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History MPhil / PhD 2021 Applicants Discussion

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Original post by trega13
You are completely correct... I'd mixed up the processes for Oxford and Cambridge.

Do you happen to know the timeline for that? Is it very bad news if I have not been invited to an interview by this date? That said... they also haven't rejected me outright at this point.

Do you have lots of contact with or a relationship with your potential supervisor? If yes, I wouldn't worry.
Original post by s2656
Hi! I have been invited for an interview by the 'admissions committee' and it's only 15 minutes with my supervisor and another member of the department. A few days ago I was asked by my supervisor to send in my current grades (my HEAR report was not updated from my masters!) and he said the phd admissions committee wanted to see them.

Do you know if this is a good sign/bad sign or what stage this means I am at? I don't think my portal is updating as it says my reference wasn't added because it was emailed separately. Any help would be great thank you!!

Well as they haven't discounted you as a result of these issues I'd say it's a good sign of them being very keen.
Original post by no_valis
As I understand it, the last meeting to rank funding applicants is in early February. Accounting for admin delays along the way this would likely track with previous years' timelines for the Trust and Gates, whose shortlisting and offers seem to come through in late Feb-March.

Initial rankings have already been done so yes I think you are correct. Finalised rankings should be done soon. Could be initial funding offers come through in late Feb. but more likely late March. It will be interesting to see whether or not History communicates whether students have been nominated for funding or not this year. They weren't last year, but were the year before.
Original post by histmphil96
Initial rankings have already been done so yes I think you are correct. Finalised rankings should be done soon. Could be initial funding offers come through in late Feb. but more likely late March. It will be interesting to see whether or not History communicates whether students have been nominated for funding or not this year. They weren't last year, but were the year before.


I've been wondering what the average number of candidates ranked for funding by the department might be. Do you have any idea of how they normally go about doing this? Is it a case of 3-5 people or even as high as 10?
Reply 24
Avatar for s2656
s2656
7
Original post by histmphil96
Well as they haven't discounted you as a result of these issues I'd say it's a good sign of them being very keen.

Thank you! Luckily I am on a high first for my masters (which I told them etc) and then the interview has been offered by the admissions committee which I thought was the final stage? It's quite stressful!
Original post by no_valis
I've been wondering what the average number of candidates ranked for funding by the department might be. Do you have any idea of how they normally go about doing this? Is it a case of 3-5 people or even as high as 10?

Oh it's much higher. History does very well with funding. But they also give out a lot of offers. For example, there are 50 PhD students in History this year. ~60% are funded. So probably, I dunno, 100 received offers? I don't know how many are put forward for funded, but it's much higher than 10. But not everyone who is put forward for funding receives it. The different funding bodies will re-rank you against anyone in humanities.
Original post by s2656
Thank you! Luckily I am on a high first for my masters (which I told them etc) and then the interview has been offered by the admissions committee which I thought was the final stage? It's quite stressful!

I've actually never heard of someone being interviewed by more than one person in history, unless they have two supervisors.
Heyoooo, MPhil World History applicant here and my status just changed to GAO!!
Reply 28
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kt3304
2
Hi all! I received a conditional offer for the PhD in History on November 19th and have been anxiously awaiting funding news ever since. I'd been emailing with my prospective advisor since last summer and we had a few chats over Zoom to work on my proposal. I assume these meetings took the place of a formal interview since I never had one. I was allocated to St. Edmunds College, and Cambridge is my top choice so hopefully funding comes through. I don't have any specific questions, but I just wanted to introduce myself and wish everybody the best of luck!
Original post by afroggyinawell
Heyoooo, MPhil World History applicant here and my status just changed to GAO!!


Congratulations!! It is almost end Jan and must be a huge relief. Could you please share a rough timeline if possible?
Original post by boydivision
Thank you both! No interview, though I did exchange some very brief emails with my proposed supervisor in the fall, who was very positive about my proposed project. (No idea how much that matters.) Hope you both hear soon!

Thank you!

I spoke to the potential supervisor once before the submission of the application, and they said they'd be very happy to support my application but also mentioned that the reply was in a bit of haste. But no emails since then.
Original post by afroggyinawell
Heyoooo, MPhil World History applicant here and my status just changed to GAO!!

Bravo! Just out of curiosity, have you been interviewed by your supervisor?
Original post by reiseraft
Congratulations!! It is almost end Jan and must be a huge relief. Could you please share a rough timeline if possible?


Thank you!! Definitely a huuuuuuge relief, was kinda worried because of the uptick of applicants this year, but i'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that everything goes well :smile:

Can't remember when it got moved to dept, but here's a rough timeline:
23 Nov - App submitted
~w/b 7 Dec - Dept Review
29 Jan - GAO
Original post by greensleeveless
Bravo! Just out of curiosity, have you been interviewed by your supervisor?

!! Thank you so much!

Nah, no interviews w me, though I was emailing two members of faculty about joint supervision in August/Sept
Today being the last working day of Jan, what are the chances that it would move to GAO on 1.Feb? History MPhil, kinda anxious about the result.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by reiseraft
Today being the last working day of Jan, what are the chances that it would move to GAO on 1.Feb? History MPhil, kinda anxious about the result.

No one can really determine that for you... You will most likely hear in the next two weeks I'd say.
Reply 36
Avatar for buckyish
buckyish
OP
6
Original post by s2656
Hi! I have been invited for an interview by the 'admissions committee' and it's only 15 minutes with my supervisor and another member of the department. A few days ago I was asked by my supervisor to send in my current grades (my HEAR report was not updated from my masters!) and he said the phd admissions committee wanted to see them.

Do you know if this is a good sign/bad sign or what stage this means I am at? I don't think my portal is updating as it says my reference wasn't added because it was emailed separately. Any help would be great thank you!!

i'm definitely not as well-versed in the app process as @histmphil96 is, but i don't think it's either a bad or good sign -- probably just want more info so they can more accurately make a decision for you! but i would also say, i think it probably leans more toward good, since if they didn't want you, they probably wouldn't be asking you for that! keep your head up and good luck with the interview!! i'm rooting for you!
Reply 37
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buckyish
OP
6
Original post by histmphil96
No one can really determine that for you... You will most likely hear in the next two weeks I'd say.

i've been operating under the assumption too that most decisions will be made in early feb for those who applied before the funding deadline -- keeping my fingers crossed! thank you, also, for joining our thread and for answering all of our questions!

on a separate note, i was wondering if anybody knows how different the number of applicants for postgrad programs will be this year due to the pandemic -- my initial assumption was that definitely more people are going to be applying because the job market is super rough right now, but i was wondering what others think!
Original post by buckyish
i've been operating under the assumption too that most decisions will be made in early feb for those who applied before the funding deadline -- keeping my fingers crossed! thank you, also, for joining our thread and for answering all of our questions!

on a separate note, i was wondering if anybody knows how different the number of applicants for postgrad programs will be this year due to the pandemic -- my initial assumption was that definitely more people are going to be applying because the job market is super rough right now, but i was wondering what others think!

Given they've moved the application deadline up several months, I'd say there are many, many more applications than usual.
Reply 39
Avatar for gmay.s
gmay.s
5
Hey guys! I applied to MPhil American History on November 6th - still on 'under review by department'. Trying hard to not compulsively refresh the portal :frown:

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