It Has Begun

[packerboy31489]

I got rejected at Duke today b/c of horrible fit, but I just randomly checked my status for North Carolina State and I was recommended for admission for the MA program. So, at least someone kinda likes me.

[RDX]

I got rejected at Duke today b/c of horrible fit, but I just randomly checked my status for North Carolina State and I was recommended for admission for the MA program. So, at least someone kinda likes me.

I don't know if I should say it's fine or congratulations. But good news is always good news. Hope there would be more to you.

And wish the same for me... I'm getting anxious...

[Henry Hudson]

I didn't get home in time, but apparently had a phone call from Simon Fraser University. No message left.

I know the committee was meeting earlier this week, and I anticipate good news.... but now it'll be a loooong weekend of wondering.

[♀HealthMatters]

Re: Northeastern - I told one of my undergrad professors as they are in the same field. She said he is pretty widely known as a narcissistic a******. And, dear God, yes, my undergrad IS better than Northeastern. By about 50 places in rank. HA!

[♀HealthMatters]

I know I'm the only active user applying to Tennessee, but for those quiet ones reading:

A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from the Graduate Secretary from the dept to let me know I would know 'early to mid-March' as I was being considered for a TAship. I just checked online, and it says that the Graduate CAS is reviewing it -- which means the department said yes (or at least should have). During my visit, they told me that they make the recommendation and then CAS reviews them. So, maybe I get to peace out of my parents house. Finally.

Edited February 5, 2011 by ModUSGirl

[natsteel]

FWIW, I met Stephanie McCurry from UPenn at a symposium last night and she said that they had received 380 applications (of which around 250 were Americanists) and that they planned on taking 14 at the most.

Edited February 5, 2011 by natsteel

[RDX]

I know I'm the only active user applying to Tennessee, but for those quiet ones reading:

A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from the Graduate Secretary from the dept to let me know I would know 'early to mid-March' as I was being considered for a TAship. I just checked online, and it says that the Graduate CAS is reviewing it -- which means the department said yes (or at least should have). During my visit, they told me that they make the recommendation and then CAS reviews them. So, maybe I get to peace out of my parents house. Finally.

Definitely a piece of good news. Congratulations ha

[RDX]

FWIW, I met Stephanie McCurry from UPenn at a symposium last night and she said that they had received 380 applications (of which around 250 were Americanists) and that they planned on taking 14 at the most.

It really sounds like East Asian applicants are not as many as I thought..

[packerboy31489]

I don't know if I should say it's fine or congratulations. But good news is always good news. Hope there would be more to you.

And wish the same for me... I'm getting anxious...

I definitely feel that any good news is exciting. I wasn't torn up over Duke at all. The fit was really horrible. Some of my professors encouraged me to apply even though I felt there wasn't much for me there. I have 7 decisions left and I hope I can get some more good news. This acceptance makes it so my wife can attend Duke Medical School should she be admitted in the coming month. This wait has been excruciating with both of us applying. Best of luck to all. It's a long process and I think the waiting will never stop sucking.

[qbtacoma]

If it makes you feel any better, last year Northeastern's Dr. Brown called me and told suggested I not apply to graduate school ever again. He followed up by telling my that my undergrad institution was 'sub-par, although you write very well.' What a douche. Tuft's letter was quite trite. It was one line with zero sense of apology.

So this dude thinks that pedigree is more important than merit, huh? Ass.

Speaking of oodles of Americanists, I wish that I had decided to be a history major way earlier than I did. I would have taken a lot more Latin America classes and would have done, well, almost everything differently. I feel like I got pigeonholed into US history by the existing system/not enough time to consider my options, and I suspect that a lot of other Americanists would also choose another geographic area if available. At my undergrad, we had a huge number of fabulous US and European professors, but only one East Asian historian and one Latin Americanist. There was not one class in any department devoted to Africa. It sucks. And when I get my degree I'm going to contribute to the imbalance of the system, or be out of a job. Gah!

[kotov]

If it makes you feel any better, last year Northeastern's Dr. Brown called me and told suggested I not apply to graduate school ever again. He followed up by telling my that my undergrad institution was 'sub-par, although you write very well.' What a douche. Tuft's letter was quite trite. It was one line with zero sense of apology.

Pretty funny, considering what a shithole Northeastern is.

[TMP]

If it makes you feel any better, last year Northeastern's Dr. Brown called me and told suggested I not apply to graduate school ever again. He followed up by telling my that my undergrad institution was 'sub-par, although you write very well.' What a douche. Tuft's letter was quite trite. It was one line with zero sense of apology.

Yikes! I know a friend who had applied to Harvard for the PhD and the professor told her that her application was horrible and she shouldn't apply for PhD again. She didn't get anywhere that year so she re-applied, with a new list of schools. Got in somewhere and now she's the first to do her comps in her cohort. That ought to show him... that she can still succeed.

Also, remember professors are really socially awkward people. So as long as you check in with someone else about this professor's reputation, his/her statements really mean nothing! But given the position you were in last year at the time he said it to you, I can only imagine how painful it was.

FWIW, I met Stephanie McCurry from UPenn at a symposium last night and she said that they had received 380 applications (of which around 250 were Americanists) and that they planned on taking 14 at the most.

YIKES!!!! I agree with another poster... I do sometimes wish I had more time and opportunity to explore another field and get serious about the languages. I have actually been suggested a few times during 2010 cycle to do Latin America because of my Spanish (not fluent at all...but can read it reasonably). But without some serious understanding of what's happening in Latin American history field, I just couldn't apply for Latin America. I suppose that if I was willing to take off 2 years to brush up my Spanish and do some serious readings, I could have pulled it off. But no, I think my Latin American history classes gave me some tools in which I could apply to U.S. history to provide a different lens. In any case, Latin America would be one of my secondary fields if I can.

[EricaMarie]

FWIW, I met Stephanie McCurry from UPenn at a symposium last night and she said that they had received 380 applications (of which around 250 were Americanists) and that they planned on taking 14 at the most.

That sound you hear? That's the sound of my hope flying away.

...I'm starting to think this was a bad idea.

I decided to be an early Americanist from the outset. I wasn't pigeonholed into it at all. Once I settled on history as my undergrad major, I knew I would be doing early American history, because that's what has always called to me.

However, realizing that maybe 5% of applicants to UPenn would be accepted, I'm not feeling very optimistic about my choices in life.

Maybe I should have gone for that MLS after all...

[thepoorstockinger]

I was told explicitly that it would be a problem for me to get in at UI because the overwhelming majority of their best candidates apply to do American history and only about half of their incoming cohort each year is planned to be Americanists. The way I look at it is that it's best to get weeded out now if I can't stand out rather than wait seven years when I go looking for a job.

The thing that sucks for me is that in Canada very few people do modern US history. At my undergrad institution they never even offered a post-reconstruction survey course and I decided to become a modern Americanist based on my own reading and some comparative course work. If I get rejected across the board this year I might switch things up and apply in Canada as a Canadianist next round in addition to some US schools.

Of course, the flip side is that there are fewer spots and fewer strong departments for non-Americanists. This is a tough process for everyone for various reasons. Congrats to those who have gotten acceptances so far and best of luck to the rest of us still waiting.

[my future is history]

That sound you hear? That's the sound of my hope flying away.

...I'm starting to think this was a bad idea.

I decided to be an early Americanist from the outset. I wasn't pigeonholed into it at all. Once I settled on history as my undergrad major, I knew I would be doing early American history, because that's what has always called to me.

However, realizing that maybe 5% of applicants to UPenn would be accepted, I'm not feeling very optimistic about my choices in life.

Maybe I should have gone for that MLS after all...

Try not to despair too much. There's a big difference between accepting 14 applicants and aiming for an incoming cohort of 14, and I suspect that these are being conflated here. My guess would be that accepting 14 applicants would yield a cohort of 5, which seems too small...

[roarie]

Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know that I just heard back from Penn ancient history. Again, I think they work their numbers apart from the history department, but just a heads up that :

1. Ball is rolling in Penn humanities

2. They may, in fact, contact you over the weekend.

[StrangeLight]

The thing that sucks for me is that in Canada very few people do modern US history. At my undergrad institution they never even offered a post-reconstruction survey course and I decided to become a modern Americanist based on my own reading and some comparative course work. If I get rejected across the board this year I might switch things up and apply in Canada as a Canadianist next round in addition to some US schools.

where did you go for undergrad? i was at UBC and, even though i didn't do US history courses, i feel like 2th century US was always on offer.

[qbtacoma]

where did you go for undergrad? i was at UBC and, even though i didn't do US history courses, i feel like 2th century US was always on offer.

I hope so - UBC is one of the schools I am most excited about!

[StrangeLight]

oh, and i meant 20th century, not 2th. the twoth century? tooth century?

UBC's cool. a few of my friends from undergrad are doing the masters' program, so i know you'll have a couple quality people to hang out with, if you go there.

[thepoorstockinger]

where did you go for undergrad? i was at UBC and, even though i didn't do US history courses, i feel like 2th century US was always on offer.

My undergrad was a medium sized university on the east coast. I don't really want to give specifics.

During my five years there the 20th century Americanist was on sabbatical for one year and leave for another year and they never hired an LTA to replace her. When she was teaching she taught almost exclusively American diplomatic history courses. Like I said, no 20th century courses offered at all the whole time I was there. I didn't mean to suggest that it was common for Canadian universities to do this, but it was my own personal experience.

[natsteel]

That sound you hear? That's the sound of my hope flying away.

...I'm starting to think this was a bad idea.

I decided to be an early Americanist from the outset. I wasn't pigeonholed into it at all. Once I settled on history as my undergrad major, I knew I would be doing early American history, because that's what has always called to me.

However, realizing that maybe 5% of applicants to UPenn would be accepted, I'm not feeling very optimistic about my choices in life.

Maybe I should have gone for that MLS after all...

Relax, Erica... Perhaps I should not have posted that. But, in reality, it's probably similar numbers to Penn's previous years and similar to many of the other top departments. I, too, am one who chose early America (or rather it chose me in some strange way). Also, keep in mind that they want to enroll 5% not admit 5%. If they are aiming at, say, 15 students, they will likely make 25-30 offers of admission.

[KScrooge]

Also, remember professors are really socially awkward people. So as long as you check in with someone else about this professor's reputation, his/her statements really mean nothing!

Ever wonder at what point in the process grad students cross over to the dark side of social awkwardness?? Maybe there's a trend where the socially awkward have a greater success rate in achieving PhDs. Or maybe it's just a prereq...

Anyway a little birdie told me Rutgers is getting things moving as well.

[roarie]

Also, keep in mind that they want to enroll 5% not admit 5%. If they are aiming at, say, 15 students, they will likely make 25-30 offers of admission.

My understanding is that since 2008 when Penn lost 15% of its endowment, they only make as many offers as they have slots and place everyone else on the wait-list.

With that said, good luck!

[StrangeLight]

also, at schools that had greater yield of enrollments than they had anticipated (e.g. they offered 20 spots hoping 10 would accept but 16 or 17 enrolled) in previous years, they will often only offer as many spaces as they have funding. so if they want 14 students, they offer 14 spots, and encourage those students to decide faster than usual so they can move to the waitlist.

but, honestly... for the "big" programs that attract hundreds of applications, a 5% acceptance rate is not unheard of. before "this economy," 10% was probably more likely than 5%, but the odds have never been that good (in the last 20 years, anyway).

[natsteel]

Very true, StrangeLight and roarie. I was trying to make Erica feel better by making a general statement, not based on any other inside knowledge. We've been hearing the trouble Wisconsin got in when way more admits accepted than they had anticipated. Either way, McCurry did suggest that they planned on enrolling fewer students this year than in years past.