History Admissions 2009

[elanvita]

In scheduling visiting days with professors, does it make sense to mention that I am still waiting to hear back from a few schools in the area (I'm trying to prevent flying out to the same areas more than once) or is this considered rude? I'm so nervous about everything that I can't seem to think straight anymore. I'm so afraid of saying the wrong thing.

[histdee]

I would not blame too much on the liberal arts college. I come from a highly ranked research university from undergrad, and my primary adviser held a visible post and a long and decorated academic CV. He had high expectations for me as well. Although I haven't given him my news yet, I'm sure he will be surprised. Alas it does seem true that things have changed recently.

Seconded. I was an undergrad (a few years back now) at a university with a top history department, worked on my senior thesis for a year with a well-known, more-publications-than-i-can-count professor who urged me to go into a PhD program when I told him I wanted to go to law school, and all to no avail. All the professors that I talked to who I'd worked with in undergrad or doing historical stuff in law school thought I would have "choices" among the programs I applied to -- and I've come up empty. This stuff is just tough to predict even for those "in the know."

[manilowese]

lovely. then i suppose there's no hope for me - as i am applying as an undergrad and considering that i come from a tiny university that no one has heard of, with less than stellar GRE scores. :oops:

[synthla]

lovely. then i suppose there's no hope for me - as i am applying as an undergrad and considering that i come from a tiny university that no one has heard of, with less than stellar GRE scores. :oops:

I think you should look at it another way - the last couple days of discussion have made it pretty clear that there's no predicting what's going on; for every example someone gives, another person has a counter-example that supports the opposite conclusion. Keep positive!

[Louiselab]

I graduated last spring and have, at best, menial employment. Well, I had one prof who said "you're never getting in, don't bother." and I had one who said "Oh, you're going to have quite the dilemma."

I now have three offers, and full funding, to really good programs.

Go figure.

[StrangeLight]

i think i need to start drinking heavily. i'm so panicked, but at least i got in somewhere. and somewhere with faculty members i'd be excited to work with and some measure of resources for my field of study.

looks like someone got a little disgruntled in the results search section though... calling the people who've been told they're accepted to NYU pieces of shit (or assholes, can't remember) because NYU only informs people of admission through the mail.

when i applied for a journalism/latin american studies double masters last year, i found out through email that i was accepted, but only because it was early april and i contacted them to see what the hold up was (i was waitlisted for funding and they weren't going to tell me i had been admitted until they had decided if i had funding). so... while NYU states that they only inform people via snail mail, that may not always be the case. eager profs might be contacting students hoping to sway them towards NYU by letting them know now rather than a few weeks down the road in the mail.

[stanford315]

NYU did call people to let them know they were accepted, look at results from last year.

It's getting nasty..

I'm out

Good luck

[StrangeLight]

yeah, i believe people were called. just interesting to see how it's getting vicious already.

[Louiselab]

For IowaPhd:

I tried sending you a message back but it says you disabled it.

-Louise

[riss287]

I am! I've read over and over that the whole process is a crapshoot, and now that I pretty much know where I'll be going next year, I can say that I completely agree. I've been fortunate enough to end up on the good side of everything and have been accepted to my top choice - the only concrete reason I can come up with is that my interests fit very well with many of the faculty in the department because my GRE scores weren't stellar, I only have Latin, Italian, and Spanish (no French or German) and I'm applying from a small LAC. Granted, many of the faculty with whom I'll be working have visited my school and know its academic reputation, and my writing sample, SOP, and LORs were all strong, but there are many more qualified people who frequent this board alone who probably should have gotten in instead of me. Anyway, my point is that if you didn't get in where you wanted this year, you should beat yourself up too badly about it since so often it really does seem to be good fortune rather than credentials that gets people accepted.

I became seriously depressed when I read this. My GREs suck (compared to a lot of people's), I'm from a very small LAC that none of my potential professors have ever heard of, much less visited. My SOP, writing samples, and LORs are great, but on the other hand my subfield is very very small and not many of the professors in the department know about it. So you basically just told me I'm screwed, unless I manage to have some unbelievable luck.

[rwcole39]

also, looks like NYU is notifying the accepted today. if i don't hear something today or tomorrow, i'll assume that means i'm out. poop. poop on a stick.

*hugs*

buena suerte

[Louiselab]

Rutgers notified someone. Now, who was it?

[IowaPhD]

To Louiselabe:

I apologize for that. I enabled private messages......

Thanks-

IowaPhD

[fortiesgirl]

Good luck. I'm pretty sure I'm out too, though I applied to one of the joint programs. I think someone posted that they were notified already by that dept. That will make me 0-3.

[hooleeya]

So you basically just told me I'm screwed, unless I manage to have some unbelievable luck.

I actually hoped to come across just the opposite and offer some hope to those of us who don't have perfect GRE scores, extensive language preparation, or LORs from the top names in the field. I'm in a very small subfield, too, and I think it worked to my advantage. All the best!

[riss287]

I actually hoped to come across just the opposite and offer some hope to those of us who don't have perfect GRE scores, extensive language preparation, or LORs from the top names in the field. I'm in a very small subfield, too, and I think it worked to my advantage. All the best!

Hm, maybe it will. I guess we'll see. Congrats on your success!

[StrangeLight]

*hugs*

buena suerte

thanks. congrats on getting in.

on another note, does anyone know where to find this elusive website that the u-texas applicants are checking? i've seen one or two yes's, and a lot of no's via the website... the only site i know of is the applytexas site, and on there all it says is that my application status is "submitted." is there another site i'm missing?

[ceichste]

thanks. congrats on getting in.

on another note, does anyone know where to find this elusive website that the u-texas applicants are checking? i've seen one or two yes's, and a lot of no's via the website... the only site i know of is the applytexas site, and on there all it says is that my application status is "submitted." is there another site i'm missing?

You can view their decision at https://utdirect.utexas.edu/admissions/status_check.wbx

[StrangeLight]

thanks for the link.

[riddimorrhyme]

Hi guys,

I know almost everyone here had probably contacted their potential advisers ahead of applying, but I was wondering if anyone thought to stay in touch after submitting their applications? Regardless of whether you did or not, though, my question really is: wouldn't it prove prudent to do so?

[rwallace]

Nothing in the mail from NYU for me today. Guess that makes me 0/3 .

[reallywantcolumbia]

Hi guys,

I know almost everyone here had probably contacted their potential advisers ahead of applying, but I was wondering if anyone thought to stay in touch after submitting their applications? Regardless of whether you did or not, though, my question really is: wouldn't it prove prudent to do so?

I was thinking along the same lines.....oh well....too late now

[limeinthecoconut]

0/2 now. I am as bitter as I am resigned. Sigh.

[fortiesgirl]

Nothing in the mail from NYU for me today. Guess that makes me 0/3 .

I'm assuming pretty much the same--and that makes me 0-3 now. I was told by my former advisor there that they only take 2-3 students per field, so I pretty much applied under the assumption that I wouldn't get in. What a depressing month.

[synthla]

Hi guys,

I know almost everyone here had probably contacted their potential advisers ahead of applying, but I was wondering if anyone thought to stay in touch after submitting their applications? Regardless of whether you did or not, though, my question really is: wouldn't it prove prudent to do so?

Maybe, but regardless, I had one professor tell me that they didn't feel it would be appropriate to converse while admissions deliberations were actively under way, and I can see their point.