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I'm late to the game, but I do want to add this: getting a PhD in history doesn't automatically qualify you for jobs in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums) sector. Those fields require different skill sets that aren't normally taught in a traditional history program. As someone mentioned earlier, getting internships and finding opportunities for certificates along the way will greatly boost your odds of getting a job in that field. I'm biased--my PhD is in public history, my MA is in public history, my undergrad had a public history minor--but we need to be realistic about the "alt-ac" jobs that are pushed, especially if people are unprepared for them. Those fields aren't brimming with jobs either, and even with a PhD you'll need to be competitive against BAs and MAs who have more experience in the field. Twenty or thirty years ago you might have managed to do that. It's harder now. 

I'm late to the game, but I do want to add this: getting a PhD in history doesn't automatically qualify you for jobs in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums) sector. Those fields require different skill sets that aren't normally taught in a traditional history program. As someone mentioned earlier, getting internships and finding opportunities for certificates along the way will greatly boost your odds of getting a job in that field. I'm biased--my PhD is in public history, my MA is in public history, my undergrad had a public history minor--but we need to be realistic about the "alt-ac" jobs that are pushed, especially if people are unprepared for them. Those fields aren't brimming with jobs either, and even with a PhD you'll need to be competitive against BAs and MAs who have more experience in the field. Twenty or thirty years ago you might have managed to do that. It's harder now. 

I'm late to the game, but I do want to add this: getting a PhD in history doesn't automatically qualify you for jobs in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums) sector. Those fields require different skill sets that aren't normally taught in a traditional history program. As someone mentioned earlier, getting internships and finding opportunities for certificates along the way will greatly boost your odds of getting a job in that field. I'm biased--my PhD is in public history, my MA is in public history, my undergrad had a public history minor--but we need to be realistic about the "alt-ac" jobs that are pushed, especially if people are unprepared for them. Those fields aren't brimming with jobs either, and even with a PhD you'll need to be competitive against BAs and MAs who have more experience in the field. Twenty or thirty years ago you might have managed to do that. It's harder now. 

I'm late to the game, but I do want to add this: getting a PhD in history doesn't automatically qualify you for jobs in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums) sector. Those fields require different skill sets that aren't normally taught in a traditional history program. As someone mentioned earlier, getting internships and finding opportunities for certificates along the way will greatly boost your odds of getting a job in that field. I'm biased--my PhD is in public history, my MA is in public history, my undergrad had a public history minor--but we need to be realistic about the "alt-ac" jobs that are pushed, especially if people are unprepared for them. Those fields aren't brimming with jobs either, and even with a PhD you'll need to be competitive against BAs and MAs who have more experience in the field. Twenty or thirty years ago you might have managed to do that. It's harder now. 

Coming out of lurk mode to give my two cents: this topic was my specialty--a conversation I fought tooth and nail to have at my university--until I circumstances placed me in a position to realize that the bureaucracy of doctoral programs is not equipped to help PhD students navigate this new reality. As another poster astutely mentioned: the guaranteed salary and health insurance for 5-6 years is a convincing argument for riding out the storm in the doctoral program, but you are also stunting your career growth.
You can get certificates in DH or archives out the wazoo, or do an internship for a few months--but if you aren't building any credible, progressive skills for a resume, you are merely treading water. Also, since many doctoral students come fresh out of undergraduate or 1-2 years after undergrad, they are emerging from a PhD program at 29/30 without any real world work experience. The private, govt, and academic sectors are hammered by the pandemic. Who is going to make it past the application stage: a 30 year old PhD with no job experience or a 30 year old with direct job experience (bc remember, most people applying for specific jobs went to school to major in that field)?
But again, doctoral programs are not built to address this. Your coursework, your writing assignments, your dissertation, your conference presentations, your TA assignments, and so on are geared towards preparing you for a TT job. You aren't supposed to get a job. Graduate fellowships geared towards some type of vocational training (e.g. editorial assistant at a university press) are few and far between. Your advisors' only assistance is to bring in alums or other PhD "alt acs" to discuss their experiences--they cannot and often will not help you be legible inside and outside of the academy.
It is, IMO, the height of conceit to say you're pursuing the PhD to research and write and read for 5-6 years. The only people who say that are those who have a tiny kernel of belief that they'll be the one to beat the odds and get the TT job at the end of the journey. 
I don't think you shouldn't go for the PhD--my opinion right now is that those whose first dream is to be a professor need to be the last people applying to PhD programs. 

I'm late to the game, but I do want to add this: getting a PhD in history doesn't automatically qualify you for jobs in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums) sector. Those fields require different skill sets that aren't normally taught in a traditional history program. As someone mentioned earlier, getting internships and finding opportunities for certificates along the way will greatly boost your odds of getting a job in that field. I'm biased--my PhD is in public history, my MA is in public history, my undergrad had a public history minor--but we need to be realistic about the "alt-ac" jobs that are pushed, especially if people are unprepared for them. Those fields aren't brimming with jobs either, and even with a PhD you'll need to be competitive against BAs and MAs who have more experience in the field. Twenty or thirty years ago you might have managed to do that. It's harder now. 

I'm late to the game, but I do want to add this: getting a PhD in history doesn't automatically qualify you for jobs in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums) sector. Those fields require different skill sets that aren't normally taught in a traditional history program. As someone mentioned earlier, getting internships and finding opportunities for certificates along the way will greatly boost your odds of getting a job in that field. I'm biased--my PhD is in public history, my MA is in public history, my undergrad had a public history minor--but we need to be realistic about the "alt-ac" jobs that are pushed, especially if people are unprepared for them. Those fields aren't brimming with jobs either, and even with a PhD you'll need to be competitive against BAs and MAs who have more experience in the field. Twenty or thirty years ago you might have managed to do that. It's harder now. 

My university is online for grad programs and "hybrid" for undergrad--although every course that is offered on campus must be made available online if a student requests it. I'm ABD so I'm not worrying about classes, but I'm grateful for an active dissertation writing group that meets virtually on Mondays. We do Slack text check-ins on Friday. This has provided the pandemic with some sense of normalcy. Our HGSA is active and keeps planning virtual movie nights or Zoom happy hours, which is nice. I'll be teacher of record for the first time ever this fall--so, not ideal time to get my own classroom, but excited to have final say over ethical decisions related to COVID in my classroom instead of having to run it up the TA food chain. I'd definitely suggest trying some Zoom events for fun instead of just for work! Makes a world of difference.

My university is online for grad programs and "hybrid" for undergrad--although every course that is offered on campus must be made available online if a student requests it. I'm ABD so I'm not worrying about classes, but I'm grateful for an active dissertation writing group that meets virtually on Mondays. We do Slack text check-ins on Friday. This has provided the pandemic with some sense of normalcy. Our HGSA is active and keeps planning virtual movie nights or Zoom happy hours, which is nice. I'll be teacher of record for the first time ever this fall--so, not ideal time to get my own classroom, but excited to have final say over ethical decisions related to COVID in my classroom instead of having to run it up the TA food chain. I'd definitely suggest trying some Zoom events for fun instead of just for work! Makes a world of difference.

Eh. Applying right out of high school? Anyone can do that. Getting in is something different ?

Oooooh, come to the dark side--go the public history route ?

Oooooh, come to the dark side--go the public history route ?

Oooooh, come to the dark side--go the public history route ?

I have a stipend slight smaller than yours (18,000) and live in the northern part of the city. I've always been frugal, but I've been extra careful since starting my PhD with budgeting. I have been able to save money--one, because I set it in my budget and, two, because I don't feel the need to spend every cent in my monthly budget if at the end I have money left over. Next year I'm going to find a studio which will make my housing more expensive and I doubt I can save as much (if any), but it was a decision I had to make for my own happiness.

I mean, there are well written articles and poorly written articles. "You have to learn to write articles" isn't the same as "style is not a concern for you."
It's not actually an article, but Caroline Bynum's presidential address to the AHA on wonder, published in AHR 102:1, is quite readable in my opinion and a good stylistic model for a historical argument pitched to a specialist audience.
(As an aside, academic articles comprised most of my assigned reading in undergrad, while so far in grad school I've mostly been told to read books. I far preferred my previous reading diet of articles and primary sources to the endless slog through converted dissertations and disingenuously framed trivia dumps that I've been condemned to as a grad student. I mean, okay, I'm being overdramatic and way too harsh on some good books, but the point is that I prefer the genre of the scholarly article as a reader.)

It’s absolutely my plan to use my PhD like Philippa Gregory haha ?

@TMP, I totally understand your concerns and I have no plans of writing in crazy, off-the-wall ways. (Although maybe if I want to use my PhD like Philippa Gregory did, I should start... ). There's nothing wrong with exploring writing styles. Yes, our dissertations must follow a standard format, but part of learning is growing. Thankfully I'm in a program that provides a little more leeway to try new things. Of course, the program is specifically for people who aren't remaining in academia, so we're a little different to begin with.
@TheHessianHistorian and @pinoysoc, if you haven't read The Craft of Research, I also find it to be a good source to add to the collection. I've had two grad professors assign it at this point.  It did make me reconsider my argument and evidence more. 
Also, @ashiepoo72, I read Scraping By in the fall and it was so good!

@TMP, I totally understand your concerns and I have no plans of writing in crazy, off-the-wall ways. (Although maybe if I want to use my PhD like Philippa Gregory did, I should start... ). There's nothing wrong with exploring writing styles. Yes, our dissertations must follow a standard format, but part of learning is growing. Thankfully I'm in a program that provides a little more leeway to try new things. Of course, the program is specifically for people who aren't remaining in academia, so we're a little different to begin with.
@TheHessianHistorian and @pinoysoc, if you haven't read The Craft of Research, I also find it to be a good source to add to the collection. I've had two grad professors assign it at this point.  It did make me reconsider my argument and evidence more. 
Also, @ashiepoo72, I read Scraping By in the fall and it was so good!

Yes, Cronon was a great suggestion! I read his classic Nature's Metropolis fairly recently. I'll have to look at the other ones, @TheHessianHistorian. I'm a fan of the colonial stuff. 
Arc of Justice by Kevin Boyle is also phenomenally written. It reads almost like a novel more than a history book. I kept having to remind myself to take notes!  

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.

This is something to be taken up with the AHA directly, but the affiliate organizations really got screwed by having almost all of their sessions at the Hilton.
 

Hello! I just wanted to pass along the link for the online program. https://aha.confex.com/aha/2018/webprogram/start.html So much to see and do!
I'd also like to share the most unexpected website for conference attending tips. I discovered this yesterday: http://www.datingadvice.com/for-women/the-american-historical-association-unites-thousands-of-members-at-annual-meetings
Enjoy perusing! 

I love the fact that someone from AHA was willing to be interviewed for the article. Obviously it's the whole reason I'm attending the conference...
I definitely read a history book once where in the acknowledgements the author wrote about how he met his wife when their eyes locked at a conference. I wish I could remember the book.

Also, just to point out, public history isn't as common overseas. They still tend to have museum studies programs in larger numbers or cultural heritage. Public history really began in the U.S. and so there's just a lot more opportunity here. I'm inclined to disagree with NoirFemme on the regular MA program. Yes, your internships and connections are super vital to finding a job, but a good MA public history program is going to have a strong alumni network and be better geared towards non-academic historians.
Also, @NoirFemme, I was thinking the other day that it might be useful to have some sort of public history post pinned to the top of posts. It seems like every year we have a couple public historians on here amid a sea of traditional historians, and it might be useful to just have a post that provides public history-geared resources.

Steven Hahn is moving to NYU! Given your interests, you can't go wrong. Congratulations!