TMP

To put into perspective from an ABD, you will continue to get hits as long as you maintain that academia.edu page. I've gotten hits from a variety of places over the years, and most often during fellowship review seasons. You'll also get hits in your local area where you're working on your degrees and that's usually graduate students in your program stalking you (because they're too insecure to talk to you to learn more about you). Seeing the analytics page on academia.edu is fun but also makes you more cognizant of your internet footprint.

They did. Congrats to those folks! Feel free to PM me with any questions about surviving and thriving in the BuckeyeLand

I'll add to ashiepoo's exellent suggestions. Take the time NOW to begin writing to yourself: 1) Rank the programs 2) Write explanation for each why you want to go there/don't *really* want to go and why you ranked the programs this way Place it in an envelope and give the envelope to your adviser/trusted friend/parent/dog and have them give it back to you as you prepare to make a final decision. This exercise will help bring you down to the ground when you're up in the clouds with acceptances/waitlists and remind you of your core values/interests/desires. Not that I actually did it myself but my adviser was amazing to remind me why I chose my current program as first choice when I was literally leading toward another program that unexpectedly blew me out of the water. Thank heavens. If it wasn't for her, I might be elsewhere.

This is exactly the purpose of the MA thesis-- to test your stamina, level of passion, and willingness to finish such a big project. If you can't imagine sticking to one topic for 9 months, then there will be doubts whether or not you can do a dissertation. You will be married to your dissertation topic for at least 5 years. The PhD is a research degree and it's the dissertation that makes it different from the MA. It is very hard to write a 250 page dissertation when you lose passion for your topic, which can lead to leaving the program (by choice) or prolonging the finishing time. Do you want to write a dissertation? That's the big question you need to ask yourself when you choose which track you want to do. While it is true that some of the PhD students move away from their MA thesis topic, they didn't get to their dissertation topic without their undergrad/MA thesis as a starting point. Our intellectual journeys are a series of connecting dots. That written, your MA thesis might very well be a springboard for your PhD dissertation, topically or methodologically.

There was a good thread on this History forum about a year ago-- just look for it. It's probably relating to contacting POIs and interviewing.... In short, relax. Be conversational and yourself (professionally of course). It's okay to be awkward at the beginning. They're just interested in hearing your ideas for what you'd like to do while you're there and what you want to study. They'll ask questions like, what kind of questions do you want to explore? Why? If you're at loss for the "Do you have questions for me?" question, repeat some of the questions they already asked you. You're also interviewing them for advisor and program fit! I did it-- which helped so much to determine adviser fit and break the tie between two POIs/programs. When I do think about it, I'm really happy that I did ask fit questions because now when I look back on it and what I am doing now, I feel extremely fortunate to be at a place and with an adviser that can actually support me, my goals, and my proposed dissertation project. Good luck with all the interviews!

Treat them as individuals. They each operate differently at many levels. You need do this right the first time around because you will continue to treat the professors you're working with as individuals over the course of your program (if nothing else, it will be very, very clear once you start preparing for your comprehensive exams!!!). Professors do talk a fair bit about students and applicants because they do care about their field and its future. If your chosen POIs are in the same field, they're likely to be reviewing your application together anyway. Right now, you don't know the dynamics of the department so best to be ignorant until you get in and learn how professors socialize with one another.

Chill. It's really, really hard to keep yourself together when you're so stressed and emotional during this process. 1) They like your application 2) They like your application enough that they bothered to remind you to send them an official transcript. 3) Do it-- rush the transcript and let the administrator know that it's on the way. 4) Take a hot bubble bath and start dreaming about moving to Irvine.

Though it's just a small thing but it can go a long way-- see if you can apply for SNAP benefits to help pay for the food.

Learn to get comfortable with silence in a conversation during a meeting or class.

Just freaking apply.

If your thesis can include archival research experience, all the better. You need to demonstrate that you can carry out a research project that includes primary and secondary sources (and many, many, many revisions ).

Your languages >>>>>> GRE, honestly. It's not everyday that such an application with multiple language skills like yours comes around. Especially for that time period AND location. My Ottoman colleagues in my program would kill for your linguistic abilities

If you can't imagine spend 3-5 years doing research and writing and writing tons of grant applications to support your research (and they are competitive), then do not go for the PhD. Period.

Also, if you're nervous about unsubscribing e-mails, I totally recommend Unroll.me. It works wonders in cleaning up my e-mail. Now it bursts to my inbox twice a day with a collection of ... stuff from online stores, Facebook, etc. while all the other e-mails that ping are actually important.

Honestly? Take a gap year or two. You need break from school. I often find my colleagues who have taken at least two years away from school to be more grounded and cognizant of the opportunities out in the world besides the PhD and academia. They often bring more interesting perspectives to the classroom and dissertation projects. You'll still have your energy! And.... do not even worry about publishing at undergraduate level. They will not show up on your CV by the end of your PhD. You will grow tremendously as critical thinker and writer, much more so than you can imagine right now.

Pre-med students? I ignore that line "I want to go to med school" as an excuse and give them what they actually earned. But if I see them actually working in the class, I'll choose the higher grade if I'm on borderline between two grades-- which I would do for any student. Distance yourself from the students' goals as they can change over time anyway. Firm, polite tone and authority does the trick. Keep in touch with the professor and make sure that the two of you are on the same side. Frame your responses in a way that that if the student decides to go over your authority and go to the professor, s/he won't get better luck.

I schmooze during their office hours. Easy as that-- if they don't have another student talking to them and they're just working away, drop in and say hi! Even if it's only 5 minutes, you'll leave an impression. They'll know who you are and be more likely to approach you during department functions. If you're now ABD, you should have a bit more time on your hands to visit their office hours. Do a little research on their work and take notice of what interesting office decoration they have and make a small talk out of those things. Building relationships take a lot of time-- they happen gradually over time.

You'll probably want to actually look at the curriculum requirements for the MA. There will be a couple of core courses but a lot of leeway for electives. You might be able to take a general historiography course in the History Department as one of your electives. It's really not a bad thing to do an interdisciplinary MA as it exposes you to other methodologies that will actually be useful for historical research. The history discipline tends to get caught between humanities and social sciences because of historians can use a huge range of methodologies to carry out research. I took several literature and language classes in addition to history classes for my MA and they have proven to be useful on the long run.

Honestly, most won't even look at your application until January. They might see your name on the list but not read the file yet so Google seems easier.....

Agreed. A good number of grad students don't make an effort to really understand the benefits of exploring other methodologies or disciplines. I took a class in my discipline but it was far out of my intended geographical and thematic focus but it turned out to be immensely helpful for me. I ended up minoring in that thematic field and having that professor be my examiner

In my program, there is no set list either. Each committee member will have his or her own idea of what MUST be included on the list and will offer suggestions for refining it once you've included that said committee member's books and your own. Some people don't like the chore of creating individualized list because it is a lot of work. It's no more work than being given a set list. It's how you'd like to work-- spend more time doing research on the books you want to include on your list and think about historiographical questions that tie a few together, or the other way... which is having your teeth pulled constantly by books you aren't particularly excited about. Eventually, as you move through, you'll realize that there are a lot of "classic" or foundational works that weren't included but were certainly helpful for the scholars you've read and you'll put those on your "need to read" list :)

Why can't you just talk about urban history and Middle East? You're still working in Middle Eastern history so there's no "left turn" to speak of. You might want to look at some of the UCs, particularly San Diego and Los Angeles.

Sure, it's fine to talk to your contacts about certain POIs. Get their input about e-mails/communication as they are more likely to know how POIs operate. But as a whole expect to do what knp said-- drop the name and how you're related to that person.

Both are right. It's okay to be bummed a bit if it seems like someone "took' your dissertation topic. Believe it or not, a lot of dissertations don't get converted into books. So, read those dissertations that didn't get converted and find a way to make them your own. How do the dissertations fit with the kinds of intellectual questions your'e asking and methodologies you wish to pursue. Heimat Historian, how would different sources change the narrative of that focus? Will your methodology and sources advance that author's argument or reject it? If the latter, how so? A great example in German history would be the use of Nazi family policy. Lisa Pine focuses on the top-down process while Michelle Mouton looks from bottom-up. Nonetheless, they're asking similar questions but using different sources. The conclusion to the effects of the Nazi family policies is generally that they were inconsistent throughout the years for a variety of reasons which some had to do with local bureaucrats disagreeing with the principle, resistance from individuals, and preparation for a war. Another example in German history is the notion of heimat. How do Celia Applegate and Alon Confino talk about it? You will be doing A LOT of reading for your exams that will help you think about your dissertation in so many different ways. Hang in there