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Fall 2012 Applicant Chit Chat


goldielocks

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Whoa, looks like I've been missing a lot of action around here. Congratulations to Safferz and TMP, and anyone else I missed when reading through the thread. I talked with my POI at Northwestern today, and am just generally feeling wonderful about that prospect. Anyone else going to prospective students weekend?

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cupoftea:

the gist of it is, the most competitive candidates are nominated for fellowships. if they don't win those, they're usually given TAships (still full funding). but departments (especially small ones and public ones) have limited TAships to hand out. say they nominate 10 people for fellowships and have 8 TAships to give out. if most of the fellowship nominees win the fellowships, then 8 others can get TAships. if all of the 10 fellowship nominees lose them, then 8 will get the TAships and 2 will likely be rejected or waitlisted.

that's my understanding of the process having served on a graduate committee before. but every school is probably different, and some programs may have an easier time getting an extra stream of funding from the dean's office than others. in general, being nominated for a fellowship means you're at the top of the pack. a lot would have to go wrong for that to eventually turn into a rejection.

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C&C: Soon, so soon. :) Hopefully good news on your fellowship will come soon, too!

Does anyone know what's up with Berkeley? For Modern Europeanists (Britain)? Or just in general?

Also, congrats to the Rutgers interview!

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C&C: Soon, so soon. :) Hopefully good news on your fellowship will come soon, too!

Does anyone know what's up with Berkeley? For Modern Europeanists (Britain)? Or just in general?

Also, congrats to the Rutgers interview!

thanks, congrats to you as well!

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I never thought I'd find myself cursing Doctors Without Borders but I'm afraid I'm there..........

I got an email a month or two ago from Al Franken with the subject line "This is the email you've been waiting for!"

... No, no it isn't, and right now I don't give a damn about your grand-mother's Pumpkin Pie recipe.

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cupoftea:

the gist of it is, the most competitive candidates are nominated for fellowships. if they don't win those, they're usually given TAships (still full funding). but departments (especially small ones and public ones) have limited TAships to hand out. say they nominate 10 people for fellowships and have 8 TAships to give out. if most of the fellowship nominees win the fellowships, then 8 others can get TAships. if all of the 10 fellowship nominees lose them, then 8 will get the TAships and 2 will likely be rejected or waitlisted.

that's my understanding of the process having served on a graduate committee before. but every school is probably different, and some programs may have an easier time getting an extra stream of funding from the dean's office than others. in general, being nominated for a fellowship means you're at the top of the pack. a lot would have to go wrong for that to eventually turn into a rejection.

SL, certainly your experience is relevant in the general sense (and greatly appreciated, btw...), but the reason for the frantic angst after seeing TMP's post is that UW-M is one of the few schools that openly warns applicants not to expect all new students to be awarded funding...certainly not full funding...with us UWs admitees (which right now is my only option as I have not heard from any other school- save Yale's assumed passive-rejection due to not receiving an interview) this becomes almost another accept/reject proposition...

Edited by Hopin'-n-Prayin'
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I got an email a month or two ago from Al Franken with the subject line "This is the email you've been waiting for!"

I was actually knocking back oysters with Al Franken a month ago at Hank's Oyster Bar in DC!!! Well, not really with him - he was right next to me. But he's a very cool guy so l tend to embellish the story.

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For Wisconsin acceptees, I got exactly the same thing as you guys. So I guess we will just have to wait until the department submits our funding information to this site or us by mail.

Just told him- perfect timing because Indiana just blew me off. Now the sting isn't there anymore... but I just won't damn forget this. Two years of waitlists and they just BLEW me off?!

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Oy. I'm near the end of the alphabet. This is cruel and unusual punishment. Despite the the looks of my app list, Indiana is definitely one of my top choices for a variety of reasons. A rejection would be extremely demoralizing, even though I'm not confident enough to say I'm worthy of one of ten acceptances in a field of 300...

Congrats to tmp and Safferz. That's awesome for you two.

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I was actually knocking back oysters with Al Franken a month ago at Hank's Oyster Bar in DC!!! Well, not really with him - he was right next to me. But he's a very cool guy so l tend to embellish the story.

He's a very cool guy! At that moment, however, I believe I cursed his name...

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Oy. I'm near the end of the alphabet. This is cruel and unusual punishment. Despite the the looks of my app list, Indiana is definitely one of my top choices for a variety of reasons. A rejection would be extremely demoralizing, even though I'm not confident enough to say I'm worthy of one of ten acceptances in a field of 300...

Congrats to tmp and Safferz. That's awesome for you two.

Yes, but we know they were at J but we don't know what letter that last rejection was. So I have no idea if they are doing it by alphabet or not. Meh.

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I think Indiana may be doing it alphabetically as I'm a few letters ahead of J.

Yes, I agree, this is one massive, incredible, crazy, fun, dramatic thread!

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Yes, I realize that, but I'd still feel less nauseous if my last name started with an I.

Haha, I understand. I'm a couple letters after J so...yeah... :lol:

Oh and my stomach has been ill all day since I saw those go up...now I know it *is* nerves!

Edited by A Finicky Bean
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I also received the dreaded letter from Indiana. Im not surprised since my POI emailed me in January telling me she was likely moving to another school for a tenured position.

Congrats to those who received acceptances and funding offers today! Send some of your positive juju those of us still waiting for good news.

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cupoftea:

the gist of it is, the most competitive candidates are nominated for fellowships. if they don't win those, they're usually given TAships (still full funding). but departments (especially small ones and public ones) have limited TAships to hand out. say they nominate 10 people for fellowships and have 8 TAships to give out. if most of the fellowship nominees win the fellowships, then 8 others can get TAships. if all of the 10 fellowship nominees lose them, then 8 will get the TAships and 2 will likely be rejected or waitlisted.

that's my understanding of the process having served on a graduate committee before. but every school is probably different, and some programs may have an easier time getting an extra stream of funding from the dean's office than others. in general, being nominated for a fellowship means you're at the top of the pack. a lot would have to go wrong for that to eventually turn into a rejection.

Thanks very much for your expertise! I felt like being nominated for a fellowship was a good sign, but not seeing anything else about further funding prospects if I didn't get the fellowship was making me a little nervous.

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