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Rogue856

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Everything posted by Rogue856

  1. Apologies! I am in history. It's a grant to conduct pre-dissertation summer research. It will allow me to spend about 8 weeks overseas. That is helpful though. The feedback was literally "it's an exciting project, make this more exciting." I will give a read through with those questions in mind.
  2. HI All, Just received some feedback from my advisor on a grant proposal. Main comments: it's good, make it more exciting...which is exactly what I thought I did....So, just curious, how do you make your grant proposals "exciting?" I tried really hard to balance making big claims with the evidence I actually have....should I just go for broke and make some huge claims? Could this be more of a style problem? I went for the intro hook method...and I modeled my own proposal after others (successful) for the same grant....so I am not sure where to go from here. Thanks!
  3. I'm not sure I would ask about the racial climate on campus/in the community. Not so much because it's a faux pas (it's a really important question), but because a recruiter might be inclined to give a rosier picture than say, a current graduate student. During campus visits I did ask different folks (grad student and faculty) what sort of resources existed within the department and university for underrepresented students. Perhaps you could ask a question along those lines, about resources for women of color, etc. For me anyways, part of my training as a historian, and the development of myself as a professional academic historian, was going to have to involve navigating the complexities of academia as a person that does not traditionally end up here, and I wanted to make sure I wound up in a department that could help me do that.
  4. Also just posting in solidarity...I just posted something similar in a thread in "The Bank" about students from low-income backgrounds, which may or may not apply to you, but certainly applies to me. Thread is below. I made a similar jump, from a well-regarded but low ranked state school for my MA, into the top 15 for my field, and top 3 for my sub-field. I figure I have a similar breakdown, 15% imposter, 85% just really not used to this. I don't have any easy answers, but I will say I have worked on accepting the fact that my in-class contributions will not necessarily be an accurate reflection of my intellectual capabilities, at least in part because I am simply not good at thinking on my feet. It has helped increase my participation a bit, has not helped feeling out of place, but I guess being an active part of the conversation is the point.
  5. I really relate to this post as well. I grew up well below the poverty line, struggled with homelessness, I have no relationship with my family, etc. I have been having such a tough time with feeling like I belong here. I feel so behind all the time. I never thought I would graduate high school, let alone go to an elite PhD program. I sit in seminars with people who are so articulate, so skilled at speaking and putting their thoughts together, and I can't even work up the courage to open my mouth. It's a struggle for me everyday to: 1. Believe I have something valid to say 2. Believe I have a right to say it...let alone the courage of saying it....and none of my peers ever seem to doubt those things. It's hard with faculty, they want to know why I don't speak up more, and I don't know quite how to explain that when you do not grow up with the privilege of believing you have a right to an education it's a tough road.
  6. Thanks all for the advice! I would not say the change is solely because of my advisor, but it is a factor, especially now that my co-chair is gone, and before that another member of my committee...I think I am worried about alienating people because I did walk in *very* sure of what I wanted to do, and so my advisor and I have already begun designing my comps exam. This is a 180 that's really taken me by surprise. I have been holding back on taking any action because I want to be sure, but I am also worried that the more I wait the worse it will be. Part of my concern is there is no feasible way I could ask my present advisor to stay on my committee, or approach them with the idea that they would stay. The change is drastic enough that they would no longer make any sense. That's where the concern about appearing flaky comes in.
  7. Hi All, My thoughts are with all those waiting to hear from programs, I was in your shoes this time last year! For a slightly different issue.... I am in the second semester of a PhD in history and I am wondering if anyone in the forum has any experience changing fields in a very significant way. By that I mean needing a new advisor, new fields, etc without the possibility of keeping my present committee. I have most of the prerequisite language skills, etc for the switch. I came in with an MA, which is supposed to serve as a chapter in my dissertation. Consequently, my advisor and the department have treated me like a student much further along in the program, I have found myself, however, becoming seriously interested in a very different project. There are other factors, key faculty members, one of whom was my co-chair, have since left my present institution, and my present advisor and I haven't quite clicked, but I think (and would like to hear if others agree) that I am better off keeping the focus solely on my changing research interests. I am fairly certain the person who would be my new advisor would be happy to do so. So, for those who have been in this situation, how did you handle it? Do you recommend it? Would I be better off sticking with the research I have already invested in? How do I handle this within my department without alienating anyone or appearing flaky? Thanks!
  8. I would like a whole series on academic etiquette....and now a question of my own... I was accepted into my top choice where I had mentioned 3 POIs in my SOP. When I spoke with my primary POI (who I contacted before submitting my application) she said she was happy to work with me, mentioned that another POI would unexpectedly not be accepting new students, but she did not mention the third POI from my personal statement. Do you all think I should just go ahead and contact that third person, and if so should I just directly ask if they are willing to work on my proeject? Or should I assume that person is also available? The person unexpectedly unavailable was not a big deal, but the primary POI and the person I haven't heard from were my two main draws to the program.
  9. Forgive me if this is a rookie question, but when you say "outside the top 24" are you referencing NRC rankings or...? Thanks!
  10. Thanks for the response! That was very helpful. Cornell is quickly moving to the top of my list of programs.
  11. Just curious if czesc (or anyone on the forum generally) knows what the relationship between the History Dept. and ILR at Cornell is? Jefferson Cowie, for example, is listed as a member of the field in history, but it's not entirely clear what that means so far as dissertation work/fields goes. The Cornell website strongly suggests contacting potential faculty so I am unsure if I should stick to faculty members in the Dept. for that as well as for the SOP. For what it's worth I did not see anyone in ILR listed as an advisor for current students, but that does not necessarily mean it's not done...
  12. Thanks for the suggestion, I will definitely add Cornell. I knew Jefferson Cowie was at their ILR program, and I certainly sympathize with his reservations about the field. So anyways, yes, great suggestion. It's now on my working list. If work was not on my agenda for the summer I might try for that camp! Can't hurt to dream big right? My debate here is whether or not I *really* want to waste the application fee just to get a piece of correspondence with Harvard letterhead.
  13. Yikes, I cannot believe this is here already. I'm in my first year of a MA program at the moment. My focus is on 20th Century U.S., history of capitalism and labor. Particularly interested in multilateral institutions. I have not compiled a serious list yet, but I am fairly certain that UCSB, Georgetown, and Yale will be on it.
  14. I use foreign language sources for nearly all my research and just use my own english translation within the text with a note that all translations, unless otherwise noted, are done by the author in the footnote for the first bit that I've translated. Usually I'll have talked about sources and lack of translation in the intro anyways. I do not translate the titles of books or articles in footnotes. I've never been corrected on it so that's what I've stuck with. I would say it depends on what you're translating too...my foreign language primary documents are mostly newspapers so the translations are relatively straight forward. If I translated something in a more literary style I would probably put the foreign language text in the footnote.
  15. My situation was very, very different than yours but I took about 8 years off between finishing up my undergrad and going to grad school. I spent that time pursuing a career completely unrelated to my academic interests. It never came up as an issue on my applications. I think, regardless of time spent away, the most important part of my application was my research background. Professors I spoke with at schools I applied to didn't even ask me about the gaps in my education but they had lots of questions about my research experience, my writing sample, etc. If you have those things, and a year spent doing something positive for your community I honestly can't imagine you'll be at any disadvantage. If anything you'll grow a lot spending that time in a professional environment and that will come across when you do apply. It will show committees that grad school is a conscious choice you are making. Like Jim84 said, there is no 'right' path to a PhD. Do what feels right and you'll get where you're supposed to be.
  16. Congrats! I quit five years ago and I had been a smoker for almost ten years. I don't know about you but I had certain "trigger" situations. For me I had particular trouble with my morning cup of coffee and after dinner. I changed up my schedule so my first cup of coffee was when I got to my job and I started having a glass of red wine with dinner to replace one pleasure for a more heart healthy one. So anyways, it was important for me to identify situations where smoking was particualrly important to me and find ways to change up those situations or distract myself. And, if you're like me, after 2 weeks or so you will feel the difference in your energy levels. I certainly did, it helped me take my normal exercise to the next level. Good luck. PM if you need to vent! I used to call my sister when I had bad cravings, it's good to have someone to vent to.
  17. I got a tuition/fees/health insurance waiver + a stipend...the waivers were valued around $10,000 (I'm instate)...the maximum stafford loan per year is $20,500...I can get $10,500. My understanding is your loan eligibility is : $20,500-the value of your waivers The stipend is for work performed so it's not considered financial aid in the same way the waivers are. So you would have $2,500 left over which would be about $1,250/semester...At least that's my understanding?
  18. Rogue856

    What to do...?

    If you're not certain you want to go to grad school I would suggest: 1) First and foremost continue to hunt for a job in your field and, as jenste suggested, look even for unpaid positions to gain experience...and... 2) Try leveraging you customer service experience to move into a better customer service related position. I started in retail, moved to call centers and ended up in a really, really great Account Management/International Sales position. I hated customer service at all levels but there are better positions than the minimum wage ones you just have to know how to "sell" your experience. (Just a note though, at that time in my career I lived in a metropolitan area which might have made things easier for me).
  19. I would not worry *at all* if I were you. I left community college, sans diploma and with a 2.6 GPA, after going off and on for 8 years and working. I did really well in my junior/senior years at a 4 year state uni and I got into a fully funded, well-ranked, MA program for this fall. If I can get in despite my terrible CC performance there is no way, at least in my opinion, that your excellent performance could be anything but a plus for your application. I think the only way CC could potentially harm you is if you show a downward trend when you transfer to the four year, and that is clearly not the case for you.
  20. So I'm getting ready to register for my Fall classes and my department suggests students who are TAs (like myself) take 2 courses per semester. For my first semester that consists of 2 required courses. Normally I would not want to go against the norms of the department...but...there is a 3rd course I would like to take being taught by one of the historians that made me want to be a historian and the course he's teaching is in my major field. Add to that this faculty member is emeritus and while he does serve on committees he only teaches 1 or 2 courses per year. Based on my understanding of how the department rotates their courses this one won't be taught again while I'm a master's student. The department does allow students to take up to 15 credits per semester and taking 3 courses puts me at 12. I poked around a bit on the forums here and opinion seems divided, I'm curious if any history folks, particulary those through their first semester, have any thoughts on adding the extra course? Also, I do plan to get the opinions of current grad students I just prefer to throw the question out anonymously first. Also, just as a side not, I'm not unaccustomed to a very heavy workload. I worked full-time through my undergrad while taking 15-18 credits/semester, helping take care of my niece and writing my honors thesis.
  21. Thanks everyone! I have a tendency to over analyze everything. I did just ask the grad coordinator and she said I could if I wanted to or I could wait. Always best to ask and she was super nice so I won't feel awkward asking questions like that going forward!
  22. Hi Everyone, I got an e-mail from my new grad school letting me know registration started June 3. I also noticed the required first year course in my department is almost filled up...but I never got anything from my department letting me know if I should register now or at orientation. I don't feel like I need to talk to an advisor to register, all the information I need is on the dept website, etc. I'm pretty independent so as an undergrad I just matched my schedule to my degree requirements and never needed my advisor for that sort of thing. Is it ok to carry that attitude to grad school? Thanks!
  23. I recently graduated with a cumulative GPA lower than yours (around 3.2 from my time at community college) and a GPA from my degree granting school of 3.87. I had a good verbal GRE (165) and a not so impressive quantitative (148). I did have really, really great letters of recommendation, a strong writing sample, a focused SOP, and a few conference presentations. I did not apply to any top PhD programs but did get into a few mid-tier PhD programs with funding. I ended up taking a fully funded MA at a well regarded flagship state school as a stepping stone to a better PhD program. I say apply to the PhD programs that are a good fit but, as others have suggested and as worked out for me, keep the MA in mind. Especially if you can get funding. There is nice list of funded MA programs here if you're interested:
  24. I used footnotes and left out a works cited page. I asked my advisors about it and that was the route they suggested. I'm in History so it might depend on the field.
  25. I can't comment on how your GPA will impact your applications at the specific schools you mentioned, I'm not familiar with the programs. I can say, however, that I just finished up history grad apps with a 3.2 overall GPA, 3.87 overall for the last 2years and 3.91 in major. I got into all the programs I applied to. I targeted funded MAs as a stepping stone to a PhD. I was admitted with funding to a well-regarded MA program. I was also admitted to several middling Phds, also with funding. I had a strong writing sample and focused SOP. I also had recommenders that went above and beyond for me. Bottom line, if the rest of your application is strong I don't think, based on my experience, that the GPA will automatically sink you.
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