Music Fall 2022 Applicants

[pianoman2022]

Accepted into Northwestern's Music Theory & Cognition PhD program today!!  Thrilled beyond belief!  They have a fantastic program with a very generous funding package.  So incredibly humbled and grateful.

[narwhat]

congrats!!! still waiting to hear back from them about musicology!

[pennymarx]

On 2/17/2022 at 1:02 AM, waifucup said:

Nope, no informal acceptance ? My hopes are pretty much all gone now :(((

Got my rejection this morning... strangely not very bothered by it.

[waifucup]

1 hour ago, pennymarx said:

Got my rejection this morning... strangely not very bothered by it.

me too, by now i've accepted that they're all gonna be rejections this year

[BWV 211]

On 2/22/2022 at 1:39 PM, pianoman2022 said:

Accepted into Northwestern's Music Theory & Cognition PhD program today!!  Thrilled beyond belief!  They have a fantastic program with a very generous funding package.  So incredibly humbled and grateful.

Incredible, congrats! 

[taumi]

Out of curiosity - what would be your conclusion if you got into one Phd program but rejected from six? Almost everyone I know either got multiple offers or none at all. My application missed the mark for most of the programs but would you assume that this means the one university that accepted me saw the potential beyond what was lacking or that it's just not as rigorous as the other ones? 

[QueerTrumpeter]

On 3/3/2022 at 2:26 AM, taumi said:

Out of curiosity - what would be your conclusion if you got into one Phd program but rejected from six? Almost everyone I know either got multiple offers or none at all. My application missed the mark for most of the programs but would you assume that this means the one university that accepted me saw the potential beyond what was lacking or that it's just not as rigorous as the other ones? 

Hey! So, the way that I see it, it really does come down to fit. One of the best scholars I know (presentations at all major conferences and not even at dissertation stage yet) was only accepted to two schools after three application cycles. The community at the school they are at now (a VERY good and renowned program) loves and embraces them as a scholar, and they have absolutely blossomed at the institution they are at now. I think there's something more to this than just rigor and ability -- I genuinely believe that it really does come down to fit in the end. As a department chair recently told me, if a  program accepts you, they are also making a pact to support you in your work and scholarly development, successes and failures, and all of the in between moments. As for a conclusion, I personally would chalk it up to fit! They see not just potential in you -- they see your successes and want to be a part of all that you have to offer to your field!

[pennymarx]

Some behind the veil admission committee advice I got the other day that I found helpful. As we all know if a department doesn't fill all their possible funded spots they might lose the funded spot the following year and it can be very difficult to get it back. Thus, if you have been accepted to multiple schools and know you won't be attending one, do let them know as quickly as you can. On top of that, if you are on a waiting list and don't plan to attend -- also let them know, so they don't go through the whole process of accepting you and maybe miss the opportunity to give the spot to someone else. On the other side, if you are on a waiting list and it is your top school, also let them know! Then they know there's a good chance you will accept the offer and is *maybe* more likely to make you an offer! Hope this helps!

[IplayFluteNoNotThatFlute]

Hi everyone, I applied to PhD Ethno programs this fall. I seem to have been waitlisted or rejected everywhere, I had one interview and otherwise crickets for all 8 schools. I emailed them all and everyone has said “you should hear back soon” ?.  So I figure I’d ask you all for advice. First of all, I’m a slightly older candidate (30), so the first time I did this it was much different. It seems like it is now normal to contact your POI before applying. This used to be rude (Or so I’ve always been told). I also do not have other publications besides my thesis, but I have A LOT of field experience (research abroad, study abroads in Europe, summer school in Japan etc.) and a fair amount of teaching experience both as a TA and adjunct. I also triple majored in my undergrad in music, theatre, and art and incorporate that into my research and artistic endeavors. Overall, besides the publications my CV looks pretty packed. Is there anything else I’m missing to this whole application process or is my lack of contact and lack of publications a huge offense? Really any advice would be helpful. 

[toot]

On 3/13/2022 at 12:19 AM, IplayFluteNoNotThatFlute said:

Hi everyone, I applied to PhD Ethno programs this fall. I seem to have been waitlisted or rejected everywhere, I had one interview and otherwise crickets for all 8 schools. I emailed them all and everyone has said “you should hear back soon” ?.  So I figure I’d ask you all for advice. First of all, I’m a slightly older candidate (30), so the first time I did this it was much different. It seems like it is now normal to contact your POI before applying. This used to be rude (Or so I’ve always been told). I also do not have other publications besides my thesis, but I have A LOT of field experience (research abroad, study abroads in Europe, summer school in Japan etc.) and a fair amount of teaching experience both as a TA and adjunct. I also triple majored in my undergrad in music, theatre, and art and incorporate that into my research and artistic endeavors. Overall, besides the publications my CV looks pretty packed. Is there anything else I’m missing to this whole application process or is my lack of contact and lack of publications a huge offense? Really any advice would be helpful. 

I haven’t posted anything here yet (just been lurking at what other people have been saying), but I wanted to just reach out and say that I’ve experienced the same thing from the two US schools I’ve applied to - so it’s not just you! I’m a bit irritated because I’ve either gotten interviews and/or unofficial yes’s so far from everywhere else I’ve applied and those all had later application submission dates so I don’t understand what’s taking so long/why I haven’t heard any feedback from those other schools yet. I haven’t sent any emails yet, but I’m thinking of reaching out to them if I haven’t heard by the end of next week because it’ll get to a point where I hopefully have official offers from other places and I’ll need to accept or not. :////////

[toot]

Just now, toot said:

I haven’t posted anything here yet (just been lurking at what other people have been saying), but I wanted to just reach out and say that I’ve experienced the same thing from the two US schools I’ve applied to - so it’s not just you! I’m a bit irritated because I’ve either gotten interviews and/or unofficial yes’s so far from everywhere else I’ve applied and those all had later application submission dates so I don’t understand what’s taking so long/why I haven’t heard any feedback from those other schools yet. I haven’t sent any emails yet, but I’m thinking of reaching out to them if I haven’t heard by the end of next week because it’ll get to a point where I hopefully have official offers from other places and I’ll need to accept or not. :////////

(I’m an (ethno)musicology phd applicant.)

[BWV 211]

On 3/12/2022 at 4:19 PM, IplayFluteNoNotThatFlute said:

Hi everyone, I applied to PhD Ethno programs this fall. I seem to have been waitlisted or rejected everywhere, I had one interview and otherwise crickets for all 8 schools. I emailed them all and everyone has said “you should hear back soon” ?.  So I figure I’d ask you all for advice. First of all, I’m a slightly older candidate (30), so the first time I did this it was much different. It seems like it is now normal to contact your POI before applying. This used to be rude (Or so I’ve always been told). I also do not have other publications besides my thesis, but I have A LOT of field experience (research abroad, study abroads in Europe, summer school in Japan etc.) and a fair amount of teaching experience both as a TA and adjunct. I also triple majored in my undergrad in music, theatre, and art and incorporate that into my research and artistic endeavors. Overall, besides the publications my CV looks pretty packed. Is there anything else I’m missing to this whole application process or is my lack of contact and lack of publications a huge offense? Really any advice would be helpful. 

Hey there! I'm no expert, but I've asked a lot of the same questions to profs before and here is what I can share: 

1) I was told that contacting a POI before applying doesn't really increase your likelihood of an acceptance. At worst, it can be viewed as opportunistic. I avoided it entirely this cycle (unless I ran into someone at a conference, of course). 

2) While the field is getting more and more competitive from an earlier stage, I was told by professors that having a revise and resubmit on one's CV was unusual for Ph.D. applications. For sure some applicants already have publications, but it is apparently rare. 

3) I'll echo others in this thread in saying that the top consideration for admissions committees is fit. A rejection letter does not necessarily mean that you are not qualified; far more likely is that another applicant was a better fit for the program and their specific vision for that incoming cohort. 

4) Finally, I can't tell you how many scholars (both graduate students and established professors) had to apply for multiple admissions cycles before they landed an acceptance letter. It's quite common to come up short one year and end up in a fantastic program the next. So even if none of the waitlists pan out for you this year, don't worry! When you're an established scholar 10 years down the road you won't even be thinking about one rough admissions cycle. 

[taumi]

Had anyone successfully negotiated their offer? I have multiple offers but the place I want to accept also has the lowest funding offer. Should I just tell them this and ask if they can meet the offer I have from another place? 

[QueerTrumpeter]

Definitely worth checking in. I recently reached out to a school that I REALLY liked and full-on told them that their funding was significantly lower than my other offers. Although I don't think that my offer can be adjusted much (if at all), I want them to have these insights moving forward so that others might be offered more competitive wages.

[QueerTrumpeter]

How are y'all doing? Anyone accept any offers?!

[BWV 211]

On 3/26/2022 at 2:13 PM, QueerTrumpeter said:

How are y'all doing? Anyone accept any offers?!

Accepted the offer from Cornell. There should be movement on a couple waitlists (Eastman, Stony Brook, UMD, CUA, and UT Austin). How about you? 

[QueerTrumpeter]

23 hours ago, BWV 211 said:

Accepted the offer from Cornell. There should be movement on a couple waitlists (Eastman, Stony Brook, UMD, CUA, and UT Austin). How about you? 

I have accepted my offer from UCLA! I received a Cota-Robles fellowship as well, which is really motivating for engage in work that is important to me beside teaching during the "off" years (especially in the community)!

[BWV 211]

3 minutes ago, QueerTrumpeter said:

I have accepted my offer from UCLA! I received a Cota-Robles fellowship as well, which is really motivating for engage in work that is important to me beside teaching during the "off" years (especially in the community)!

Incredible, congratulations on both your acceptance and your fellowship! Such a great program as well.