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Posted

Hi all!

 

I've been following this thread for a couple weeks now anxiously waiting feedback from schools. Just heard via email that I'm on the wait list at USC. Slightly disappointed, but also excited there's still a glimmer of hope!

 

Hey glad to have you on here!  I very much hope that you get in off of the waitlist...it would be cool to have a whole bunch of gradcafe peeps there.

Posted

Hey glad to have you on here!  I very much hope that you get in off of the waitlist...it would be cool to have a whole bunch of gradcafe peeps there.

 

Thanks, Pedanticist! My fingers will be permanently crossed for the next couple months.

Posted

Mmmm... hopefully soon!

 

I hope so! As soon as I saw your post I freaked out and I called a girl in my cohort that also applied to see if she had heard anything. We're both still waiting. Maybe tomorrow!

Posted

I hope so! As soon as I saw your post I freaked out and I called a girl in my cohort that also applied to see if she had heard anything. We're both still waiting. Maybe tomorrow!

 

I recommend checking the online system. Do you know how to get into MyCUBoulder? It's different from the application portal. It has changed to say a final decision was made on my application, so maybe yours will too if it has been decided!

Posted

Congrats to all the USC admits and waitlists! I'm proud of so many strangers today lol

Posted

I recommend checking the online system. Do you know how to get into MyCUBoulder? It's different from the application portal. It has changed to say a final decision was made on my application, so maybe yours will too if it has been decided!

 

I've been checking that like a crazy person! It still says in review. The wait continues!

Posted

Hmm... well good luck!

That would be awesome if we got to meet at the recruitment day! 

 

The person who notified me sounded pretty down. They said they had to give a LOT of rejections today and they were really bummed out about it. Hopefully that means they've gotten a good chunk of rejections out of the way already?

Posted

Hey glad to have you on here!  I very much hope that you get in off of the waitlist...it would be cool to have a whole bunch of gradcafe peeps there.

 

Cosigned. I hope you get in too, coffee_enthusiast. Hopefully some non GCer will turn it down. 

Posted

Congrats to all of you USC admits! 

 Since I am a first time applicant it would be really helpful if you can share what in your opinion were the factors that played an important role in your admission.

Like how did you approach the admission process.

Thanks  :)

Posted

Cosigned. I hope you get in too, coffee_enthusiast. Hopefully some non GCer will turn it down. 

 

Thanks, roguesenna! And congratulations

Posted

Congrats to all of you USC admits! 

 Since I am a first time applicant it would be really helpful if you can share what in your opinion were the factors that played an important role in your admission.

Like how did you approach the admission process.

Thanks  :)

 

 Thanks!  I think the three things that counted most positively for me were 1) I contacted several professors at USC and had phone convos with them last semester, 2) I have extremely good fit with at least two or three professors there and 3) I'm very interdisciplinary, that is, I've taken a lot of graduate philosophy and history courses.  But I wouldn't have predicted an acceptance at USC, I'm just super blessed and thankful.   Best of luck with your applications!

Posted

 Thanks!  I think the three things that counted most positively for me were 1) I contacted several professors at USC and had phone convos with them last semester, 2) I have extremely good fit with at least two or three professors there and 3) I'm very interdisciplinary, that is, I've taken a lot of graduate philosophy and history courses.  But I wouldn't have predicted an acceptance at USC, I'm just super blessed and thankful.   Best of luck with your applications!

Thank you so much for this. I hope you have an amazing time whichever program you choose.

Posted

OMG I'll know from my top choice sometime next week. Interviewed with two of my POI and speaking with them made me like the program even more. How am I going to wait that long??

Posted

Ohhhh! Exciting hermes!

 

Just think of your two-month-ago self. S/he is so jealous of how short your now-self's wait is!

Posted

How did it go? What did they ask you? I'm glad you liked them!

Posted

We basically talked about research interests (theirs and mine), my master's thesis, and why the program is a great fit.

Posted

Ohhhh! Exciting hermes!

 

Just think of your two-month-ago self. S/he is so jealous of how short your now-self's wait is!

 

Thanks! This is true. Though it didn't feel as real back then, and now that I'm so close it's hard not to think about constantly!

Posted

OMG I'll know from my top choice sometime next week. Interviewed with two of my POI and speaking with them made me like the program even more. How am I going to wait that long??

 

I'm sure that you'll get in!  It sounds like it went splendidly.  

 

Thank you so much for this. I hope you have an amazing time whichever program you choose.

 

Thanks!  The best to you as well.  

Posted

AH! I'm waiting for a decision today or tomorrow. Just got a call from an unknown number from that city and it was a telemarketer. 

Posted

AH! I'm waiting for a decision today or tomorrow. Just got a call from an unknown number from that city and it was a telemarketer. 

 

Wow, what are the chances? Rooting for you!

Posted

Congrats to all of you USC admits! 

 Since I am a first time applicant it would be really helpful if you can share what in your opinion were the factors that played an important role in your admission.

Like how did you approach the admission process.

Thanks  :)

 

I would underscore some of what Pedanticistt said.

 

1. Extremely good fit with one of the profs. Such a strong fit that the Prof remarked on it too. I kind of feel like I'm mini!Prof. This is also the main reason I applied to the school and my proposed dissertation project involves looking at one of his earlier texts (foundational to the field) and examining how it can be brought current to modern technology and practices. I also think there are not a whole lot of other big profs studying this esoteric sub-field (fandom studies), so that makes the fit even more unique.

 

2. Prof remarked on how strong my writing sample was. He said that almost no one is really doing research at that particular intersection (fandom and race, specifically cross-racial cosplay) and that one of the big journals in the field had been looking for material of this sort and not finding it. 

 

3. Prof also mentioned that an MA in Performance Studies from NYU was "no small thing." or something to that effect. 

4. My biggest weakness was a low undergrad grade point average and Prof asked how he might defend that in the room. I explained that three big factors contributed to it. One, I went through some depression in undergrad and that had an adverse effect on some grades. Two, I struggled with some classes (inducing languages) that were outside of my major and later eliminated from the school curriculum (i.e. if I had been class of 2010 and not class of 2009, my transcript would have looked very different). I also explained how I would tackle the language issue differently in grad school. Three, I said honestly that in undergrad I had an attitude that was shaped by people telling me those were supposed to be the best years of my life, so I was determined to enjoy them. Prof really resonated with that and said he had a similar undergrad experience. 

So TL:DR -- Strong fit and writing sample (with good research area) got me the interview. Interview gave me a chance to confirm awesome fit and defend weaknesses. 

 

Thanks, roguesenna! And congratulations

 

Thanks!

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