History Admissions 2009

[curious]

I noticed a Harvard history admissions via phone posted earlier today. I'm wondering if anyone else has heard and whether they are actually releasing results, or this was a personal communication. Thanks in advance for any insight; I imagine several hundred other very nervous people would appreciate it!

[stanford315]

I think, schools should let people know if they are going reject them. I hate to have expectations...while knowing some people got accepted (I'm happy for them, don't take me wrong).

Like U of W-M, my online page remains "pending" forever.

[synthla]

As for the rest, meh. I'm perfectly happy going to Indiana (even if I'm a bit unsure about their placement record); Princeton is my dream school, but it won't notify until late February anyway.

I would be considerably more on edge at this point, were it not for Indiana. I agree on the placement record issue, but everything else I've heard has been great. I'm visiting in the next few weeks - they're picking up all travel expenses even though I did not request it (working full time in a professional field, I feel somewhat dirty asking academia to pick up my airfare but they insisted) and they've been more than friendly. In all reality, Indiana has been my top choice from the beginning from a holistic standpoint - not the highest ranked school to which I applied, but the overall package looked at in its entirety is very attractive to me.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you on Princeton - that would be fantastic!

[Kakirsten]

I would be considerably more on edge at this point, were it not for Indiana. I agree on the placement record issue, but everything else I've heard has been great. I'm visiting in the next few weeks - they're picking up all travel expenses even though I did not request it (working full time in a professional field, I feel somewhat dirty asking academia to pick up my airfare but they insisted) and they've been more than friendly. In all reality, Indiana has been my top choice from the beginning from a holistic standpoint - not the highest ranked school to which I applied, but the overall package looked at in its entirety is very attractive to me.

This is how I feel about OSU now... not the most highly ranked school, but one of only a couple of schools where my interests coincided extremely well with the faculty. Plus, a 90% (!) placement rate, and they have been fantastic every time I've contacted either the department or the grad school. Treating you well after you've groveled at their feet goes a long way.

[synthla]

This is how I feel about OSU now... not the most highly ranked school, but one of only a couple of schools where my interests coincided extremely well with the faculty. Plus, a 90% (!) placement rate, and they have been fantastic every time I've contacted either the department or the grad school. Treating you well after you've groveled at their feet goes a long way.

I complete agree on the post-acceptance treatment. And placement is certainly a concern and I don't mean to downplay it (and you don't need to worry it sounds like!), but at least in part you have to be doing grad school for its own sake and as an ends itself because the subject is something you are obsessed with; otherwise, how do you get through 7+ years? And if you're not going to enjoy it on it's own terms, there are certainly more sure-fire ways of getting a stable job.

[atomnc]

Take this all with a grain of salt, but I just spoke with a professor who is in the History Dept. at Stanford (and has a joint appointment in the Law School, thus my contact) and was informed that all decisions were sent out last week. Maybe there was miscommunication and it was simply that the decisions were made last week, we'll see. But it looks like if you haven't been admitted yet, it's a WL or deny. (And I'm in the same boat, so no gloating. Kind of disappointed.)

[slawkenbergius]

Take this all with a grain of salt, but I just spoke with a professor who is in the History Dept. at Stanford (and has a joint appointment in the Law School, thus my contact) and was informed that all decisions were sent out last week. Maybe there was miscommunication and it was simply that the decisions were made last week, we'll see. But it looks like if you haven't been admitted yet, it's a WL or deny. (And I'm in the same boat, so no gloating. Kind of disappointed.)

Do you think they might have been mailed out? I just think it's weird that no one's posted any results from Stanford yet, especially since we had so many people from Yale post.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you on Princeton - that would be fantastic!

Thanks! I'd wish you the same, but I guess you're all set!

[atomnc]

It's certainly possible. The way it was phrased was "notified last week." And I know it's traditional at Stanford for the profs to email the new students. I certainly hope there is some other explanation. Believe me.

[DrWarpEffect]

Just got an email from Texas A & M with acceptance and funding in military history. Was told additional information on funding would be forthcoming.

Was really nice to get accepted after being rejected by Yale two days ago. Still have eight more schools to hear from.

Gre V-800, Q-800, W- 5.0

Applied: Yale, Princeton, UNC-Chapel Hill, Ohio State, WUSTL, Duke, Emory, UTexas-Austin, UCLA, Texas A&M

Accepted: Texas A&M

Rejected: Yale

[riss287]

I think I'm absolutely going to be sick. Someone just posted an acceptance at OSU. I checked my website of course and nothing. Still "evaluation." I don't care what their rank is, I like the school and would love to go there. This is driving me nuts!!!

[Nicolay]

Congrats to all the people who have posted Emory, Ohio State, WashU and other acceptances today!! Let's hope there will be more good news for others tomorrow.

[drafted]

Stanford made the decisions last Wednesday, so perhaps they were sent out at the end of the week if they have been at all.

[Louiselab]

So, you know how theoretically an acceptance is supposed to make you relax and you can return to your normal life? When this is all over at the end of the month i will definitely return to my regular schedule, when I get my acceptance I'll totally chill out and just return to normal functioning.... IT'S NOT HAPPENING!

In fact, if anything, it's made things worse for me. I don't feel like doing my current job, I can't believe it's still February, it's like this month will never end. The last week alone feels like an eternity.

[John_E]

You'd think with a $105 application fee, Stanford would be more customer-friendly. I didn't apply, but I almost did.

[IronDuke]

WHO ARE THE HARVARD PEOPLE AND WHAT ARE YOUR FIELDS?

[synthla]

WHO ARE THE HARVARD PEOPLE AND WHAT ARE YOUR FIELDS?

ARE YOU A HARVARD PERSON AND WHAT IS YOUR FIELD?

[Kakirsten]

I have to say, I check the Religion forum as well as this one (since my UCSB application is for Religious Studies rather than History) and this board's posters are far more invested and entertaining. 8)

And synthla, you're completely right about the fact that you NEED to want this more than anything to go through with this. There are a couple of kids- and I use that term loosely- in the history program at the university where I work who are toying around with grad school because they "don't want to get a job." It pisses me off, because these are the same students who b*tch every time they are required to do primary source research outside the internet. I'm torn: I've considered trying to dissuade them, since it reflects poorly on the university, but on the other hand, it isn't like they'll get in anywhere great with that attitude. Their application fees might help those who actually care.

As for me... I'm pretty sure I sacrificed my vision to the Gods of ancient microfilm and manuscripts the summer after my sophomore year. I was born for this. (Thankfully, one school agrees!)

[synthla]

As for me... I'm pretty sure I sacrificed my vision to the Gods of ancient microfilm and manuscripts the summer after my sophomore year. I was born for this. (Thankfully, one school agrees!)

Haha, me too... someone posted on another thread that if you're going to grad school, being in an archive surrounded by primary sources better make you tingle in a way that nothing else does (or something like that; I'm definitely loosely paraphrasing). But it does me. And I had the chance to have lunch with two history professors yesterday and being able to talk about obscure historical facts and the current state of the field was a thrill and something I'm looking forward to doing on a regular basis. If all I get is the 7 or so years it takes me to finish my doctorate, then so be it - I'll do my utmost to work in this field afterwards, but it will have been worth it nonetheless.

[misterpat]

I have to say, I check the Religion forum as well as this one (since my UCSB application is for Religious Studies rather than History) and this board's posters are far more invested and entertaining. 8)

ARE YOU A HARVARD PERSON AND WHAT IS YOUR FIELD?

[IronDuke]

ARE YOU A HARVARD PERSON AND WHAT IS YOUR FIELD?

No, I am not. I wanted to see which applicants had been notified because I am on pins and needles...my field is Britain.

[slawkenbergius]

I just got into Harvard! Emailed by an advisor this morning. Full funding for five years, four years of guaranteed summer funding, the whole bit. My field is Russian history.

[Nicolay]

Great news slawken on Harvard! Congratulations!!

[limeinthecoconut]

I just got into Harvard! Emailed by an advisor this morning. Full funding for five years, four years of guaranteed summer funding, the whole bit. My field is Russian history.

That's great! Congrats!

[Louiselab]

someone posted on another thread that if you're going to grad school, being in an archive surrounded by primary sources better make you tingle in a way that nothing else does (or something like that; I'm definitely loosely paraphrasing). But it does me.

As an archivist and card carrying member of the Society of American Archivists, I think we all agree on the tingly feeling good collections give us (hell, it's why most archivists chose the profession). Plus we all know that we shape history in a way historians never could, it's great.

[feisty]

I just got into Harvard! Emailed by an advisor this morning. Full funding for five years, four years of guaranteed summer funding, the whole bit. My field is Russian history.

congrats--my undergraduate advisor did Russian/Soviet history at Harvard; that's where I'd want to be for that field.