2023 Application Thread

[TheWitWitch]

2 hours ago, Della said:

Hi everyone, I got an email from my POI to schedule short conservation. Based on the data of past three years this program doesn't do interview, and it seems more like an informal meeting with the POI than a formal and standard interview with the committee. I'm a bit confused now and not sure how to prepare for it. I was wondering if anyone knows what kind of interview is it and would appreciate any advice!

So, I will share my experience with you, maybe it will help. I had an interview at Berkeley. The interview was conducted by two professors, one of whom I had previously spoken to. I didn't know if I should be prepared for a formal or more casual interview, so I studied and was ready for either one. The interview itself was a mix of formal and casual, some of the questions were almost like a conversation. But then, they asked me more dense questions, like which archives I believed I could research during my Ph.D., and how I was planning to link my object of study to a transnational approach. I answered everything and they seemed to have liked my answers. 
Maybe you could prepare yourself for something like that...Try to imagine what troubles you may encounter during your PhD (sources, archives, methodological questions, etc).

[AglowRaph]

Hello guys,

I just got to know about this website recently. I am super excited to be able to interract with fellow applicant. I am an international student and have applied to the following school:

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,

University of South Florida,

University of Utah,

University of Maryland,

Purdue University,

Scripps Research,

Northwestern University,

University of North Carolina, Church Hill

Currently, I have got interview for UMich and USF.

Has anyone else got info from these universities?

[50CentParty]

1 hour ago, TheWitWitch said:

So, I will share my experience with you, maybe it will help. I had an interview at Berkeley. The interview was conducted by two professors, one of whom I had previously spoken to. I didn't know if I should be prepared for a formal or more casual interview, so I studied and was ready for either one. The interview itself was a mix of formal and casual, some of the questions were almost like a conversation. But then, they asked me more dense questions, like which archives I believed I could research during my Ph.D., and how I was planning to link my object of study to a transnational approach. I answered everything and they seemed to have liked my answers. 
Maybe you could prepare yourself for something like that...Try to imagine what troubles you may encounter during your PhD (sources, archives, methodological questions, etc).

Also my two cents based on my interview w/t Berkeley a few days ago. It was a quite formal one (a combination of general questions like "why Berkeley" and "your research's contribution and intervention" and difficult technical questions like "reading strategies of specific sources"). I would say even if you were told it'd be an informal meeting, you could still prepare as if it were a formal interview because you never know. They could still ask you tough questions in an informal chat. One of the benefits of this approach in my opinion is that once you're done with this interview prep, you're essentially well-prepared for other interviews going forward (just need to prepare a bit re specific why X school questions).

[TheWitWitch]

20 minutes ago, 50CentParty said:

I would say even if you were told it'd be an informal meeting, you could still prepare as if it were a formal interview because you never know.

Yes, that is how I feel as well...

[Della]

2 hours ago, TheWitWitch said:

So, I will share my experience with you, maybe it will help. I had an interview at Berkeley. The interview was conducted by two professors, one of whom I had previously spoken to. I didn't know if I should be prepared for a formal or more casual interview, so I studied and was ready for either one. The interview itself was a mix of formal and casual, some of the questions were almost like a conversation. But then, they asked me more dense questions, like which archives I believed I could research during my Ph.D., and how I was planning to link my object of study to a transnational approach. I answered everything and they seemed to have liked my answers. 
Maybe you could prepare yourself for something like that...Try to imagine what troubles you may encounter during your PhD (sources, archives, methodological questions, etc).

Thank you so much for sharing! This is really helpful! 

[Della]

1 hour ago, 50CentParty said:

Also my two cents based on my interview w/t Berkeley a few days ago. It was a quite formal one (a combination of general questions like "why Berkeley" and "your research's contribution and intervention" and difficult technical questions like "reading strategies of specific sources"). I would say even if you were told it'd be an informal meeting, you could still prepare as if it were a formal interview because you never know. They could still ask you tough questions in an informal chat. One of the benefits of this approach in my opinion is that once you're done with this interview prep, you're essentially well-prepared for other interviews going forward (just need to prepare a bit re specific why X school questions).

Noted! I'll try my best to prepare for the toughest questions I can image (hopefully it won't be that difficult) Thank you very much!

[kimedieval]

I don't know if anyone who is stalking but not commenting applied to Notre Dame, but the graduate director has said that faculty is currently reading applications individually. 

Question for more experienced people/anyone in a program currently: The History program I applied for had to cancel a medieval history class this semester because they didn't have enough medievalists to support it... Does that bode well for me as a medievalist? (The Medieval Studies program, which is my dream, doesn't have a lot of history subfield people, either) 

[50CentParty]

To whoever posting the UC Irvine interview on the results page: I know someone who went through the same process last year and has information re the interview to share. Please DM me if you're interested.

[flowersofindia]

to the person who received the stanford history invite-- when did you receive it?

[Prophecies]

Ended up not applying for a Masters in history. Spending this year travelling (Turkey and France) while hopefully getting work experience.

 

Best of luck, everyone!

[dr. t]

On 1/18/2023 at 3:32 PM, kimedieval said:

Question for more experienced people/anyone in a program currently: The History program I applied for had to cancel a medieval history class this semester because they didn't have enough medievalists to support it... Does that bode well for me as a medievalist? (The Medieval Studies program, which is my dream, doesn't have a lot of history subfield people, either) 

ND is one of the few schools wealthy enough to have a medieval studies center, but there aren't generally that many medievalists in any specific subdiscipline at any one school. It's not something that should worry you about ND, but it is something that should worry you when it comes to the state of academic employment. If you can tolerate South Bend for 7 years, though, you're probably pretty immune to suffering.

[50CentParty]

20 hours ago, timurdidnothingwrong said:

to the person who received the stanford history invite-- when did you receive it?

For Stanford, also curious in terms of do they do interview for all fields or it depends on individual field/faculty?

[mb08]

Hi! This is my first cycle so kind of confused about the timelines. Any info about interviews from the Ivies? Especially Yale?

[orcinusorca]

47 minutes ago, mb08 said:

Hi! This is my first cycle so kind of confused about the timelines. Any info about interviews from the Ivies? Especially Yale?

I'm curious about the Ivies too! 

[50CentParty]

1 hour ago, orcinusorca said:

I'm curious about the Ivies too! 

Received Columbia‘s rejection a few days ago. I’d assume if you don’t hear back by now, it’s a good sign at least.

[delirious]

2 hours ago, mb08 said:

Hi! This is my first cycle so kind of confused about the timelines. Any info about interviews from the Ivies? Especially Yale?

My understanding is that Harvard doesn't interview, whereas Yale interviews all finalists. As there is only one Yale interview on the results page, I'd assume most invitations have not been sent out -- I'm expecting a flood of posts when they are. But that's just my suspicion. 

[sktlab]

3 hours ago, delirious said:

My understanding is that Harvard doesn't interview, whereas Yale interviews all finalists. As there is only one Yale interview on the results page, I'd assume most invitations have not been sent out -- I'm expecting a flood of posts when they are. But that's just my suspicion. 

do you happen to know when those Yale interview dates are? I have another school wherein interviews indicate finalists, and I haven’t heard anything yet but haven’t seen any updates to my program from anyone. 
 

the dates are coming up in three weeks..and I haven’t heard anything. I’m inclined to believe I was rejected 

[delirious]

53 minutes ago, sktlab said:

do you happen to know when those Yale interview dates are? I have another school wherein interviews indicate finalists, and I haven’t heard anything yet but haven’t seen any updates to my program from anyone. 
 

the dates are coming up in three weeks..and I haven’t heard anything. I’m inclined to believe I was rejected 

I don't know the dates for yale - what's the other school? I may have info. feel free to dm me

[sktlab]

5 minutes ago, delirious said:

I don't know the dates for yale - what's the other school? I may have info. feel free to dm me

Ah thank you, I’m not in history though ha, I’ve just been anxiously scoping out active forums since mine (religion) isn’t fairly active. 
 

ND does have the dual peace studies history track and if those interviews have gone out already, thatd mean i have been rejected as well. 
 

*joint not dual

Edited January 21, 2023 by sktlab

[delirious]

If a specific PhD program only accepts a small cohort (let's say, 5 people), how many do y'all think they interview?

[greenlandsharki]

I recently applied to MA programs in history at the University of Rochester, University of Maryland, Syracuse University, and Binghamton University. I began undergrad as a science major and switched to history in my 3rd year, but those first two years have negatively impacted my gpa. Has anyone figured out how to understand where you stand in regard to your possibility to get into a school? I felt with undergrad I knew exactly which schools were reach and safety, but with grad I have no idea.

Note: Also how do you guys have those fancy little things under your posts that say where you applied and what your results were? I tried making it by putting it in my "About Me" section but it did not show up.

Edited January 21, 2023 by greenlandsharki

[orcinusorca]

Has anyone heard back from Princeton NES? 

[CheckYesJules]

7 hours ago, greenlandsharki said:

Note: Also how do you guys have those fancy little things under your posts that say where you applied and what your results were? I tried making it by putting it in my "About Me" section but it did not show up.

Click on your profile name, then account settings, and then signature.

Also, people who received the interview from Northwestern, what's your subfield?

[vtj1257]

I think it is now the time to dispel the Yale interview myths. Yes, interview is a good sign, but the Yale history department also do interviews when they feel like they want to get more information from you. Interview at Yale GSAS is by no means mandatory. U can check out Yale political science and find out that their grad program does not normally do interviews. So please,... everyone just calm down. 

[dr. t]

Also, getting into Yale means having to live in New Haven ? Really, rejection is the better option.