dr. t

This is a problem I've been working on since the medieval field is sort of between waves right now, with the Greats all retiring and it not being entirely clear who the new lights are. I've noticed a couple general things: 1) Institution: well respected institutions with strong departments tend to attract well-respected names, or vice versa. 2) Writing: number of publications is great, but I judge whether I want to take a course with someone based on how clear their professional writing is. 3) Respect != good training: particularly at top institutions, professors can be very friendly and helpful, but they can also be out of the country half the year because they're so well respected, which is of no use to you. 4) Institution (redux): Originating institution or doktorvater do not make someone well respected, only tolerated.

If anyone applied to Notre Dame, your rejection letter may be on their website. Not that they'd let you know via e-mail or anything.

Yep. Already had the plane ticket and booked meetings with professors, and it's a top choice for PhD, so it's still worth the visit.

A couple things I'd add here: if you're going to school in Cambridge, make sure you look in Somerville. Also, if you're living in sub-Mass Pike Allston/Brighton, the streets are going to be noisy pretty regardless, but certain renting agencies hate dealing with undergraduates and won't rent to them (like mine). Second: get a bike and use it. Biking in a city as packed as Boston can be scary, but there are a LOT of us these days. It's also by far and away the fastest and cheapest mode of transport. I've lived in Allston for 2 years at this point, and I can count on both hands the number of times I've used the T. It's just too much of a hassle for me to bother. If anyone is interested in bike commuting and wants to know good routes, don't hesitate to PM me.

Thanks all! What you're saying is in line with what my current professors are saying which is great. I think my decision also got a lot easier because I learned how to read. I thought HDS had offered me a $19k grant on $35k tuition and $3k in fees. What they actually gave me was a $19k grant on $25k tuition and $3k in fees. I'm pretty sure that's the ball game, though I'll still go and look at Chicago. In other news, I'm a huge derp. Thanks again for all your help!

I study gender & depictions of sanctity in the high to late Middle Ages, although I've recently become distracted by 12th c. monasticism. With respect to your second point, both programs offered me 1/2 tuition, and I was rejected from 8 PhD programs this Spring, so I'm not so sure.

MAPSS acceptance deadline is May 1 IIRC. You can wait them out.

The medieval and early modern departments at Harvard are also doing quite a lot with GIS. The medieval field is also beginning to incorporate in a serious way environmental and archaeological data into what used to be a purely textual field.

My goal is solely PhD admissions. My languages are fairly solid (4 years college Latin, 1 year French for reading, 1 year German for reading), and I've taken courses in Paleography from a Div School prof (I've taken 3-4 HDS courses in my time in the SSP). Two of my LoRs were also from Div School professors. The advice I've gotten after being rejected from all the PhD programs I applied to, which were in fairness all very strong programs, is that because of my relatively crap first attempt at college (see: Harvard Extension School), and the relatively unfocused course path in my BA due to course availability, a MA would both alleviate any concerns as to ability while showing focus. Thanks for your response!

You have book reviews (being) published in journals? Do you have an adviser who thought this was a good idea?

I'm going to put this here rather than in the decisions forum because I'm specifically interested in feedback from other medievalists. I have standing MA offers from both UChicago's MAPSS program and Harvard Divinity's MTS. Both are schools with professors I want to study with. The breakdown: Chicago: 1 year, less expensive over all, highly focused program, new professors, institution, and perspectives; necessary gap year afterwards, would have to live apart from my spouse for 9 months. HDS: 2 year, less expensive per year, professors I know and have worked with, access to GSAS classes & Harvard Library; have already taken many course offerings,more diffuse program (must take 4 courses outside area of specialization), uncertain second year financial aid (not married on this year's FAFSA, will be next year, and she has a real job). I'm honestly entirely torn. Opinions?

I did some undergraduate work at BU and was in general not a very big fan of the school. It seemed (and still does, as I still live 3 blocks away) as a place for upper-middle class white kids to stumble through in a drunken stupor on the way to a business degree and a soulless career in middle-management. Not much different than your large public research university (UMass Amherst, for example), but three times the price. I don't know how it applies to the graduate program. As a undergraduate at Harvard Extension and as a Special Student at Harvard GSAS focusing on the history of medieval Europe, I have to say I love the Div School. I'm actually currently in a struggle between choosing the MTS program and the MAPSS from UChicago. If you're going to the visiting week in April, I'd certainly be willing to talk, but basically it's a vibrant academic community full of a lot of smart (if not particularly worldly) people. Also be aware that a prior master's degree is a boon both to PhD applications (if you were to continue down that route) and the job hunt, and it gives you a relatively easy bail-out if you turn out to hate academia, which does happen. With respect to the H-Bomb, as it is called, a lot of Harvard prestige is faff, and your actual work carries far more weight and will be judged at a higher standard. That said, both at HDS and GSAS, the teaching staff is without exception excellent. The library system, not a thing people think a lot about, is also beyond words. I honestly don't know if I can live without it at this point. Hope that helps!

I study the relationships between theology, gender, and sanctity in the middle ages!

What is going on with Notre Dame? No news even on acceptances this late is weird. Can they just reject me so I can move on? Jeeze.

German annieca, kotov, Kelkel, Ganymede18, grlu0701, hbeels (veeeeeery rusty), Orient, ticklemepink, viggosloof28, Tiglath-Pileser III, Reki, playingivory (reading), telkaburu (reading) Spanish annieca, crazedandinfused, Ganymede18, grlu0701 (kind of), CageFree, StrangeLight, pudewen (very rusty and basically useless to my work), ticklemepink (reading), fortiesgirl, viggosloof28, Andean Pat, apotheosis, playingivory French theregalrenegade, Ganymede18, CageFree (reading, can speak a bit), StrangeLight, Safferz (Franglais), hbeels, sandyvanb, fortiesgirl, Tiglath-Pileser III, Andean Pat, apotheosis, quilledink, spinach, playingivory, telkanuru (reading) Hebrew uhohlemonster, crazedandinfused (ktzat), ticklemepink, Tiglath-Pileser III, Qaus-gabri, quilledink (a bit rusty) Hindi spinach Italian fortiesgirl (reading, can speak a bit), Andean Pat (I understand it, swering), spinach, playingivory (reading) Indonesian spinach Latin Kelkel, Ganymede18, husky4ever, playingivory, telkanuru Greek Ganymede18 (New Testament), , Tiglath-Pileser III, Qaus-gabri (Hellenistic) Russian ticklemepink (really, really basic), ReallyNiceGuy Polish runaway Romanian kotov Japanese kyjin, pudewen (sort of, it's in process), Tiglath-Pileser III Portuguese CageFree (reading), StrangeLight (reading, swearing), fortiesgirl (reading, some comprehension), Andean Pat (reading) Hungarian StrangeLight (swearing only) Somali Safferz Arabic Safferz (reading), Orient (MSA) Chinese pudewen (modern and classical), apotheosis Turkish orient (modern an ottoman) Persian Orient (reading) Yiddish ticklemepink Norwegian viggosloof28 (can also read Swedish and Danish) Akkadian Tiglath-Pileser III, Qaus-gabri Egyptian Tiglath-Pileser III Coptic Qaus-gabri (Sahidic) Aramaic Qaus-gabri Ugaritic Qaus-gabri Old English telkanuru

High to Late Medieval gender and sanctity, 12-13th c. intellectual and monastic history. Influenced by the school I'm currently attending, I've begun incorporating economic, archaeological, and climatalogical approaches.

For those who've been through the MAPSS program, where did you guys end up living? Grad housing? Independent apartment?

Interesting. Was there a fairly even division among fields of interest within the history contingent, or did it lean one way or another? Were people fairly open, or more combative with an eye towards applying to the same programs? Thanks for doing this, by the way!

Awesome!

In terms of financing, did you try for any RA or Work Study positions? If so, how easy (or not) were they to get?

So I've been doing a bit of poking, since getting this looked like something that might happen. There are several blogs of MAPSS students out there which you can find via Google. They are pretty much overwhelmingly positive. The PhD placement rate out of the program for "those they helped" (which might fudge things a bit) looks very good, in the 85-95% range, depending on year. It also looks like a way to vet students of a certain caliber for the Chicago PhD, as they have several admits over the past couple years. Chicago was my #1 choice based on program and #2 based on location, so this is a significant factor for me. There also seems to be a significant difference between the MAPSS and MAPH programs. With respect to cost, I agree. I was also offered 1/2 tuition. There are several factors at play here for me, though. First, I have a spouse who is gainfully employed and, although she wouldn't be moving out with me for 9 months, it does help matters. Second, cost of living in Chicago is about half what I'm used to here in Boston. There also seem to be some even-lower-cost living options, such as the International House. Third, the 1-year timespan of the program (9 months, really) is highly attractive, compared to the 2-3 years of a conventional masters, and in many cases it counts as time not spent in a PhD program (or an extra year of funding to finish your diss? I don't know how that works). Also, unless you get a great tuition break and funding for another masters program, $24k + living expenses for a MA doesn't sound that terrible, relatively speaking. Long story short, it's interested me enough to make travel plans for their visiting days (a $200 travel voucher helps). I at least want to hear what they have to say. Hope that helps!

Ugh. I don't even want to think about this for four months

well not exactly but it'll do! I don't want to do this whole shindig again

Chicago MAPSS decisions out, it seems. Got half funding, will probably go barring some odd miracle from Notre Dame.

Harvard sent out rejection letters yesterday.