Fall 2016 Applicants

[archersline]

Looks like the UT-Austin decisions are going out today. Congrats to those who are accepted! 

[SunshineLolipops]

I don't necessarily think of myself as being on a waitlist at UNC.  For all I know, I was rejected last during the last admissions cycle because my last name falls towards the end of the alphabet...  It'd be cool if my application had gotten that far, but even if it is on a waitlist, I can't imagine that anyone in my field (19th century U.S. Southern) would turn up a chance to go there considering the strength of the faculty in that specialty and the Southern Historical Collection unless they were offered a whole lot of money at an equally strong school.

Edited February 29, 2016 by SunshineLolipops

[herstory]

On 2/27/2016 at 10:10 AM, wluhopeful said:

@herstory congrats on Penn State! Are you interested in the joint program with Women's Studies as well?

Yes, definitely. After talking to the DGS and a few faculty I plan on applying to the joint program after a semester or two (if I decide to attend Penn State). 

[stillalivetui]

It would have been nice if Texas sent a notification for their informal, dry rejection. 

[archersline]

1 minute ago, stillalivetui said:

It would have been nice if Texas sent a notification for their informal, dry rejection. 

No kidding. The decisions were made a month ago (to make matters worse). Cannot believe they couldn't even be bothered to send out an e-mail. 

[lstauffer714]

22 minutes ago, archersline said:

No kidding. The decisions were made a month ago (to make matters worse). Cannot believe they couldn't even be bothered to send out an e-mail. 

Where are you seeing the decision update? My status is still listed as submitted...

[archersline]

19 minutes ago, lstauffer714 said:

Where are you seeing the decision update? My status is still listed as submitted...

Were you invited to the visit weekend? If so, expect an acceptance. 

[archersline]

Congrats to the UT admit!!

[stillalivetui]

1 hour ago, lstauffer714 said:

Where are you seeing the decision update? My status is still listed as submitted...

Log into the Mystatus portal here. 

[archersline]

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you on this board. I was hesitant to join at the beginning of this process but have found much solace, camaraderie, and humor during these past few months. Thank you all for being such wonderful resources throughout what has been a stressful and enlightening process. Good luck to everyone over the next few months! 

[Danger_Zone]

Just wanted to share my excitement at receiving my first PhD acceptance! Got off the Purdue wait list today. 

[archersline]

2 minutes ago, Danger_Zone said:

Just wanted to share my excitement at receiving my first PhD acceptance! Got off the Purdue wait list today. 

That is amazing news!!! Congrats to you! Purdue is an amazing university!

[Neist]

27 minutes ago, archersline said:

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you on this board. I was hesitant to join at the beginning of this process but have found much solace, camaraderie, and humor during these past few months. Thank you all for being such wonderful resources throughout what has been a stressful and enlightening process. Good luck to everyone over the next few months! 

Grad Cafe is definitely one of the most cordial forums I've ever visited. Happy to say I frequent it.

19 minutes ago, Danger_Zone said:

Just wanted to share my excitement at receiving my first PhD acceptance! Got off the Purdue wait list today. 

Congrats!  

[Danger_Zone]

1 hour ago, archersline said:

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you on this board. I was hesitant to join at the beginning of this process but have found much solace, camaraderie, and humor during these past few months. Thank you all for being such wonderful resources throughout what has been a stressful and enlightening process. Good luck to everyone over the next few months! 

I know I just got here but I can already see that this is a supportive place so I am happy that I have found it.

 

And thank you both!! I am beyond excited. I'm going to visit the Purdue campus in a few weeks.

[krystasonrisa]

57 minutes ago, Danger_Zone said:

Just wanted to share my excitement at receiving my first PhD acceptance! Got off the Purdue wait list today. 

So exciting!! Congratulations!

[AnnaVictoria]

Hi everyone!

So I received an acceptance to my first choice program today, but I'm a little bit confused regarding funding. This is what the letter says: 

"I am also happy to tell you that the History Department has also named you an alternate for for a guaranteed funding package.  I will let you know what that funding package might be as soon as possible" 

An alternate - does that mean that as of now I will not receive funding? Am I correct? I'm not sure how to interpret that statement. 

I am a little bit upset because I would love to attend that program, and if I do not receive funding, I will have to choose another one. 

Thanks for your help, congrats to those who were accepted, and good luck to those who are still waiting to hear back! 

[archersline]

20 minutes ago, AnnaVictoria said:

Hi everyone!

So I received an acceptance to my first choice program today, but I'm a little bit confused regarding funding. This is what the letter says: 

"I am also happy to tell you that the History Department has also named you an alternate for for a guaranteed funding package.  I will let you know what that funding package might be as soon as possible" 

An alternate - does that mean that as of now I will not receive funding? Am I correct? I'm not sure how to interpret that statement. 

I am a little bit upset because I would love to attend that program, and if I do not receive funding, I will have to choose another one. 

Thanks for your help, congrats to those who were accepted, and good luck to those who are still waiting to hear back! 

Yes I believe you are correct in your understanding. At the moment the department cannot offer you any funding. That being said I believe opportunities for finding open up after your first year. Congrats though! What school was it?

[johnnycomelately]

@AnnaVictoria it may also be that once a funded offer is turned down you could get that person' funding. Wait-listing for funding with acceptances has been known to happen, and I know a few students who have received funding this way. 

[anthrostudentcyn]

I'm in the same situation, being wait listed for funding. If j don't get it and it's my only acceptance, would a good idea be to apply again next year? 

[archersline]

2 minutes ago, anthrostudentcyn said:

I'm in the same situation, being wait listed for funding. If j don't get it and it's my only acceptance, would a good idea be to apply again next year? 

It depends on whether or not you feel at home at the school and if you believe you will be given funding the following year. Have you asked the department about that possibility? 

[ashiepoo72]

Do not do a PhD without funding unless you are independently and ridiculously wealthy. Most people will tell you not even to do an MA without funding, and I agree, but I'd take an unfunded MA over an unfunded PhD a million times over. Spend the year bolstering your application (languages? archival research? teaching abroad or domestically? publishing? presenting?) and apply again next go-round.

[Neist]

1 hour ago, johnnycomelately said:

@AnnaVictoria it may also be that once a funded offer is turned down you could get that person' funding. Wait-listing for funding with acceptances has been known to happen, and I know a few students who have received funding this way. 

That's how I got funding at OU this cycle. It definitely happens.

[AnnaVictoria]

1 hour ago, anthrostudentcyn said:

I'm in the same situation, being wait listed for funding. If j don't get it and it's my only acceptance, would a good idea be to apply again next year? 

When I received my first acceptance a few weeks ago, and ran to tell my professor at Cornell about it, the first thing he asked was "Did you get funding?". So yes, never do a Ph.D. without being fully or at least partially funded.  If you can pay for it out of your own pocket, that's a different story.  

So good luck - hopefully both you and I will receive funding from our top choices. (In my case, I do have backups but still..) 

[knp]

I assume ashiepoo's covered it for you, anthrostudent, but to cover all our bases for any hugely wealthy readers who may happen upon this in later years, I would still never, ever do a PhD without funding if my goal was an academic job. I know the Oscars were last night, and there are some, especially glamorous/competitive, industries like that where you can just throw your free labor at a wall for years until somebody notices and decides to start paying you for it. (One thinks of the Vogue intern.) Academia is not one; if you don't have funding for a PhD, anyone who knows you paid for it will Make It Weird. I'd guess you'd face a lot of issues getting your professors to take you as seriously as the funded students, and find it three or four times more difficult to find an academic job than even the great difficulty funded PhD graduates face. Whether paying for a PhD would be a huge financial strain or no sweat, I'd guess that the resulting experience would be much worse than for your funded peers.

Now, if any billionaires who may ever read this have just gotten bored and want a PhD as a fun amusement before they retire once more to their private island to drink fruity drinks on the beach....(daydreams)

[HAPPYDuck]

On February 29, 2016 at 5:21 PM, Danger_Zone said: