czesc Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) Hello, czesc! Thanks for the welcome. I'm looking on this as a first shot at applying and am trying just five schools. Michigan (Ann Arbor), Toronto, Illinois (Urbana Champaign), Minnesota (Twin Cities) and UC Davis. I've stuck with places that are a good fit, where POIs were encouraging and that are open to applicants from disciplines other than history. Should it not work out this time, I'm planning to work on my languages, get more research experience and reapply next year. The application process has been quite a ride so far! Sorry for the late reply, but if this round doesn't work out and you come back with a better combination next year, consider applications to Harvard and Cornell. David Armitage/Sugata Bose (Harvard) or Robert Travers/Durba Ghosh/Eric Tagliacozzo (Cornell) might be good combinations for your interest in the British Empire/Indian Ocean. Cambridge (with a combo of, say, Chris Bayly and Tim Harper) would be fantastic as well. Edited January 24, 2014 by czesc Brisingamen 1
levoyous Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) A bit of news for UNC Chapel Hill people - I heard through a friend on the faculty there that they are planning to make offers in the next couple of weeks, and that they had dramatically reduced the number of students they're accepting because of budget cuts. Wish it were better news... Edited January 24, 2014 by levoyous thedig13 1
New England Nat Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 I can tell you with absolute certainty of inside information that OSU is doing it in at least 2 waves. thedig13 1
A Finicky Bean Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 I can tell you with absolute certainty of inside information that OSU is doing it in at least 2 waves. So, a question: what does this whole "waves" thing really mean? If you are not accepted into the first wave, for example, does that mean you weren't as wanted as those who were? I am just curious about how this all works. I'll go back to checking each of my app statuses now...
Loric Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 It usually means they have too many people to logistically process all at once.
MsWuff12 Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 Quick question... The department of one of the schools that I applied to contacted me letting me know that one of my recommendation letters wasn't in. I let them know that my adviser had just submitted it. Do you think this is a good sign? I mean, do departments usually inquire about missing items from an application if they are not interested in the applicant?
sankofa Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 A bit of news for UNC Chapel Hill people - I heard through a friend on the faculty there that they are planning to make offers in the next couple of weeks, and that they had dramatically reduced the number of students they're accepting because of budget cuts. Wish it were better news... Yikes ! I wonder if that is "dramatically reduced" from the 12-15 figure I was quoted. This is not good news
New England Nat Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 In this case it means that OSU offers funding to graduate students in two sets. Those they nominate for fellowships and those that they offer TAships. It doesn't mean they want the fellowship people more so much as their may be specific subfields where there is set aside money available. Say there is a hypothetical set of money endowed for people studying 17th century pirates, and you have applied to work on Somali Indian Ocean pirates in the 1920s. They may still like you as much as the first guy but they have to fund you through a TAship.
catsandscarves Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 Yikes ! I wonder if that is "dramatically reduced" from the 12-15 figure I was quoted. This is not good news I had heard around 10 from the DGS there...she had also implied they were really looking for Latin Americanists due to last years yield (made many Latin american offers and not many took them). She encouraged me to contact my POI to make sure that she was taking on a student before applying.
sankofa Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 I had heard around 10 from the DGS there...she had also implied they were really looking for Latin Americanists due to last years yield (made many Latin american offers and not many took them). She encouraged me to contact my POI to make sure that she was taking on a student before applying. Wow. This news is so depressing lol. Ill probably just pace a hole in my floor now lol
New England Nat Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 Poor Professor Radding, I spoke to her a year or so ago and the budget cuts were looming than. It sounds like it's gotten much worse.
catsandscarves Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 Wow. This news is so depressing lol. Ill probably just pace a hole in my floor now lol I hesitated to post it, but I thought, If I were others on here, I might want to know. It doesn't mean that they won't be making other offers, but they might come later! No pacing! just try to focus on other things (trust me, I am failing at my own advice!)
catsandscarves Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 Poor Professor Radding, I spoke to her a year or so ago and the budget cuts were looming than. It sounds like it's gotten much worse. Yeah, I saw her twice in the last year, and it was always more about cuts. She encouraged me to become a Latin Americanist ha!
New England Nat Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 I think she would be sad that I didn't become a Latin Americanist, except I became an environmental historian, so she got something out of me as an undergrad.
catsandscarves Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 I think she would be sad that I didn't become a Latin Americanist, except I became an environmental historian, so she got something out of me as an undergrad. I would say becoming a historian is probably exciting enough for her!
ReallyNiceGuy Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 With Nat's comments in mind (RE: OSU's waves) were there any Europeanists among the first wave of OSU posters? Thanks.
A Finicky Bean Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 (edited) With Nat's comments in mind (RE: OSU's waves) were there any Europeanists among the first wave of OSU posters? Thanks. RNG- me! Eastern Europe, Romanian history specifically. I totally read this wrong! Edited January 25, 2014 by A Finicky Bean
Whatishistoryanyway Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 In this case it means that OSU offers funding to graduate students in two sets. Those they nominate for fellowships and those that they offer TAships. It doesn't mean they want the fellowship people more so much as their may be specific subfields where there is set aside money available. Say there is a hypothetical set of money endowed for people studying 17th century pirates, and you have applied to work on Somali Indian Ocean pirates in the 1920s. They may still like you as much as the first guy but they have to fund you through a TAship. Also, I think the university has a cut off for fellowships. Based off the handbook, my gpa is about .04 shy of qualifying. I'm keeping hope for next week and I hope everyone else does the same!
levoyous Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 Yikes ! I wonder if that is "dramatically reduced" from the 12-15 figure I was quoted. This is not good news I think reduced from previous years, probably not from what you were told. If you talked to your POI(s) recently, I'm sure what they quoted was accurate.
Patsdevotee Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 There is a Minnesota acceptance. Yikes! It's my top pick, and I haven't heard anything yet...
jamc8383 Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 RNG- me! Eastern Europe, Romanian history specifically. Bean, I thought your app was still "pending" as well. Did you get an admission offer?With Nat's comments in mind (RE: OSU's waves) were there any Europeanists among the first wave of OSU posters? Thanks. RNG, what is your specialization within European history, out of curiosity?
A Finicky Bean Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 Bean, I thought your app was still "pending" as well. Did you get an admission offer? RNG, what is your specialization within European history, out of curiosity? Sorry, sorry... I totally read RNG's post wrong! I have not heard from anyone.
Brisingamen Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 Sorry for the late reply, but if this round doesn't work out and you come back with a better combination next year, consider applications to Harvard and Cornell. David Armitage/Sugata Bose (Harvard) or Robert Travers/Durba Ghosh/Eric Tagliacozzo (Cornell) might be good combinations for your interest in the British Empire/Indian Ocean. Cambridge (with a combo of, say, Chris Bayly and Tim Harper) would be fantastic as well. Thanks for the suggestions! Much appreciated.
A Finicky Bean Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 This is going to be a dumb question, but I still want to ask: do decisions come out on weekends, or only during business days?
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