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Fall 2012 Applicant Chit Chat


goldielocks

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Just a heads up, i'm perfectly happy to answer questions about the Princeton history department, unofficially, but i'm just me not a departmental representative, don't rely on me for specific answers re funding and I may choose to answer your question in PM if its a departmental gossipy sort of territory.

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How DOES "extra money" work? Would we basically have the freedom to get whatever external funding we can get our hands on?

That's a complicated question that changes university to university and I've seen finance people take an hour to answer in big sessions. Don't expect one here.

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I finally broke down and created a Gradcafe account after months of forcing myself to stay away because coming here only made me more stressed out and crazy when I was working on my applications. After FINALLY finishing them, I swore I wouldn't start obsessively refreshing my inbox, just take notifications as they came and focus on my final semester as an undergraduate...

Then I got a very early acceptance to SUNY Stony Brook (my undergrad institution), and now I have my email, this thread, and the results board open in Firefox at all times. Oops...

Anyway, I was also wondering about Columbia. Have all of their acceptances been sent out already? I was never really expecting to get in there, but that tiny, lingering shred of possibility is killing me!

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I finally broke down and created a Gradcafe account after months of forcing myself to stay away because coming here only made me more stressed out and crazy when I was working on my applications. After FINALLY finishing them, I swore I wouldn't start obsessively refreshing my inbox, just take notifications as they came and focus on my final semester as an undergraduate...

Then I got a very early acceptance to SUNY Stony Brook (my undergrad institution), and now I have my email, this thread, and the results board open in Firefox at all times. Oops...

Anyway, I was also wondering about Columbia. Have all of their acceptances been sent out already? I was never really expecting to get in there, but that tiny, lingering shred of possibility is killing me!

I'm in the exact same boat as you (early acceptance to Stony Brook, now freaking out about Columbia). It seems that a couple of people have heard from Columbia, but in the form of contacts from their POI, not an official notification. So I'm trying realllly hard not to give up hope lol. That said, if they knew who was accepted last night, I havent the foggiest idea what is taking them so long to send out official notifications

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Hey Always Sunny,

I don't want to make you regret your decision to join us (it's a lovely place, really) but can you give me any info on Stony Brook?? You can PM me if you like, we might both prefer that. I'm actually really excited about that program. I hope my enthusiasm is well founded....

Congratulations and a very warm welcome to the maniacal camaraderie that is this magnificent thread!

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I finally broke down and created a Gradcafe account after months of forcing myself to stay away because coming here only made me more stressed out and crazy when I was working on my applications. After FINALLY finishing them, I swore I wouldn't start obsessively refreshing my inbox, just take notifications as they came and focus on my final semester as an undergraduate...

Then I got a very early acceptance to SUNY Stony Brook (my undergrad institution), and now I have my email, this thread, and the results board open in Firefox at all times. Oops...

Anyway, I was also wondering about Columbia. Have all of their acceptances been sent out already? I was never really expecting to get in there, but that tiny, lingering shred of possibility is killing me!

Sorry to deliver bad news, but I just got an official form email from Columbia, so I'm guessing it's unlikely that there will be many more acceptances after this. Then again, it could have just been for Americanists...

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Dear all --

Wow! What a week it has been. I wish that I could remember the large list of people to whom I should extend congratulations, but the only names that I can remember right now are Safferz, Goldielocks, and TickleMePink -- however, congratulations to all of you who have received news this week that will help you to move forward with your dreams/plans of earning a Ph.D.! What wonderful, intense, overwhelming news it is -- at least it has been for me. And for those of you who have not yet heard, or have only heard news that is of a negative nature, please accept my sympathies -- this entire process is painful, and while I cannot imagine how you must feel right now, please know that my best wishes are with you.

I have not posted much to this board because I try to avoid reading it overly often -- it tends to cause an unhealthy increase in my level of anxiety and in my sense of inadequacy (I am a chronic sufferer of imposter syndrome)!

I received word from my dream school today -- Princeton. I've been wait-listed there, which was somewhat devastating as I have aimed all of my efforts at getting into that school for several years now. I am not complaining, however -- I've been blessed today with an acceptance to Yale which helped significantly in terms of mediating the pain of a long-cherished dream that is probably in the process of slipping away...!

Anyhow -- best to everyone...!

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But Oakland is.

In comparison to the rest of the YAY area (as some locals refer to it), sure Oakland is cheaper, but there are plenty of little pockets that are as just as fun but not as expensive as PA like Emeryville. Overall the Bay Area is just a fun place to live. Plenty of interesting and intriguing characters.

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So I can only make a few educated guesses... but I suspect that they are trying very hard to hit the yield they want this year. Last year they hover yielded, and the year before they under yielded by a lot in both directions. Princeton isn't a money thing as the department is pretty wealthy even by princeton standards, but there is a question of how managable the cohort is. How big does History 500 get as a course, how big is the disertation perspect group going to be... there are administrative things that mean that a over large cohort is not a trivia problem even beyond money.

Answered other details in PM.

I know there is no scientific answer to this but do you know how they rack & stack those on the wait list. Is it based on your field or just an overall stratification?

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abacab: Ah! I see. But yes, it seems strange that it took them so long to send an official notification to people.

crazedandinfused: I've PMed you. Thank you for the welcome!

CPeterson: I'm an Americanist. I guess I can cross that one off my list then. :rolleyes:

Edited by always sunny
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I know there is no scientific answer to this but do you know how they rack & stack those on the wait list. Is it based on your field or just an overall stratification?

I don't have an absolute answer, but I think it's more likely that it's based on your field rather than rack and stack at princeton. Especially given the schools policy of giving professors leave ever three years.

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I don't have an absolute answer, but I think it's more likely that it's based on your field rather than rack and stack at princeton. Especially given the schools policy of giving professors leave ever three years.

Well that could be a bummer :)

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There is just a lot of play in the mix of the cohort and how many students which subfields get, which ones didn't get their favorite choices from the previous year...

I can see how some people choose to reapply ... I wonder if people are so adamant about going to one particular school that they reject all other apps just to reapply?

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I can see how some people choose to reapply ... I wonder if people are so adamant about going to one particular school that they reject all other apps just to reapply?

I was thinking "We were so sure X was going to come to us last year but she went to Berkley so you owe me Y this year because I lost out on my favorite last year."

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Welcome lurkers.

My hopes of getting into IU (and with it, my hopes of getting into a PhD program this year) are quickly dissipating... Two new acceptances (albeit one for an MA, and neither for American history) are up. Having still not received a rejection, I'm not sure where that leaves me (except very dejected). If I don't hear by Monday, I may send a very polite email to the graduate secretary.

If anyone has any insight into Indiana, I would really appreciate it (including PMs if need be).

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Congratulations to everyone who received good news this week! What an emotional rollercoaster it's been. I finally received the formal invitation to NYU Prospie Wknd so that has significantly calmed me down from all the other rejections (bahhh Brown).

What with all the Yale acceptances that came out this week, I'm a little confused, though. I actually applied to the dual program in Af-Am and History, which usually sends out notices much later. But do any of you have an idea of how interviewing works for this? Do I need to get an interview from both departments? (I haven't gotten either, really). I don't know!

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I was thinking "We were so sure X was going to come to us last year but she went to Berkley so you owe me Y this year because I lost out on my favorite last year."

I want to be Y this year ... I am going to go change my name to Y right now!

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I want to be Y this year ... I am going to go change my name to Y right now!

One of the hardest things for me to adjust to last year after I had spent so much time thinking about selling myself is that as soon as the acceptence letters go out things reverse. Now it's time for the programs to try and sell themselves to you. The professors can get REALLY attached. To this day I feel a bit bad because I know I was "the one that got away" for one PoI at a very good school last year. I still see him/her at conferences and we have awkward conversations.

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One of the hardest things for me to adjust to last year after I had spent so much time thinking about selling myself is that as soon as the acceptence letters go out things reverse. Now it's time for the programs to try and sell themselves to you. The professors can get REALLY attached. To this day I feel a bit bad because I know I was "the one that got away" for one PoI at a very good school last year. I still see him/her at conferences and we have awkward conversations.

That will not be the case for "Y" because when the decision time is made and "Y" runs into a POI and said POI says "Y!" ... the answer will be "You know Y!" ...... thank you thank you thank you! tip your waiters!

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That will not be the case for "Y" because when the decision time is made and "Y" runs into a POI and said POI says "Y!" ... the answer will be "You know Y!" ...... thank you thank you thank you! tip your waiters!

Guys...I think we lost someone finally. Oseirus has made the jump to a place we shouldn't ever go.

Just kidding, Oseirus. I always smile from your posts, so thanks for that :)

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