Fall 2013 Applicants?

[czesc]

All of these letters would be much improved with stats. How many taken? How many waitlisted? How many applied? Were there limits on certain fields? It would actually illustrate how difficult it would've been for a top applicant to get in, rather than just having to take a robo-admin's word for it.

 

I can see why they might hesitate, though. If word gets out about any of that info, it discourages applicants in the next year, when conditions may have changed (it also reduces selectivity and the $$ that come in with application fees).

Edited February 25, 2013 by czesc

[benedicite]

All of these letters would be much improved with stats. How many taken? How many waitlisted? How many applied? Were there limits on certain fields? It would actually illustrate how difficult it would've been for a top applicant to get in, rather than just having to take a robo-admin's word for it.

 

I can see why they might hesitate, though. If word gets out about any of that info, it discourages applicants in the next year, when conditions may have changed (it also reduces selectivity and the $$ that come in with application fees).

 

I get what you're saying here. No doubt that would be some consolation, but at the end of the day, a rejection is a rejection. I'm not sure if anything can soften the blow all that much.

[Wicked_Problem]

I've asked this question before, but if there are any lurkers out there that applied to Drew University's History and Culture Ph.D.?

I would appreciate a PM or response on this thread. I can't believe that I am the only applicant on Grad Cafe even if it is a moderately sized program.

Thanks.

Edited February 25, 2013 by Wicked_Problem

[Safferz]

FYI -- Harvard's DGS sent out the list of admitted students and details on the visiting days (March 13-14) to current graduate students this morning. There were 22 students admitted to the History PhD program this year, and two to the joint History and Middle Eastern Studies PhD (I have no information on History of American Civilization, East Asian Languages and Literatures, or the African and African American Studies PhD programs).

Edited February 25, 2013 by Safferz

[AKACaz]

Hey all,

 

Just checked my UPenn application (that and Harvard were my only ones left, decided to take a look after Safferz's post) and found my link to the rejection letter. Might be that others have their decisions up now too!

[LeatherElbows]

Is the consensus that no notice from Chicago at this point means an impending Social Sciences MA offer? I don't know if they have a history of delayed waitlist offers or not and the uploaded results from previous years are rather vague.

[viggosloof28]

It must feel good to be completely done now, viggo! I have a feeling a lot more schools will be getting this over with this week. Finally some closure.

Thanks, it definitely does!  I actually made my decision this weekend, but it's nice to have heard back from all the schools and feel completely, absolutely certain.  And now I can stop checking my email 100 times a day!

 

Congrats, Viggosloof!

 

I'd give the Columbia form letter a good rating—maybe 4 out of 5. Impersonal, sure, but the genre necessitates that. It's nice to hear that they recognize the whole application process is fairly impersonal.  Certainly better than Stanford, am I right?

Thanks!  Heh - you're right.  Stanford's was certainly nothing special...although I'm going to give my lowest rating to Wisconsin, who didn't even bother emailing me to let me know my rejection was ready.

[Laguna Niguel]

Has anyone heard from Alabama? I know one person was contacted by their POI. Wondering if there have been any official notices mailed out.

[Dawg05]

Has anyone heard from Alabama? I know one person was contacted by their POI. Wondering if there have been any official notices mailed out.

It was I. Though I haven't received the official letter yet, my admission status was changed on the graduate school's website.

 

According to my POI, letters will be mailed out soon.

Edited February 25, 2013 by Dawg05

[czesc]

Well, I checked the website and I'm officially a Penn reject, too. Had no way to even see it coming.

 

What a strange line in their rejection letter that must sting a lot for anyone admitted nowhere or only to a safety school:

 

"I trust that you have been, or will soon be, admitted elsewhere to a university of your choice, and I should like to take this opportunity to wish you luck and success in your graduate studies."

 

FYI -- Harvard's DGS sent out the list of admitted students and details on the visiting days (March 13-14) to current graduate students this morning. There were 22 students admitted to the History PhD program this year, and two to the joint History and Middle Eastern Studies PhD (I have no information on History of American Civilization, East Asian Languages and Literatures, or the African and African American Studies PhD programs).

 

Did any of this discuss waitlists?

 

Is the consensus that no notice from Chicago at this point means an impending Social Sciences MA offer? I don't know if they have a history of delayed waitlist offers or not and the uploaded results from previous years are rather vague.

 

I looked back at previous years and waitlists always seemed to come on the same day. Since it seems like at least one has already gone out I'm betting the rest of us will be made MA offers.

Edited February 25, 2013 by czesc

[kyjin]

My favorite comment from the results page today:

"$175 for taking the GRE, $25 sending of the GRE scores to Columbia, $105 Columbia application fee....Getting rejected from Columbia: Priceless"

[History Time]

I wanna know who got into Oregon's MA program! They have a couple profs there that would be really great fits for me and I was hoping to get in there.

[Zephyr99]

My favorite comment from the results page today:

"$175 for taking the GRE, $25 sending of the GRE scores to Columbia, $105 Columbia application fee....Getting rejected from Columbia: Priceless"

Haha, that was me. I'm glad people enjoyed it. I needed to add some humor on the results board.

[benedicite]

Ugh. Rejected at Penn, even after the interview. Can't help but wonder what I did wrong.

[lafayette]

Ah, slaughtered by Columbia (expected) and Penn (mostly expected) today. Must just repeat to myself, "In at first choice, in at first choice." & that I was rejected from my two worst fits and also the one school that I was somewhat worried to get in and then choose over one I might like better but with less prestige.

So it's good! It's all good. But this business does still seem to be random, to a degree.

I also agree with benedicte that the Columbia letter was a nice one (though I do have a tendency to only glance at them for a few seconds). Really not a fan of the check the website business, though. Or of Columbia taking so long. But yes, moving along.

One last school and I'm done. Just going to call it a rejection because hey, it's a teeny department in a prestigious school and yup, I just wanna call it a day. Maybe they'll surprise me with an honorable mention waitlist.

I do hope there's still some good news out there for the rest of you!

[czesc]

Great comment, Zephyr. There's so rarely any hope on the results board this late in the game that the snark is definitely welcome.

 

I hope you didn't take the GRE just to apply to Columbia, though!

 

And condolences all around. benedictite, I thought you were a lock with that Penn interview, too -- who knows how these departments think. And lafayette, you should definitely be feeling good. Three prestigious admits to choose from!

Edited February 25, 2013 by czesc

[Zephyr99]

Great comment, Zephyr. There's so rarely any hope on the results board this late in the game that the snark is definitely welcome.

 

I hope you didn't take the GRE just to apply to Columbia, though!

No, I didn't take the GRE just to get rejected from Columbia. I took it and got rejected from a whole bunch of other schools. Yes, money well spent I shall say

[Safferz]

Did any of this discuss waitlists?

 

No, but I don't believe there's a waitlist. It seems they accept 50% more students and expect an incoming cohort of 15 or so.

[lafayette]

Ugh. Rejected at Penn, even after the interview. Can't help but wonder what I did wrong.

Ugh, indeed. But though it might be only the slightest of consolations, at least they very seriously considered you and your application. And I bet that it was less you doing something wrong than them just not having enough space to admit all those they ranked highly.

Edited February 25, 2013 by lafayette

[czesc]

No, but I don't believe there's a waitlist. It seems they accept 50% more students and expect an incoming cohort of 15 or so.

 

Well, that's all, folks. Anyone who applied to Harvard and hasn't heard back is almost certainly one of the condemned, chin resting under the guillotine, waiting for the ax to fall.

Edited February 25, 2013 by czesc

[Thumbelina]

I still haven't heard anything back from UPenn. I'm probably so far down in their rejection list that they probably won't even bother to send me a notification. 

[Wicked_Problem]

One last school and I'm done. Just going to call it a rejection because hey, it's a teeny department in a prestigious school and yup, I just wanna call it a day. Maybe they'll surprise me with an honorable mention waitlist.

On no other basis than your posts over the last several months, I will put my money down on last minute acceptance to said program for you.

[Wicked_Problem]

(I have no information on History of American Civilization, East Asian Languages and Literatures, or the African and African American Studies PhD programs).

Note the above, Lafayette. History of American Civilization is the program you applied to, right?

[lafayette]

I still haven't heard anything back from UPenn. I'm probably so far down in their rejection list that they probably won't even bother to send me a notification. 

That might be a good thing!

But the rest of us didn't get an e-mail either; just a chance discovery on the application website. I'm assuming an e-mail is coming shortly.

But perhaps you'll get a positive e-mail! as I recall there was only one admittance posted to the results, which just seems incredibly low, so hopefully they're still saying yes to some.

On no other basis than your posts over the last several months, I will put my money down on last minute acceptance to said program for you.

Ah, thanks, that'd be nice, although hopefully fate will align to give it to the person who wants it reallyyyy, really bad. And wants to live in Boston

[underthesea]

Anyone have any insight on the status of things at the University of Iowa?

 

I've been lurking on here for ages and figured it was about time to step forward.

 

I received an email from them on January 22nd saying that my application was complete and that "the graduate committee will begin reviewing the file in the next few weeks.  We will notify you of your status as soon as possible." Pretty vague, and still no word over a month later. Also, I applied for the Masters program and I get the feeling admissions timelines for Masters vs. PhD are a little different. I'm not on the edge of my seat because I was (thankfully!) already accepted into my first choice Masters program, but it would be nice to know nonetheless. Anyone else have any information?