Results

[RevolutionBlues]

The third round included a semi-funded PhD, an unfunded MA, a semi-funded MA, and a fully-funded MA. I took the last option and am now reapplying for PhD programs.

[awells27]

The third round included a semi-funded PhD, an unfunded MA, a semi-funded MA, and a fully-funded MA. I took the last option and am now reapplying for PhD programs.

Okay that make sense.  Those are great admits, way to persevere!

[djp2]

Any idea when we'll be hearing news?!?! Thanks so much for the update!!

I heard unofficially from my POI this morning - no official e-mail yet though.

[thedig13]

Stanford rejections are out.

[Brisingamen]

And I see a couple of Michigan acceptances on the boards. 

[CageFree]

Would there be something in the system which would disallow this?

 

Nope. I got into two UCs during my application cycle.

Edited February 21, 2014 by CageFree

[marx93]

Anyone heard from Yale's HSHM department or from Johns Hopkins History of Medicine?

 

I see acceptances and rejections from the main history programs at both schools, but nothing from the specialists. 

 

Thanks!

[wiewanderlust]

Sorry to be the possible bearer of bad news, but the Yale history admit day is March 3rd, and Ren Studies/History joint program has been invited to the same. I would be really surprised if HSHM hadn't made its general acceptances by now or Monday. Good luck!

[marx93]

Thanks for the information. Here's hoping I get a phone call soon!

[phdwannab]

Can I get your thoughts on something? I was accepted at a school via a letter today which basically said: congrats, you're accepted! Sign this paper letting us know you accept admission and then the graduate school will get back to you with more details on your admission. Btw, you have to let us know by march 14th.

Is this allowed? How could I possibly make a decision to accept somewhere with no other details about a funding package?

[Zephyr99]

^Pssh, that's really weird. I would reject that place outright. Very amateur on their part.

[maelia8]

Honestly, this entire application season has been like Alice in Wonderland for me. I've been admitted by programs that I thought were long-shots (highly selective, good-not-great fit), but I've been rejected by programs where I was almost certain I'd be admitted (slightly-less-selective, fantastic fit). Lots of people on this thread have mentioned how much of a blind-luck crapshoot the admissions process is, but the reality of it never struck me until last week.

 

I totally know where you're coming from! I have so far been rejected or wait listed at all of the schools I've applied to EXCEPT for the long-shot, highly-selective less than 1% chance that I didn't expect to get into in the first place.  Really makes you wonder how much of it is chance and how much is really due to the merits of your application.

[Zephyr99]

^ You also applied to all top 10 programs so that is very important to keep in mind.

[spellbanisher]

Can I get your thoughts on something? I was accepted at a school via a letter today which basically said: congrats, you're accepted! Sign this paper letting us know you accept admission and then the graduate school will get back to you with more details on your admission. Btw, you have to let us know by march 14th.

Is this allowed? How could I possibly make a decision to accept somewhere with no other details about a funding package?

If the school is a member of the council of graduate schools, then it is not allowed. But I wouldn't want to attend a school that did something like to me anyways.

[spellbanisher]

I totally know where you're coming from! I have so far been rejected or wait listed at all of the schools I've applied to EXCEPT for the long-shot, highly-selective less than 1% chance that I didn't expect to get into in the first place.  Really makes you wonder how much of it is chance and how much is really due to the merits of your application.

A lot of wonky things go on during the application process. Sometimes a POI who is a great fit might really want to take you on, but maybe he/she already has too many grad students already or someone on the graduate admissions committee complains that the POI has 5 grad students whereas other professors don't have any or just a few.

Edited February 21, 2014 by spellbanisher

[TMP]

Can I get your thoughts on something? I was accepted at a school via a letter today which basically said: congrats, you're accepted! Sign this paper letting us know you accept admission and then the graduate school will get back to you with more details on your admission. Btw, you have to let us know by march 14th.

Is this allowed? How could I possibly make a decision to accept somewhere with no other details about a funding package?

I'd actually press them to find out why.  Usually they will do this if your funding package is transferable, which in that case, if you are pretty sure you don't want to go there, they'd like to know sooner than later so they can recruit another student.  If your funding package wasn't transferable, then programs wouldn't be pressing you to make a decision sooner than later.

 

As for applications vs. chances, First, your application has to merit the attention of your POI(s) and graduate admissions committee.  More often than not, it's the department politics so getting an offer is much like trying to win an Olympic medal (yes, I'm watching skiing right now).  Once you've made the cut, anything goes.  Smart and good advisers will not supervise more than 2 pre-candidate students at a time. If your POI already has 3 students between Years 1 and 3, your chances have been reduced.  There might be hiring going on in a particular field.  There might be a bunch of graduate students in one field graduating.  There could be planning for some change-ups in the department's profile (i.e. Penn State's restrictions against Modern US and European history).  I can go on.

[ToomuchLes]

@ UCLA & UCSB admitted applicants

By sheer curiosity, what was your undergrad GPA/GRE? 

[Zephyr99]

UCSB admit here... 3.88/4.0 GPA.

[phdwannab]

I'd actually press them to find out why. Usually they will do this if your funding package is transferable, which in that case, if you are pretty sure you don't want to go there, they'd like to know sooner than later so they can recruit another student. If your funding package wasn't transferable, then programs wouldn't be pressing you to make a decision sooner than later.

As for applications vs. chances, First, your application has to merit the attention of your POI(s) and graduate admissions committee. More often than not, it's the department politics so getting an offer is much like trying to win an Olympic medal (yes, I'm watching skiing right now). Once you've made the cut, anything goes. Smart and good advisers will not supervise more than 2 pre-candidate students at a time. If your POI already has 3 students between Years 1 and 3, your chances have been reduced. There might be hiring going on in a particular field. There might be a bunch of graduate students in one field graduating. There could be planning for some change-ups in the department's profile (i.e. Penn State's restrictions against Modern US and European history). I can go on.

Thanks, that helps. It's a little complicated bc I would go to this school over my two acceptances thus far, but I'm still waiting on UPenn (interview) and Vanderbilt (wait list) and I would choose both over this school.

I want to be considerate of their funding situation and not string them along if I don't intend to go there, but at the same time I don't think it's fair to ask for an answer so quickly.

What if I don't answer by March 14, can they drop me and pick someone else? I guess they haven't really offered me anything besides acceptance (bc of the tricksy working in the letter regarding funding), so I don't really "have" anything they can take away bc funding isn't officially offered until I accept?

I'll likely know about Penn by then, but could still be waiting on Vanderbilt...

Confusing!? Exciting!? I'm not sure, probably both!

[Whatishistoryanyway]

Thanks, that helps. It's a little complicated bc I would go to this school over my two acceptances thus far, but I'm still waiting on UPenn (interview) and Vanderbilt (wait list) and I would choose both over this school.

I want to be considerate of their funding situation and not string them along if I don't intend to go there, but at the same time I don't think it's fair to ask for an answer so quickly.

What if I don't answer by March 14, can they drop me and pick someone else? I guess they haven't really offered me anything besides acceptance (bc of the tricksy working in the letter regarding funding), so I don't really "have" anything they can take away bc funding isn't officially offered until I accept?

I'll likely know about Penn by then, but could still be waiting on Vanderbilt...

Confusing!? Exciting!? I'm not sure, probably both!

I'd say tmp is probably right. It seems like a funding issue. You really are in a tough situation, especially given what's going on with the other schools you already heard from. There probably isn't much you can do with the Vanderbilt situation since it comes down to who does and doesn't accept before you, but you could possibly shoot an email to the dgs at penn to see what's going on there. Put a brief explanation of why you even emailed him and maybe even name drop the school to him.

Then again, take everything I say with a grain of salt. I'm In a similar situation with acceptances and wait lists. I shot an email to my poi and the dgs at my top choice and didn't get a word back. So now I'm just hoping to get off the wait list at my other top choice before resorting to go to another program.

[hohummelody]

orangepeel, Roy_Baty, I've received an unofficial email from Brandeis detailing the offer they'll be making me. That was roughly a week ago and they stated that they'd be sending out official offers "within a week or so," so I guess it would mean early-mid next week, unless it happens during the weekend.
I'm doing modern Middle East history if that helps.

[Roy_Baty]

orangepeel, Roy_Baty, I've received an unofficial email from Brandeis detailing the offer they'll be making me. That was roughly a week ago and they stated that they'd be sending out official offers "within a week or so," so I guess it would mean early-mid next week, unless it happens during the weekend.

I'm doing modern Middle East history if that helps.

 

Oh okay, cool, thank you and congratulations! I don't have high hopes for acceptance, but maybe it works out. I enjoy a little modern Middle East history myself, but not as my area. What are you looking to research in particular? 

[hohummelody]

Thanks. I hope it works out for you as well!
I'm hoping to work on a sensory history of Mandate-era Palestine, focusing on inter-communal relations, media, infrastructure and commerce. Still awaiting answers from a couple more programs (quite possibly rejections), before making the call.
What's your field?

[catsandscarves]

Penn did send an email out saying specifically to not contact them regarding admissions and that they would report by late February so I might just wait for them to give news (which should be coming soon)

[Whatishistoryanyway]

Penn did send an email out saying specifically to not contact them regarding admissions and that they would report by late February so I might just wait for them to give news (which should be coming soon)

Didn't know that. I wasn't paying much attention to their process since I didn't apply. But from the sound of it, maybe phdwannab should just chill until mid march. Quite a bit could happen before then.