re-applying after being wait-listed/rejcted

[cambrai2009]

Hello

I might reapply next year to some of the same schools I applied this year. To one of them (top 10), I was wait-listed (and received a rather nice letter explaining that due to the state of the economy blabla they had to reduce this year's cohort). I was in contact with one prof but not a really close contact. To another one I was rejected and the two profs I was in contact with were not on the admission committee this year (which I feel really hurt my chances).

My first question is : what do you think about re-applying to a program where you were wait-listed? don't people look at you like the left-over from last year?

2nd question is : How can I improve my chances for next year? I know I know... I should contact the profs I was in contact with and ask them instead of the grad cafe community... But then the two profs from univ 2 have no idea what my app was and I'm afraid the prof from univ 1 will just be annoyed and won't care... I don't even know if he was in the ad committee.

So that you know, the GRE, GPA, and language parts of my app were definitely not an issue. I am guessing that the WS and SOP were not that bad since I was wait-listed at a great school. My LOR might have been the problem (one of my prof 'forgot' and then I had to ask a Prof not from history and not that relevant ) What can I do that will make me look 'new' and 'improved'?

Thank you !

[lhistoire]

The LOR could have hurt if you thought it was a weak one...usually the apps require three though, so if your other two were stronger and from history, then I wouldn't sweat that too much (my third LOR was a non-history prof as well). Not knowing much about you or your experience (or whether you applied coming out of undergrad or from a masters program), another suggestion would be research experience...have you done archival research and did your writing sample demonstrate that? Also, honestly, I think this year's admissions process was pretty much a crap shoot...I applied to 8 schools and had a 50% success rate...I was accepted by a school that I thought I had no chance of getting into and was rejected by some ranked lower. Thus, another suggestion would be to apply to A LOT of schools...sometimes its simply about probability...boost your chances with a longer list of schools. Fit also matters though. After surviving the cycle this year, I'd say that this is the NUMBER 1 factor for admissions...there are going to be a lot of great applicants, but how you sell yourself and convince them that you belong at their school will set you apart.

[sankd]

I agree. After a round of rejections last year, I made a lot of changes this cycle. Considering that the economy has only gotten worse, my increased success is heartening even if funding remains difficult.

Apply to as many schools you can afford. Make sure you know everything there is about them, and how best they fit with you. For what it is worth, I did not apply to any of the schools from last year. In some cases, I realized that the advisor I wanted could not or would not take on any more graduate students. In other cases, I noted imploding departments.

[misterpat]

So that you know, the GRE, GPA, and language parts of my app were definitely not an issue. I am guessing that the WS and SOP were not that bad since I was wait-listed at a great school. My LOR might have been the problem (one of my prof 'forgot' and then I had to ask a Prof not from history and not that relevant ) What can I do that will make me look 'new' and 'improved'?

Thank you !

Maybe you should try to get a brutally honest assessment of your WS/SOP from one of the profs who wrote you a letter. I think I'm going to do this, but my ego hasn't let me write the e-mail yet (because I think it knows what is coming).