ToomuchLes

A few months ago, I came into contact with the Graduate Program Assistant from UCLA, UCSB, and UCI. I asked whether a high Quantitative score was necessary to be admitted into their History Graduate Department and heres a reply from UCSB : "GRE: A decent score on the quantitative would be great but, the quantitative score itself will not increase or decrease your chances for admission into the program" Other programs gave me similar replies. Therefore, my question is, should i solely study for the V portion of the test from now? I will be taking GRE Nov. 9th. Overall, my practice V tests have been in the low 160s; however if I focus primarily on V for the next 3 weeks, Im sure I can raise that! Furthermore, I feel terribly behind in Q, as my practice test scores have been averaging in the late 140s.

I will be graduating with a BA in history next year. The only reason I ask is, in case I am rejected, what will I do for a several month before application season starts again? I've thought of several alternatives : teaching English in rural areas, such as Tanzania, Nepal or Thailand (I know of a program that does this), taking 1-2 graduate level courses during summer (after I graduate), or trying to working with one of my POI.

Does anyone know if universities allow students to take graduate level courses, even though they already graduated as an undergrad from another institution? Moreover, would this be beneficial to an applicant if they wish to take a year off or they werent accepted?

What about presenting at a conference as an undergrad? I signed up for the Phi Alpha Theta 2014 Biennial Convention as a history major. Even though it will occur after application season is over, Ive talked to the graduate admission coordinator at several schools, and they said I can add it to my CV.

Basically, I have never published as an undergrad. After attending a Phi Alpha Theta meeting, and listening to someone talk about how he's part of the McNair program, and he's currently writing a senior thesis, I sudden became even more discouraged on applying to grad school. Therefore, Im curious what you guys think about this topic. Will publishing as an undergrad improve your application significantly? Moreover, if I were to prologue my graduation in 2014, and apply for the McNair program as a fifth year, will that impress my POI? I would like to mention that I am NOT applying to Ivy Leagues. Heres a short list of the schools Im applying to : UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, University of Virginia, UC Irvine, Washington State. Oh, and by the way, I am applying as a History major.

I sent my POI an email 2 weeks and never got a reply =X I realize the semester just started, so Im not expecting a reply in a day; however, when do I sent a follow-up email asking if he received my original?

I concur with fuzzylogician. You should email your third prof and see what kind of letter she'll write for you. Moreover, try to contact all three, discuss your plans and determine which prof would be willing to give the strongest letter. Nevertheless, Ive heard from a few profs that even though there is a fixed number of LOR accepted with your application, dont let that restrain you in collecting more. As long as those extra LOR are beneficial, you can ask the profs to mail it to the institutions youre applying to.

I know CageFree said I should wait a few weeks for a reply from my POI but its been 2 weeks now, and Im kind of freaky out >.< I mean in all honesty, how hard is it to say "ok I read your email" or whatever. When should I send another email to my POI asking if he read my email? @Calhoun&Caffeine, Youre very welcome. If need be, I can send you my intro letter as a template. Nonetheless, TMP's guideline was tantamount to my own, which is very uplifting ^.^

Your V is 70% and your Q is 41% http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_guide_table1a.pdf

You should email the institutions youre applying to and ask. Thats what I did, and the graduate admission told me, as a history applicant, my Quantitative score is not important.

I agree with spiny22; however instead of calling/emailing a professor, I would contact the graduate department. Thats what I did. I can tell you, as a History grad applicant, UCLA, UCSB, UCSD, and UCI do not put emphasis on your Q score, unless youre competing for a fellowship.

Do your letter of rec need to come from professors relating to your disciplinary, or just your major? For example, my research focus is on the Antebellum America, therefore would be detrimental to ask, say, a professor who teaches early modern Europe?

I briefly introduced myself - name, major, present institution, and what I wish to pursue further. Afterward I discussed his present research, include his books, and how they correspond to my own. Finally in my concluding paragraph, I ask if hes accepting new grad students and if my research would fit in with the department. I've heard you should keep your intro letters relatively short, and never discuss the logistics of your application. As the name suggests, its an introduction. @kdavid, for the University of California, class started less than a week ago.

I've sent out a few emails to professors at various schools; however I havent received a reply from one professor, whom Im very interested in working with. Its been a little over a week now, and I understand Fall semester just started, but Im curious, if you guys think I should send him another email asking if he received the original.

@ annieca, I concur with your statement. Confidence does set apart grad and undergrad students; however I fail to realize HOW a professor, or adcoms would discover your level of confidence from your application. During interviews it would be obvious of course, but I came to believe that interviews were mostly for applicants in between a verdict of acceptance or rejection. Moreover I dont believe you can discover how confident an applicant is from their SOP, Personal Statement, or Sample essay. On a side note, how long does it normally take for professors to reply to your introduction email? Fall semester started a few days ago, therefore I understand I wont receive an instant reply; however its been a little more than a week, and Im not sure if I should send another, asking if he received my original email. Advice?

Would you mind PMing the template you used, as well?

Thanks for all the help guys! I truly do appreciate it. Earlier today, I talked to a professor about discussing my diverse background in my Personal Statement. He agreed I should since it will my application standout, but I should also tie in how I perceive American History differently than .. say a born and bred citizen. He did mention I should briefly mention why Im fascinated with American history, and more specifically, my interested time period. So my goal for this weekend is create a brief outline (yes, Im one of those people lol) of my essay, then write it during the new week. Finally, the following week Ill show it to my professor, and if he thinks Im heading down the right avenue, I'll just rewrite rewrite rewrite until Im finally satisfied with it. Hopefully by the end of October I'll complete it. Then I'll submit all my application the first week of November. Also, I have another question for you guys. Does it make a difference when you submit your application? Each university, that Im applying to, has a different closing date - Dec 1st, Dec 15th, Jan 3rd, Jan 15th.

Im curious, whats the average weekend like for grad students? Of course it varies by disciplinary, year, etc etc etc. Just give me a broad example, please =) Is it all work work work, study study study or can you still have a hobby?

I would most definitely be interested; however I would only submit my Personal Statement. Feel free to PM, so we may discuss this in depth.

I already gave a portfolio containing my sample essay, unofficial transcripts, background info, where/why Im applying, and anything of relevance to my LOR writers - including phone number if they have any questions. I am pursuing American history with emphasis on the Antebellum period, so its not related to my past. This might sound silly, but I feel if I mention my background, it will raise questions on why Im studying American history. Also, if I decide to talk about how I immigrated to the US, should I focus on ONE challenge throughout the essay, or talk about it as a whole and how going through such events, I became the person you see today? . Heres the prompt Personal Achievements/Contributions Statement UC Santa Barbara is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. Please describe any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that you feel are important in evaluating your application for graduate study. For example, please describe if you have experienced economic challenges in achieving higher education, such as being financially responsible for family members or dependents, having to work significant hours during undergraduate schooling or coming from a family background of limited income. Please describe if you have any unusual or varied life experiences that might contribute to the diversity of the graduate group, such as fluency in other languages, experience living in bicultural communities, academic research interests focusing on cultural, societal, or educational problems as they affect underserved segments of society, or evidence of an intention to use the graduate degree toward serving disadvantaged individuals or populations. EDITED I forgot to ask, when you write your employment history and job placement, do you only list things that are relevant on your CV? I have quite a long list, but a majority includes working in a mechanical shop, public library, interning at several museums, tutoring elementary students as well as helping HS students to prep for the SAT, and so on. I figure it show my diversity in employment, however i dont want to clutter up my CV with irrelevance.

Maybe its due to application season, and the various 'what if' scenarios constructing in my head, but Im definitely considering taking a year off. Im still applying this year, but if im rejected, I'll be alittle relieved. Also I have a question regarding "life experience." Long story short, Im a first generation immigrant. I was born in Budapest to political active parents. Then in '93 we were forced to flee to country, and lived in an UN protected camp in Marseilles for six and half year. During this time, my father passed away due to heart complications. Finally in 2000, we were sponsored by someone to relocate to California, which ultimately allowed us to file for citizenship last year. Since I immigrated to the US, I pretty much took care of myself. At 16 I started working .. got accepted to college .. etc etc etc. So can you elaborate more on 'life experience?' Furthermore, do you think I should talk about this in my statement? Overall, Im a private person when it comes to my past. I would very much like to leave my past where it belongs, so I never really talk about it in detail. Plus, if, hypothetically, I put this on my statement, and the same professor who reads it becomes my mentor, he'll pity me - which I hate to the highest degree.

Good question! I am curious what other people think, but I believe it wont kill your chances. I read this really cool article a few nights ago that talked about the difference between undergrad and grad applications, and one think I remember the author talking about is how grad apps dont revolve around numbers (GPA, GRE). Its more about finding a perfect fit. Does the applicant possess potential scholarly works? If so, does his research interest reflect anyone currently in the department? And is that person of interest (professor) accepting new grad students? These are the important questions that committees ask when reading over apps. But again, Im curious what other people think about a NP on your record. For the time being, since you cant change it, relax and dont worry too much about it ^.^

Synonyms are tricky, I'll agree there. Nevertheless, if there are 500 cards in a set, and hypothetically each card has one synonym then you learn 1,000 words and get more bang for your buck (its important to note some cards have 0, while others have 5). I've also noticed while taking practice tests, on some tests youll see those exact synonyms from the cards. Honestly I dont remember the exact definition for each synonym, but I recall which word theyre linked to. One tactic to learning words quickly that I just developed is, highlighting or underlining the definition and synonyms. That way when youre studying and youre flipping cards over quickly, you can easily find what youre looking for, without having to scavenge. Also try to make the definition as short as possible. You can either underline the important part of the definition, or write your own on top. I would definitely recommend you read the entire card when you first pick it up. Sometimes the cards put synonyms and antonyms next to each other .. which can be troublesome -.-

Do admission committees treat re-applicants the same as first timers? The reason I ask is, I could possibly hinder my Fall 2013 application, complete my senior year and raise my GPA (not to say its not competitive presently). Then in 2014, I can apply, for the first time, with a better GPA (wont be significantly improved since Im already up there, and Im close to maxing my units). I would like to say beforehand that I am aware that your GPA is only one factor in your application. Im just a tad curious on what the answer is.

Unleaded gas