History Admissions 2009

[pawnee68502]

Kudos, pawnee. Hope your good news today is just the beginning!

Thanks Nicolay! Those double rejections yesterday from Yale/Minnesota were brutal. It sounds like UCSB and Stanford may be out next? Thanks to the Stanford "insider" on the board--are you a grad student liason at Stanford? Just wondering how you have the inside scoop!

[hazelmoor]

Thanks to the Stanford "insider" on the board--are you a grad student liason at Stanford? Just wondering how you have the inside scoop!

No, I'm not a grad student liaison. We first-years had a meeting with the Director of Graduate Studies yesterday to discuss how our first year's going and to prepare for our Spring Review. One of the things we talked about was the economic situation of the university & dept. Someone asked whether the economy had affected the size of this year's admitted cohort, and that's when the DGS said that the decisions were made last week and that notifications were going out.

If you guys have any questions about Stanford, or about the app process in general, feel free to get in touch w/me. I definitely know how stressful this month is, and since I applied to WAY more schools last year than I needed to, I do have (year-old) experience with some schools' admit-reject dates/means of notification/etc. I'm only really here at the moment because I'm procrastinating, lol, but I'm always happy to talk to prospectives (and to admits! I'm really hoping to get an admit in my field. )

[drafted]

Stanford's letting in far fewer than normal. 12-14 admits to yield a class of 9-10.

[hazelmoor]

Stanford's letting in far fewer than normal. 12-14 admits to yield a class of 9-10.

That's "far fewer" than this year's cohort (we have 20), yes, but only slightly smaller than

[misterpat]

Congrats to all! I'm sorry to all the Yale admits... that definitely has to hurt more than seeing that slew of Penn rejects last year. (My goodness, am I really that scarred for life? :oops: )

Update on Michigan according to my prof: "It's mad crazy, it's hair-raising! Professors are fighting with each other... we're turning away so many excellent candidates.. it's just insane that we have 370 applications for 35 invites to yield about 18 people!"

End of story. Sounds to me that Michigan's going to take a little longer this year.

Haha I hope I'm one of the students being fought for, though I suspect I'm more likely to be in the "turned away" pile. At least I can stop checking their website for a couple of weeks.

[synthla]

...I'm the UC Davis admit from today. Was good news to hear after the bloodbath that was yesterday. Here's to more news tomorrow! :wink:

Congrats! I'm also a UC Davis applicant... after I saw your admit on the results page, I checked the application website and now see that there is a "status" page where there was none before. Is your admit reflected there too? All of my application materials are listed, with a date/time stamp showing they were just posted on the system this afternoon (though received long ago), so this status page must be a pretty new addition. Have you visited the campus?

[synthla]

For the UCSB people out there, I did find out today that there are acceptances still being processed, so not having heard anything at this point is not necessarily a bad thing. However, also learned that the number of admits is being cut from previous years, with the expectation that there will be a higher than average yield among those admits.

[misterpat]

For the UCSB people out there, I did find out today that there are acceptances still being processed, so not having heard anything at this point is not necessarily a bad thing. However, also learned that the number of admits is being cut from previous years, with the expectation that there will be a higher than average yield among those admits.

That's somewhat of a relief to know. Hooray for real information.

[rwcole39]

Hello-

Just wondering-- do most of the graduate programs in history have "Prospective Student Weekends" similar to what NYU is having next weekend?

[hazelmoor]

Hello-

Just wondering-- do most of the graduate programs in history have "Prospective Student Weekends" similar to what NYU is having next weekend?

I don't know what NYU is doing -- is this the same as Admit Weekend, or is it for everyone who's applied? Everywhere I was admitted last year had Admit Weekends (or Weekdays), and I know we're having one this year. I didn't encounter anywhere where they had an Applicants' Weekend, although some places said I was welcome to drop by if I wanted to meet faculty or something (I didn't).

[rwcole39]

I don't know what NYU is doing -- is this the same as Admit Weekend, or is it for everyone who's applied? Everywhere I was admitted last year had Admit Weekends (or Weekdays), and I know we're having one this year. I didn't encounter anywhere where they had an Applicants' Weekend, although some places said I was welcome to drop by if I wanted to meet faculty or something (I didn't).

It's sort of a mysterious thing. The e-mail said that they had "strong interest" in my application and they are paying for travel, lodging, and food during the weekend's events. But they also said that they would be making their final admissions decisions soon thereafter. So it's like a combination of Admit Weekend and Applicants' Weekend...

[feisty]

I just heard from Berkeley. Accepted with funding. By email, at 10:30pm (NYC time--so 7:30 in CA).

Totally unexpected.

[pawnee68502]

Congrats! I'm also a UC Davis applicant... after I saw your admit on the results page, I checked the application website and now see that there is a "status" page where there was none before. Is your admit reflected there too? All of my application materials are listed, with a date/time stamp showing they were just posted on the system this afternoon (though received long ago), so this status page must be a pretty new addition. Have you visited the campus?

Hm. I hadn't been checking the application website either. I did just now and it doesn't reflect my admission status. It just lists a few things (like transcripts and ref's) received. Like yours, it seems to have been updated today. Sorry that doesn't help much.

I haven't visited the Davis campus, though my husband has been there a few times, and really loves it. I've heard great things. Though coming from a midwest winter, it sometimes doesn't take much....

Though I doubt any of us here aren't doing so, just a friendly reminder to check those junk mail folders (or spam filter, whatever) the email I received today from Davis had been deposited in my "trash".

[synthla]

Hm. I hadn't been checking the application website either. I did just now and it doesn't reflect my admission status. It just lists a few things (like transcripts and ref's) received. Like yours, it seems to have been updated today. Sorry that doesn't help much.

I haven't visited the Davis campus, though my husband has been there a few times, and really loves it. I've heard great things. Though coming from a midwest winter, it sometimes doesn't take much....

Though I doubt any of us here aren't doing so, just a friendly reminder to check those junk mail folders (or spam filter, whatever) the email I received today from Davis had been deposited in my "trash".

That's helpful actually; thanks for the information. I live in Southern California, but I like Davis as well. It feels very midwestern (Sacramento area has that feel generally due to all the agriculture), but the weather is definitely better than the midwest (as you expect), and you're close to the Bay Area.

And I'll second your recommendation on the junk mail... I've found school correspondence there before as well. I certainly wouldn't mind finding more... :wink:

[synthla]

I just heard from Berkeley. Accepted with funding. By email, at 10:30pm (NYC time--so 7:30 in CA).

Totally unexpected.

That's great, congratulations! Why unexpected? Seems like you applied to uniformly well-respected schools... don't undersell yourself.

[earlyamerican]

I just heard from Berkeley. Accepted with funding. By email, at 10:30pm (NYC time--so 7:30 in CA).

Totally unexpected.

Holy shit. Seriously? In history? Did you post that on the results page? I didn't see it.

Currently crapping myself. Berkeley is my one option where I don't have to haul husband, cat and thousands of books across the country.

Shit shit shit, shit, shit.

Who emailed you? A professor? Barbara? I really want to go to the Obama talk sponsored by history tomorrow night but I don't want to make an ass of myself. I know one of the profs from when he was a grad student, and he's awesome, and I have a total Obama fixation, so. I swear it's not a brownnosing endeavor.

OMG, I'm dying now.

[earlyamerican]

Oh. My. Effing. God.

Thank Effing God, your post made me check my spam box on the off hope of notification.

I'm f&cking admitted.

Oh. My. Effing. God.

[hazelmoor]

Oh. My. Effing. God.

Thank Effing God, your post made me check my spam box on the off hope of notification.

I'm f&cking admitted.

Oh. My. Effing. God.

This post made me so happy for you! Congratulations!!

[riss287]

Y'all people suck!!! (In the nicest way possible, of course;)) I haven't heard a darn thing AND I check my spam folder just as much as my regular inbox! Bah!!!!!!!!!!!!

On a side note, I'm happy for you all

[pawnee68502]

Thank Effing God, your post made me check my spam box on the off hope of notification.

See! Check those junk mail folders!!!!

I'm f&cking admitted.

Oh. My. Effing. God.

Congrats!!!!!!!

[slawkenbergius]

Congratulations to you all, that's really fantastic news. I wanted to apply, but was put off by the early deadline...now I'm jealous.

[futurePhD]

Y'all people suck!!! (In the nicest way possible, of course;)) I haven't heard a darn thing AND I check my spam folder just as much as my regular inbox! Bah!!!!!!!!!!!!

On a side note, I'm happy for you all

Don't worry, I'm in the exact same boat, except I've actually had one rejection. Time to take a sleeping pill and pray for good news tomorrow!

[earlyamerican]

You guys, I feel for you. I got rejected HARD last year, so I I've had no sense of where i stood, even though I knew I had a good application. My little sister is also applying to PhD programs (not in history) and now that I know I'm safe, all I care about is her getting admitted and funded. Everyone else can reject me; I'm going somewhere. In my happy fantasy land mind, I want everyone to get in. But I really just want my sister to get in. I haven't told her about this website because she'll lose her mind. But I'm checking all of her programs all the time.

Crossing my fingers for everyone.

[riss287]

You guys, I feel for you. I got rejected HARD last year, so I I've had no sense of where i stood, even though I knew I had a good application. My little sister is also applying to PhD programs (not in history) and now that I know I'm safe, all I care about is her getting admitted and funded. Everyone else can reject me; I'm going somewhere. In my happy fantasy land mind, I want everyone to get in. But I really just want my sister to get in. I haven't told her about this website because she'll lose her mind. But I'm checking all of her programs all the time.

Crossing my fingers for everyone.

That's so sweet! I'm basically on my own. No relatives/friends going to graduate school, so I'm in my own little freak out world! As long as I go somehwere I'll be happy. My top choice already said decisions won't be until late March, so, a lot more waiting for that one, but still. I don't want a rejection just to hear something...but still.

[Nicolay]

Congrats to all you lucky Berkeley admits!! I'm glad you got some unexpected after hours good news. We will hope the good luck for Grad Cafe folks continues.