NSGoddessQ Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 Another question for everyone, while I'm posting: How much have you been contacted by faculty at the schools to which you've been accepted? With one school the profs in my area have e-mailed me, and with another I haven't heard a word. I'm just trying to figure out which of these (if any) is "normal practice." Thanks! My would-be advisor at IU has been in contact with me off and on since the time she let me know I was accepted. It makes me feel really good about the climate there. :mrgreen: The person really evaluating the Americanist applications at Rutgers talked to me on the phone about a lot of things, which was nice. I need to get to emailing some of the profs there. Michigan also called me to let me know, but I haven't heard personally from any of the profs that I would want to work with there. Again, I need to be the one making contact, but things have been busy on this end (raise your hand if it's midterm time!)
fizz Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 Anyone else apply to UPittsburgh? More to the point, has anyone heard from them? They're the only ones I haven't heard from, and although I am loving the offer I got from another school, I'd kind of like to know if I have a decision to make or not. Again, I need to be the one making contact, but things have been busy on this end (raise your hand if it's midterm time!) Uh, it's finals time here. This is the last week of class, followed by reading week (aka when papers are due) and finals week. Which, good! I needed more stress in my life! :mrgreen: O quarter system! You just had to get one last jab in before I go, didn't you?
amanda1655 Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 All of my potential advisors have either e-mailed me or spoken to me on the phone. I initiated contact with one because I had some questions about the program. If you are uncertain about the program, don't be shy. E-mail your potential advisor and ask them any questions that you have. Remember this person probably read your app and was excited enough by it to recommend you for admission. At some schools, they liked you enough that their comments about your file allowed you to get accepted over hundreds of other people. Another thing to remember... your potential advisor may or may not have served on the adcomm this year. Depending on the level of communication within the department, they may not know whether or not you were actually admitted.
NSGoddessQ Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 Anyone else apply to UPittsburgh? More to the point, has anyone heard from them? They're the only ones I haven't heard from, and although I am loving the offer I got from another school, I'd kind of like to know if I have a decision to make or not. Hi fizz, I got accepted to Pitt. I too, am loving the offers that I've gotten from other schools, but I'd like to visit Pitt before I decide. What field are you in? As we've seen, some fields some places notify earlier than others...
Cornell07 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Rejected via postal by UNC and BU. That seals the deal for whether or not I will get into a PhD program this year. I have one left, Columbia, but dimes-to-dollars say that probably won't work out judging by my track record. That being said, time to go through the necessary post-mort steps. One thing at a time. One thing at a time.
samantha20 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 I am sorry to hear that. Have you applied to any MA programs? Considering that your interest relates to foreign policy, have you thought of applying to the joint Columbia-LSE MA program? I believe the deadline still has not passed.
Cornell07 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 I am sorry to hear that. Have you applied to any MA programs? Considering that your interest relates to foreign policy, have you thought of applying to the joint Columbia-LSE MA program? I believe the deadline still has not passed. It has not. The deadline is April 1. I've already alerted my recs about a week ago about this program and they are starting to put their heads together to see what they can do: boost/co-ordinate recs, pull strings, etc... I'm doing everything else I think I should do: revising my personal statement and writing sample, contacting profs at programs where I was rejected for insight etc... Because I work in Midtown Manhattan, I may take a trip up to Columbia one day during my lunch break and (with prior warning) chat with profs at Columbia.
amanda1655 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 That sounds like a fantastic idea. May I make a suggestion? I would also take a day to forget about grad school admissions and go out. Go to the movies. Go to a bar. Get a little buzzed. Do whatever it takes. After that day, get right back to work on applying to this MA program.
samantha20 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 I co-sign what amanda1655 wrote. Also, I am wondering whether your fields of interest are too "controversial" for the schools you applied to. I am guessing some of the people you would want to study are still live.
fizz Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Hi fizz, I got accepted to Pitt. I too, am loving the offers that I've gotten from other schools, but I'd like to visit Pitt before I decide. What field are you in? As we've seen, some fields some places notify earlier than others... I'm in modern British history... I'm really not expecting to get accepted at Pitt; that was one of my more vague applications and if this process has taught me anything it's that being specific counts. The school I got in at was the one that I had a particular faculty member picked out, and I spent a good chunk of the SOP talking about her approach etc. The school I was offered an MA place instead of the PhD was one where I could talk about the strengths of the BritHist faculty as a group, although I didn't have a particular advisor picked. The school I was straight up rejected from was one where I could only really talk about the department more generally. And my Pitt app was rather general like that; I liked a lot of different things going on in the department but didn't have a particular person to point to. Go figure that the conventional advice would be true! lol Thanks for your reply though; I'm curious where my rejection letter is so I can feel more justified in saying I know what I'm doing next year. Just a little mental hangup I guess
Cornell07 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 I co-sign what amanda1655 wrote. Also, I am wondering whether your fields of interest are too "controversial" for the schools you applied to. I am guessing some of the people you would want to study are still live. I am definitely considering parring down my statement to sound much less controversial when I apply to an MA program. I think I should only be expressing such interests once I have more credentials to lean on. Modern US history is well studied, just not so often in the way that I suggest. Plenty of books have been written on Kissinger, McNamara, RFK, and a few on Reagan. History is so exciting in part because there will always be new things to write about! And if there comes a point when there is nothing new to write about, I doubt we will be around to worry about such things :wink:
samantha20 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 I personally think your proposed fields of study are very interesting. Best wishes on your application!
TMP Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 I'm in modern British history... I'm really not expecting to get accepted at Pitt; that was one of my more vague applications and if this process has taught me anything it's that being specific counts. The school I got in at was the one that I had a particular faculty member picked out, and I spent a good chunk of the SOP talking about her approach etc. The school I was offered an MA place instead of the PhD was one where I could talk about the strengths of the BritHist faculty as a group, although I didn't have a particular advisor picked. The school I was straight up rejected from was one where I could only really talk about the department more generally. And my Pitt app was rather general like that; I liked a lot of different things going on in the department but didn't have a particular person to point to. Go figure that the conventional advice would be true! lol Thanks for your reply though; I'm curious where my rejection letter is so I can feel more justified in saying I know what I'm doing next year. Just a little mental hangup I guess I must say I agree too! Like Cornell07, I'm re-working my new SOP for the MA to really demonsrate my interests and address some of professors' concerns at schools that I was rejected at. They were curious to know why after spending so much time on the Holocaust I switched over to American Jewish history. It hit me the reason why I did it not only began with that class I took last spring but the idea of my thesis topic stemming from one of the projects I had to do on my Holocaust research internship. D'oh. I really didn't tell the whole story in my original SOP. Instead I was too focused on my reseach experiences that my CV could very well show for me. Yeah one of my level-headed professor is pitching in to help me out with the SOP- he saw the original (and thought it wasn't that great actually and I ignored him b/c no one else complained haha). He's doing whatever he can. Even my new professor this semester wanted to help out but I told him that my LOR bank is already full so he's better off contacting the faculty member he thinks should know him LOL. But in terms of differences in vagueness, I'll say that the school that helped me the most with my SOP was the most vague- I had been suggested to it at the last minute. I think my top choice was clearer especially in explaining my "fit" with them... I wonder if that's why I still haven't freakin' heard back! They must be deciding "Oh my gosh, she's such a perfect fit for our program but dammit, she has no focus... why did she dump the Holocaust? Shoudl we admit her on the basis of fit or interest, folks? Remember she can always change her mind when the dissertation comes...On the other hand, are we kidding ourselves if we admit her?" Cornell07, I gotta tell ya, you're more obsessive than a lot of us about getting into graduate school! But I do think that the Columbia-LSE MA program is terrific- I got the flyer in my inbox a couple weeks ago from my history department secretary. Tempting until I saw its actual mission statement- not for me AT ALL. I wonder how many people will end up applying to this new program?
dmh26 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Hey there, I am an undergrad at Pitt and a history major. I didn't apply to Pitt's grad program, but congrats to those who got in! If you guys have any questions, let me know. I will try to answer them for you (City life, department location, professors, etc)
historygirl Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Cornell07 - Sorry about your results! Georgetown also has an MA program in global, international, and comparative history. Given your interests, it might also be an option. The fall admission date was Feb 1, but they also admit in the spring with a deadline of Oct 1.
Cornell07 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Cornell07 - Sorry about your results! Georgetown also has an MA program in global, international, and comparative history. Given your interests, it might also be an option. The fall admission date was Feb 1, but they also admit in the spring with a deadline of Oct 1. True! I've also seen that program and contacted the MAGIC director about a week ago. He said he couldn't squeeze me in this year, but encouraged me to apply for the next semester. It looks verrrry interesting. As my 9th grade math teacher frequently said, "Life is full of choices!"
Nofia Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 oh my goodness, I just checked the University of Virginia site and it said admit under my status...I am so so happy. I hope I am one of the lucky who get some funding. This was my top choice (well...ok, Yale was my top choice because I wanted to be near my boyfriend, but realistically, UVA has the best program and professors, so deep down it was my top choice haha) and after 3 rejections from other schools I was feeling very sorry for myself. I am very pleased!
NSGoddessQ Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 oh my goodness, I just checked the University of Virginia site and it said admit under my status...I am so so happy. I hope I am one of the lucky who get some funding. This was my top choice (well...ok, Yale was my top choice because I wanted to be near my boyfriend, but realistically, UVA has the best program and professors, so deep down it was my top choice haha) and after 3 rejections from other schools I was feeling very sorry for myself. I am very pleased! Congratulations, nofia! I'm sorry that you won't be near him, but if it's got the best program and profs, it says great things about your application! I'm sure you guys will work something out.
Nofia Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 :0) Thanks! I'm not actually all that worried...we did the long distance thing while I was in college. Besides, housing is cheaper in VA than it is in Westchester County/NYC, maybe he'll come along with some prodding haha.
dmh26 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 oh my goodness, I just checked the University of Virginia site and it said admit under my status...I am so so happy. I hope I am one of the lucky who get some funding. This was my top choice (well...ok, Yale was my top choice because I wanted to be near my boyfriend, but realistically, UVA has the best program and professors, so deep down it was my top choice haha) and after 3 rejections from other schools I was feeling very sorry for myself. I am very pleased! Congratulations! Very happy for you
Cornell07 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 oh my goodness, I just checked the University of Virginia site and it said admit under my status...I am so so happy. I hope I am one of the lucky who get some funding. This was my top choice (well...ok, Yale was my top choice because I wanted to be near my boyfriend, but realistically, UVA has the best program and professors, so deep down it was my top choice haha) and after 3 rejections from other schools I was feeling very sorry for myself. I am very pleased! Huzzah! UVA has a very pretty campus and it is infinately cheaper to live there than in the NYC area. Much nicer for the grad student budget.
TMP Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Congrats on UVA too The weather should be much, much better... What's your field, may I ask, that made UVA your top choice/program?
Nofia Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 America public policy/affairs during the Cold War, particularly under Eisenhower. they have a great school of public affairs at UVA, and the professor that I hope to work with has similar interests.
samantha20 Posted March 4, 2008 Posted March 4, 2008 Has anyone, other than the two who posted on the results page a while ago, heard back from Columbia?
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