Fall 2015 Applicants

[Jezzlin]

I was pretty disheartened not to get an email from Michigan considering that my interview with them back in January went fairly well, but I suppose for any number of reasons it didn't work out. Am awaiting rejection letters from Michigan and Cornell, but hold offers from Chicago and Emory, and Austin is yet to notify. As with you guys, I basically want to accept Chicago but have to await Austin's notification before I do so.

All in all, it's been a very decent cycle and even in the case of rejections I certainly feel like I've made good contacts at other institutes that will be beneficial in the future. I've mostly lurked around here, but everyone has been exceptionally helpful and supportive. Best wishes to all and here's to a shower of acceptances in this final week of February!

[Gambaosaka1]

Glad I'm not the only one! I should just forget about it for another 7-10 days and not worry about it. Or just drink myself into the ground so this week is a blur.

[ellebe]

Wow, it looks like yesterday was crazy active. Welcome new posters, and congrats to all of you guys who are still killing it. This is already starting off as a run-out-of-upvotes-super-quickly day. Obviously the best kind of day!

 

Looks like this week is starting off pretty hopeful, which would be an awesome trend. For those who had bad news, I feel your pain. USC rejection came in on Saturday morning, though to be fair, it was very nice.

 

I know it only takes one yes, but it's a little scary to see those options shrinking. Based on the UCLA waitlist posts in the survey, I'm guessing they're done with admits? 

 

I've got everything crossed for all of us, guys. Come on, Tuesday...

[Gambaosaka1]

I'll stop being a whiny so and so...good luck to everyone this week!

 

Ellebelle/JJWS/Josh, I feel a big admit coming for you all this week

[Heimat Historian]

Marte108:

 

Here are a few things I can recommend to help with your time for next year.  

1.  Apply to 10-15 schools. It will be expensive, but almost every POI I talked to encouraged me to apply broadly.  

2.  Apply to multiple levels of schools.  It's good to have your top reach choices, but be honest with yourself based upon GREs, writing sample, undergrad etc. where you'd best fit in.

3.  Language study is always a good thing that will only help your application

4.  You can also do some teaching.  It's valuable experience and it can only help

5.  Get everyone you know to read your personal statement/writing sample and be hyper critical about it. When doing this, fine tune your topic so that it pops

 

I hope this helps and please understand I am by no means an expert on getting into PhD programs.  This is my second attempt as well and stars seem to have aligned. 

[JTE]

I'm starting to lose hope. I've only received rejections, and many of the schools still pending have reached out to other applicants and notified some of acceptances. Maybe I should just start working on my applications for next cycle. I too will stop whining now, let's hope my pessimism is misplaced. Good luck to all those still waiting on their first acceptance, and congrats to all of you who have decisions to make.

[Heimat Historian]

It's not over until it's over JTE.  You can hear as late as April 15 and looking at past acceptances some definitely do.  

[Josh J.]

I'll stop being a whiny so and so...good luck to everyone this week!

 

Ellebelle/JJWS/Josh, I feel a big admit coming for you all this week

Well, unless Notre Dame's Kroc Institute contacts me this week, I'm probably SOL.

I do interview at Baylor Thursday-Saturday though.  We shall see how that goes...

[Aubstopper]

I'm starting to lose hope. I've only received rejections, and many of the schools still pending have reached out to other applicants and notified some of acceptances. Maybe I should just start working on my applications for next cycle. I too will stop whining now, let's hope my pessimism is misplaced. Good luck to all those still waiting on their first acceptance, and congrats to all of you who have decisions to make.

 

 

I'm feeling a bit the same, but even if you/we/I have to do this again next year, so what? It's only a year and in the context of a PhD and a whole career, that's nothing In your case, you still have 6 schools you've yet to hear from, so it's not quite over yet! 

 

[JTE]

Thank you for the support everyone. I appreciate it. And while I'm starting to lose hope, I know not all hope is lost. Thanks again, we do have a great group of people on this forum. I'm luck to have found this space to vent, share in our collective anxiety, and revel in the successes of others.

[ashiepoo72]

Officially rejected by Madison. Lovely department, but Scott Walker makes me glad I won't be in Wisconsin haha

[Heimat Historian]

That's one of my concerns about Kansas to be honest, Ashiepoo.  Not Scott Walker of course but the Kansas legislature. 

 

Also, sorry to hear about Madison.  The upvote was for the second part. 

Edited February 24, 2015 by Heimat Historian

[ashiepoo72]

I think it's a valid concern. If any of you watch John Oliver--my main news source --you know state legislatures impact our lives way more than the federal government. I wouldn't rank it high in my program ranking, but it definitely deserves some attention.

[Heimat Historian]

John Oliver is fantastic!  He is the smartest newsperson on tv.  His segments are incredibly insightful.  I haven't watched his coverage of elected judiciaries but I hear good things. 

[IvanBezdomnii]

Does anyone else think that if you have an interview at a school, your POI should tell you via email about your final application decision instead of making you wait for a generic email? I kind of feel like that's the least you deserve at that point.

[Heimat Historian]

That would be nice wouldn't it?  The way schools disseminate information can be maddening. 

[PD33]

Well, it looks as though I'll be getting an MA first. 3 MA acceptances, no PhD acceptances. I feel pretty good about that, though, having come from a super small, liberal arts college. 

I do have a question for you all. I was accepted to a history MA program and a women's studies MA program. My area of focus is 19th and 20th century women's history - more specifically, the history of feminism, women's education, and the influence of popular culture on the construction of gender roles. For that reason, I am leaning more toward an MA in women's studies. Do you all think that will in any way hurt my chance of entering a history PhD program (I have a BA in history)?

[Heimat Historian]

I really think it depends on how you focus. If in your Women's Studies MA you focus primarily on historical topics and research you should be ok.  Also, why not consider a PhD in women's studies over history if that's your real passion? 

[PD33]

Women's studies, generally, does not focus primarily on history. While I like women's studies, I am more interested in focusing on women in a historical context, and becoming a historian of women, rather than a scholar of women and gender. 

[Sigaba]

Well, it looks as though I'll be getting an MA first. 3 MA acceptances, no PhD acceptances. I feel pretty good about that, though, having come from a super small, liberal arts college. 

I do have a question for you all. I was accepted to a history MA program and a women's studies MA program. My area of focus is 19th and 20th century women's history - more specifically, the history of feminism, women's education, and the influence of popular culture on the construction of gender roles. For that reason, I am leaning more toward an MA in women's studies. Do you all think that will in any way hurt my chance of entering a history PhD program (I have a BA in history)?

 

MOO, if you want to be a historian, you should pursue a master's degree in history. Pick the option that has you write either a thesis or a report. Think twice before doing your outside field in women's studies -- if there's a significant amount of overlap, you might benefit more from picking an outside field that diversifies your skill set.

 

When you apply to doctoral programs, some professors who look at your application materials and writing samples are not going to agree with the notion that a master's degree in women's studies is equivalent to a master's degree in history.

 

My $0.02.

[mvlchicago]

Well, it looks as though I'll be getting an MA first. 3 MA acceptances, no PhD acceptances. I feel pretty good about that, though, having come from a super small, liberal arts college. 

I do have a question for you all. I was accepted to a history MA program and a women's studies MA program. My area of focus is 19th and 20th century women's history - more specifically, the history of feminism, women's education, and the influence of popular culture on the construction of gender roles. For that reason, I am leaning more toward an MA in women's studies. Do you all think that will in any way hurt my chance of entering a history PhD program (I have a BA in history)?

I don't think it'll hurt your chances insofar as your women's studies MA focuses specifically on the history you've hinted at here. For example, a thesis about the role of women in a historical orientation would be indistinguishable from an MA history thesis to most Ph.D committees. Even if your thesis ends up more geared towards philosophy or the social sciences, if you can show how the work you've done will help situate the historical questions you ask, it should be fine.

[PD33]

Sigaba - that's what I'm worried about, but then I also had the same thoughts as mvl. *sigh* Decisions, decisions...

[mvlchicago]

If you haven't already, I'd suggest looking at a few historians of gender to get a sense of the sort of work that would be possible to satisfy the requirements of the women's studies program and show that you are serious about a commitment to history. Off the top of my head Joan Scott and Kathleen Brown could be good places to start; Scott's article "Gender: A Useful Category" especially has held a lot of influence in historical studies about gender. 

[PD33]

Thanks mvl... I'm also reading a book right now by Kathy Peiss... Hope In A Jar: The Making of America's Beauty Culture. Good stuff.

[Heimat Historian]

Check out  Southern Discomfort: Women's Activism in Tampa, Florida, 1880s-1920s by Nancy Hewitt as well as work by Carolyn Eichner on French expatriates.  Dr. Eichner especially (at Wisconsin-Milwaukee) is a historian of gender, but also has served as women's study's professor. Might be a good way to gauge the style/theory of writing in both camps.