Medieval Studies

[OnceAndFutureGrad]

I just wanted to start this post as a base for MS students applying for MS programs. My current, rather unhappy status is in my signature below. And here's the scoop on the rest of the schools I'm waiting to hear from:

- It appears that Cornell accepted a bunch of people, by phone, in mid-February, with nothing really before or since. Have you or your friends heard from them? Any news about the MS program this year? An e-mail sent to them went unanswered and I'm too scared to write again because it's my top choice and I'm being paranoid :?

- I can't find a contact e-mail for Fordham. Apparently someone got into their MS MA program with a full boat ride. I am jealous. Anyone know who the contact person is for grad applicants?

- University of Connecticut is driving me crazy. I got a form e-mail confirming that they received my application and materials, and then on February 4 I got a personal e-mail asking for clarification about something on my application. The mistake was embarrassing but at least it meant that someone was looking at it. Now it's a full month later and it doesn't seem that anyone's heard anything from UConn MS. Anyone know anything about UConn?

I know you MS people are out there! Any questions, comments, requests, rants about other MS programs?

[Dirt]

I just wanted to start this post as a base for MS students applying for MS programs. My current, rather unhappy status is in my signature below. And here's the scoop on the rest of the schools I'm waiting to hear from:

- It appears that Cornell accepted a bunch of people, by phone, in mid-February, with nothing really before or since. Have you or your friends heard from them? Any news about the MS program this year? An e-mail sent to them went unanswered and I'm too scared to write again because it's my top choice and I'm being paranoid :?

- I can't find a contact e-mail for Fordham. Apparently someone got into their MS MA program with a full boat ride. I am jealous. Anyone know who the contact person is for grad applicants?

- University of Connecticut is driving me crazy. I got a form e-mail confirming that they received my application and materials, and then on February 4 I got a personal e-mail asking for clarification about something on my application. The mistake was embarrassing but at least it meant that someone was looking at it. Now it's a full month later and it doesn't seem that anyone's heard anything from UConn MS. Anyone know anything about UConn?

I know you MS people are out there! Any questions, comments, requests, rants about other MS programs?

It looks like UConn History and English have both made their decisions now. MS would probably take a bit longer, being an interdisciplinary program, but if these contributing departments have made their picks I would expect to hear something pretty soon.

Good luck, and hang in there!

[OnceAndFutureGrad]

It looks like UConn History and English have both made their decisions now. MS would probably take a bit longer, being an interdisciplinary program, but if these contributing departments have made their picks I would expect to hear something pretty soon.

THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME *dies* *revives* Any phone calls or e-mails yet? No? *resumes being dead*

Congratulations on the acceptance Dirt. How does UConn rank with you? Any financial info?

EDIT: Nyah! Just after I posted that I got this in my inbox:

"Thank you for your email. As you may have heard, with all of the economic

problems faced by universities right now, the admissions process has

slowed considerably, and I do apologize for that. I can tell you that the

committee was very impressed by your application and is still interested

in you. But we only have an extremely limited number of positions this

year. You are on the waiting list as the committee makes and awaits

decisions. I hope that I may have more information for you soon."

Waitlist? I don't care - I made a committee very impressed and I haven't got a rejection! Huzzah!

[general_jr]

I was admitted to Fordham's History MA program (concentration in MS), so I can't speak to the MS program, but I assume they are on roughly the same schedule. I got a call Feb. 23 by a prospective adviser (Richard Gyug). He laid out the financial info and rattled off all of the reasons I should come. Really a wonderful guy. I will almost certainly end up "pursuing another opportunity," but it seems like a great place.

I hope you hear soon and that it's good news.

[OnceAndFutureGrad]

I will almost certainly end up "pursuing another opportunity," but it seems like a great place.

I wrote this pretty plea asking general_jr to cede his spot, and now it's pointless so whatevs. Enjoy being a medieval studies graduate student, I'm feeling very much so that I'm not going to find out what that is.

[virmundi]

I wrote this pretty plea asking general_jr to cede his spot, and now it's pointless so whatevs. Enjoy being a medieval studies graduate student, I'm feeling very much so that I'm not going to find out what that is.

Dear Recycled -- don't give up! If you don't make it into UConn, there is always next year! Have you gotten any feedback on ways to improve your application for the next cycle, or do you have any feelings on what might have been the least strong parts of your application? How, in particular, is your language preparation? That seems to be one of the most significant stumbling blocks to getting admitted into programs, but also one of the easiest tangible things that you can do to improve your applications for next year!

[OnceAndFutureGrad]

Dear Recycled -- don't give up! If you don't make it into UConn, there is always next year! Have you gotten any feedback on ways to improve your application for the next cycle, or do you have any feelings on what might have been the least strong parts of your application? How, in particular, is your language preparation? That seems to be one of the most significant stumbling blocks to getting admitted into programs, but also one of the easiest tangible things that you can do to improve your applications for next year!

Thank you man of the world I get the feeling that there were only minor things wrong with my application. My GRE verbal was great and quantitative pretty good, and then I got a disappointing writing score - not low-low, but not great. A friend of mine got lower and has an acceptance (she does MS as well) so I know that it wasn't enough to knock me out of the water, but if I tried everything again I would probably put in the time and money to improve my GRE.

Language isn't an issue, I don't think - I have reading comprehension in Latin, Early Irish, Middle English, and French, and basic comprehension in Modern Irish, German, and Spanish. I would like to improve my German and add Old Norse to the list, but I doubt not knowing Old Norse as an undergrad has kept me out. It's not like I had an opportunity to learn it and turned it down!

I think the real issue with my application was two-fold. The first is that I'm too specialized. I already have very specific theses in mind, on topics that American graduate programs don't regularly support - Ireland 400-1169, Iceland 874-1262, Isle of Man 700-1266, and so on. I know that most people applying to MS have topics like "French high medieval history" and "Italian early medieval history", which are inherently well-attested in American grad schools. However, I'm not giving up my specific interests for "English Dark Age history"; I'm going to keep trying until I find a department which can support my interests, which at this point looks like overseas!

The second is that I haven't gotten buddy-buddy with specific professors, which in hindsight was pretty damn stupid. I thought I'd be bothering them and they would be annoyed and that grad school should be a leap of faith into an app com/dept that knows nothing about you apart from the papers on the table. Ha! Well now I know. I know people have gotten into grad schools without knowing professors, and people who knew professors well but were rejected anyway (!), but it just can't hurt to have a contact on the other side.

[virmundi]

Thank you man of the world I get the feeling that there were only minor things wrong with my application. My GRE verbal was great and quantitative pretty good, and then I got a disappointing writing score - not low-low, but not great. A friend of mine got lower and has an acceptance (she does MS as well) so I know that it wasn't enough to knock me out of the water, but if I tried everything again I would probably put in the time and money to improve my GRE.

Language isn't an issue, I don't think - I have reading comprehension in Latin, Early Irish, Middle English, and French, and basic comprehension in Modern Irish, German, and Spanish. I would like to improve my German and add Old Norse to the list, but I doubt not knowing Old Norse as an undergrad has kept me out. It's not like I had an opportunity to learn it and turned it down!

I think the real issue with my application was two-fold. The first is that I'm too specialized. I already have very specific theses in mind, on topics that American graduate programs don't regularly support - Ireland 400-1169, Iceland 874-1262, Isle of Man 700-1266, and so on. I know that most people applying to MS have topics like "French high medieval history" and "Italian early medieval history", which are inherently well-attested in American grad schools. However, I'm not giving up my specific interests for "English Dark Age history"; I'm going to keep trying until I find a department which can support my interests, which at this point looks like overseas!

The second is that I haven't gotten buddy-buddy with specific professors, which in hindsight was pretty damn stupid. I thought I'd be bothering them and they would be annoyed and that grad school should be a leap of faith into an app com/dept that knows nothing about you apart from the papers on the table. Ha! Well now I know. I know people have gotten into grad schools without knowing professors, and people who knew professors well but were rejected anyway (!), but it just can't hurt to have a contact on the other side.

Ahhhh, well your language preparation is definitely far better than mine! Nice -- I wish I had that language portfolio under my belt. Mirable visu!

Anyways -- I think that you do, actually, hit the nail on the head. One piece of advice I've seen is to convey your interests broadly, even if you do have a very specific set of interests... you don't want to be so broad that you seem unfocused, but a lot of professors, apparently (I've been told), also want to have students who they can mold and shape to a certain degree! It might be worth it to convey your interests in both the broad and the specific sense.

Also, the buddy-buddy thing is definitely a good idea. I am lucky that I have a very phenomenal history program in my neck of the woods and I was able to take a few classes with the professor that I want to study with while I was putting together my application. I'm pretty sure that that helped me get admitted to their MA program with generous funding.

In any event, is there anything that stands out on the application of your friend who got in versus on your application? It would be very nice if she would let you compare applications, as that might give you an idea of what they are looking for. In any event, I wish you the absolute best! I feel truly lucky to have been accepted into a program, and I hope that you too will soon have the same groovy vibe!

Vale!

[OnceAndFutureGrad]

Update: I am at the top of the UConn MS waiting list, and I must beg of anyone who has been accepted to UConn MS and will be turning it down, please let them know ASAP so I can get my life in order. Cheers!