It Has Begun

[qbtacoma]

I really appreciate you sharing this, datroy. Sorry to hear the bad news.

I must say, this is terrifying- and something I am really worried about hearing from my top choice as well. Everywhere seems to have funding issues, and European/American history is far from trendy (sadly, it is also what I love).

Anyone else wish we could go back a few decades to a time when the competition was lower, western history was marketable, and the economy didn’t suck?

Yeah, I'd like to go back to that time when you could just apply to any program you wanted and get in with no problem, and you could afford it, and then shortly after finishing your degree you could own your own house.

I am sad, but not surprised, to hear about Wisconsin's situation.

[natsteel]

The thought that news is imminent is rather unsettling, isn't it?

FWIW, in the last two years, Yale's initial acceptances were notified on the 5th and 6th of February. So, if they hold true to form, the lucky ones might begin hearing from them in around 2 weeks or so.

[RDX]

I posted the Yale rejection just a bit ago. Here's the email:

I write with disappointing news. The history department's East Asia wing met today, and, because the PhD pool is so competitive, we realized that we will not be able to offer you admission to our Ph.D. program.

I am writing to ask if you would give us permission to transfer your file to the MA program in East Asian Studies. This is a completely separate admissions pool, in which we think that your application would be competitive. Unlike our PhD program, the MA pool is not able to give all students a stipend or a tuition waiver, but it does offer the top applicants a handful of fellowships every year.

One year of study at Yale will give you a chance to do more language work. Many of our MAs have been admitted to Yale or to other top graduate programs.

If, on the other hand, you have been admitted to a PhD program elsewhere, you may decide that it is best not to apply for our MA.

If you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them by email or on the phone

I already have a fully funded MA offer elsewhere, so unless I get funding this isn't even a consideration, but I asked to have my application forwarded anyway, just to see. On the bright side, this means they're looking at everyone's applications, right? Good luck to everyone still in the running!

Sorry to hear your bad news.

I feel quite uncertain now about what that can mean to me, or nothing at all. Applied to Yale's East Asia wing as well.

[kyjin]

Wow, what a small world. I'm an IUC grad, Summer 2010. Do you happen to know 秋澤先生？できれば「推薦状を書いて下さいましてありがとうございます」と伝えてくれませんでしょうか？（笑 He would know who it was from ^^

Anyways, good luck with the other schools. The East Asian History world is small, I'm sure I'll run into you in RL sometime...

Sure thing! I'll pass it on when if I see him this week.

And we probably will run into each other at some point. ^^; Good luck to you!

[EricaMarie]

The thought that news is imminent is rather unsettling, isn't it?

Quite. I can only hope it's good news. My mantra has been "just one acceptance with funding." I applied to 8 schools--that's not asking too much, is it?

[Iknownothing]

So, I must share the news with all of my new gradcafe friends. I received an email and phone call from Penn State. They have offered to fly me and two other Americanists out in February. It's an informal acceptance with a guarantee of 5 years funding. I guess they are flying us out there to see if we are comfortable with the department and potential advisors. After that, we will be offered formal admission. Yay! I hope someone else on this forum is one of the other Americanists!

[qbtacoma]

So, I must share the news with all of my new gradcafe friends. I received an email and phone call from Penn State. They have offered to fly me and two other Americanists out in February. It's an informal acceptance with a guarantee of 5 years funding. I guess they are flying us out there to see if we are comfortable with the department and potential advisors. After that, we will be offered formal admission. Yay! I hope someone else on this forum is one of the other Americanists!

Congratulations!

[natsteel]

My mantra has been "just one acceptance with funding." I applied to 8 schools--that's not asking too much, is it?

I feel the same way... I'd genuinely be thrilled to go to any of the schools to which I applied. Come on... ONE!!!

Congratulations on PSU, iknownothing!!!

[history_PhD]

So, I must share the news with all of my new gradcafe friends. I received an email and phone call from Penn State. They have offered to fly me and two other Americanists out in February. It's an informal acceptance with a guarantee of 5 years funding. I guess they are flying us out there to see if we are comfortable with the department and potential advisors. After that, we will be offered formal admission. Yay! I hope someone else on this forum is one of the other Americanists!

Very cool! Congrats!

[history_PhD]

FWIW, in the last two years, Yale's initial acceptances were notified on the 5th and 6th of February. So, if they hold true to form, the lucky ones might begin hearing from them in around 2 weeks or so.

Oh, I know! I've already looked at the past results for the schools that I applied to. Not yet obsessed enough to put the dates in my calendar yet. . . .

[natsteel]

Oh, I know! I've already looked at the past results for the schools that I applied to. Not yet obsessed enough to put the dates in my calendar yet. . . .

Unfortunately, I passed that marker of obsession about a week ago...

[Jdealla]

Unfortunately, I passed that marker of obsession about a week ago...

I think last night was the turning point for me, which was symbolized by the creation of my signature. This countdown and the anticipation are giving me a feeling that is somewhat akin to the feeling I used to get in December as a kid while waiting for Christmas. But back then I knew that I would at least be getting something, even if it wasn't exactly what I wanted. There's no assurance this time around, which makes this feeling something like Christmas' evil cousin.

[EricaMarie]

I'm refusing to look at last year's results page to figure out when I'll know something. I am an individual that obsesses and worries a lot over a lot of stuff. I'd much rather NOT do that with this. If it's meant to be, I'll get in.

[a piece of bread]

The professor from Chicago whom I want to work with called me. Honestly I got very excited for the first two minutes He asked me my first choice in case of more than one acceptance. I answered, "Chicago" . Afterwards he started talking about the funding limits of the school, then asked me whether I can afford myself for the first year of my studies. I said "no, impossible". He said he tries to help me get accepted with funding but other members of the committee may oppose it because my application has a few deficiencies. One of them, I think, is my low GPA in Economics (BA). He is going to call me again if he has something new.

What does this call mean? What should I do? I am about to get acceptance from a lower ranked school.

Edited January 26, 2011 by a piece of bread

[Iknownothing]

The professor from Chicago whom I want to work with called me. Honestly I got very excited for the first two minutes He asked me my first choice in case of more than one acceptance. I answered, "Chicago" . Afterwards he started talking about the funding limits of the school, then asked me whether I can afford myself for the first year of my studies. I said "no, impossible". He said he tries to help me get accepted with funding but other members of the committee may oppose it because my application has a few deficiencies. One of them, I think, is my low GPA in Economics (BA). He is going to call me again if he has something new.

What does this call mean? What should I do? I am about to get acceptance from a lower ranked school.

I think you should take it as a good sign. One, to hear something so soon bodes well for acceptances from other schools. Two, it sounds like your professor is willing to fight for you, which is always good!

[TMP]

The professor from Chicago whom I want to work with called me. Honestly I got very excited for the first two minutes He asked me my first choice in case of more than one acceptance. I answered, "Chicago" . Afterwards he started talking about the funding limits of the school, then asked me whether I can afford myself for the first year of my studies. I said "no, impossible". He said he tries to help me get accepted with funding but other members of the committee may oppose it because my application has a few deficiencies. One of them, I think, is my low GPA in Economics (BA). He is going to call me again if he has something new.

What does this call mean? What should I do? I am about to get acceptance from a lower ranked school.

Absolutely nothing except to sit tight. Just because one professor called, it doesn't mean it'll happen for other schools in terms of getting acceptances. You don't know the politics of all the departments and what they need for next year's co-hort. You should just smile knowing that there is ONE professor who is willing to fight for you... and make an international call! That's impressive.

[EdLearnin']

I got a phone call from American last night saying they needed a copy of my official transcripts (applicants were allowed to upload unofficial ones for now) saying that they needed them for funding/scholarship consideration. While it could merely (and probably) just be a formality, the optimistic side of me is hoping that it's a good sign. Anyone else in this boat or have any insight?

[natsteel]

I got a phone call from American last night saying they needed a copy of my official transcripts (applicants were allowed to upload unofficial ones for now) saying that they needed them for funding/scholarship consideration. While it could merely (and probably) just be a formality, the optimistic side of me is hoping that it's a good sign. Anyone else in this boat or have any insight?

I had a situation at OSU in which my PA emailed me to say that 2 of my LORs were missing and to have my professors email them to him. This morning, my professor emailed me back to say that she had sent it to him and that "he said he hopes he can persuade you to come to Ohio State."

As StrangeLight has said, any information like this is so ambiguous at this stage though and there are SO MANY contingencies at every stage of this highly subjective process, so we really have to take everything with a grain of salt and try not to read too much into these kinds of things. Barring any direct communication (i.e., an offer or promise of an offer), we really can't assume we know anything about what is actually happening. How frustrating is that?

[TMP]

I got a phone call from American last night saying they needed a copy of my official transcripts (applicants were allowed to upload unofficial ones for now) saying that they needed them for funding/scholarship consideration. While it could merely (and probably) just be a formality, the optimistic side of me is hoping that it's a good sign. Anyone else in this boat or have any insight?

I sent all of my official transcripts anyway. So I'm not surprised that I didn't get a call.

[barricades]

The wait is getting ridiculous. I'm constantly checking my emails, and calling my voicemail to see if any messages have been left (I'm out of the country). These are going to be the longest two months....

[EricaMarie]

The wait is getting ridiculous. I'm constantly checking my emails, and calling my voicemail to see if any messages have been left (I'm out of the country). These are going to be the longest two months....

Yes. Yes, they are.

[StrangeLight]

hey man.

i told you guys to log off. trust me. you'll get emails when you get 'em. and even if it's posted on a website 3 days before you get the email that it's been posted on a website, who cares? you don't need to say yes or no to anyone until april 15.

the next three months will crawl if you do this to yourselves. and they'll be really, really unproductive, too. i know it's difficult, but just log off the grad cafe.

[my future is history]

hey man.

i told you guys to log off. trust me. you'll get emails when you get 'em. and even if it's posted on a website 3 days before you get the email that it's been posted on a website, who cares? you don't need to say yes or no to anyone until april 15.

the next three months will crawl if you do this to yourselves. and they'll be really, really unproductive, too. i know it's difficult, but just log off the grad cafe.

This is probably the best advice that's been posted in the history of this forum. The worst place to be, as a high-strung nervous wreck, is a forum full of other high-strung nervous wrecks. It's like a runaway reaction of hysterical resonance.

That being said, I'm a masochist so I'm here lol.

[TMP]

The worst place to be, as a high-strung nervous wreck, is a forum full of other high-strung nervous wrecks. It's like a runaway reaction of hysterical resonance.

I said that in another thread but nobody listened. Nobody listened when I said to relax, departments will be in touch when something's missing. Nobody listens to me at all and I'm a third time applicant.

Seriously, listen to the old-timers like me and StrangeLight, huh? I'm only here to keep you all from becoming disasters, or rather it's just hysterical to watch you all flip-out over every single little thing... only because once you all get into graduate school, you'll very quickly realize that you cannot control every single little thing that goes on because the world isn't about you.

So let me say this explicitly. TOLD YOU ALL SO.

[EricaMarie]

I said that in another thread but nobody listened. Nobody listened when I said to relax, departments will be in touch when something's missing. Nobody listens to me at all and I'm a third time applicant.

Seriously, listen to the old-timers like me and StrangeLight, huh? I'm only here to keep you all from becoming disasters, or rather it's just hysterical to watch you all flip-out over every single little thing... only because once you all get into graduate school, you'll very quickly realize that you cannot control every single little thing that goes on because the world isn't about you.

So let me say this explicitly. TOLD YOU ALL SO.

Unfortunately, you said it in a snarky tone of voice. StrangeLight didn't. It's all well and good that you're a third time applicant--really, I hope you get in somewhere--but for those of us who haven't done this before, it's kind of second nature to worry. It just is. And you telling us "i told you so" just kind of makes you come off as a b**ch. Just saying.

On a similar point, some of us don't have people in our lives that we can talk to about our neuroses, so we come here instead. This is where I can say I go to let off some steam and find others who understand exactly what I'm going through. Telling us "newbies" to just log off is to not take into account the possibility that we need to be here, if for no other reason than solidarity.

Thank you old timers for your advice, but telling us "I told you so" isn't helping.