natsteel
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Posts posted by natsteel
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Can anyone tell me if it is already too late to begin the process of acquiring the DUNS and TIN numbers necessary for the application?
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Like a poster above said, I wouldn't take graduate classes as an undergrad in place of doing a significant research project, which would be a more integral part of your grad application. I did an honors thesis in my junior year and am now taking 2 grad classes in the fall of my senior year. That said, I'm not doing it so much as a way to show I can do graduate-level work, since my thesis should certainly show that. I'm doing it more as a means of gaining exposure to the in-and-out-of-classroom graduate school dynamics, if that makes sense.
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It's not always too early to start thinking about grad school after your first year. In fact, it can give you an advantage especially if you know what to do. This was my case. I knew as a freshman that I wanted to go to grad school and so everything I have done in my last 3 years has been geared toward that goal. What I did:
1) Know that you will need 3 letters of recommendation. These can be crucial in the admissions process. The better you know a professor and vice versa, the better your letter of recommendation will be. Develop relationships with your professors. Is there a very prominent faculty member in your field at your school? Go to office hours regularly (not every office hour but 1 or 2x/month and don't stay too long). Let these professors know your long-term goals. Ask them for advice on how to prepare and on which graduate programs might be a good fit for you. Basically, you want to cultivate good relationships with at least 3 professors so you know you will have 3 very good LoRs.
2) Get as much research/lab experience as possible as an undergrad. I let my "mentors" know that I was available to do research/grunt work for them. This led to two paid positions for the past two summers doing research for my mentor's next book. It also shows them that you are interested in the field beyond just classwork, which will also benefit you in your LoRs.
3) Read widely in your field to pinpoint those professors at prospective programs whose writing/research interests you most. By being up-to-date on your field's literature, you again show your commitment beyond the classroom and also can have intelligent discussions about current trends in the field with your professors. This again will benefit you in your LoRs.
4) As you get to be a junior or senior, take an independent study or even a graduate level course. Even better, write an honors thesis or the equivalent. Not only does it show you are self-motivated and can work on your own, but these are great opportunities to help you develop a closer relationship with the professor. It also gives you the writing sample you'll need to submit with your graduate school applications.
These are just a few ideas, but it's never too early to start planning for graduate school. Too many people wake up in the summer before their senior year and think, "I'll go to graduate school." But they either have low GPAs, can't get a decent LoR because they haven't developed any relationships with professors, or they have done nothing beyond classwork for 3 years and so they have a very bare CV. Anyway, these are just a few of the things I did throughout my sophomore and junior years and now as I prepare to apply this fall, I pretty much have everything in place and the only thing left to scramble over is the GRE.
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I totally agree with the whole spreadsheet idea - I also made one for my apps - it helps so much to have rows of schools and columns tracking the components for each app since they are all so different. I also made one with the statuses of application materials to keep track of all that as well - helps when you are applying to 11 schools! Good luck!
Sorry for the double post, but...
I am applying to a similar amount of schools and made a spreadsheet to contain information about each potential program. I had columns for the following:
School
Stipend (if known)
LoR
Cohort Size (if known)
GRE Code
Transcripts (off. or unoff.)
Statement (word length/special instructions)
Writing Sample (page length)
Application Fee
Prospective Advisor(s)
and a few more... It's been greatly helpful in keeping my search and application process more organized than it would have been otherwise.
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I'm going to guess economic history, if only because I just finished Stein's book.
Is that aimed at me, ModUSGirl? My focus is on the political culture and intellectual history of the late-colonial through early republic periods. Though, my honors thesis dealt heavily with economic issues. I haven't had the opportunity to take a class with Stein, though everyone in the department speaks very highly of her.
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The CUNY Grad Center generally doesn't fund most PhD students so I can't see how Hunter (I also go to CUNY undergrad, BTW) could fund MA students. If you really can't or don't want to do federal loans (which are probably your best bet), your only other option, that I know of, would be to seek external funding.
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re: Iggers
I found it to be poorly written in a number of ways. First, it manages to simultaneously fail to put things into their historical context (i.e. you could read the sections on historical materialism and never find a mention of Thatcher, Reagan or Trotsky... all of whom seem at least incidental to debates within Marxist historiography) and also fails to have any level of serious explanation of the theoretical concepts underpinning the historiographical debates. Indeed, debates seem to mostly left undiscussed and one would get no sense of just how fierce arguments between, for example, Marxist and Post-structuralist social historians was and continues to be or what exactly was at stake in those debates. There is no real prolonged discussion about exactly Derrida and Foucault are doing (or not doing) or how historians have altered the original theories of post-structuralists for their own uses. So it lacks both an attention to a historical narrative of how the profession has changed or a serious engagement with the theories being discussed and in the end I have no real idea what exactly it is that he's failed to do, all I know is that he's failed.
Amazingly you won't find subaltern studies (or Edward Said or any post-colonial historian) in the index or anywhere else in the book except for a passing one sentence mention of Subaltern Studies on page 151 in the afterward. I am sure that there are dozens of other obvious omissions as well.
To be fair, I haven't found any historiography survey books which are any good (and I have no idea how one would write a good one) so it's not just Iggers who is at fault.
I think you're being a bit harsh on Iggers. His book was not meant more as a basic primer for one with relatively little knowledge of historiographical trends than one to delve into specific debates between subgroups. Nevertheless, your assessments are correct.
Some other books on writing (not a huge fan of Strunk and White):
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
Writing Tools by Roy Clark
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I'm going to do the rounds this fall as well. My field is early American history (mostly 18th century) and I plan on applying to Yale, UPenn, N'western, Temple, Rutgers, UVA, and a few others. I've just begun initially drafting my statement. My LORs should be impeccable and are from three well-known and highly respected scholars in my field with whom I've developed very strong relationships both in and out of class. However, the GRE is my main worrying point. I have a much better than average vocabulary but my scores on the practice tests have varied greatly from excellent to, what is for me, almost embarrassing. Anyway, best of luck to everyone else applying this season.
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I'm beginning my last year of undergrad but am much older than the average ug (early 30s)... I usually wear dark blue jeans, white or striped button-up, and either a blue or gray cardigan or v-neck sweater of the same color with a pair of black or blue Converse. I know it's boring, but it's enough to keep me looking not like a wannabe 20 year old but also not like I'm 45. I'm hoping to be able to carry that over to grad school...
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Coyabean, you are a legend! I had a free trial of Amazon Prime and have wanted it ever since it ended, but being a student and all... This is fantastic!!!
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My Kaplan Practice GRE score was about a combined 870. My GPA was a 3.1 and my actual GRE was a combined 1250. Don't worry too much about the Kaplan practice test. I studied maybe 3 weeks before the exam. I will be dedicating more time for my next round of applications.
I've had wildly varying practice test results when it comes to the verbal section. I'd say that I have a fairly higher-than-average vocabulary and should be able to score around 650 give or take. However, on my practice tests, I've scored anywhere from 680 all the way down to a 500 (on the Barron's diagnostic test). Has anyone else had such varying practice test results?
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Well, I finally did it and bought my official grad school laptop today... a MacBook Pro. I went with it because of the durability and reliability I believe it will have. I'm in English. I'll definitely be picking up MS Word for Mac. Any other recommended software, particularly for managing notes, sources, and pdfs?
Here's what I use:
Word 2008 for Mac
Papers (fantastic PDF manager - great integration with Jstor)
EndNote
Sente (also a ref. manager)
Scrivener (for drafting a project - amazing software!!)
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I know this may be a longshot, but, as I am preparing to apply this fall, I was wondering if there are any other forumites planning on applying for early American history and where.
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HI all,
I have prepared a template for contacting potential advisors and I have a paragraph there which is to be adjusted for each. But what if I want to contact more than one in the same program? If they share info, how would they take it?
Just how many paragraphs do you have in this "template?" I would avoid sending anything more than one modest paragraph in any initial contact with prospective advisors. Brief and to the point is best.
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I definitely agree with the other posters at this point - although it's great that you are eager and looking ahead, there is still a lot of time before you're going to be starting the application process.
However, there are a few things you CAN do now that will help should you still want to pursue grad school in three years.
1. Keep you GPA up, trust me there are tons of fun things to do at college that aren't academic, but keep you eyes on the prize.
2. Start reading tons of things and exposing yourself to words on the vocab section of the GRE. It's hard to cram in a lot of obscure words over the course of a few months, and if you start reading The Economist and a lot of 18th century literature and whatnot now you'll be in a good place when it comes time to take that test.
3. Forge a few close relationships with professors that you like. Go to their office hours, volunteer to help them, and get to know them well - they will sing your praises in letters of recommendation when the time comes. These relationships will continue throughout your academic and professional career - seek out these mentors, impress them, and befriend them. Give them a reason to have a vested interest in your success.
4. Take foreign languages. Look into the schools you're interested in studying at and figure out if there are any required languages. I'm assuming that German and French would be important depending on what type of military history you want. Even if you are up against a candidate that has better grades and test scores with you, if you have language proficiency in your specialty from undergrad, it will set you ahead.
5. Study abroad - especially if you're interested in international relations. Try to find summer programs so you won't have to worry about falling behind. It's a valuable experience and will help pad your application.
Best of luck!
lily's fantastic list cannot be stressed enough. I was lucky enough to be a bit older when I became an undergrad and knew already that I wanted to go to graduate school and for which field. Early on, I identified the three faculty members I wanted LoRs from. So, I took multiple classes with them and, luckily, hit it off with all three. Developing relationships with professors IN YOUR FIELD is crucial. Also, don't make the same mistake I did with languages. Having 2 languages will help you alot-more in some fields than others. And, finally, simply because of my interest in my field, I spent hours and hours going through the "classics" in my field as well as journal articles through my school library's databases. When you can converse with a professor in your field, and they don't have to regularly ask "Have you read xxxxx," because they know you have (or at least know what it argued), you will stand out, they will know you are serious about the field, and they will go that much further to help you.
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I use Papers, which is for Mac only. It has great sorting and search features and integrates with several search engines. Plus, if you get the iPhone/iPad app you can sync your library and have your PDFs with you.
I'm in History and have well over 600 pdfs (mostly journal articles) and I use Papers for Mac. The search features are fantastic. On my PC desktop, I downloaded Mendeley but haven't had the time to enter info for so many PDFs, so I'll just keep using EndNote, I guess.
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Why not just follow the rules? The reason for the rules is to make sure that all applicants have the same opportunity to explain their background/fit/et al to the adcom. By not following the rules, are you not more or less saying that you believe that you're more important than all other applicants?
+1
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If you don't mind my asking, could you please elaborate as to why?
Me too. Obviously, I am not recommending it for its fluid writing and mellifluous style... for someone who maybe hasn't been exposed to much historiography as an undergrad, it provides enough background and is relatively easy to read.
Regarding what risingstar said about the journals... I know you can read them online but, for long articles, I tend to dislike reading pdfs on a monitor. I keep copies of all the articles I need (and a few hundred more) on my desktop and laptop, but I also just like having the hardcopies around.
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Have you checked to see if you can still login to your undergrad library's databases? Alot of schools will let accounts linger on a while. Many institutions also offer access to library resources to alumni though some (most?) charge a small fee for the privilege.
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If you're in the humnanities, there is no better book than Graduate Study in the Twenty-First Century.
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Well, I finally did it and bought my official grad school laptop today... a MacBook Pro. I went with it because of the durability and reliability I believe it will have. I'm in English. I'll definitely be picking up MS Word for Mac. Any other recommended software, particularly for managing notes, sources, and pdfs?
Good choice. After using PCs all my life, and being quite tech savvy with them, I made the switch to Mac back in January. I still have my PC desktop but I love my MacBook Pro. The available software is what convinced me to make the switch, along with the OS. There are no true Windows equivalents to stuff like Scrivener, and even when there is (i.e., Papers v Mendeley) I tend to find the Mac programs far more intuitive and more joyful to use. Also, the software which makes up my workflow, along with organizational stuff like Entourage/iCal, etc..., has SIGNIFICANTLY increased my productivity.
- repatriate, eucalyptus and dant.gwyrdd
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I shall not miss:
1) The library being treated like a Starbucks, i.e. going to the "Quiet Study Area" of the library (which has signs saying "No Group Study Allowed") and being surrounded by groups of noisy "students" "studying."
2) Only having, on average, one or two other students in each class who actually cares about the class or their work, in general.
3) Dealing with dumb-downed coursework.
4) The traveling (special situation).
5) The daily fashion show.
6) Standing on line to print something out in a computer lab because half of the computers are taken up by people watching Kung Fu videos on YouTube or using Facebook.
7) Being surrounded by 20 year olds (I am 34.)
8) Being "paid" twice a year.
I shall miss:
1) My mentors.
2) My department.
3) The fact that the overriding mediocrity makes me look far better than I actually am.
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I also recommend Novick, though I generally read it in small chunks rather than slogging straight through. I have found a firm grasp of American historiography can help set you apart. I would also suggest getting a subscription to one or two of the main journals in your field (for me it's the William and Mary Quarterly and the Journal of the Early Republic) since it is important to have a firm grasp of what is going on in the field at the moment and being able to discuss "that article on xxxxxx in the last issue of xxxxxxx" with your professor helps show you are serious.
As far as general works go, I would also suggest:
Georg C. Iggers, Historiography in the 20th Century
Richard Evans, In Defense of History
David Hackett Fischer, Historians' Fallacies
Of course, you should already have Turabian.
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It is absolutely possible, though only starting to do that now is not ideal. Are you going into your junior year? If so, then you're in much better shape. If I was you, and needed two more letters, I would take a second class with a professor I've already had. The key is to visit office hours, show interest in the material, etc.... The professor will usually ask what your post-grad plans are. Personally, I don't think you can ever get a truly strong enough LoR from a professor with whom you've only taken one class unless you had significant outside-of-class contact. A letter saying you do great work is fine, but a letter, written by a professor you've taken multiple classes with and spent some hours talking to, is very different.
I knew from day one of my freshman year that I wanted to go to grad school and by the end of that year I already knew the three professors I wanted to eventually write me LoRs. (I just happen to have a number of prominent professors in my field at my school). So I took multiple classes with each of them, including independent studies which consisted mostly of long discussions, went to office hours (not TOO much), and, luckily, I hit it off with all three. Each one goes out of their way for me, has invited me out for coffee or to their house, and each has committed themselves to helping me get in the best possible school.
Now you may not be so lucky to find 3 professors like that, and I do consider myself very lucky, but you do need to strive to develop relationships beyond the classroom walls. Visiting a professor once or twice a month for office hours for 30 minutes or so and doing stellar work in their class should be sufficient to get a better-than-cookie-cutter LoR. Best of luck!
Javits Fellowship
in The Bank
Posted · Edited by natsteel
I am so glad that it wasn't just me who found that part of the application instructions vague. It says:
"...To do business with the Department of Education, (1) you must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)... You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number can be created within one business day."
When I go to the D&B website I only find ways for institutions or corporations, not individuals, to apply for a number. How did someone else who applied for the fellowship go about it?