Fall 2018 Applicants

[lordtiandao]

Does anyone know if USC abides by the April 15 date to submit acceptance? I've been offered admissions (no formal e-mail yet but via a phone call from the Graduate Director) but I can't find anything on their website. It seems they want to fly me to LA in early March to attend their recruitment event.

[khigh]

Judging by the past years on the survey, UMN should be sending acceptances this next week after MLK Day. I’m already nervous. 

[TMP]

18 hours ago, lordtiandao said:

Does anyone know if USC abides by the April 15 date to submit acceptance? I've been offered admissions (no formal e-mail yet but via a phone call from the Graduate Director) but I can't find anything on their website. It seems they want to fly me to LA in early March to attend their recruitment event.

Congrats! To your question, yes.  All PhD programs that are part of the Council of Graduate Studies that offer funding must abide by the April 15th deadline.  After that, they are allowed to rescind funding offers if applicable and make offers to others on the waitlist.

[lordtiandao]

4 hours ago, TMP said:

Congrats! To your question, yes.  All PhD programs that are part of the Council of Graduate Studies that offer funding must abide by the April 15th deadline.  After that, they are allowed to rescind funding offers if applicable and make offers to others on the waitlist.

I see. Thank you!

[khigh]

Freak out begins today.  First person just posted on the survey that they got accepted to the program I applied to. 

[derHistoriker]

6 minutes ago, khigh said:

Freak out begins today.  First person just posted on the survey that they got accepted to the program I applied to. 

I saw that earlier and thought it might be you! Fingers crossed for us!

[khigh]

5 minutes ago, SFischer said:

I saw that earlier and thought it might be you! Fingers crossed for us!

I wish. My GPA wasn’t that high. 

[derHistoriker]

3 minutes ago, khigh said:

I wish. My GPA wasn’t that high. 

Mine isn't either! Hopefully we don't have to freak out much longer.

[khigh]

2 minutes ago, SFischer said:

Mine isn't either! Hopefully we don't have to freak out much longer.

From what I’ve seen, the do acceptances one week and rejections the following week. My application is strong, in my opinion, but I don’t know about the fit with the program. My GPA was closer to the 3.5 range because of some sciences and taking 10 years between my first failed attempt at undergrad and my last attempt. I also sent the wrong draft of my writing sample and had a few untranslated bits, but I’m hoping they see that it was an original translation of 17th Century Dutch. 

[derHistoriker]

2 minutes ago, khigh said:

From what I’ve seen, the do acceptances one week and rejections the following week. My application is strong, in my opinion, but I don’t know about the fit with the program. My GPA was closer to the 3.5 range because of some sciences and taking 10 years between my first failed attempt at undergrad and my last attempt. I also sent the wrong draft of my writing sample and had a few untranslated bits, but I’m hoping they see that it was an original translation of 17th Century Dutch. 

I've noticed that too. I'm pretty confident in my writing sample and my GPA as its around 3.7 (science and math classes got me too). The fit is also a concern for me as I'm very interested in medical history and I realized too late about their medicine and technology history program to apply.

[khigh]

2 minutes ago, SFischer said:

I've noticed that too. I'm pretty confident in my writing sample and my GPA as its around 3.7 (science and math classes got me too). The fit is also a concern for me as I'm very interested in medical history and I realized too late about their medicine and technology history program to apply.

My interest is in Dutch history and their Dutch historian retired.  I want to do Mediterranean history, but I decided after sending in my app. 

[derHistoriker]

3 minutes ago, khigh said:

My interest is in Dutch history and their Dutch historian retired.  I want to do Mediterranean history, but I decided after sending in my app. 

It also makes me nervous that despite how confident in my application I might be, its always a crap shoot. 

[khigh]

37 minutes ago, SFischer said:

It also makes me nervous that despite how confident in my application I might be, its always a crap shoot. 

There are two on there now and I still haven't gotten anything.

[glycoprotein1]

24 minutes ago, khigh said:

There are two on there now and I still haven't gotten anything.

I'm rooting for you, khigh! Hopefully your acceptance is next.

[khigh]

3 minutes ago, glycoprotein1 said:

I'm rooting for you, khigh! Hopefully your acceptance is next.

I hope so.  It looks like the past few years, they have sent out acceptances over a few days and then rejections after that.  I want this more than anything.

[astroid88]

6 minutes ago, khigh said:

I hope so.  It looks like the past few years, they have sent out acceptances over a few days and then rejections after that.  I want this more than anything.

You're making me antsy! I applied to Minnesota as well. The stats of those on the grad cafe admissions page do not bode well, though... Good luck to you!

Edited January 16, 2018 by astroid88

[khigh]

2 minutes ago, astroid88 said:

You're making me antsy! I applied to Minnesota as well. The stats of those grad cafe admissions page do not bode well, though... Good luck to you!

It's the only program I applied to. Good luck to you too!

[Dobby'sSocks]

Just wanted to offer some insight as one of the two who posted a UMN acceptance...Got the email from DGS this morning along with a congratulatory message from my POI. The main email stated that admission was not yet official and that the department will not vote on the adcom's recommendations until "next week"; I only received a notification because I am being nominated for additional fellowships and they need some supplementary material from me. Don't fret, @khigh! It doesn't sound like the official admits will be announced for about another week. Rooting for you!

[khigh]

53 minutes ago, Dobby'sSocks said:

Just wanted to offer some insight as one of the two who posted a UMN acceptance...Got the email from DGS this morning along with a congratulatory message from my POI. The main email stated that admission was not yet official and that the department will not vote on the adcom's recommendations until "next week"; I only received a notification because I am being nominated for additional fellowships and they need some supplementary material from me. Don't fret, @khigh! It doesn't sound like the official admits will be announced for about another week. Rooting for you!

Thank you for keeping me from opening the bottle of Drake's Organic Vodka tonight! It's a program I have been dreaming of going to for years now. Can you say who you put as your POI? I requested Reyerson and/or Shenk. Tracy would have been my dream prof to work with if he didn't retire.  He is the reason I went into Dutch history. I've met Cosales and a few others and love the faculty. The Early Modern Consortium lectures has been fun attending and I love the community service project they do. They dress in Early Modern clothing and go to local junior high and high schools and teach them about life in the early modern period and have now added how to use an astrolabe. 

I don't know if you've been to the campus, but it's beautiful and you never have to walk outside in the winter.  They have a tunnel system like real gophers! I live in Uptown, so I'm within biking distance of the campus and a few blocks from Lake Calhoun (Bde Maka Ska). I love Lake Street and going downtown. I'm a sports fanatic, so I love being in a city where I can watch baseball, hockey, football, soccer, and basketball (though I go to Chicago to watch baseball- I'm a Cubs fan). I'm a winter sports fanatic, so always downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, or ice skating. Traffic isn't too bad.  I work north of the city in a suburb called Brooklyn Park, which is about 15 miles away. It only takes 25 minutes to get there. Look for an apartment in Uptown or Dinkytown, but Uptown is less undergrad. It's more posh, but not as expensive as Downtown. There are concerts and shows all the time. I'm going to see Dave Matthews on the 3rd of February and Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin) on the 8th.  I only applied to the U because I don't want to leave Minneapolis.  They are right when they say that it is hard to get people to move to Mpls and even harder to get them to leave.

There are a few things you do need to remember around here- Skol Vikings!, what a gjällarhorn is, and that high school hockey hair finals is in February. Minnesota Nice is passive aggressiveness to the core and it will take you an hour to leave someone's house after you say goodbye.  It is HARD to make friends with Minnesotans.  They don't care for outsiders, but as long as you don't get in their way and say "ope" if you run into them, you will be okay. Coffee is Caribou or Tim Hortons, not Starbucks. There are no Walmarts in Minneapolis (closest to me is Bloomington). This is Target country. Best Buy is king here. Amazon can deliver within hours or minutes if you use PrimeNow or Amazon Restaurants. Lutefisk isn't that bad, but lefse is to die for. Winter isn't too cold. -20 doesn't feel any different than -40 and it's a dry cold. Streets are plowed constantly and highways are cleared within hours of a good snowfall. Oh, and look for a cabin up north, even just to rent.  If I get in, boyfriend and I are buying a cabin up north so we can get away to write. 

Sorry that was so long.  I am passionate about the school and even more passionate about the city. It's one of the most beautiful places in the world and I've seen a lot of the world.

[Qtf311]

@khigh I wish you all the luck in the world as well.  I’m sure it will work out no matter what.  Clearly you know what you want.  And if it doesn’t, don’t get discouraged, try, try, and try again.  Good luck

[khigh]

My mantra this week is "If the Vikings can do it, I can do it!"

I'm a Vikings and Cubs fan, so I know the ups and downs.  If it's not this year, I will use the old Cubs mantra "Next Year is the Year."

Edited January 17, 2018 by khigh

[dr. t]

4 hours ago, Dobby'sSocks said:

Just wanted to offer some insight as one of the two who posted a UMN acceptance...Got the email from DGS this morning along with a congratulatory message from my POI. The main email stated that admission was not yet official and that the department will not vote on the adcom's recommendations until "next week"; I only received a notification because I am being nominated for additional fellowships and they need some supplementary material from me. Don't fret, @khigh! It doesn't sound like the official admits will be announced for about another week. Rooting for you!

So FYI this is the way most state schools work. Those with nominations to university-level funding tend to find out about a week before those receiving department-level funding.

[andnothing]

Do history applicants typically have interviews before they are admitted or is that dependent on the university? It seems most people that are interviewed are applying for a PhD program. If so, is there anything one should know beforehand? 

 

[Manuscriptess]

On 1/12/2018 at 6:47 AM, Tigla said:

 

Interviews will start appearing next week and usually trickle out until mid-February. An interview can be given for a lot of reasons; as well as not given. On the one hand, interviews go to strong candidates that the department wants to talk with and engage with. This is important because most programs will have roughly 20-25 students who are ideal fits for their program, however, the program can admit a maximum of 10-15. Therefore, the department needs to cut the pool in half for banal reasons. On the other hand, you may not receive an interview, but be offered admission to the program. However, receiving an interview is a very good sign and should be seen as an opportunity, rather than a guarantee of admission.

@andnothing , I had the same question. This was a helpful post by @Tigla about interviews!

[khigh]

8 hours ago, telkanuru said:

So FYI this is the way most state schools work. Those with nominations to university-level funding tend to find out about a week before those receiving department-level funding.

Thank you. It was just the first moment of maybe I really won’t ever go to grad school.