Indiana University

[kotov]

Has anyone heard anything? I know there are quite a few people here who applied, but I haven't seen more than a couple of results posted yet. I mean, I know I'm going to get rejected really hard, but I'd still like to know soon.

[Langoustine]

I'm waiting for IU too, so far for my field there have only been 2 rejections.

[Melissa33]

Also applied to Indiana and haven't heard anything. Same with Central Michigan - when did you interview?

I have an acceptance at one of my top choices so at least I am not in panic mode, but it still hurts to see acceptances on the results board for schools on my list!

[HistoryGrizzly]

Saw a few acceptances, and then a few people accepted for an MA who applied for a PhD. Don't know what to make of any of it.

I'd kind of like to know soon though. I have to drive down to Bloomington to do some research at IU, and I'd like to kill two birds with one stone and meet with some people while I'm there, but I don't have the time to waste if I don't have a shot.

[TMP]

Saw a few acceptances, and then a few people accepted for an MA who applied for a PhD. Don't know what to make of any of it.

I'd kind of like to know soon though. I have to drive down to Bloomington to do some research at IU, and I'd like to kill two birds with one stone and meet with some people while I'm there, but I don't have the time to waste if I don't have a shot.

I double-DARE you to walk in the history department and ask the people yourself. DOUBLE-DARE!

I was in the city last year during the week that the school was sending out decisions. And... I wimped out.

[HistoryGrizzly]

I'm taking the wussy way out. I'm emailing someone in the department I know.

[BH-history]

I am waiting on Indiana, so far nothing, no e-mails. I am a bit worried that they did not send my papers to the history department... oh well, lets wait and see (a little bit more)

[kotov]

Also applied to Indiana and haven't heard anything. Same with Central Michigan - when did you interview?

I have an acceptance at one of my top choices so at least I am not in panic mode, but it still hurts to see acceptances on the results board for schools on my list!

I had an informal interview with a professor (Dr. Johnson) on Saturday, just kinda talking about research interests and stuff. Nothing too specific, except talking about funding info and language study. He said they'd start looking at applications and discussing them on Thursday. I'm going to email him this weekend and see what happened and what kind of shape I'm in. He said there are forty-some-odd applicants for 6-8 spots. What field are you in and who do you want to work with?

[Langoustine]

I double-DARE you to walk in the history department and ask the people yourself. DOUBLE-DARE!

I was in the city last year during the week that the school was sending out decisions. And... I wimped out.

Whoops just realized I am in a History thread but yeah, DO IT DO IT!

[Melissa33]

I had an informal interview with a professor (Dr. Johnson) on Saturday, just kinda talking about research interests and stuff. Nothing too specific, except talking about funding info and language study. He said they'd start looking at applications and discussing them on Thursday. I'm going to email him this weekend and see what happened and what kind of shape I'm in. He said there are forty-some-odd applicants for 6-8 spots. What field are you in and who do you want to work with?

I corresponded with Dr. Johnson in December about working with him with a primary focus on Roma under the Third Reich - my field is Romani Studies, but I also have an interest in World War II and the former Yugoslavia (my MA thesis is on nationalism in Kosovo and the Roma). They aren't taking very many PhD students at all this round. I think that is awesome that you had an interview and is surely a positive sign. Best of luck!!

[kotov]

I corresponded with Dr. Johnson in December about working with him with a primary focus on Roma under the Third Reich - my field is Romani Studies, but I also have an interest in World War II and the former Yugoslavia (my MA thesis is on nationalism in Kosovo and the Roma). They aren't taking very many PhD students at all this round. I think that is awesome that you had an interview and is surely a positive sign. Best of luck!!

I'm interested in looking at official Holocaust denial under the Ceausescu regime and the cultural memory of the Holocaust in Romania. I'm sure your stats are better than mine; he said he hadn't actually looked at my application. He was just talking about his ideas relating to my topic and the people in the department who could work with me on it, in addition to himself. Where else did you apply other than Indiana and CMU?

[amberanna]

I heard through a relatively reliable source that Indiana had 350 applicants for 10 PhD slots (in the entire department, not just in one field).

I can imagine it's taking awhile to sort through all of them...but I'm still going to be preemptively depressed.

[Melissa33]

I'm interested in looking at official Holocaust denial under the Ceausescu regime and the cultural memory of the Holocaust in Romania. I'm sure your stats are better than mine; he said he hadn't actually looked at my application. He was just talking about his ideas relating to my topic and the people in the department who could work with me on it, in addition to himself. Where else did you apply other than Indiana and CMU?

Your topic sounds interesting, but equally difficult to find a good mentor and develop well the language requirements? I am guessing you have the latter covered!

I applied to (and was accepted at) Florida State, which was one of my top choices given the excellent faculty, also Indiana and Central Michigan. My MA is in sociology and I applied to Illinois-Urbana for sociology specifically because of the faculty strength in SE Europe. I also had a backup school if all else failed! Given my narrow field, I chose schools based on faculty and then on my correspondence with them. My stats are not stellar at all. I have a 3.9 GPA (advanced stats killed me), one conference presentation and an awful GRE that was just barely over 1000 (I hate that damn test). I'm sure I had excellent letters of recommendation and I studied a year in Prague, so I hope helps to negate the nasty score!

I am going to guess those few spots will be funded? Did he say anything about that?

Don't we all just wish we had a crystal ball to see where we will be next year this time?

[TMP]

I had an informal interview with a professor (Dr. Johnson) on Saturday, just kinda talking about research interests and stuff. Nothing too specific, except talking about funding info and language study. He said they'd start looking at applications and discussing them on Thursday. I'm going to email him this weekend and see what happened and what kind of shape I'm in. He said there are forty-some-odd applicants for 6-8 spots. What field are you in and who do you want to work with?

Don't. Don't contact him. The ball is now back in his court. Unless he specifically asks you to contact him again after Thursday, don't make any contacts. Even if you're on first-name basis.

[kotov]

Don't. Don't contact him. The ball is now back in his court. Unless he specifically asks you to contact him again after Thursday, don't make any contacts. Even if you're on first-name basis.

He specifically told me to. I promise I wouldn't be the clingy, needy girlfriend otherwise. I'm not that anxious. He wanted to talk after he had seen my application and stuff.

Edited February 16, 2011 by kotov

[kotov]

Your topic sounds interesting, but equally difficult to find a good mentor and develop well the language requirements? I am guessing you have the latter covered!

I applied to (and was accepted at) Florida State, which was one of my top choices given the excellent faculty, also Indiana and Central Michigan. My MA is in sociology and I applied to Illinois-Urbana for sociology specifically because of the faculty strength in SE Europe. I also had a backup school if all else failed! Given my narrow field, I chose schools based on faculty and then on my correspondence with them. My stats are not stellar at all. I have a 3.9 GPA (advanced stats killed me), one conference presentation and an awful GRE that was just barely over 1000 (I hate that damn test). I'm sure I had excellent letters of recommendation and I studied a year in Prague, so I hope helps to negate the nasty score!

I am going to guess those few spots will be funded? Did he say anything about that?

Don't we all just wish we had a crystal ball to see where we will be next year this time?

Yeah, I speak Romanian alright and can read well enough to do research -- it's not a hard language; it's closely related to Spanish, Italian and French. Also working on German, as it's waaaaaay behind where it should be if I want to study the Holocaust. And yeah, everyone who gets into the Ph.D. program gets 4 years of funding, including a fellowship to study overseas for a year. He was telling me about the opportunities that you could have to get funding for language study and made that sound as though it were routine too -- I can only hope. I had considered Florida State but decided not to as the prof I wanted to work with wasn't taking students. I applied to IU and CMU, plus Clark (Holocaust/Genocide Studies -- some of the big names in the field are there + 5 yrs. funding...only 2-4 spots though), then to Auburn (perfunctory application to my alma mater, where I know who would work with me), South Carolina because it's closer to home for me and is an alright program, and then Ohio and North Texas (MA programs) on the basis of good correspondence with professors. I also went through a phase where I was uber-depressed about my chances and applied to a few terminal MA programs (Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Youngstown State -- the latter actually has academic resources that are very useful to the student of the Holocaust and I've been offered a chance to work on a research project there...but it's still not my first choice obviously) and got into all of those. So, yeah. It was my first time around (hopefully only) and it showed. My GPA is mediocre (3.9 in history, 3.5 overall), but my GRE scores were good and my letters and statement were strong...I hope they like my sample; it's on a pretty contemporary subject though...I feel okay about my chances at Central Michigan, especially since Dr. Johnson showed interest in my work. Guess we'll see. Best of luck to you with that -- doubt I'll be the one providing the competition.

[Melissa33]

I feel okay about my chances at Central Michigan, especially since Dr. Johnson showed interest in my work. Guess we'll see. Best of luck to you with that -- doubt I'll be the one providing the competition.

I am going to guess it was Gellately at FSU? I am interested in working with Dr. Stoltzfus there. you definitely have an edge having already acquired Romanian language skills. I'm half way decent at Czech and starting on BCS (Bosnian-Serb-Croatian). I should get around to German one day.... I understand Dr. Johnson speaks four languages, including German. I'm just too old to learn languages!

With so few spots and full funding at Central Michigan, i'm not feeling very confident. I think the year abroad is a real plus and should be a requirement of any graduate program!

do keep us posted!

[Melissa33]

Don't. Don't contact him. The ball is now back in his court. Unless he specifically asks you to contact him again after Thursday, don't make any contacts. Even if you're on first-name basis.

I totally disagree with this. When a professor asks you to follow up, most definitely absolutely positively follow up!! Also, I've been told by reliable sources (aka com professors) if you are in contact before and during the application process, follow up around committee meeting time, even if just to ask that everything was received.

[TMP]

I totally disagree with this. When a professor asks you to follow up, most definitely absolutely positively follow up!! Also, I've been told by reliable sources (aka com professors) if you are in contact before and during the application process, follow up around committee meeting time, even if just to ask that everything was received.

Kotov had never said anything about the professor asking him to follow up, just that s/he would call the professor. Then kotov corrected me. Of course, if someone asked me to follow up at a later date, I would. Otherwise, it's best to sit tight for a while.

[HistoryGrizzly]

Anyone call or email IU in the last few weeks to see what's happening? Haven't seen a peep on the results page, and nothing from the school itself. Starting to get on into March now, I thought we'd hear something back at this point.

[HistoryGrizzly]

I'm calling up to IU tomorrow to see what's up. Other than the rush of rejections a week or two ago, I haven't heard a peep out of them.

[HistoryGrizzly]

I called.

They said that I should hear back before April 15 at the latest, though, probably sooner, and perhaps even in the next two weeks. Good to know they're at least alive over there, but man, I never thought I was going to have to wait until April for the last result. They said I was among the "ranked candidates," whatever that means. What rank am I? Big difference between first and 20th when they only have so many spots open.

Assuming some day they'll send me an acceptance, how would I even have time to get down to the campus and visit? Precious little time between now and April 15, when other schools are demanding I make a decision.

[katie1421]

I called.

They said that I should hear back before April 15 at the latest, though, probably sooner, and perhaps even in the next two weeks. Good to know they're at least alive over there, but man, I never thought I was going to have to wait until April for the last result. They said I was among the "ranked candidates," whatever that means. What rank am I? Big difference between first and 20th when they only have so many spots open.

Assuming some day they'll send me an acceptance, how would I even have time to get down to the campus and visit? Precious little time between now and April 15, when other schools are demanding I make a decision.

Thanks for this information! I was starting to wonder if I was ever going be hearing anything from them.

Agreed that April seems very late for notification. I wouldn't really want to attend Indiana without ever having seen the campus, so at this point I think I'm just writing it off. Thanks again for making the call and sharing the info!