Fall 2013 Applicants?

[New England Nat]

I just want to comment that my apartment looks like a disaster area at the end of a semester (mine is just ending). urgh... I think i'm staying home tomorrow to clean.

[PhDreams]

In theory you are supposed to be "in residence" in New Jersey during course work, but it is VERY common practice to live in either Philly or NYC. No one would say anything unless you were having trouble getting to campus for class.

 

Also, most "residency" requirements have nothing to do about where you live but rather if you are actually attending classes at your home institution vs at another school or doing field work/research. Most programs have minimum residency requirements around 2-3 yrs and then you can leave to dissertate where ever your heart desires usually right after prospectus. <3

 

Also, ivies have the Exchange Scholars program which is pretty sweet. I have a couple of friends doing this:

 

The Exchange Scholar Program is designed to enable doctoral students with superior academic records to study at one of the participating institutions to take advantage of educational opportunities that are not available at their home institution. Participating institutions are Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, Stanford, UC Berkeley, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.

[New England Nat]

That might be the case, but there is a technical residency requirement that involves living within the state. It's just ignored unless it's an issue. The residency requirement is actually a seperate thing from being "in residence" which has to do with being around campus either taking course work or writing.

The rule is in place because occasionally the department will have to go to a student and say "your living in Yonkers (or somewhere else) is making it so that you are not getting to classes reasonably.

Edited January 16, 2013 by New England Nat

[czesc]

In theory you are supposed to be "in residence" in New Jersey during course work, but it is VERY common practice to live in either Philly or NYC. No one would say anything unless you were having trouble getting to campus for class.

 

It's still a relatively long and annoying commute from NY though, especially if you don't live next to Penn Station. Do a lot of people who do this wind up living in that part of town? Is it easy to pull off, given the schedule of grad classes, without compromising much on choice?

[New England Nat]

I've known people to live in Brooklyn mostly, but it depends. Those people are just very careful about their commute. It's the north east, people who want to live in New York will do a lot for that.

[runaway]

It's not that bad, really, by New Yorker commuting standards. According to Google Maps, it'd be comparable to my old commute from Brooklyn to lower Manhattan on days the L wasn't reliable (read: most days.)

[lafayette]

I'm so sorry Lafayette, I wish I could. On the other hand.... it's an expensive area to live in and there is really nothng better to do in the town. Would it help if I told you the graduate housing is seriously post world war II temporary housing? And last year they had to take down a graduate apartment building because it weirdly had both asbestus and fire code violations?

 

Ah, yes, sounds absolutely horrible. I definitely do not want to go there. No way. 

(Just going to casually forget about all the questionable health standards of the various old 'renovated' tenement buildings I've lived in in NYC)

[New England Nat]

Oh and than there is the grad college, ancient building, hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. And who wants to eat in a dining hall in grad school

[Sio68]

How's everyone doing this week? I'm trying to write a conference paper and not doing very well! A pile of marking just turned up on my desk too.. so I'd better get my head in a better place quick smart!

 

I hope we're all staying sane and happy  Maybe it won't be too long until some decisions start trickling in.

[theregalrenegade]

How's everyone doing this week? I'm trying to write a conference paper and not doing very well! A pile of marking just turned up on my desk too.. so I'd better get my head in a better place quick smart!

 

I hope we're all staying sane and happy  Maybe it won't be too long until some decisions start trickling in.

I just submitted my last app - Oxford! I think I may have broke out in a cold sweat when I clicked the button, but it's subsiding. I'm still waiting to hear from two programs that they received all my supporting documentation and references. Other than that - I'm back to reading for comp exams...Just 14 days away 

[KTLady]

Guess stalking my email paid off today; got a request for a visit/interview at Princeton! (East Asian Studies, not History! Sorry!) 

 

Does anyone have any advice for interview/visits?  When I applied to MAs, I just had a skype interview and an in-person when a prof was visiting Tokyo while I was there.  Visiting the campus though is a whole other story.

 

Congrats!

 

I just finished an entire day of interviews (SEVEN!) at a prospective school.

 

I reviewed questions from various websites I found by googling "grad school interview tips", but the whole strengths/weaknesses-career goals-extracurricular activities-most influential book-stuff never came up.

 

I'd practice:

 

"So tell me about yourself."

 

"Why did you apply to ____? How are you a 'good fit'?"

 

"How did you become interested in ______?"

 

"How does your interest in ____ provoke questions about the larger topic of _____?"

 

AND definitely:

 

"Do you have any questions?" <---you'll hear this a million times! Prepare a substantial list. One of my 15-minute "interviews" was just an open Q&A, so be ready to do some interrogating yourself

 

Of course, I had seven 15-minute interviews and rarely made it through all of the questions above with each prof before our time was up; you might have a longer interview and want to prep for other "fluffy" questions. But I'd definitely recommend running through these ones so you can answer confidently and concisely under all the pressure you'll inevitably feel.

 

Finally, I'd bring a water bottle, an extra copy of your CV, a list of questions, a nice padfolio, printouts of the dept website info (to quickly match names with faces, make sure you're not asking questions covered on the website, etc.), and a campus map.

 

Strike a power pose (http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html) and you'll be set!

 

Best of luck, and congrats on making it this far

[theregalrenegade]

Congrats!

 

I just finished an entire day of interviews (SEVEN!) at a prospective school.

 

I reviewed questions from various websites I found by googling "grad school interview tips", but the whole strengths/weaknesses-career goals-extracurricular activities-most influential book-stuff never came up.

 

I'd practice:

 

"So tell me about yourself."

 

"Why did you apply to ____? How are you a 'good fit'?"

 

"How did you become interested in ______?"

 

"How does your interest in ____ provoke questions about the larger topic of _____?"

 

AND definitely:

 

"Do you have any questions?" <---you'll hear this a million times! Prepare a substantial list. One of my 15-minute "interviews" was just an open Q&A, so be ready to do some interrogating yourself

 

Of course, I had seven 15-minute interviews and rarely made it through all of the questions above with each prof before our time was up; you might have a longer interview and want to prep for other "fluffy" questions. But I'd definitely recommend running through these ones so you can answer confidently and concisely under all the pressure you'll inevitably feel.

 

Finally, I'd bring a water bottle, an extra copy of your CV, a list of questions, a nice padfolio, printouts of the dept website info (to quickly match names with faces, make sure you're not asking questions covered on the website, etc.), and a campus map.

 

Strike a power pose (http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html) and you'll be set!

 

Best of luck, and congrats on making it this far

Thank you for the great tips!! But really - thank you for posting that TED talk. That really got to me...I actually shed tears along with Amy Cuddy!! 

[viggosloof28]

How's everyone doing this week? I'm trying to write a conference paper and not doing very well! A pile of marking just turned up on my desk too.. so I'd better get my head in a better place quick smart!

 

I hope we're all staying sane and happy  Maybe it won't be too long until some decisions start trickling in.

 

First week of classes for me.  Going well so far, but it's hard to focus on my readings when all I want to do is check my email and application statuses!  I think I'll be much more at ease once I've gotten even one acceptance - I need to get my act together, so I can write my darn thesis!

 

I just submitted my last app - Oxford! I think I may have broke out in a cold sweat when I clicked the button, but it's subsiding. I'm still waiting to hear from two programs that they received all my supporting documentation and references. Other than that - I'm back to reading for comp exams...Just 14 days away 

 

Wow, what a lot of stress!  Congrats on finishing your applications, and good luck with your comps - I know you'll kick those exams' butts!

Edited January 18, 2013 by viggosloof28

[annieca]

Congrats on submitting the application to Oxford! It's suppose to be gorgeous - or so people keep telling me. I haven't visited yet. :/

I got an email from one of my recommenders today saying sure he'd send me the letter but he doesn't really want to. I said, in the most polite terms I could manage, "That's fine. But you have to print it on letterhead, pay international postage and it's NOT what the school WANTS". We'll see how he responds. Hopefully with an attachment and then I can submit my last app. *sigh*

Keep our heads up fellow troopers!

[KTLady]

Thank you for the great tips!! But really - thank you for posting that TED talk. That really got to me...I actually shed tears along with Amy Cuddy!! 

 

You're very welcome. I'm definitely suffering from impostor syndrome and found it helpful!

[runaway]

Congrats on submitting the application to Oxford! It's suppose to be gorgeous - or so people keep telling me. I haven't visited yet. :/

I got an email from one of my recommenders today saying sure he'd send me the letter but he doesn't really want to. I said, in the most polite terms I could manage, "That's fine. But you have to print it on letterhead, pay international postage and it's NOT what the school WANTS". We'll see how he responds. Hopefully with an attachment and then I can submit my last app. *sigh*

Keep our heads up fellow troopers!

Wait-- so one of your schools ASKS you to upload the letters yourself?? So bizarre! 

[PhDreams]

I'd practice:

 

"So tell me about yourself."

 

The dreaded "tell me about yourself"...

 

Do you mention what school youre from?.. your current research? I mean, they can see that and  learn that info from one glance at your CV. Where do you start?

Edited January 16, 2013 by PhDreams

[jogatoronto]

KTLady were you the only student interviewed that day? Sounds like you had a long day. Congrats!

[KTLady]

The dreaded "tell me about yourself"...

 

Do you mention what school youre from?.. your current research? I mean, they can see that and  learn that info from one glance at your CV. Where do you start?

 

Well, I quickly mentioned my school (a non-prestigious state school but has a great "justification" for my attending... not that I need one, but my other major is very rare and draaaaastically shaped my academic career). I gave a brief overview of my interests/research and then launched into what inspired this whole crazy obsession.

 

I'm not suggesting you follow this... I don't think there's a formula or a "right" way to answer. Whatever you're thinking of saying is likely the best way to introduce yourself. I practiced a few times so I wouldn't sit there saying "ummmm" for thirty awkward seconds (been there, done that!) But an ability to express your interests enthusiastically and concisely is never a bad thing!

 

Also, I wouldn't worry about repeating things in your SOP/CV. It'll be a good reminder, and IMO it's far more interesting to hear people talk about their experiences than simply glancing at a list.

[KTLady]

KTLady were you the only student interviewed that day? Sounds like you had a long day. Congrats!

 

Thanks so much! So glad it's over. No, I wasn't alone. There were two other (highly impressive!) prospective students my day. Apparently there are 4 or 5 interview days throughout Jan/Feb and between 3-5 students each day.

 

Not sure if it's a great fit for me, but I got some great interview practice at the very least!

 

Good luck, all!

[Andean Pat]

Hi Mocha! Hi everyone!

 

I'm Angie from Argentina, currently applying for Fall 2013 History PhD and awaiting results. I've just graduated as a historian, undergraduates courses here, for those of you who do not know, are not "majors", we directly enrol in the course we want and the whole program is given by the faculty. There is some room for "minors" which I took from Politics and International affairs. Thus I underwent five years of course work plus three years of thesis research, writing, and defence. 

 

Right now I am on holidays from work until mid-February, while awaiting for decisions. Anxious? naaaaaa I hope you all get in your top choices! I mean it!

 

Here applications are different, there are not many standardized requirements because very few people go into graduate school. Moreover, most of the requirements are based on your curriculum rather than your marks. The only people that truly "understand" my (our) concerns are people who have gone through the same process. Thus I am glad to have found this café! 

 

Where are you all applying to? I have noticed that some of you got interviews. Is this most common for American students?

 

see you around! 

 

Angie

[Sio68]

Well done everyone on staying sane! And congratulations on your interview(s) KTLady!

 

I don't *think* any of my programmes interview, but I'm not taking anything for granted. Trying to desperately renew my passport this month 

 

Well... good luck to everyone with exams/thesis/marking/teaching... and fingers crossed we all get where we want to be eh?! And who knows, perhaps some of us will end up in the same place one day! (*eyes you all suspiciously*)

[goldielocks]

Hello, all! I'm an applicant from last year, just popping my head in because I remember this experience far too well. A year ago, I was in the same boat as all of you, and it was... excruciating. The waiting, waiting, and more waiting. And then it gets even more excruciating because (if you're lucky) you have to face decisions.

 

Just wanted to stop by and say that I really wish I'd not let myself get so stressed about applications, when I was going through this. It felt like life or death, even though I knew that it wasn't. I guess I'd just like to offer a very small reminder that this is just a stressful phase, it will pass, and your value as a human being/intellectual will not be determined by the admissions decisions which should start rolling in within a couple of weeks. I wish someone would have reminded me of that more when I was in this boat -- hope this helps someone to put things in perspective.

 

Though I've gotta say, I read through part of this thread, and you all seem far less neurotic than we were this time last year. So kudos to you! And best of luck to all of you in the exciting months ahead.

[TMP]

The dreaded "tell me about yourself"...

 

Do you mention what school youre from?.. your current research? I mean, they can see that and  learn that info from one glance at your CV. Where do you start?

This is the truth: http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1492. Professors are interested in your ideas so share them as part of "tell me about yourself."

Goldie had a really wonderful tip last year that just worked wonders for me: Before decisions roll in, take the time to breathe. Sit down with your list and think it through. Rank them and provide justifications for why School A over Z and why Z over S. And then share your list with a close friend or mentor who will keep you accountable. The point of this exercise is to be able to make a decision while your head is still clear because once decisions roll in, you will get very emotional. I did this with a colleague right when my first two decisions came in before the emotions really sit in. He kept me accountable throughout the WHOLE process (and that was like 2 1/2 months..). He reminded me every now and then why my current program was my top choice. He was my rock and helped me to keep my eyes on the road while my other offer tempted me with things I hadn't expected to see/hear/receive. So very glad for that tip, Goldie. Thank you!

[Sio68]

Awesome advice from goldielocks and TMP! Thank-you so much. 

 

With regards to 'tell me about yourself'.... That is a nightmare question for a Brit. It's culturally impossible for us to answer that. We'd get as far as name (knowing full well they already have that!) and place of birth and then shut down, because anything after that would be considered vulgar self-centred prattle. 

 

There's possibly only one scenario worse than this for the British. It fills us with dread, and is known as "Let's go around the room, .... stand up and tell us something about yourself ". Fuuuuuuuuuuuuu....