Andean Pat

I agree with many things said. I understand that being a foreigner is more exciting and you probably did not realize that you were wrongdoing. I also sense that there is some exaggeration in your reaction (do not worry, we are girls and we overreact sometimes) so be careful not to see ghosts everywhere. Besides, you are leaving later on. However, as you've said, you are both adults. If you feel you should talk to this man, go to his office, knock on his door and tell him that he inspired you but you feel things are awkward. If he takes it the wrong way, he is the child. 

I'm a MA student at 35 and will (hopefully) enter a PhD program at 36. I agree with the other posters - I have a different perspective and experience only age brings. I don't take myself too seriously. And I absolutely love being able to learn from both older and younger colleagues. Congrats, HeatherC on moving forward on your educational journey 

Life is not a race...  Being older gives you a unique perspective, try to highlight those strengths in your grad applications (maturity, discipline, dedication, experience, etc).
 
I am actually older than one PI that I met with this fall.  That said, my fit feels better with "older" PI's...  One older PI I met with said he liked my maturity/work experience and proceeded to tell me a story about a younger grad hopeful who brought his mom along for the interview...

I agree with many things said. I understand that being a foreigner is more exciting and you probably did not realize that you were wrongdoing. I also sense that there is some exaggeration in your reaction (do not worry, we are girls and we overreact sometimes) so be careful not to see ghosts everywhere. Besides, you are leaving later on. However, as you've said, you are both adults. If you feel you should talk to this man, go to his office, knock on his door and tell him that he inspired you but you feel things are awkward. If he takes it the wrong way, he is the child. 

Now the fun part is watching professors grill their grad students to find out who they think they've got.  Mine were very happy about lafayette. 

Because of the wonderful 70 degree weather in Atlanta yesterday, I went walking/hiking in Lullwater Park and Hahn Woods, both of which are part of campus. It was absolutely beautiful! Grassy hills for reading, a small lake, a few miles of paths, a pedestrian suspension bridge over the river, and the park wasn't too crowded. I highly recommend checking it out.

I surely browse the school's apparel and regalia!!! so sad nike does not produce for mine...

Get really drunk, best ideas come when you are not hunting them

i may or may not have slightly judged my acceptances by the quality and variety of items in their bookstores..!   when i make my final decision, i'm treating myself to a new sweatshirt from my school-to-be and a tattoo of my alma mater's motto.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who was super excited to go to the school's bookstore and buy a sweatshirt, tshirt, pen, etc!!!!!!!!!!!! I know I was just accepted but I will be attending in the fall and I just want the world to know where I'm going. Not too weird, right? 

I will elaborate on this point. I came to my MA program intending to do a different case study on a same topic that I wrote for my BA thesis. I was already doing original research so it wasn't all that difficult to go with it. But once I got into the archives, I realized that there was another side of the story that just didn't intersect with my original topic and the materials brought out an idea that I had back in 2004 after reading a memoir. So I ended up with 2 narratives to choose from for writing. My adviser thought the first narrative was easy and straight forward and it seemed like something that she felt qualified to advise. On the other hand, we both saw the value in promoting Narrative #2 as it had never been published or touched upon, even by the local historians. It was more complex but it was more culturally exciting for me. So we went with Narrative #2. It was a huge challenge and I had to depend on multiple readers to give me feedback so it could be of high quality.

Now that Narrative #2 has been the driving force of my PhD research interests and is in middle of revisions for an article. Revising that piece with feedback from multiple outside reviewers allowed me to see sides of Narrative #2 that I had never seen before. I've become quite excited about some of the new project ideas I have in mind after thinking and questioning.

Now I am at the crux of several fields and must decide which one I'd really like to pursue. From talking to one of POIs, it seemed like I would most likely need to substantially revise my ideas because he's really not a true expert on these ideas. But given lovely conversations with "potential" committee members, I could remain on the trajectory to some extent and within that pursue even more interesting dissertation topics that I'd probably never think of. On the other hand, the other POI seemed quite comfortable going along with whatever I'd like to do (and meant it) and has the right faculty support.

In either way, I will need to be open to different intellectual opportunities. But for you, I will say that it was twist of fate during my MA thesis research that allowed me to work on this topic that I had in my back pocket for years, I wouldn't have pursued this incredibly exciting topic if it hadn't been for my thesis requirement and incredible support from my adviser. I am SO glad that I took advantage of it right then, not waiting until my PhD (or even as a professor!) to do it.

I think what the coordinator is saying is that she believes that your supervisor is a kind person and would be open to making things work that would make both of you happy. She's seen enough dynamics in the department to believe that this person may be open to co-supervision. If she didn't think your supervisor would be open to it, she probably wouldn't suggest that option and instead tell you point blank to change supervisors.

But the question is, is your supervisor open to having a mentor? You don't know what's going on behind the curtains. Your supervisor may have too much of an ego to reach out to find a mentor for himself and wants to do the job alone to prove that he can do it. That is not your decision to say "you need a mentor and I need a better mentor than you but I want to keep working with you." Even if he says okay, don't expect the new co-supervisor to actually mentor this guy. Mentoring is a very personal decision.

It is a difficult conversation to have with your supervisor to say that you've been working with X and Y and Z. But if you can be specific about the issues in a way that your supervisor can think, "Wow, I didn't know about X and Y, I'm glad that s/he sought help elsewhere." Also, it also helps to sit down with your supervisor and be diplomatic about what kind of supervision you need moving forward. Sometimes I find it helpful to schedule a time and sit down with the professor, even if it means watching him/her read my paper while I'm sitting there. The lesson for that situation being- "If you had read my paper before this meeting, this time could have been more productive!"

Remember, you are in charge of your committee. You are the one managing people and deciding what kind of role each person will play, not your supervisor. Your supervisor's basic job is to make sure you pass. If one of the committee members has been acting like a mentor you want, then adopt that person as a "surrogate" supervisor. I've heard more often than not that students have leaned on other committee members for support, not their advisers.

Acceptance??? Congrats!!!
 
Congratulations, really!!!
 
It's tough for me to say it, since I really really really thought I was an excellent fit at Princeton and was really really really bummed for not getting in. I think I'll always have a little scratch in my pride... I don't like it, I am not the kind of person that resents the success of others, but it was hard for me to see people getting in. Now that I am (a little) over it, I can truly congratulate you! All the best there!!!!  

GRE measures logical thinking. Study all. Really.

Acceptance??? Congrats!!!
 
Congratulations, really!!!
 
It's tough for me to say it, since I really really really thought I was an excellent fit at Princeton and was really really really bummed for not getting in. I think I'll always have a little scratch in my pride... I don't like it, I am not the kind of person that resents the success of others, but it was hard for me to see people getting in. Now that I am (a little) over it, I can truly congratulate you! All the best there!!!!  

For iPad users, can you acutally take notes on it?
I write with my hand resting on the desk/iPad, and the touchscreen doesn't like my hand on it. I can't take notes productively with my hand floating in the air, or awkwardly reaching the stylus.
 
I heard the Samsung Note is better for this.
 
For leisure reading, I think the Kindle's pretty nice. I love the look of the paper, even though it's very slow computing wise and probably terrible for annotation.

I love my Kindle Keyboard for reading PDFs and taking notes on them. It's an older model but I like having the physical keyboard since I annotate a lot. It's still thin and fast and has an insane battery life. While it's true that PDFs are usually too large to be displayed in full size on the screen (without making the text too small), the trick that I use is just to switch my Kindle to landscape mode and that basically turns each 3rd of a PDF page into its own "page" in the kindle, making the font nice and large. Yay for digitizing humanities! We waste too much paper as it is.

I also just wanted to throw this out there: I would be open to a roommate situation for 6-12 months with a fellow graduate student who's new to Atlanta like me. Feel free to IM me if interested.

"I regret that I cannot attend _____ University and have instead chosen to attend ____ University. I wish I could take [x] from your school and merge it with [y] from _____ University, but reality denies me this ideal world. Ultimately, [z] has proven to be the deciding factor that has pushed my hand in this challenging decision. Thank you again for all of your assistance and guidance through this process.

While I cannot accept your offer, I suggest you speak to Cornell07. I can attest without reservation that he is a worthy, distinguished, and highly qualified candidate, who would be a perfect match with you and your department. In light of his impressive tangbile and intangible qualifications as a scholar and assured future as a luminary in his field, I am honored that you ultimately extended your offer to me. Even though you may have originally passed over his application, I am sure that he would gladly look past this unfortunate oversight.

Kindest Regards,
redwine"

I would be irate if someone got paid twice as much as me for the same work! Zapster, do you really think this happens frequently? Granted, I don't know how this specific situation (Masters, and this type of funding) plays out, but in my experience, departments generally just have standard stipends that they provide to students, I imagine in part to avoid things like this.
 
If the type of work is really equivalent, then why would one student get double the stipend? OO, are you sure there's not some difference?
 
 

Yeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh another historian!!!!!!! Here's my advice:
 
1. Contact the department. Do not start choosing schools by their reputation, choose them by their department. It is nice to apply to an Ivy League school but if your interests do not match, it is stupid. I wanted to apply to Harvard, besides there is generous funding from my country to go there but my interests did not even come close to those of the department.
 
2. Do your research. This is connected to the one before. Really investigate where you want to go, not only for the academics but also for the place. I did not apply to a place I did not want to live in. Check if your hobbies are available, for example, I checked out for field hockey teams. Ask EVERYTHING to grad students, most are happy to help you and to meet you if they have a chance. Many will advice you one the mood in the department, funding, housing, etc. Furthermore, they know very well the departments rankings/interests focus and thus can advice you to also try elsewhere.
 
3. Take your time to prepare your app. I was working full time so I started in July with the contacting the department/POIs and preparing GRE. I finished my applications in December. Take your time to write your SOP, show it to professors/friends in grad school. Many grad students I had met were happy to read it for me, even though I did not apply to their school. Take time to prepare for GRE. Although it's rubbish, expensive and almost pointless, it is necessary and you cannot fight the system. I had an excellent private teacher who started with the writing section and because I could write logically, I could also read logically. I got excellent results. My advice here is DO prepare it, and choose your course wisely. Work on your letters of recommendation, do not just ask for them. Meet your professors/employers, tell them about your ambitions, be clear on what is expected from them. Your SOP and CV should show the adcomms how great you are and why making you an offer is the best decision they will ever make. Now, I understand that you Northamericans are quite skillful in "decorating" your accomplishments, especially (I envy this a little bit ) because ALL your accomplishments have names. So you won the "Robert Smith Senior essay of the Year on how to dehydrate an amphibian's limb". So, do not put yourself down here.
 
4. Narrow your choices. Many people may not agree with this. I believe you shouldn't apply to more than seven schools. First of all, its loads of money. Second of all, if you did points 1 and 2 thoroughly then you will not be able to apply to more than 6/7. I had an EXCELLENT fit with a program I really really wanted to apply to but the POIs responded my e-mail very late and then he did not answer again. I could have applied, but how much do I want to be accepted in a place where they did not show any interest? Mmmm, I don't know. Another example, I was a great fit with a professor in a program on the west coast. He acknowledged that and was happy to talk about my application, but advised me that there was no funding and it was almost pointless for me to apply. Finally, one professor directly told me he was not taking any students this year. So, communication is basic and although I would have applied to, say, 10 programs, I ended up with 5. Which programs? The ones that are best for you. 
 
5. Be confident. You will have an offer from a place that really really wants you. It doesn't matter how badly you wanted to go into another program. They just don't want there. I mean: be prepared for rejections but be confident that a rejection is not a bummer, it just means you did everything you had to do and the department had to choose. This is difficult because you feel stupid when someone else gets into a top school and you don't. In the end, all that matters is the acceptance, not the rejection. 
 
6. Be realistic. Do not yield to emotional stress and drama. If you get in, great. If you don't, it is not the end of the world. Be an adult in your application, show your real potential as a historian. Be prepared to make decisions. Save money. Have a plan B (a master's elsewhere? Year abroad? You name it). Listen to those who praise you and those who criticize your work. Learn from mistakes. Get yourself published, it's awesome. 
 
Mmmmm I sound to motherly, don't I? You get more or less what I mean right? 

Yeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh another historian!!!!!!! Here's my advice:
 
1. Contact the department. Do not start choosing schools by their reputation, choose them by their department. It is nice to apply to an Ivy League school but if your interests do not match, it is stupid. I wanted to apply to Harvard, besides there is generous funding from my country to go there but my interests did not even come close to those of the department.
 
2. Do your research. This is connected to the one before. Really investigate where you want to go, not only for the academics but also for the place. I did not apply to a place I did not want to live in. Check if your hobbies are available, for example, I checked out for field hockey teams. Ask EVERYTHING to grad students, most are happy to help you and to meet you if they have a chance. Many will advice you one the mood in the department, funding, housing, etc. Furthermore, they know very well the departments rankings/interests focus and thus can advice you to also try elsewhere.
 
3. Take your time to prepare your app. I was working full time so I started in July with the contacting the department/POIs and preparing GRE. I finished my applications in December. Take your time to write your SOP, show it to professors/friends in grad school. Many grad students I had met were happy to read it for me, even though I did not apply to their school. Take time to prepare for GRE. Although it's rubbish, expensive and almost pointless, it is necessary and you cannot fight the system. I had an excellent private teacher who started with the writing section and because I could write logically, I could also read logically. I got excellent results. My advice here is DO prepare it, and choose your course wisely. Work on your letters of recommendation, do not just ask for them. Meet your professors/employers, tell them about your ambitions, be clear on what is expected from them. Your SOP and CV should show the adcomms how great you are and why making you an offer is the best decision they will ever make. Now, I understand that you Northamericans are quite skillful in "decorating" your accomplishments, especially (I envy this a little bit ) because ALL your accomplishments have names. So you won the "Robert Smith Senior essay of the Year on how to dehydrate an amphibian's limb". So, do not put yourself down here.
 
4. Narrow your choices. Many people may not agree with this. I believe you shouldn't apply to more than seven schools. First of all, its loads of money. Second of all, if you did points 1 and 2 thoroughly then you will not be able to apply to more than 6/7. I had an EXCELLENT fit with a program I really really wanted to apply to but the POIs responded my e-mail very late and then he did not answer again. I could have applied, but how much do I want to be accepted in a place where they did not show any interest? Mmmm, I don't know. Another example, I was a great fit with a professor in a program on the west coast. He acknowledged that and was happy to talk about my application, but advised me that there was no funding and it was almost pointless for me to apply. Finally, one professor directly told me he was not taking any students this year. So, communication is basic and although I would have applied to, say, 10 programs, I ended up with 5. Which programs? The ones that are best for you. 
 
5. Be confident. You will have an offer from a place that really really wants you. It doesn't matter how badly you wanted to go into another program. They just don't want there. I mean: be prepared for rejections but be confident that a rejection is not a bummer, it just means you did everything you had to do and the department had to choose. This is difficult because you feel stupid when someone else gets into a top school and you don't. In the end, all that matters is the acceptance, not the rejection. 
 
6. Be realistic. Do not yield to emotional stress and drama. If you get in, great. If you don't, it is not the end of the world. Be an adult in your application, show your real potential as a historian. Be prepared to make decisions. Save money. Have a plan B (a master's elsewhere? Year abroad? You name it). Listen to those who praise you and those who criticize your work. Learn from mistakes. Get yourself published, it's awesome. 
 
Mmmmm I sound to motherly, don't I? You get more or less what I mean right? 

Ok, I've heard from all schools now! Got my last acceptance yesterday and I have decided to attend Emory!!!
 
Any inside US comments on this?????

Hi Zelda!!! 
 
 


DO NOT WORRY. Please, really, really, do not worry. If you worry too much, your mind may fog good ideas. The bright side is that you know you need to solve something: Are you ready for grad school? Do you want to go there? What the heck do you want from yourself? No one can answer these questions but you. Surely, help is always accepted, but you are the captain of your soul, as Mandela would put it. Let see if I can help you a little bit.  
I know everything looks pretty dark right now and you feel down in the dumps. Let me tell you something you probably have already heard: it is not the end of the world. Believe me. I know it looks as it is, but it really is not. I also happen to know why it seems to be the end of the world: because you had plans, sorry: you had the plan and someone blew it (not you) so now with no plan B it is difficult to see the horizon.
 
Now, this happened to me once when I was 18 and it took me a while to find my north again. This path took me to know my best friends and my current job. Back in the day, I started four undergrad courses in one year (here you don't have majors/minors). 
 
What I would do is give yourself some time to clear your mind and answer those questions. Go out, do sports, find a job that you like. I work as a teacher and I love it but I realised that my true true passion is research. Maybe you need to undergo some experience to understand what you want. It took me a month to decide I wanted to leave my country to go to the USA to pursue a PhD. Clearly, your parents support you. Do not avoid the decision, face it. If you do not know what to do then do something that might throw some light on the matter. Your time is precious so do not waste it. 
 
I always say I am a second-chancer. I always need the second time to get in school, to get published, you name it. Maybe you also need some extra time, give it to yourself!!!
 
I hope my message is conveyed properly: do not stop seeking what you want, the fact that you do not know it does not mean you do not want it. Give it time to gains perspective, and when you can see the big picture, analyse what might have gone wrong and/or what you could improve. And if you happen to discover that it is not the right time for grad school, then it is not the right time, there is nothing wrong with that. It is not humiliating. Really. It is not. 
 
All the best!!!!

Yeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh another historian!!!!!!! Here's my advice:
 
1. Contact the department. Do not start choosing schools by their reputation, choose them by their department. It is nice to apply to an Ivy League school but if your interests do not match, it is stupid. I wanted to apply to Harvard, besides there is generous funding from my country to go there but my interests did not even come close to those of the department.
 
2. Do your research. This is connected to the one before. Really investigate where you want to go, not only for the academics but also for the place. I did not apply to a place I did not want to live in. Check if your hobbies are available, for example, I checked out for field hockey teams. Ask EVERYTHING to grad students, most are happy to help you and to meet you if they have a chance. Many will advice you one the mood in the department, funding, housing, etc. Furthermore, they know very well the departments rankings/interests focus and thus can advice you to also try elsewhere.
 
3. Take your time to prepare your app. I was working full time so I started in July with the contacting the department/POIs and preparing GRE. I finished my applications in December. Take your time to write your SOP, show it to professors/friends in grad school. Many grad students I had met were happy to read it for me, even though I did not apply to their school. Take time to prepare for GRE. Although it's rubbish, expensive and almost pointless, it is necessary and you cannot fight the system. I had an excellent private teacher who started with the writing section and because I could write logically, I could also read logically. I got excellent results. My advice here is DO prepare it, and choose your course wisely. Work on your letters of recommendation, do not just ask for them. Meet your professors/employers, tell them about your ambitions, be clear on what is expected from them. Your SOP and CV should show the adcomms how great you are and why making you an offer is the best decision they will ever make. Now, I understand that you Northamericans are quite skillful in "decorating" your accomplishments, especially (I envy this a little bit ) because ALL your accomplishments have names. So you won the "Robert Smith Senior essay of the Year on how to dehydrate an amphibian's limb". So, do not put yourself down here.
 
4. Narrow your choices. Many people may not agree with this. I believe you shouldn't apply to more than seven schools. First of all, its loads of money. Second of all, if you did points 1 and 2 thoroughly then you will not be able to apply to more than 6/7. I had an EXCELLENT fit with a program I really really wanted to apply to but the POIs responded my e-mail very late and then he did not answer again. I could have applied, but how much do I want to be accepted in a place where they did not show any interest? Mmmm, I don't know. Another example, I was a great fit with a professor in a program on the west coast. He acknowledged that and was happy to talk about my application, but advised me that there was no funding and it was almost pointless for me to apply. Finally, one professor directly told me he was not taking any students this year. So, communication is basic and although I would have applied to, say, 10 programs, I ended up with 5. Which programs? The ones that are best for you. 
 
5. Be confident. You will have an offer from a place that really really wants you. It doesn't matter how badly you wanted to go into another program. They just don't want there. I mean: be prepared for rejections but be confident that a rejection is not a bummer, it just means you did everything you had to do and the department had to choose. This is difficult because you feel stupid when someone else gets into a top school and you don't. In the end, all that matters is the acceptance, not the rejection. 
 
6. Be realistic. Do not yield to emotional stress and drama. If you get in, great. If you don't, it is not the end of the world. Be an adult in your application, show your real potential as a historian. Be prepared to make decisions. Save money. Have a plan B (a master's elsewhere? Year abroad? You name it). Listen to those who praise you and those who criticize your work. Learn from mistakes. Get yourself published, it's awesome. 
 
Mmmmm I sound to motherly, don't I? You get more or less what I mean right?