Behind the Scenes

[Victorianna]

It seems like I have been reading that a lot of the folks in the sciences seem to have inside info about various departments. I realize that this is due to the fact that many of them have received interview offers, etc. I was wondering if any fellow History students have received any inside info on when departments are reviewing apps, interviewing, etc.

Care to share?

[TMP]

Actually I'd really rather not know where my application is in terms of stages... If I hear that School X is reviewing my application right now, I won't sleep.

(Actually I had a crazy dream last night about getting into School Y because it offered $22,000 stipend while School Z didn't have anything in time for me to make a decision so I went with School Y and... um, the dream got really messed up from there! So I wanna know anytihng that will make my dreams even weirder. )

[Victorianna]

Hmmm.... Good point. I have been having strange dreams as well. Perhaps if I were to learn the fate of my app. it would make them even stranger. I am very curious about this process though.

[dflanagan]

I heard from the graduate history secretary at UNC Chapel Hill that they've already begun reviewing apps. sorry for spoilers!

[TMP]

I heard from the graduate history secretary at UNC Chapel Hill that they've already begun reviewing apps. sorry for spoilers!

Well, I can give you Michigan's process if you REALLY want to know... I had this conversation with at least 4 professors because I was applying for transnational history and I wanted to be sure that my app was on TRANSNATIONAL pile, not US HISTORY pile.

[wally]

Alright, do tell.

[LiteratureMajor]

Well, I can give you Michigan's process if you REALLY want to know... I had this conversation with at least 4 professors because I was applying for transnational history and I wanted to be sure that my app was on TRANSNATIONAL pile, not US HISTORY pile.

Yes, please share. This is interesting.

[TMP]

Honestly, Michigan's process isn't all that different from other big history departments.

Remember that part on the form where you had to specify your field? Your app gets thrown in that pile. Professors are broken up by geographical field. They read all the applications in that pile. If one application suggests transnational history, then that application gets read by both groups. Each geographical group ranks their preferences and passes the list to the executive committee.

If you didn't specify anything- geographical field or professor, then it's up to the administrative assistants to figure out who the hell you are. If they can guess from your SOP, then they'll throw in a pile. Otherwise, you get thrown out.

Finally, the executive committee has the big job of whittling down the now-combined list of all applicants "recommended for admissions" from various groups. From there, the executive people decide what the program needs. For example, according to a grad student at Michigan, a number of Early Americanists left the program last year for various reasons, so there will be more spots for them to fill in that area this year. If there are already enough labor history people, then they're going reject anyone who's in labor history.

However, there is a trick when there is an affiliated department that offers funding. So say, Latin American studies has money to fund 2 new PhD students through a joint package, then the executive adcoms has to choose the top 2 Latin Americanists to receive that money. An additional student may be considered if s/he is particularly strong as well and there's a spot. Funding from outside sources tends to complicate things a bit but it gets done. So if you're looking to be affiliated with a well-funded department, your chances have increased just by a bit. (This part is another reason why if you can say that you will pay for your own PhD, your chances of getting in have been increased.)

Unfortunately for any applicant, nobody knows what the department will need until the executive committee gets that combined list. I had a friend on this board who was recommended for admissions to Michigan but had been told that Michigan didn't need another urban historian. She was disappointed but elated that she even got recommended. Still, no geographical group knows how many spots they'll get to have for that year. It all depends on the balance. Generally, it's fairly consistent from year to year.

This is why it's important to ask professors about graduate students in your area. If it sounds like there are awfully a lot and none of them are going to finish their dissertation soon, then you might not have a good chance of getting in until somebody graduates. Hence, another reason why my friend got rejected- her potential advisor already had 5 graduate students. While it's terrific to see a professor with several grad students in tow, he just won't stand much of a chance as someone who's down to one second year and is about to graduate his seventh year in getting somebody new.

In terms of what order they'll read your application, each professor has his own preference. Usually they will look at your SOP first, then the LORs or writing sample, and then everything else. This is another thing you can gain from conversations with professors- if they seem to emphasize SOP or languages when you guys talk about applications, you better meet the standards. I talked with one professor who seemed unhappy that I hadn't taken German yet so I had to mention to my advisor and in my SOP that I would be taking intensive German this semester. If he's going to take my application for what it is, then I can assume it's part of the reason why I would be rejected.

There's no way to "game" PhD admissions because of the subjectivity on the executive committee's part. The least anybody can do to help your application is to give you specific instructions on how to write your SOP, get your languages in order, and choose an interesting, well-written writing sample. If you follow the professor's application instructions, you're only helping him or her give reasons why you should be accepted. Everybody wins some and everybody loses some each year.

And also, remember that this "jobless recovery" is sending the number of applications up because people can't find a job... in which this "influx" will be mostly poorly written ones by people who haven't quite thought much about their interests.

[JustChill]

I heard from the graduate history secretary at UNC Chapel Hill that they've already begun reviewing apps. sorry for spoilers!

That's true - I know for a fact (from two professors within the department) that they are making "preliminary decisions" by the end of this week. But this doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to contact people this soon.

[LifeIsGood]

That's true - I know for a fact (from two professors within the department) that they are making "preliminary decisions" by the end of this week. But this doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to contact people this soon.

The results data shows them usually handing down decisions from late February to mid-March; is that right? Think they're ahead of schedule this year?

[JustChill]

The results data shows them usually handing down decisions from late February to mid-March; is that right? Think they're ahead of schedule this year?

I have no idea about past years, but two profs from there called and emailed me last week and asked me to tell them how serious I am about their program because they will be making preliminary decisions at the end of this week. As I said earlier, I don't know if this means that they are going to start notifying some people now or what, just that that the ad coms are looking at applications.

[TMP]

I have no idea about past years, but two profs from there called and emailed me last week and asked me to tell them how serious I am about their program because they will be making preliminary decisions at the end of this week. As I said earlier, I don't know if this means that they are going to start notifying some people now or what, just that that the ad coms are looking at applications.

Look over my post above. They're probably reviewing as a geographical group and need to start ranking people ASAP to pass the folders on. Since someone mentioned that Chapel Hill got over 500 applications, they're trying to do the "cut early, cut fast" method to turn that big pile into a more manageable size.

[jacib]

Thank you for sharing that all TMP. I for one appreciate reassurances.

I have a secret fear that someone even more brilliant than myself will "scoop" me at all my schools. They'll get across the board acceptances and I'll get across the board rejections that in another year wouldn't have broken that way. Does anyone else secretly fear this? Its of course illogical because, even within the subfield, departments have different strengths, and some of them I fit in quite well with, so they'd not only have to have the same subfield but essentially the same topic. Anyway, still a fear, though less than it was a month ago.

[LifeIsGood]

I have a secret fear that someone even more brilliant than myself will "scoop" me at all my schools. They'll get across the board acceptances and I'll get across the board rejections that in another year wouldn't have broken that way. Does anyone else secretly fear this? Its of course illogical because, even within the subfield, departments have different strengths, and some of them I fit in quite well with, so they'd not only have to have the same subfield but essentially the same topic. Anyway, still a fear, though less than it was a month ago.

But even if someone else does get into all of your schools, they can only accept a spot at one, which leaves you wide open everywhere else.

[dflanagan]

A good point, and one that I am trying to keep in mind. Thanks for reminding us!

But even if someone else does get into all of your schools, they can only accept a spot at one, which leaves you wide open everywhere else.

[limeinthecoconut]

My source says that Yale is done with first round of reviews as of last week -- whatever that means.

[RockEater]

My source says that Yale is done with first round of reviews as of last week -- whatever that means.

Usually means that Yale has gone through their batch of applications and pulled out the really obvious rejections (3.0 GPA and lower, poor GRE scores, bad SOIs, mediocre LOIs, and poor writing samples) and the really obvious accepts (3.8 GPA and higher, great GRE scores, great SOIs, LOIs, writing samples...and sons of power brokers?).

It's not a lot, I figure that it may be five students in the history program, across all the fields. They're probably doing secondary reviews now. Also known as, us regular beings. Those are the applicants that they're on the fence about, or may not have the best grades or scores (but still pretty good), but have something that may be appealing about those applicants. This round will probably take substantially more time, since it makes up a vast majority of the applicants. We likely won't hear a damn thing until the start of February.

Don't lose sleep.

[Victorianna]

And the nail biting begins.....

[TMP]

Also known as, us regular beings. Those are the applicants that they're on the fence about, or may not have the best grades or scores (but still pretty good), but have something that may be appealing about those applicants. This round will probably take substantially more time, since it makes up a vast majority of the applicants. We likely won't hear a damn thing until the start of February.

Don't lose sleep.

More time on us? Don't we feel special already...

[limeinthecoconut]

Usually means that Yale has gone through their batch of applications and pulled out the really obvious rejections (3.0 GPA and lower, poor GRE scores, bad SOIs, mediocre LOIs, and poor writing samples) and the really obvious accepts (3.8 GPA and higher, great GRE scores, great SOIs, LOIs, writing samples...and sons of power brokers?).

It's not a lot, I figure that it may be five students in the history program, across all the fields. They're probably doing secondary reviews now. Also known as, us regular beings. Those are the applicants that they're on the fence about, or may not have the best grades or scores (but still pretty good), but have something that may be appealing about those applicants. This round will probably take substantially more time, since it makes up a vast majority of the applicants. We likely won't hear a damn thing until the start of February.

Don't lose sleep.

Thanks! Not really losing sleep, but more like conflicted. On the one hand, I do want to know more; but on the other hand, I kinda wish my sources would stop feeding me information and making me sit on the edge on my chair, expecting something to happen.

Does anyone else feel the same way?

[JerryLandis]

I didn't know Yale even did interviews.

[Kai210]

I didn't know Yale even did interviews.

Hmmm, where did you read anything to the contrary? Lest, you have misconstrued the initial review of applications with interviews.

[JerryLandis]

Well I assumed they didn't do interviews because on the results page, it seems that in previous years most people heard back from Yale (department of History, that is) in the 2nd week of February, and no one heard anything earlier than that. Those who did hear got only accept/reject/waitlist. I guess people just didn't report their interview invitations, or maybe they didn't do interviews in previous years.

[JerryLandis]

Oh right, for some reason I thought I read "interviews" instead of "reviews." Now I feel much better!

[Kai210]

Well I assumed they didn't do interviews because on the results page, it seems that in previous years most people heard back from Yale (department of History, that is) in the 2nd week of February, and no one heard anything earlier than that. Those who did hear got only accept/reject/waitlist. I guess people just didn't report their interview invitations, or maybe they didn't do interviews in previous years.

My question reamins: Where did you get the information that Yale was conducting interviews? They do not conduct interviews.