Fall 2012 Applicant Chit Chat

[crazedandinfused]

Ok, so I don't know if anyone can answer this because it's probably very program-specific, but what's the process from this point? I signed the form saying that I accept the offers of admission and support and I got one email giving me a link for grad housing-deposit stuff. What should I be waiting for in the mail?

[StrangeLight]

nothing, really. they'll send you a contract at some point to accept a fellowship or TA position, but that could be months from now. they might send you a packet with information on whatever health insurance their school provides to students. other than that, that's pretty much it in terms of stuff they'll mail you. you might want to get in touch with your advisor and ask if there's anything they want you to do/think about/read before the fall. i met with my advisor about a month before my first semester started and she gave me about 20 books to go read. that's not that common, though. as i was picking up those 20 books, i ran into another prof in the library, and he was very surprised to see me taking a stack of books home on august 1st.

[TMP]

Just wait for anything from the DGS. Otherwise, remember you're on your own with housing. But it can't hurt to reach out to any grad students whom you've met for suggestions and help.

[oseirus]

Well I'm an American studying in the UK and am in my final year of an Ancient History degree at the University of St. Andrews and I've applied to a Masters in Oxford for Modern Chinese Studies and Cambridge in Political Thought and Intellectual History. Unfortunately, both programmes rejected me, and so the Dual Masters in International and World History is the last application that I am waiting on. I am thinking of applying to other schools (that aren't due yet) in the event that falls through too, but this week and next I'm going to be extremely busy writing off my last essays. What programmes did you apply for?

I applied primarily to a handful of PhD programs for African history (a couple of Ivies and some in-state schools) but the PhD programs that I got into didn't offer much in the way of funding so I took the Columbia/LSE dual degree program b/c it gives me time to figure out what exactly I want to do and how I can go about it.

[CrazedRaven]

I applied primarily to a handful of PhD programs for African history (a couple of Ivies and some in-state schools) but the PhD programs that I got into didn't offer much in the way of funding so I took the Columbia/LSE dual degree program b/c it gives me time to figure out what exactly I want to do and how I can go about it.

Heh, at this stage a PhD is a bit heavy for me, and to be honest I was a bit clueless until recently as to what I wanted to do after Uni. I just picked those degrees since they were of interest to me, but my flatmate mentioned the Columbia/LSE programme to me and I was interested in that because I want to learn about a non-Western culture, since the History department here is extremely Anglocentric if not Eurocentric (that doesn't mean it's bad; the guys there know their stuff, but it's still somewhat very focused on European culture).

At any rate, wish me luck. I still haven't heard from them and I'm hoping no news is good news.

[alleykat]

Hi everyone,

I am gonna shake the rust off this thread with a question which may sound familiar to many of you here. I studied in the UK where it was the norm for students to address their professors as either "Professor X" or "Dr. X". I would only call my professors by their first name once they explicitly told me to do so. I wonder how this works in the US. My supervisor has recently kept signing his email with his first name. Does that mean he wants me to call him by his first name? Any suggestions? Thanks a lot.

[TMP]

It's already been discussed in this thread... somewhere in March I think. Use the search function.

[oseirus]

Heh, at this stage a PhD is a bit heavy for me, and to be honest I was a bit clueless until recently as to what I wanted to do after Uni. I just picked those degrees since they were of interest to me, but my flatmate mentioned the Columbia/LSE programme to me and I was interested in that because I want to learn about a non-Western culture, since the History department here is extremely Anglocentric if not Eurocentric (that doesn't mean it's bad; the guys there know their stuff, but it's still somewhat very focused on European culture).

At any rate, wish me luck. I still haven't heard from them and I'm hoping no news is good news.

Good luck!

[Simple Twist of Fate]

Can't remember who it was, but thanks to whoever recommended Greg Semenza's Graduate Study for the 21st Century on this board. I finished it about a week ago, and found it useful and enjoyable. There's a lot of stuff in there that is either widely known or not hard to figure out, but I was surprised by how much was not obvious and surprising. Definitely worth a read for those heading off to programs this fall.