show in every answer that you know the program is a good place to develop your questions. For instance, "How do you hope to add to the study of Afro-Latin America?" "Well, by examining free people of color in colonial Peru, bla bla bla. I realize that the program offers courses on Race & Ethnicity in the Non-Western World, and I would participate in the graduate conference you organize every year." (Not very eloquent, but you get my point). 

 

Good luck!

Posted

Had my interview for Berkeley today. She said that 80-90% of those who have applied have been removed from contention and that most people who are interviewed will be accepted. Most decisions for their program should be in by February 3rd. Hope this helps others who applied there!

Posted

Does anyone know if we should be expecting to hear from Chicago re interviews? I saw one person post on the results page asking about interviews but I do not know whether it means they themselves have an interview? Thanks

Posted
51 minutes ago, Imperator Totius Hispaniae said:

@scarletwitch I wish I could help but unfortunately I did not apply to the university of chicago so I have no idea. Based on what I saw from last year's 2021 application thread, it seems like invitations for interviews should be going out right about now.

Thanks - Yale usually does interviews too right? That was the only other one I was expecting interview-wise.

Posted
2 hours ago, scarletwitch said:

Does anyone know if we should be expecting to hear from Chicago re interviews? I saw one person post on the results page asking about interviews but I do not know whether it means they themselves have an interview? Thanks

Interesting, I didn't realize Chicago did interviews. I've spoken a few times informally with my POI there and they basically said next I'd hear from them is end of the month with decisions. 

Posted

Same here, never knew UChicago did interviews. None of the professors I spoken to mentioned. 

Posted
1 hour ago, Imperator Totius Hispaniae said:

@scarletwitchfrom my understanding, Yale does interviews as well. Someone on this thread already said they received an interview invitation from Yale, so I imagine they should’ve gone out by now. Where else are you applying? 

I don't think anyone on this thread has mentioned actually getting a Yale interview request yet, just saw one asking about it. From the submissions last year it looks like interview requests went out from around the 5th onwards, so I guess will see! Applied to several other places like Chicago, Brown, Cornell, NYU, Vanderbilt, Emory etc 

Posted

@scarletwitchahh you're right! the poster I thought said they had a Yale interview actually said they had an interview with Columbia and berkeley, but were asking about Yale. Those are all excellent schools! I believe NYU has interviews because I follow a few of the faculty members from NYU on twitter and I remember one of them tweeting that as a department they don't do informal zoom interviews with prospective PhD students who send email requests for one. She said however they do interviews with students they're seriously considering for admission. I also applied to emory as well! I  think they have interviews? 

anyways, what is your area of study/research interests?

Posted
1 minute ago, Imperator Totius Hispaniae said:

@scarletwitchahh you're right! the poster I thought said they had a Yale interview actually said they had an interview with Columbia and berkeley, but were asking about Yale. Those are all excellent schools! I believe NYU has interviews because I follow a few of the faculty members from NYU on twitter and I remember one of them tweeting that as a department they don't do informal zoom interviews with prospective PhD students who send email requests for one. She said however they do interviews with students they're seriously considering for admission. I also applied to emory as well! I  think they have interviews? 

anyways, what is your area of study/research interests?

Yeah, I applied to a few more schools as well, I just don't want to list all of them on here but could do so privately. 

Oh interesting re NYU, I guess will just be prepared for any requests in the next few weeks (hopefully!) 

I am 20th Century American - Race & Resistance; Policing & Foreign Policy.

Posted
1 hour ago, Imperator Totius Hispaniae said:

had an interview with Columbia

Has anyone else had an interview with Columbia? 

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