TMP

I still stand with Option 1. Turn down Option 2. 1) Option 2 has a PhD program, which means you are likely to be compared with the present PhD students. You want to be able to stand out on your own. Option 1 doesn't, which means 100% attention on MA students. Professors are also more likely to take those PhD students more seriously than MAs. The fact that Option 2 has a terminal MA program in addition to the PhD program is telling: the terminal MA serves to add warm bodies to graduate seminars. It may be that the number of PhD students is so low that the department needs more students to meet the minimum enrollment requirement (as posed by the University Registrar). It also doesn't hurt that a terminal MA program brings cash to the university. 2) Option 2 is still holding its cards on the money and not show until you show first. If your stakes-- getting into debt-- are too high for you, then fold the cards. You can ask for another look at your application when you apply there for the PhD program if you still want to go there. Nobody will hold a grudge, especially when your CV shows that you have been funded during your MA. Professors understand that students have to follow the money. 3) Option 1 is throwing a lot of money at you. Funded summer and J-term? Please! I will bet that you will not be able to get research funding at Option 2 (PhD students over MA students, remember). You need the funding to carry out a successful MA thesis. You need that funding handed to you for your own research, not for you to find a summer job to support yourself (and be distracted away from your research). I could not have done my MA thesis as well as I did if I wasn't funded for the summer as I had to take research trips. Moreover, working as an editor will likely improve your own writing as you read other people's works. Those former MA students didn't just get into Stanford and Columbia-- Option 1's funding package added glitter to their CVs.

If you are not too excited about ANY of these programs and the notion of taking on debt, then wait out and reapply to PhD programs and well-funded MA programs (there's a list somewhere around on this forum) next year. As you wait for the results, you can spend the the year working on your language. Spend this summe reading up materials on your chosen field of interest and prepare a strong statement of purpose.

Don't worry about it. You told them that you were considering it-- that means "I have other offers" and they know that they will have to encourage you to go to their program over whatever other offers you have. It's part of the ritual. If you know you will definitely turn the offer down, then formally turn it down and write back to those faculty members thanking them for their warm welcome and that unfortunately you have accept an offer elsewhere. End of the story. No burned bridges.

Turn down the PhD offer. You need a lot more faculty support during your PhD years than your MA years. Go with #1. There are plenty of hidden expenses during the PhD program that you will have to pay so the less debt you enter the PhD program with, all the better. That said, go with #1.

I don't give a thought to be fearful of the academic job market because I entered in my PhD program with two tracks in mind-- academic and research (in think tanks, museums, etc). My adviser has been amazingly support in this respect and has made sure that I'm broadly trained every step of the way thus far. A lot of that thinking came from spending YEARS knowing I wanted a PhD but did not want to be a professor. You know, there's a whole world out there that needs historians or people with excellent writing/critical thinking/research skills. The only difference is, you just can't always work on your own research agenda, that's all.

You have articulated your reasons for going to graduate school. Why do you want to get a graduate degree in history? Do your careers of choices specify a need for a graduate degree? Or should you get hands-on work experiences before going back to school? Don't jump into the deep end, just yet. The fact you're so anxious to be IN school in the fall that you're willing to take any MA program with late deadlines (as ashiepoo alludes) tells me that you have yet to think through the ramifications on multiple levels. Have you spoken with your professors?

If you already have the languages, then what is your interest in getting a MA first? Why not go for the PhD? Will you plan to submit applications to PhD programs as well?

Go to UVA. Do not look back. Faculty are allowed to move to somewhere where they think they can build a program. No doubt that the "new" faculty members are looking to build up the East Asian program and are working hard to establish connections within the university and wider field to begin regarding UVA as a solid place to do the PhD. UVA's overall reputation will still help you -- along with these names of the faculty members.

Another important criteria to consider-- the availability of language program(s) that you need. Don't go to a program that doesn't have Ottoman Turkish if your focus IS on Ottoman Turkish. If you need Farsi, go to a program that does have Farsi or excellent resources that would allow you to study Farsi (i.e. summer program).

For history PhD programs, you would have to clearly articulate that you use religion as a lens in which you examine historical events. Not that you're interested in the religious functions of the Great Awakening and how it arose in the context of the American Revolution. More specifically, what ARE the questions you want to answer? Semantics are important in distinguishing yourself when you're trying to fit in a program.

Do you have to write a MA thesis? Where would the nearest archives for you be? What about preferred faculty to work with?

We have had someone go to Maryland and some folks going to BC but I don't think they've become back to the boards. Both were quite excited about attending their new programs

Have you visited BC? While you did attend UMD for undergrad, it's worth going to the campus visit and meet the graduate students and talk to them. There are so many other factors besides the culture that you should be considering such as financial aid, adviser fit, summer funding, availability of the faculty in your areas of interest, etc. For many people, campus visits really helped them decide.

If you want to be a historian, indeed, applying to History PhD programs. Most programs do allow at least one committee member for the dissertation (and sometimes exams like my program) from outside of the department. Sometimes programs do allow for an "outside" minor field, which you can have through coursework (and an exam, perhaps). You will have to be willing to sit through a lot of classes emphasizing methodologies of social, political, and cultural historians. Those methodologies would be pretty helpful to you in thinking more deeper about the area you hope to study for your dissertation. It would be best to look for urban historians and go from there. There is an academic journal-- Journal of Urban History, which you can browse through for potential POIs.

5 PhD students? That is...a lot. Not to mention that she's likely on other committees. I'd be a little wary at this point-- is she going to be able to give you the attention and time that you deserve? Have you had a chance to speak with her other students? How have they described her as an adviser? Of course, it's worthwhile to change schools to broaden one's network. But if one receives a MA within the same university but different department, that's also fine. You're making new connections when you work with faculty and grad students in other fields within that discipline.

Which school do you want to go to more? If School A-- mention that you have a first year fellowship at School B. Do NOT say anything about the length of the funding package (School A will immediately point out that it has FIVE years of funding, which is more than half of your PhD program time). If School A says no, it's likely that it already knows that school's funding package isn't as great as its own (Programs DO contact one another as part of their research to increase competition). Nothing you can do going forward. If School B-- mention that you have five solid years funding. To push up from 3 to 5 will be a huge hurdle for that school and it may take a while for the department to find other fellowships and negotiate with the Graduate School for an additional year of TA/RAship. At the end, the best it will be able to do is 4 years with a possible conditional 5th year funding. As for "awkwardness," it passes. Trust me on this. I still interact with my POI and his graduate student from the program i turned down at conferences. We're collegial, we say hello and check in. We know that each of us have something to contribute to our field and we have a shared goal in making sure that the field grows. It's much better to focus on the big picture. I also keep in touch with the graduate student for advice as we do research in same archives/city and she's been great. It's also apparent as years go by as I develop and refine my research interests that my interests actually don't align with his research agenda. While I made the right decision all around, I absolutely appreciated the wisdom he shared with me during the admissions/decisions process. Know that you had the opportunities to meet with these people and get to know them (and yourself!). Feel free to PM me with anything

I am a fourth year PhD student who has gone on summer research trips abroad (in Europe). I definitely struggled with my depression and anxiety abroad-- They didn't get worse or whatsoever but it was a challenge to take care of myself alone. What I did do: 1) Kept in touch with my adviser (she's really supportive of my well-being) about my research (accountability too) 2) Maintained contact with close friends and family via Skype/Facebook/etc. I kept my phone dates with family on a weekly basis. 3) Made sure I had enough supply of medication to cover the time period (at least 3 months) 4) Focused on what I LOVED to do-- research! I had to repeatedly tell myself that I am changing my environment to get what I want to get- the PhD, Without this need to go away, my dissertation just can't be completed. 5) Kept up with small routine things like running, reading in Starbucks/coffee shops, wandering around market stalls, eating my favorite food/sweets, whatever I already do at home. As for my year abroad in my sixth year, I know I'll have to make sure I get appropriate health insurance. I'd check with your university and see what's acceptable and start exploring health care professionals in the countries you're thinking of going to. I don't have much experience in using the country's health insurance in terms of mental health. Take note-- medication has to be cleared by customs. So you may have to deal with the hassle of going to the airport/post office if you have someone mail you your prescriptions. PM me if you want to talk more!

Short answer: No. Because you *need* that PhD training to produce excellent publications. Long answer: Professors can assess the quality and potential of your scholarship by reading the writing sample. Polish that until it's so shiny that you need sunglasses.

85% health insurance is covered and you can elect to pay the rest. Generally you'll pay $45/month for comprehensive student health insurance. Feel free to PM me with more details on OSU!!!

Try to get some feedback from your POIs and see what they say. Go from there. As for jobs-- leverage your communication and research skills in your cover letters and interviews. Believe me, good writers are sorely needed (says me after grading so many student papers written by STEM majors....). Keep your head up and breathe. I've been there-- the disappointment will pass after you get yourself busy in something different.

Did you mention that you had attended an institution before transferring? I'd imagine that you did when you were filling out the online application in the section "Academic Institutions" (or something akin to it) and listed all the institutions you've attended, including ones you did not graduate from. If you did, no worries about it.

Are you currently attending IU? Ask your professors there point-blank what happened. If it's about fit, shrug. It's usually the biggest reason why people get in-- good fit with the program and POIs. Nothing personal-- they still love you but your interests may not be aligned right for a long haul. Finish your admissions season before doing some analysis on "what went wrong." If you're waited listed at a funded PhD program, wait until that decision turns to accepted or rejected before going through that process. Speak with the DGS and POI of that program and your sought-after program to find out what could be strengthened. You don't know what's going to happen between now and then-- it's still early in the grand scheme of things. Do not pay for graduate school, especially if you're doing thesis and already have a language in hand. What's your field? We'd better able to tailor our advice here. I paid for my MA because I needed languages and more historical background in my field (which my tiny undergrad institution could not provide). If you are a graduating senior, it's perfectly normal to freak out at this point. You had hoped and planned to be in a PhD program in the fall and you don't know what to do now. It probably feels like-- not a collapse of a house of cards but an entire building. You don't know how to clean up that debris and what to do with all that. My advice: Start applying for opportunities may it be Peace Corps, jobs, Americorps, whatever floats your boat now (probably not Teach for America for ethical reasons). You might be in denial but don't let it "delay" your process of seeking other options. The longer you wait, there won't be as many jobs available as right now as graduating students start applying. The market is still competitive (though it's so much better than when I was doing all of this in 2010 and 2011). Yes, that's right, I applied to PhD programs for three years running. It was mentally exhausting and emotionally draining and it caused my depression to relapse after keeping it at bay for a decade. But I got through it -- with the incredible support of my colleagues, professors, and friends. While all that happened, I had really good "life" experiences that ultimately defined my research interests more clearly. There is no "right" or "wrong" way in your pursuit of the PhD-- use your time wisely.

It's practically the norm. People have turned to Google to answer their life questions. Like, is this person going to suck or be awesome as my dissertation-writing partner? Just do these things-- try not to compare yourself (you ALL got in and each have something to contribute!) and use the information wisely as a way of coming up with appropriate ice-breaker questions (i.e. "so what did you do before coming here?" "where did you go to college?")

Those of you anxious to "e-mail" for a status update, wait until March 15th. By then, almost all of the programs should have sent out their acceptance letters and inviting those folks to visit. Rejections will then follow. If you haven't heard in either case, it's likely that you are waitlisted. I didn't find out until April 1st one year that I had been waitlisted until I e-mailed the program. March 15, I think, is a safe date. All admitted students have until April 15th to make the final decisions.

I should also add that the faculty members, bound by the Council of Graduate Studies rules, are not to share your name or information with current students without your explicit permission. Current students will know as far as fields and number of incoming students but nothing more. If you would like the POI's current students to be in touch with you first, ASK! Otherwise, ask your POI for their contact information and be in touch with them.