Fall 2017 applicants

[nhhistorynut]

3 minutes ago, russianblue said:

I wish they all used something like Common App so you could just send one copy of transcripts/GRE scores. I understand needing to fund administration costs/etc. for applications, and it does make people a little more selective about where to apply, but I really really wish that I hadn't had to spend ~300 JUST on sending GRE scores out!

I never even considered the GRE and transcript fees. The cost to apply easily gets over a thousand, then, when you factor all that in when applying to 6 or more schools. I wish the GRE score cost was just included in the $250 we paid to take the damn test in the first place...

[russianblue]

Just now, nhhistorynut said:

I never even considered the GRE and transcript fees. The cost to apply easily gets over a thousand, then, when you factor all that in when applying to 6 or more schools. I wish the GRE score cost was just included in the $250 we paid to take the damn test in the first place...

Yeahhh. I really, really dislike ETS because if you check a certain box they can even sell your name to schools for advertising purposes. I think everyone who applied to PhD programs in my cohort spent upwards of $1200 on apps when everything was said and done. I cried tears of joy for every program that said they accepted unofficial transcripts.

[L13]

You get one free GRE score report if I'm not mistaken, but you have to specify the name of the school you're sending it to right after taking the test.

From what I remember of the SAT, you got 4 free SAT score reports and they could be redeemed at any point. Even that would be a massive improvement on the GRE policy.

[russianblue]

6 minutes ago, L13 said:

You get one free GRE score report if I'm not mistaken, but you have to specify the name of the school you're sending it to right after taking the test.

From what I remember of the SAT, you got 4 free SAT score reports and they could be redeemed at any point. Even that would be a massive improvement on the GRE policy.

 I believe it is four for the GRE as well, but, yes, they must all be sent right when you take the exam.

[archi]

1 hour ago, russianblue said:

Yeahhh. I really, really dislike ETS because if you check a certain box they can even sell your name to schools for advertising purposes. I think everyone who applied to PhD programs in my cohort spent upwards of $1200 on apps when everything was said and done. I cried tears of joy for every program that said they accepted unofficial transcripts.

I don't get why schools that are alright with unofficial transcripts aren't also alright with self reported GRE scores...if you had to send an official report to wherever you ended up attending (which seems like the process for the unofficial transcript as well) it's not like anyone would lie. Northwestern actually didn't require GRE scores at all which is A++ Given most people don't seem to count them for much maybe more places will follow suit? 

[bumsydupsy]

Anyone still waiting on university of michigan??

[psstein]

1 hour ago, L13 said:

You get one free GRE score report if I'm not mistaken, but you have to specify the name of the school you're sending it to right after taking the test.

From what I remember of the SAT, you got 4 free SAT score reports and they could be redeemed at any point. Even that would be a massive improvement on the GRE policy.

I think you get four free reports; I fortunately used three of my four wisely. One of them... well, not so much...

ETS has an amazing racket running. There's nobody quite like them.

[russianblue]

26 minutes ago, bumsydupsy said:

Anyone still waiting on university of michigan??

I am. It seems that they notified some people of acceptance/waitlist a few weeks back but nothing since then, unfortunately.

[realmarcelproust]

Is anyone still waiting to here anything at all from Cornell? From the boards it seems like in past years they've been one of the last places to release decisions, but I'd still like to know something soon either way. 

[bumsydupsy]

28 minutes ago, russianblue said:

I am. It seems that they notified some people of acceptance/waitlist a few weeks back but nothing since then, unfortunately.

Yeah I saw dat on the survey, I had an interview on the jan 24th and I was told by d prof that they would gey back to me in 2wks. Since I didn't get any feedback I am afraid they might have decided not to admit me since my grades were not that high and my gre score is 300. When did you interview??

[ThisGreatFolly]

34 minutes ago, russianblue said:

I am. It seems that they notified some people of acceptance/waitlist a few weeks back but nothing since then, unfortunately.

I was accepted at Michigan. I don't know if they have a waitlist going, but I do know that they have been sending out travel details for accepted students days. 

[russianblue]

7 minutes ago, bumsydupsy said:

Yeah I saw dat on the survey, I had an interview on the jan 24th and I was told by d prof that they would gey back to me in 2wks. Since I didn't get any feedback I am afraid they might have decided not to admit me since my grades were not that high and my gre score is 300. When did you interview??

I was never contacted for an interview at all, this is the first I'm hearing about it. Guess I didn't even make first cut. Oh well, another one to cross off the list.

[angsw8]

7 minutes ago, ThisGreatFolly said:

I was accepted at Michigan. I don't know if they have a waitlist going, but I do know that they have been sending out travel details for accepted students days. 

I was wait-listed at Michigan. I received a phone call from one of the professors a couple weeks ago and an official letter a week later. I haven't heard anything since though! I also applied to Notre Dame and the U of Chicago and haven't heard anything, so I assume those are rejections! 

[BeepBeepBoop]

On 2/20/2017 at 7:24 PM, russianblue said:

Oops, missed your reply at first!

It was a very interesting paper to write, I wish I'd kept up a little better on the topic. I'm in a very similar boat though--so far I'm only in at UVA, waiting to hear back from a variety of other places, but its looking like UVA is going to be it for me. I'm starting to get nervous about the apartment/roommate finding process!

Tell me about it! If I do end up at UVA I think I will likely rent one of their post-grad apartments for the first year - apparently a lot of international students take that option, as it's a little trickier to check out places in advance. Flat-hunting is always such a hassle though...

[bumsydupsy]

Did get interviewed before acceptance??

1 hour ago, ThisGreatFolly said:

I was accepted at Michigan. I don't know if they have a waitlist going, but I do know that they have been sending out travel details for accepted students days. 

 

[Professor Plum]

5 hours ago, JKL said:

Programs could at least refund your application fee when they reject you. What a sweet deal that is for them. I guess we were dumb enough to pay it though.

Can you arrange to refund me the 90 minutes I spent reviewing your application? How about the other 72 apps in my pile this year?

[ThisGreatFolly]

31 minutes ago, bumsydupsy said:

Did get interviewed before acceptance??

 

No interview/contact with faculty before my acceptance. 

[OHSP]

5 hours ago, nhhistorynut said:

The cost is one of the things that surprised me on these boards. I was shocked so many people were able to pay the fees for 8, 9, 10, or more applications. 

Yeah it was a painful, painful time. I saved like crazy and did extra work so that I'd be able to afford 8 as an international student. I kind of understand the application fee, without it I would have applied to a bunch more schools that weren't my first preference, and faculty would've been forced to wade through my documents for no great reason--the real rort is the fee for sending GRE test scores. 

Edited February 21, 2017 by OHSP

[french_historynerd]

Welp, rejected at Wisconsin-Madison. Let me down through the Postal Service. Sad, even though I knew this was a reach school. 

[AP]

7 hours ago, clarchibald said:

I don't get why schools that are alright with unofficial transcripts aren't also alright with self reported GRE scores...if you had to send an official report to wherever you ended up attending (which seems like the process for the unofficial transcript as well) it's not like anyone would lie. 

You will need official transcripts for enrolling. [Yet, I agree the whole GRE business is cruel]

[Owly01]

Has anyone heard anything from the history program at the University of Illinois at Chicago or the American studies program at George Washington University?

Congrats on all of the admits! 

[krystasonrisa]

9 hours ago, Owly01 said:

Has anyone heard anything from the history program at the University of Illinois at Chicago or the American studies program at George Washington University?

Congrats on all of the admits! 

I don't meant to discourage you, but last year UIC "lost" my application, so I would definitely follow up and be that person emailing DGS. Exciting work on Central American history there, too. 

[angesradieux]

23 hours ago, Antebellum said:

Yeah, I got a rejection from Vanderbilt last Friday (as well as Columbia and Virginia in case anyone is looking for info on those ). So you've definitely made it past a wave of rejections regarding Vandy and it sounds like you're in! I seriously doubt they would be contacting you about that stuff if you weren't, so take heart!

Thanks for the info. Sorry to hear about your rejections.

I'm just twitching a little because I just want everything to be official. I thought the unofficial acceptance would end the paranoia, but nope. Just sent it away on a short vacation, and now it's back full force.

22 hours ago, russianblue said:

I wish they all used something like Common App so you could just send one copy of transcripts/GRE scores. I understand needing to fund administration costs/etc. for applications, and it does make people a little more selective about where to apply, but I really really wish that I hadn't had to spend ~300 JUST on sending GRE scores out!

I agree that the cost of sending the GRE scores is ridiculous. I know they offer four free reports when you take the exam, but I took the exam over the summer and I didn't really finalize my list of schools until the fall, because after reaching out to professors, there was one who just said he wasn't taking grad students, others that said I was welcome to apply, but our interests didn't really match up so the fit wasn't great, I learned there actually was someone who would be a good fit at a school I'd previously written off, etc. So when all was said and done, most of my free score reports were wasted on schools that I thought I'd be applying to when I took the exam, but ended up being removed from/replaced on the list for various reasons and I had to pay to send all but one score report. With what they charge for the exam, I think it's a little ridiculous that you only get four free score reports and only if you send them as soon as you finish the exam. I'd even be happier if they kept the number at four, but gave you six months to claim them or something, so you wait until the deadlines are closer and you have a more finalized list of schools.

[RSMALLS]

19 hours ago, realmarcelproust said:

Is anyone still waiting to here anything at all from Cornell? From the boards it seems like in past years they've been one of the last places to release decisions, but I'd still like to know something soon either way. 

Bump

[nhhistorynut]

32 minutes ago, angesradieux said:

With what they charge for the exam, I think it's a little ridiculous that you only get four free score reports and only if you send them as soon as you finish the exam. I'd even be happier if they kept the number at four, but gave you six months to claim them or something, so you wait until the deadlines are closer and you have a more finalized list of schools.

I think giving 6 months (maybe even a year) to claim those four free reports would be ideal. It really doesn't make sense to say "now or never" with the free option when the test costs so much. I know for me, I took the test last March, WAY before deciding where to apply. I wanted to take it early enough that I could restudy and retake it if I wasn't happy with my results.