Fall 2014 Applicants

[TMP]

Our grad coordinator is a man.  The department would fall apart without him.

[angelayar]

Right so almost everybody is agreed that administrative staff can also be male. :-)

[Loric]

Can, doesn't mean they are in a statistically significant amount.

 

Books on grammar and citation and other various writing rules often still say you can refer to a group of people by the presumed gender when using a pronoun. The example commonly used is miners versus librarians. "When a librarian shelves books, she.." and "When a miner digs up a rock, he..."

 

Just be happy our language doesn't assign gender to inanimate objects.

[New England Nat]

I will defend my use of "office ladies".  It's a category in part because service jobs at universities are almost always done by women and to pretend otherwise is it's own form of othering.  In fact I thought about that word as I was writing the sentence and decided to use it anyway because I did think that it would cause a little thought about who those administrative staff are.  And for the record, I've worked for or been a student in 7 academic departments at institutions from across the prestige spectrum.  The ratio of female to male administrative staff was 40:1.

 

Perhaps it's because I have a certain acculturation in the American south I certainly don't think it implies someone does more or less work.  In that context, the word usage in fact implies quite a strong figure.  In my world, annoying administrative staff is right up there with career suicide.  I might suggest that this word, much like the usage of "ma'am" or "miss" is highly regional.

 

 In fact in this case the academics have flexible hours, and yes, it's important for you to know if you are going into the field academics often work a lot more hours than a traditional 9-5, 5 day a week job. 

[Kirialax]

Just received an offer from Oxford. Accepted, but they don't make funding announcements for a little while yet. Still waiting to hear back from the other two, which I'm guessing should take place by the end of February or so.  

[catsandscarves]

Congrats kirialax!

A rejection was posted by someone from Berkeley...looks like we might be getting some results this week! Yikes!

[Kirialax]

Congrats kirialax!

A rejection was posted by someone from Berkeley...looks like we might be getting some results this week! Yikes!

 

Thanks! I'm really hoping to hear back from Princeton during the next or so, since that's really the major deciding factor. It looks like some of the offers in classics have already been made from there, and if Berkeley is sending them out I'm guessing the other top American schools won't be far behind. 

[jamc8383]

Thanks! I'm really hoping to hear back from Princeton during the next or so, since that's really the major deciding factor. It looks like some of the offers in classics have already been made from there, and if Berkeley is sending them out I'm guessing the other top American schools won't be far behind. 

 

Princeton sent out acceptances last year on the 7th and 8th of February (so you may still have a couple of weeks to go), though NEN might have a better sense of when you might expect to hear back.

[New England Nat]

Princeton is not going to release in the next week, and the week after is the first week of the semester here.  Last few years we've sent out results in the first 10 days in Feb, in the 7-10th range.  I see no reason this will change.

[angelayar]

Congrats Kirialax! Yikes re Berkeley. And hard luck to the rejected candidate.

[Kirialax]

Princeton is not going to release in the next week, and the week after is the first week of the semester here.  Last few years we've sent out results in the first 10 days in Feb, in the 7-10th range.  I see no reason this will change.

I popped by for a visit in late November. I don't suppose we met in passing?

[New England Nat]

I don't think so.  I don't recall meeting anyone from your subfield this year.   I'm an Americanist.

[Kirialax]

I don't think so.  I don't recall meeting anyone from your subfield this year.   I'm an Americanist.

 

I just met a couple of Americanists in passing in the department. I was invited to take part in a paper discussion between the students who are early medievalists (which I suppose is what I am) and I was really impressed with the engagement and atmosphere of the graduate student community at Princeton. 

[New England Nat]

It's an incredible place to be.  It's not that I couldn't have met you, just that I don't think I did.

[tenguru]

Hi all,

 

First of all, thanks for all the great contributions (especially the grad students who have already gone though this and now are looking at us from the other side).

 

I had been in contact before deadlines with a POI at one of my less prestigious choices and had a very positive vibe from the Prof. in our back and forth emails. He recently emailed me to tell me he liked my application and that the committee agreed. He said they were recommending me for acceptance and that the dept would make the final decision. He then strongly encouraged me to go to the school that has the best fit for my interests and (perhaps most importantly) would provide the best funding. I guess they are tight on funding? He said I will learn about funding in Feb.

 

So, my question is: How likely is it that I would not get admission at this point? Is that program dependent? I would rather not say which school at this point, to make sure I don't hurt my chances after this seemingly positive news.

 

Thanks for the help!

[catsandscarves]

Hi all,

 

First of all, thanks for all the great contributions (especially the grad students who have already gone though this and now are looking at us from the other side).

 

I had been in contact before deadlines with a POI at one of my less prestigious choices and had a very positive vibe from the Prof. in our back and forth emails. He recently emailed me to tell me he liked my application and that the committee agreed. He said they were recommending me for acceptance and that the dept would make the final decision. He then strongly encouraged me to go to the school that has the best fit for my interests and (perhaps most importantly) would provide the best funding. I guess they are tight on funding? He said I will learn about funding in Feb.

 

So, my question is: How likely is it that I would not get admission at this point? Is that program dependent? I would rather not say which school at this point, to make sure I don't hurt my chances after this seemingly positive news.

 

Thanks for the help!

 

There have been a few posts in the past that might be helpful to you as well, regarding myself getting a similar email. This is my second time around though (MA first time PhD now). It really all depends on what that department is looking for in a particular year. How many Americanists, Europeanists, etc they are taking and how many they are able to fund. This is where decisions become based on things like who will compete better for a fellowship or small differences between applications that make one candidate better than the other. You have overcome a huge hurdle in the process, but I firmly believe it ain't over til it's over.

 

Also, I am not sure why sharing what school it is would hurt your chances, but I respect that.

[New England Nat]

I'd say there is no way to know.  He or she has given you all the information that is in his power.  But they're also aware that you are applying to other places that may admit you with better funding packages.  I know a lot of academics who would feel the moral obligation to tell a student to take such a package.  I remember calling a place to withdraw my application after I got into somewhere higher on my list and they told me if I had turned down the ivy to go to that place they would have questioned my sanity.

 

YMMV.

 

BTW, since it hasn't come up before.  As acceptances come in, if you get into someplace that you would definitely go to over places where you haven't heard yet gotten a decision, you should withdraw the other application.  Many programs with tight budgets can only afford to offer so many acceptances and once the offer is made can not make another if you don't come.  They just loose the slot.

 

That is to say that if you applied to 8 schools and you get into your 3rd ranked school, you should withdraw at least your 6th, 7th, and 8th ranked applications.

[catsandscarves]

I'd say there is no way to know.  He or she has given you all the information that is in his power.  But they're also aware that you are applying to other places that may admit you with better funding packages.  I know a lot of academics who would feel the moral obligation to tell a student to take such a package.  I remember calling a place to withdraw my application after I got into somewhere higher on my list and they told me if I had turned down the ivy to go to that place they would have questioned my sanity.

 

YMMV.

 

BTW, since it hasn't come up before.  As acceptances come in, if you get into someplace that you would definitely go to over places where you haven't heard yet gotten a decision, you should withdraw the other application.  Many programs with tight budgets can only afford to offer so many acceptances and once the offer is made can not make another if you don't come.  They just loose the slot.

 

That is to say that if you applied to 8 schools and you get into your 3rd ranked school, you should withdraw at least your 6th, 7th, and 8th ranked applications.

Great advice, as per usual. It is important to resist the temptation to see how many schools you can get into in order to be fair to other schools and give other applicants a shot at a spot you don't want anymore.

[tenguru]

Many thanks. This is my third time around...casting a much wider net and applied to a couple MA programs too. Really, really hoping to get in with funding of some sort somewhere. Surprisingly, I feel very optimistic!

[catsandscarves]

Many thanks. This is my third time around...casting a much wider net and applied to a couple MA programs too. Really, really hoping to get in with funding of some sort somewhere. Surprisingly, I feel very optimistic!

haha I have been so humbled by this process that I almost wince when I feel any sort of unfounded optimism! Best of luck to you!

[HistThrift]

 In fact in this case the academics have flexible hours, and yes, it's important for you to know if you are going into the field academics often work a lot more hours than a traditional 9-5, 5 day a week job. 

 

Not to open this all up again (I'm sure NEN meant no harm with his comment), but my significant other works as an administrative assistant in another program, and I can assure you all that academics aren't the only ones putting in more than 40 hours per week on a regular basis.  I think the university setting is just one of those workplaces that lends itself to long and somewhat wonky hours.

[New England Nat]

Her.  And I'm not playing who works harder games.  I was pointing out that people who are applying to graduate school, along with the poor job market, should also know that they're likely going to be working very long hours and not get credit for it by their friends and family.  I had a fight with a friend of mine the other week because no, I couldn't go out one weekend to a science fiction con, because I was going to be teaching and grading that week.

[kdavid]

Is there a correlation between application deadlines and number of applications/competitiveness?

 

For example, a lot of ivies have early December deadlines, while others may wait until mid-January.

 

Could this mean that mid-January schools have later deadlines to draw in more applications, whereas early December already receive plenty so they can afford earlier deadlines? Likewise, that mid-January programs may be less competitive?

[catsandscarves]

Is there a correlation between application deadlines and number of applications/competitiveness?

 

For example, a lot of ivies have early December deadlines, while others may wait until mid-January.

 

Could this mean that mid-January schools have later deadlines to draw in more applications, whereas early December already receive plenty so they can afford earlier deadlines? Likewise, that mid-January programs may be less competitive?

That seemed to be the trend in my applications, but I am not sure if it is the rule. For example, UC-Davis was due later than the rest, but it is still a very competitve institution.

[New England Nat]

I wouldn't read anything into the application deadlines.