Fall 2017 applicants

[dr. t]

2 hours ago, cyclingonthemoon said:

Anyone finds Brown's rejection letter a bit harsh in wording? Fortunately I have two offers under my belt at this moment. Otherwise this blunt you-are-not-good-enough message may really break my heart. So for those yet to receive an offer but got Brown's rejection, please hold your head up! Don't take it literally. The faculty may find someone fitter in research interest and that's all. 

As I was told during my first round of applications, if you find your feelings hurt by grad school rejections, get out now before you encounter the job market.

[SarahBethSortino]

Got rejected today from my dream school, Brown. Honestly feeling pretty hopeless right now. I have a feeling that the same things that kept me out of this program will keep me out of the rest. And I didn't really care about any of the other programs. But I don't think it's going to happen for me ... and if it doesn't happen this year it's over for good. (Please don't reply with "you can always apply next year," I'm 36. It's done.)

[cyclingonthemoon]

10 minutes ago, telkanuru said:

As I was told during my first round of applications, if you find your feelings hurt by grad school rejections, get out now before you encounter the job market.

You know what? This kind of talk maybe well-intentioned, but I don't find it helpful at all. Everyone has their own way to adjust to things. Tough precautions are only good when there is real substance. I've heard too many "don't do a PhD" from too many PhDs. I will never say this to anyone telling me that they want to do a PhD. 

[wjd]

14 minutes ago, SarahBethSortino said:

Got rejected today from my dream school, Brown. Honestly feeling pretty hopeless right now. I have a feeling that the same things that kept me out of this program will keep me out of the rest. And I didn't really care about any of the other programs. But I don't think it's going to happen for me ... and if it doesn't happen this year it's over for good. (Please don't reply with "you can always apply next year," I'm 36. It's done.)

I'm really sorry to hear that. I hope that another program accepts you and blows you away with their visit.

[OHSP]

14 minutes ago, SarahBethSortino said:

Got rejected today from my dream school, Brown. Honestly feeling pretty hopeless right now. I have a feeling that the same things that kept me out of this program will keep me out of the rest. And I didn't really care about any of the other programs. But I don't think it's going to happen for me ... and if it doesn't happen this year it's over for good. (Please don't reply with "you can always apply next year," I'm 36. It's done.)

Commiserations @SarahBethSortino. I have nothing much to say except that sucks, and I hope you have access to wine. I'm yet to hear from my version of Brown but if a rejection comes, I'm blowing the day off and dedicating it to netflix. After writing 10 thousand tailored SoPs it has to be allowed. Hope you hear better news soon.

[SarahBethSortino]

9 minutes ago, OHSP said:

Commiserations @SarahBethSortino. I have nothing much to say except that sucks, and I hope you have access to wine. I'm yet to hear from my version of Brown but if a rejection comes, I'm blowing the day off and dedicating it to netflix. After writing 10 thousand tailored SoPs it has to be allowed. Hope you hear better news soon.

All I know is I'm taking the literal definition of a mental health day tomorrow

[mementomoria]

33 minutes ago, cyclingonthemoon said:

You know what? This kind of talk maybe well-intentioned, but I don't find it helpful at all. Everyone has their own way to adjust to things. Tough precautions are only good when there is real substance. I've heard too many "don't do a PhD" from too many PhDs. I will never say this to anyone telling me that they want to do a PhD. 

Agreed--I'd never tell someone to skip the PhD unless I could genuinely tell their heart wasn't in it. Or if they were ambivolent about it, I guess. But if the excitement's there, I'd be right there cheering for them.

...law school, on the other hand...law school ruins lives. It's an abusive, horrid ordeal. Too many people I know went into law school just fine, but came out horribly depressed or anxious, completely done with the world and 100k in debt to boot. Never, ever again.

[Sigaba]

49 minutes ago, cyclingonthemoon said:

Everyone has their own way to adjust to things.

Then why are you telling people how to interpret letters they may receive from Brown?

3 hours ago, cyclingonthemoon said:

Anyone finds Brown's rejection letter a bit harsh in wording? Fortunately I have two offers under my belt at this moment. Otherwise this blunt you-are-not-good-enough message may really break my heart. So for those yet to receive an offer but got Brown's rejection, please hold your head up! Don't take it literally. The faculty may find someone fitter in research interest and that's all. 

 

[cyclingonthemoon]

25 minutes ago, Sigaba said:

Then why are you telling people how to interpret letters they may receive from Brown?

 

If you can not tell apart what's sympathy and encouragement and what's arrogance, then I have nothing to say.

[dr. t]

2 hours ago, cyclingonthemoon said:

You know what? This kind of talk maybe well-intentioned, but I don't find it helpful at all. Everyone has their own way to adjust to things. 

Then don't find it helpful - I'm not sure what the big deal is. But it's not about adjusting to things. It's a reminder of the realities of the profession.

Edited February 7, 2017 by telkanuru

[dr. t]

1 hour ago, mementomoria said:

Agreed--I'd never tell someone to skip the PhD unless I could genuinely tell their heart wasn't in it. 

That's a pretty poor reading of the advice as given.

[Neist]

2 hours ago, cyclingonthemoon said:

You know what? This kind of talk maybe well-intentioned, but I don't find it helpful at all. Everyone has their own way to adjust to things. Tough precautions are only good when there is real substance. I've heard too many "don't do a PhD" from too many PhDs. I will never say this to anyone telling me that they want to do a PhD. 

 

I think @telkanuru's intention was he/she wanted to inform everyone that academia is a world where you're often rejected or criticized. And if rejection or criticism is something that severely gets under your skin, it's probably not your world. People will often routinely consider your research a monumental waste of effort, and other people will consider it insightful and full of potential. Both of these worlds can exist within departments and even among mentors. I gather that many people find my work frivolous, and I'm perfectly content with that. You can't let it get under your skin.

Admissions decisions are so seemingly arbitrary that I suggest everyone consider a rejection at least a measure of bad luck. 

[OHSP]

The (very unsurprising but still news) insider word on Rutgers is that if you haven't yet received an email to tell you that you're shortlisted, you have not made this years cut.

[OHSP]

4 hours ago, telkanuru said:

As I was told during my first round of applications, if you find your feelings hurt by grad school rejections, get out now before you encounter the job market.

The real secret is to feel nothing about your acceptances.

[SarahBethSortino]

7 hours ago, telkanuru said:

That's a pretty poor reading of the advice as given.

I understand the need for having a thick skin, but I wonder how many people throwing out advice on how people should deal with rejection have any real practical experience in the "real world" vs academia. 13 years experience in cutthroat compare jobs, mostly in NYC where people take pleasure in destroying your career aspirations. I can say the difference between corporate rejection and academic rejection is totally different, especially considering that lots of people who give that Same advkce are bouncing from undergrad to grad school without a clue as to what it feels like to work 10+ years towards fulfilling your goal. Sorry, I'm going to feel shitty about this for a little while and still be worthy of an academic career

[nhhistorynut]

11 hours ago, SarahBethSortino said:

Got rejected today from my dream school, Brown. Honestly feeling pretty hopeless right now. I have a feeling that the same things that kept me out of this program will keep me out of the rest. And I didn't really care about any of the other programs. But I don't think it's going to happen for me ... and if it doesn't happen this year it's over for good. (Please don't reply with "you can always apply next year," I'm 36. It's done.)

My adviser told me that if I am rejected this year, it just means I am not the right student for the program this year. It means my SOP and writing sample didn't show them the student they want this year. That doesn't mean I won't be a different student next year. I am going to ignore the "I'm 36" comment because it seems irrelevant. All I know is that next year, you might have a better idea of how to write the SOP Brown wants, or you might tweak that writing sample. Maybe develop a better relationship with your POI at Brown. Maybe retake the GREs.

You have you MA, right? (I think you said you did...) If you don't get in this year, why not do what my plan B is if I don't get in this round? Apply to some community colleges. Maybe teach online for a year. Then give it another go.

Don't think of your age as something negative. I have a cousin who didn't have her first kid til she was 39. I know that's different, but still. I mean, I was even thinking that if I didn't get in this year or next year, maybe I'd wait about 5 years (and work at a community college or online) until my daughter is old enough to stay home alone (yay no childcare costs!) and reapply. And that would put me right around 36.

So long story short, if you want it, keep going for it.

Edited February 7, 2017 by nhhistorynut

[dr. t]

1 hour ago, SarahBethSortino said:

I understand the need for having a thick skin, but I wonder how many people throwing out advice on how people should deal with rejection have any real practical experience in the "real world" vs academia... especially considering that lots of people who give that Same advkce are bouncing from undergrad to grad school without a clue as to what it feels like to work 10+ years towards fulfilling your goal

...well, me, for one. A great number of people have "real practical experience" (as opposed to?) before entering academia, particularly on this forum. Brown's program - the subject of discussion here - actively seeks out people with such experience; four out of the ten members of my cohort (including myself) are over 30. I understand you're not in the best mental space right now, but this is sentiment simply condescending and patronizing.

The point isn't to stop you from feeling shitty about your rejection. For me, at least, the advice re-centered my perspective on what the rejection was, reminding me that, even if I were incredibly successful, this would happen a lot more, and therefore I would need to find ways to cope with that reality.

Edited February 7, 2017 by telkanuru

[EricaMac]

13 hours ago, SarahBethSortino said:

Got rejected today from my dream school, Brown. Honestly feeling pretty hopeless right now. I have a feeling that the same things that kept me out of this program will keep me out of the rest. And I didn't really care about any of the other programs. But I don't think it's going to happen for me ... and if it doesn't happen this year it's over for good. (Please don't reply with "you can always apply next year," I'm 36. It's done.)

 

I'm so sorry, Sarah. :-( I had wanted to apply to Brown myself, and even spoke with Seth Rockman and Linford Fisher at OAH in Providence. The answer I got from them when we were talking was that they focus on cultural history, and political history was not being studied as much anymore. With that alone, I knew there was no way I'd be a good fit because that's what I study. I don't know if that helps any or not. I'm not sure what your focus is, but my sincere condolences. 

[angesradieux]

3 hours ago, nhhistorynut said:

My adviser told me that if I am rejected this year, it just means I am not the right student for the program this year. It means my SOP and writing sample didn't show them the student they want this year. That doesn't mean I won't be a different student next year. I am going to ignore the "I'm 36" comment because it seems irrelevant. All I know is that next year, you might have a better idea of how to write the SOP Brown wants, or you might tweak that writing sample. Maybe develop a better relationship with your POI at Brown. Maybe retake the GREs.

This is very true. Frankly, qualifications are only a part of the picture, anyway. It's possible that you're POI wanted you to be accepted, but couldn't sway the department for any number of reasons--lack of funding, university politics, trying to recruit more students in a different field, etc. The list goes on. As much as it's important to have a great writing sample, strong recommendations, etc. there's also an element of luck. Sometimes, it comes down to applying to the right school at the right time. Maybe next application cycle, circumstances within the department are different and you get an admissions offer. You never know.

3 hours ago, SarahBethSortino said:

 Sorry, I'm going to feel shitty about this for a little while and still be worthy of an academic career

I know I spent a day being miserable and treating myself to comfort food and wine after I received my rejection from Hopkins. No matter how much you tell yourself it could be due to any number of circumstances beyond your control, the rejections still sting. I don't think there's anything wrong with acknowledging that rejection sucks and giving yourself time to be upset about it and cope. The important thing is that you pick yourself back up once you've taken the time to process the disappointment and frustration.

But who knows? Maybe you'll get offers from other schools and find out somewhere else is actually a better fit.

[SarahBethSortino]

55 minutes ago, EricaMac said:

I'm so sorry, Sarah. :-( I had wanted to apply to Brown myself, and even spoke with Seth Rockman and Linford Fisher at OAH in Providence. The answer I got from them when we were talking was that they focus on cultural history, and political history was not being studied as much anymore. With that alone, I knew there was no way I'd be a good fit because that's what I study. I don't know if that helps any or not. I'm not sure what your focus is, but my sincere condolences. 

I drove four hours up and back in one day to meet with LF. It seemed like a great fit. I'm just in shock, and as I said, I didn't really feel like any of the other schools I applied to were as good a subject fit. So based on that, I think it's probably done for me. I'm going to be surprised if I get an acceptance at this point, especially because all my other schools have already reported acceptances. I have serious geographical constraints so I didn't have the luxury of applying to programs all around the country. I had to work with what I had.

[Neist]

Hm. I wrote a lengthy post, and the website ate it as I was trying to post it. Grr.

Well, the TLDR version might probably be summed up as: "University admissions are a very holistic process, and it's probably very likely that factors other than your potential contributed to your acceptance or rejection to any given program."

Two cents.

[SarahBethSortino]

3 hours ago, nhhistorynut said:

My adviser told me that if I am rejected this year, it just means I am not the right student for the program this year. It means my SOP and writing sample didn't show them the student they want this year. That doesn't mean I won't be a different student next year. I am going to ignore the "I'm 36" comment because it seems irrelevant. All I know is that next year, you might have a better idea of how to write the SOP Brown wants, or you might tweak that writing sample. Maybe develop a better relationship with your POI at Brown. Maybe retake the GREs.

You have you MA, right? (I think you said you did...) If you don't get in this year, why not do what my plan B is if I don't get in this round? Apply to some community colleges. Maybe teach online for a year. Then give it another go.

Don't think of your age as something negative. I have a cousin who didn't have her first kid til she was 39. I know that's different, but still. I mean, I was even thinking that if I didn't get in this year or next year, maybe I'd wait about 5 years (and work at a community college or online) until my daughter is old enough to stay home alone (yay no childcare costs!) and reapply. And that would put me right around 36.

So long story short, if you want it, keep going for it.

Its extremely complicated but for a wide variety of non academic reasons, this is the end of it. I'm 10 years out from my MA and long story short, doing this pretty much broke up my marriage. I have a kid to think about now and I can't keep her life and geography on hold while I keep banging my head against a wall.

[jazzman]

Just got into Columbia! Email to check website.

Got dumped by Yale and Brown (history of science concentration) yesterday, was pretty depressed, even though both were back ups. Brown is a great program.

 

[russianblue]

5 minutes ago, jazzman said:

Just got into Columbia! Email to check website.

Got dumped by Yale and Brown (history of science concentration) yesterday, was pretty depressed, even though both were back ups. Brown is a great program.

 

 

Congrats! Columbia is one of my top choices, so seeing the submission that someone had gotten in has my heart pounding. My portal still just says submitted, I'm so nervous!

[jazzman]

6 minutes ago, russianblue said:

Congrats! Columbia is one of my top choices, so seeing the submission that someone had gotten in has my heart pounding. My portal still just says submitted, I'm so nervous!

Thanks! But don't lose hope just yet! My concentration is history of science, it's a smaller field and probably releases decisions earlier than others.