Fall 2018 Applicants

[Averroes MD]

2 hours ago, CBC said:

Hi, for those of you familiar with Harvard's joint PhD program in History and Middle Eastern Studies, what's your take on the groundedness of the program and how it's perceived in comparison to the other typical History PhD program that offers an ME track. 

Their different admission requirements for instance raise a red flag . Whereas a writing sample is required for admission to the History Department, such an important requirement is discarded for admission to the other joint PhD program. This easily gives the impression that admission to Harvard's Middle Eastern Studies with a subtrack in History is more forgiving and less stringent than the History department's. 

I'd also love to know how would that  joint program position the academic focus and profile of its candidates. Would they be considered Historians proper with strong  preparation in the language of their region of study  among their peers in the History department? Or would they be immediately put in the category of Middle Eastern specialists whose focus is historical rather than contemporary or on the art for instance?

Don't you mean to say "whose focus is contemporary rather than historical"? I think you accidentally switched it around. But, I may be mistaken.

[TheHessianHistorian]

3 minutes ago, grubyczarnykot said:

@TheHessianHistorian Yeah that's true. I'm worried because there's one acceptance reported on the results board but it doesn't say if it's a POI or official acceptance. And from what people told me after I talked to them about the interview, it sounded like the interview itself may implied I had a good chance or would be admitted or something? I'm just freaking out, it's been radio silence since then. But I will hold off on asking them about the status of the application. At any rate I'll probably hear by next week for sure. :/

From what I've seen, it's fairly standard procedure that the one or two very top applicants get super-early acceptances so that they can be nominated for university-wide scholarships or fellowships. The rest of the acceptances typically roll in for the rest of us around the same part of the calendar that they did in the last couple years. I think the fact that you were interviewed is indeed a good sign, and I would try not to fret too much.

[CBC]

1 hour ago, Averroes MD said:

Don't you mean to say "whose focus is contemporary rather than historical"? I think you accidentally switched it around. But, I may be mistaken.

No. I meant that those emerging of this PhD program with that type of preparation will be Middle East specialists first and foremost, but whose research is on pre-1800 societies and cultures. The focus will be on the area studies component rather than the historical one, I mean.

[TheLearnedPig]

18 hours ago, minion.banana said:

Congrats! I'm in my first year in the Michigan history program, and love it.

Thank you, so glad to hear you are enjoying it! Do you mind if I PM you with a couple of questions over the coming weeks?

[pudewen]

15 hours ago, CBC said:

Hi, for those of you familiar with Harvard's joint PhD program in History and Middle Eastern Studies, what's your take on the groundedness of the program and how it's perceived in comparison to the other typical History PhD program that offers an ME track. 

Their different admission requirements for instance raise a red flag . Whereas a writing sample is required for admission to the History Department, such an important requirement is discarded for admission to the other joint PhD program. This easily gives the impression that admission to Harvard's Middle Eastern Studies with a subtrack in History is more forgiving and less stringent than the History department's. 

I'd also love to know how would that  joint program position the academic focus and profile of its candidates. Would they be considered Historians proper with strong  preparation in the language of their region of study  among their peers in the History department? Or would they be immediately put in the category of Middle Eastern specialists whose focus is historical rather than contemporary or on the art for instance?

I'm certainly not an expert on HMES, though I know a few people in it, but my impression is that students in it are treated as historians (they certainly are required to take the first year seminar that all history PhD students take), and that the degree is understood to be one that is disciplinarily in history (and will probably be interpreted that way by any search committee). I can't speak to why a writing sample wasn't required - that's definitely bizarre, but I don't think that says anything about how students in the program are treated. Faculty certainly aren't going to be looking at you as second class citizens or anything of that sort. In any case, my impression was that most, if not all, students doing PhDs in Middle Eastern history (who aren't primarily working on European empires) at Harvard are in HMES, so it's definitely a very normal thing to be doing.

[nerdbird]

Hi all! F18 applicant here, 3a, 3r, 8tbd. Interested in South Asian/Indian history. Anyone else here applying for the same? Thoughts on top programs for modern/post-colonial SA history this cycle (taking into account tenure, new hires, etc)? Want to start making decisions soon.

[WhaleshipEssex]

35 minutes ago, nerdbird said:

Hi all! F18 applicant here, 3a, 3r, 8tbd. Interested in South Asian/Indian history. Anyone else here applying for the same? Thoughts on top programs for modern/post-colonial SA history this cycle (taking into account tenure, new hires, etc)? Want to start making decisions soon.

Did you not look into this before applying?

[nerdbird]

4 minutes ago, WhaleshipEssex said:

Did you not look into this before applying?

I did, shockingly. I am just curious as to who else out here is invested in similar research and what sorts of decisions they are making. 

[WhaleshipEssex]

That makes more sense. 

[35mm_]

Waitlisted for Harvard HoS. Starting to feel like I am missing the shot everywhere by a very slim margin. 

[astroid88]

Somewhat related to history, somewhat not.

Accepted into UT Austin's MES program, which has MENA history track. 

First MA program to get back!

[grubyczarnykot]

In sort of unrelated positive news, I was just accepted off of the waitlist for Minnesota’s Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society PhD! It was the only “cultural studies” type program I applied to, which was my field before gravitating towards HoS/STS. 

[Siswa]

On 2/11/2018 at 2:00 PM, fortsibut said:

Hi there!  Sorry for the late response; I was out of town for a couple of days.  I actually only reached out to my POI once, and that was soon after I submitted my application.  (Everything kind of came together last minute for me)  I never heard back, and I'm not sure if that's a bad sign or just an indication of how busy the application season is.  I did see that Assotto said that decisions were made last week, so hopefully we'll know pretty soon one way other the other.  Given the fact that they only have one student who's an Africanist right now, your odds are probably a whole lot better than mine.  =)

It's great to have you on the same boat. If they have only one in their current roster, they might well want one more. In the case of Southeast Asianists, there are already plenty there....I got rejected or waitlisted pretty much everywhere else. Hope Cornell wouldn't disappoint us.....

Cheer up and keep in touch, pal!

[CBC]

6 hours ago, pudewen said:

I'm certainly not an expert on HMES, though I know a few people in it, but my impression is that students in it are treated as historians (they certainly are required to take the first year seminar that all history PhD students take), and that the degree is understood to be one that is disciplinarily in history (and will probably be interpreted that way by any search committee). I can't speak to why a writing sample wasn't required - that's definitely bizarre, but I don't think that says anything about how students in the program are treated. Faculty certainly aren't going to be looking at you as second class citizens or anything of that sort. In any case, my impression was that most, if not all, students doing PhDs in Middle Eastern history (who aren't primarily working on European empires) at Harvard are in HMES, so it's definitely a very normal thing to be doing.

Thank you Pudewen for your comment. I'm fully aware that the degree is strictly a history degree. However, this op-ed at Harvardindependent sort of confirmed my concerns. https://www.harvardindependent.com/2016/04/harvard-struggles-islamic-middle-eastern-scholarship/

Here's a quote: "Yet, he alleges that the department, made up largely of American and European historians, does not see the Middle Eastern historians as scholars of “history proper”. Scholars of the Middle East, he says, often play second fiddle to Western historians when it comes to grants, funding and department resources."

[urbanhistorynerd]

Congratulations to all who have been accepted to programs! I hope to join you with similar good news this time next year.

[fortsibut]

3 hours ago, Siswa said:

It's great to have you on the same boat. If they have only one in their current roster, they might well want one more. In the case of Southeast Asianists, there are already plenty there....I got rejected or waitlisted pretty much everywhere else. Hope Cornell wouldn't disappoint us.....

Cheer up and keep in touch, pal!

For sure, hopefully we'll both get in!  First round of drinks is on me in the fall if we do!  =)

[Account6567]

39 minutes ago, kenalyass said:

Congratulations to all who have been accepted to programs! I hope to join you with similar good news this time next year.

Are you saying next year because you've already been rejected from the schools you applied to this cycle? I don't mean to pry; just asking because I also applied to UChicago's MAPSS and haven't heard anything in terms of good or bad news.

[grubyczarnykot]

Ok I also received news I was accepted to UCSD History + Science Studies today, I never thought I would have an actual decision to make. Now just waiting on Chicago CHSS. Good luck to everyone, hopefully we'll all get good news this week!

[HistoricScout]

I really wish IU would release their decisions soon. I would like to be able to tell admissions at K State whether I am truly deferring for next year or not. Ugh. 

Waiting for the decision from one school is torture. 

[Tigla]

8 hours ago, CBC said:

Thank you Pudewen for your comment. I'm fully aware that the degree is strictly a history degree. However, this op-ed at Harvardindependent sort of confirmed my concerns. https://www.harvardindependent.com/2016/04/harvard-struggles-islamic-middle-eastern-scholarship/

Here's a quote: "Yet, he alleges that the department, made up largely of American and European historians, does not see the Middle Eastern historians as scholars of “history proper”. Scholars of the Middle East, he says, often play second fiddle to Western historians when it comes to grants, funding and department resources."

That is a problem within history as a field, though. An absolute majority of funding, publication sources, and "reputable universities" are centered around Western thinking or interpretation of history. As a field, however, we have progressed far since the 1980s, but nowhere near enough. If you are continuing into history, I think this is a general assumption and knowledge that you need to keep in mind. Academia is difficult, but for non-Western regions/specializations, it can be even harder.

[Guest1101]

1 hour ago, HistoricScout said:

I really wish IU would release their decisions soon. I would like to be able to tell admissions at K State whether I am truly deferring for next year or not. Ugh. 

Waiting for the decision from one school is torture. 

Same here! I received an email from POI at IU, telling me that they have a rolling admission process, and they will send offers after massive notifications.

The whole thing makes me wonder if I am on the unofficial waiting list of IU.

Edited February 13, 2018 by Guest1101

[TheLearnedPig]

Received a wonderful email last night from Notre Dame. Offered admission with Presidential Fellowship.

The admissions process has convinced me that project and fit are so clearly the most important element of the application assessed by committees.

[narple]

10 hours ago, Account6567 said:

Are you saying next year because you've already been rejected from the schools you applied to this cycle? I don't mean to pry; just asking because I also applied to UChicago's MAPSS and haven't heard anything in terms of good or bad news.

MAPSS will probably release results closer to the end of FEB or March. I don't think I got mine until March. 

[psstein]

10 hours ago, Account6567 said:

Are you saying next year because you've already been rejected from the schools you applied to this cycle? I don't mean to pry; just asking because I also applied to UChicago's MAPSS and haven't heard anything in terms of good or bad news.

As @narple said, you're not going to hear until either the end of this month or even midway through next. I think I heard from MAPSS in mid-March, but my PhD app was shifted over.

[psstein]

4 hours ago, Guest1101 said:

Same here! I received an email from POI at IU, telling me that they have a rolling admission process, and they will send offers after massive notifications.

The whole thing makes me wonder if I am on the unofficial waiting list of IU.

You may be out of the running for a fellowship, but you may still get in. IU has some really awful funding problems.