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KLZ

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  1. Like
    KLZ reacted to TheHessianHistorian in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    I had some lengthy conversations with faculty and current grad students at WUSTL and left with a great impression. After consulting my mother and grandfather, both professors, they recommended WUSTL hands-down as the best choice. I have officially submitted my decision. I will be in St. Louis this fall!
  2. Upvote
    KLZ got a reaction from un_commonwealth in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    If the program is a really good fit for you and it has the resources to help you do what you want to do, then maybe you are worrying a bit too much about placement records. Its not to say they are unimportant, but you chose to apply to this program for a reason. I say take the call and ask the tough questions you want to know about how the program will prepare you for the job market and be open to hearing what your POI has to say---that is, don't take the call as a courtesy, but with as much sincerity and curiosity as possible. Ask about departmental, university, local, and regional resources. Ask about their professional development opportunities, university programs grad students typically get involved with, prestigious fellowship placement rates, etc. Find out more about why they dont have stellar placement rates before making your final final call not to take this opportunity. Next cycle is no guarantee that your prospects will improve: much of the acceptance process depends on fit and luck. 
  3. Upvote
    KLZ got a reaction from gsc in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    If the program is a really good fit for you and it has the resources to help you do what you want to do, then maybe you are worrying a bit too much about placement records. Its not to say they are unimportant, but you chose to apply to this program for a reason. I say take the call and ask the tough questions you want to know about how the program will prepare you for the job market and be open to hearing what your POI has to say---that is, don't take the call as a courtesy, but with as much sincerity and curiosity as possible. Ask about departmental, university, local, and regional resources. Ask about their professional development opportunities, university programs grad students typically get involved with, prestigious fellowship placement rates, etc. Find out more about why they dont have stellar placement rates before making your final final call not to take this opportunity. Next cycle is no guarantee that your prospects will improve: much of the acceptance process depends on fit and luck. 
  4. Like
    KLZ got a reaction from Guest1101 in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    If the program is a really good fit for you and it has the resources to help you do what you want to do, then maybe you are worrying a bit too much about placement records. Its not to say they are unimportant, but you chose to apply to this program for a reason. I say take the call and ask the tough questions you want to know about how the program will prepare you for the job market and be open to hearing what your POI has to say---that is, don't take the call as a courtesy, but with as much sincerity and curiosity as possible. Ask about departmental, university, local, and regional resources. Ask about their professional development opportunities, university programs grad students typically get involved with, prestigious fellowship placement rates, etc. Find out more about why they dont have stellar placement rates before making your final final call not to take this opportunity. Next cycle is no guarantee that your prospects will improve: much of the acceptance process depends on fit and luck. 
  5. Downvote
    KLZ reacted to fortsibut in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    You seem to take things really, really personally.  I wasn't trying to "vent my frustrations onto you," I was just asking you to create your own thread for whatever it is you're seeking from this one.  Come down off your cross; I don't understand this martyr syndrome you've got going on, here.  I've certainly been rejected from schools before as have many others on this board so your experience is certainly not unique.  I only applied to Cornell this year, and while it's not a huge reach it's certainly a reach and there's a good chance in less than a month I'll be exactly where you are.
    For what it's worth, I'm truly sorry that you didn't get into your dream school, and I hope you either get in next year if you choose to reapply, or find a good alternative that provides you with the training you seek in a great environment with excellent POIs.  Nobody is cheering against you in this forum, least of all myself.  Keep your head up and best of luck the next time around; odds are good that I'll be back here doing the same.  (Although I'll definitely be applying to more than just one school the next time.)
    I'm going to drop this whole issue since the general consensus seems to be that this thread should be kept for whatever it's turning into now, and I'd like to thank @Manuscriptess for creating a thread dedicated more strictly for what I was looking for in this thread.
  6. Like
    KLZ reacted to OHSP in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    My partner and I have a similar age gap so I understand on some level, but you also never know what will change in your lives. My nearly 40 year old partner moved from literally the other side of the world with me so that I could start my PhD in the US, and that's worked out well for her as well as me. 
  7. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to khigh in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    They need to update. I need to know what kind of crying I’m supposed to do today. 
  8. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to Kingsouth in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    Received an accept from Duke. Over the moon.
     
    Are the other few accepts floating around in here?
  9. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to ashiepoo72 in Master’s Prestige   
    FWIW I got my MA from a non-prestigious school and some of my colleagues ended up at tippy top programs. I didn't do too shabby my application year either, though I didn't apply to Ivies due to fit. The people who got into the top tier programs took advantage of the MA's resources and professors, killed it on original research and made sure to apply to programs with strong fit. I'm not saying prestigious programs don't care about where you get your MA, but I'm confident in saying that the work you produce at whatever MA you attend matters more than anything.
  10. Like
    KLZ reacted to jocorac in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    Wanted to update and say that I got accepted into NC State!! My top choice!
  11. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to OHSP in Master’s Prestige   
    Funding is so important, follow the funding. I went to a no-name institution outside of the US for my MA, got into 5 schools, one of them an ivy (seeing as we're talking about prestige). Can I ask why it matters to you to go to an ivy? And why you're distinguishing between "decent programs" and ivies? Depending on subfield it can be true that people have somewhat easier times getting a job if they've been to Yale than if they've been to a very good but not "ivy" school like Michigan, but rarely without the right advisor, supporting faculty, etc etc etc. Is your goal to use your MA to get into the best PhD program for you or to get into an ivy program, because those are different things. 
  12. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to gsc in Finding Graduate Placements   
    all of TMP's advice is excellent but I especially wanted to highlight this.
    Raw placement data is a good place to start, but in and of itself it's never going to be the whole story. It's not the "program" in the abstract that places students so much as it is the program (and the institution as a whole) that provides resources crucial to landing jobs. So you want to work backwards from the end point. To land a job, you'll need a good interview, to even get an interview you'll need a good CV, to get a good CV you'll need money/support, to get that money... etc, etc. With this in mind you can ask more targeted questions than just "do students at this program get jobs."** Does the program care about professional development? Do they hold mock job talks for students on the market, or workshops about how to publish or get grants? Some universities have whole offices dedicated to helping graduate students secure external funding opportunities. How much time will you have to focus solely on your research, or will you be splitting your time between research and teaching the whole way through? Will you have to pay your own way to conferences, or is there travel money from either the department or the university? Et cetera. 
    ** That said, in my experience a great time to ask "do students at this program get jobs" is when you're meeting with a prospective advisor — where have their students ended up? That can often be a more useful and specific barometer for your future in the program. 
  13. Like
    KLZ got a reaction from Lily9 in Finding Graduate Placements   
    I might be wrong, but I think the AHA only requests the following information from graduate programs on a yearly basis: # of new students enrolled in each degree program; total students enrolled (part & full time, per degree); # of degrees awarded per degree. I don't think they collect data on job placements, but I could be wrong. Anyone have a clear idea? 
    The information on placements is notoriously difficult to track down. Each department (and graduate school by extension) has to collect this data from their graduates on an ongoing basis and keep it up to date. Some schools do a better job than others. The first place you will want to look is on the history department's website for each institution you want to consider (which it sounds like you are doing). Georgetown does a great job of keeping on top of their placements. Others, like Duke, may have a placement page listed on their website, but have not kept up with tracking this information. If you can't find any information on a given department's site, the next place you might look is the Graduate School's website. 
    You could email the graduate programs assistant, or (possibly) the director of graduate studies, for each program you are interested in to request this information. They should have a better idea about recent placements. 
  14. Upvote
    KLZ got a reaction from Qtf311 in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    Check out Duke. Your interests sound very similar to my own, except that I also look at social movements in an international/transnational context. In addition to faculty that fit your interests, Duke also has a Center for Documentary Studies, which has become a hub for research on and with SNCC activists. 
  15. Upvote
    KLZ got a reaction from hats in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    Check out Duke. Your interests sound very similar to my own, except that I also look at social movements in an international/transnational context. In addition to faculty that fit your interests, Duke also has a Center for Documentary Studies, which has become a hub for research on and with SNCC activists. 
  16. Upvote
    KLZ got a reaction from Sigaba in Fall 2018 Applicants   
    Check out Duke. Your interests sound very similar to my own, except that I also look at social movements in an international/transnational context. In addition to faculty that fit your interests, Duke also has a Center for Documentary Studies, which has become a hub for research on and with SNCC activists. 
  17. Upvote
    KLZ got a reaction from AP in Research Year Tips   
    I think this thread as moved away from the OP's original (broad) question to a thread on researching in the archives. With that said, I would like to contribute to this great discussion on visiting archives!
    Expect the unexpected! I did research in southern Africa a few years ago. I reserved a hotel that I thought was across the street from a particular archive (according to the archive's stated location on its website). When I arrived, I found out that the archive had moved two years prior to my visit. And no, they did not update their website to reflect the change. I started emailing historians that I knew worked in this archive in the recent past, and none of them knew anything about the move! Fortunately, I learned that they only move a few miles down the street so I didn't miss out on the opportunity to visit during my short stay. 
    I've heard other stories about people planning day trips to archives only to find them closed for unknown holidays, infrastructure issues, no personnel, etc. Some archives in my region are windowless buildings without proper storage of documents. Boxes tend to be damaged by weather and pests. Traveling for research can be pretty exciting stuff--if not completely anxiety inducing. I love it!
  18. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to nhhistorynut in GRE "Splitters"   
    I just want to point out that people who are annoyed or bothered by questions they think have been answered elsewhere or questions they consider "stupid" are under no obligation to answer. It's easy enough to just do that than throw time and energy into some passive aggressive (or aggressive aggressive) paragraphs attacking someone for asking a question just because they didn't see it anywhere at first or didn't want to spend and hour sifting through old threads.
    I agree that thick skin is necessary and there will always be those who will talk down to you or act pompous, but there's really no need to spread that around and just consider such behaviors "par for the course" in academia. I personally know multiple PhDs, other academics, and historians who are plenty down to earth and humble, and I hope to emulate them as I maneuver my way through my PhD and beyond.
    Well anyways, my point here is just that if you don't like the question, don't respond to it. Simple as that. Because now this straightforward thread for someone nervous and excited about the application process has been hijacked by people debating the value of the question and fighting over the nature of academia.
  19. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to nhhistorynut in When and how to contact POIs   
    It can be really hard to sort through those posts because there are SO many responses in a thread. I think it's nice to have a thread about this all together for future applicants.
    Anyways, when I reached out to POIs, I erred on the side of professionalism. That means says "dear" at the start, as awkward as that feels.
    Here's a sort of template to go by:
    "Dear So and So,
    I am a (enter here: graduate of, undergrad/graduate student at, etc.) studying (enter major/specialization) and I am considering applying to doctoral programs this fall. My interest(s) is(are) XYZ, and after much research, I am interested in working with you if you are able to accept new graduate students in the fall of 2018.
    My research... (talk about your research interests, past research, research style, etc.)
    I have read (enter name of book/article/publication by POI) and it sparked my interest in blah blah blah. I found your argument about X especially intriguing. I am interested in a similar topic, and believe my research could benefit from your guidance.
    *enter anything else you want to say or any questions you have. it is good to ask at least one question, like 'how many graduate students do you usually advise at time?' or 'how many dissertations have you overseen?' or anything specific about his or her advising style*
    Thank you for for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.
    Sincerely yours (or all the best, or something similar),
    (your full name)"
     
    Hope that helps! I wrote like that to all POIs and got a response from every single one, from state schools to Harvard.
     
  20. Upvote
    KLZ got a reaction from nhhistorynut in How long was your master's thesis?   
    Mine ended up being 50,338 words, or 201 double spaced pages. This included my front matter, intro, 4 chapters, conclusion, and bib. 
  21. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to RageoftheMonkey in Fall 2017 applicants   
    I officially accepted my History PhD offer at Cornell today, really excited!
  22. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to angesradieux in Decisions 2017   
    Just wanted to pop in and thank everyone for the advice. I've finally pulled the trigger and accepted the offer from Vanderbilt. Now I'm kind of in a daze of "did I really just do that?" Here's hoping the relief of having made a decision will set in soon!
  23. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to SarahBethSortino in Fall 2017 applicants   
    I'm so excited!!!! All I wanted was to start going on this instead of treading water. I can actually start doing what I need to do now. I'm beyond happy right now!!!
  24. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to SarahBethSortino in Fall 2017 applicants   
    FINALLY! Just got an email from the director of Graduate Studies at Brandeis. Off the wait list and I have a real actual official offer in hand.
  25. Upvote
    KLZ reacted to MikeTheFronterizo in Fall 2017 applicants   
    Honestly, I agree with this. As someone who has had there question highjacked and turned into a flaming debate, I feel like I do not want to ask or contribute anymore. A few pages back on this thread someone had her whole life come out and multiple posters constantly disparaged her. It has become more of a toxic environment rather than a useful forum for grad school.
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