Sigaba

My favorite pen, the Sanford Expresso, black, fine point, had gone off the market for several years and now it is back. Shortly before its temporary departure, the ink formula changed so it faded into a greenish hue. Ideally, everything is back the way it was in the "good ol' days," but I feel like I'm pooping in the tall cotton.

An advantage of pudwen's and Sparky's suggestions is that an applicant can use accepted practices to pare down a complex paper into a piece that falls under a specified page limit. This method allows one to make it clear to interested parties that they're reading a part or parts of a more significant whole . IMO (and it is worth every bit of what you're paying to read it), if you've already prepared a longer paper that fact will appear elsewhere in your application materials. MOO, by reworking a longer writing sample into a shorter version and without the types of summaries suggested by pudwen and Sparky, an applicant can demonstrate that he or she is so familiar with a topic that he or she can condense without cutting. Metaphorically, my method allows one to show that one can cook masterfully a dish without a key ingredient and not draw attention to what is missing. Granted, this approach entails a significant amount of risk (and time) as it requires one to re-imagine a work. My $0.02. YMMV

Safferz-- I would not use that tactic. Instead, if I were to cut a discussion of XXXX, I'd write something along the lines of "While a full discussion of XXXX is beyond the scope of this essay, [yada yada yada]." and maybe throw in an end note showing where one could find a discussion of XXXX. Please do consider the utility of Sparky's suggestion to get someone to "be merciless."

Safferz-- Here's a suggestion for you to take or leave, in whole or in part, as you see fit. Print out the document. Read through it one time each for each of the following: Smoothing out sentence structure. For example, prepositional phrases. Simplifying verbal constructions. For example, get rid of the passive voice.) Removing tangential arguments that, while interesting, do not advance your paper's central arguments. (You can put these comments in the end notes.) A way to help yourself do this is to write an "executive summary." Limit the summary to a number of bullet points (between five and nine). Anything that does not fall under one of those points gets the axe. Condensing transitional paragraphs. Sharpening the lead sentences in the more important paragraphs. In a perfect world, you would print out a draft, make a run for one type of correction, make the correction, and then print out the draft again, and then make the next run. However, this approach can be costly and time consuming. So you may need to do two or three runs with one print out--maybe using different colored pens for each pass. However, I do not recommend using one print out to make all of these changes because you could end up with a sentence fragment or some other glaring mistake that you'd otherwise not miss. If you've made all of these changes and you're still over the page limit, identify a "weakness" in your writing and make another run. (For example, I sometimes use too many prepositional phrases and those eat up space.) When you've got it under twenty five pages and you're about ready to button up the essay, make two more passes. This time, read the essay backwards. The penultimate pass could be sentence by sentence or paragraph by paragraph. The last pass should be word by word. I want to emphasize the importance of making these passes using a physical copy of the essay rather than reading it on your computer screen. For what ever reason or reasons, one starts to miss things on a computer screen that one might otherwise catch on a piece of paper. HTH. Also, to all concerned. I understand that many of you are stressed out and besides yourself with anxiety. Please do not let your concerns keep you from enjoying something this weekend or next. If you're a fan of football, watch some of this Sunday night's NFL game and/or next weekend's "game of the century." If you like kids, be sure to walk around in a neighborhood to watch families going trick or treating. If there's a big "adults only" Halloween parade/festival in your city, consider going (but maybe not all night and definitely play safely). If none of the above activities work for you, find someway to take a step back from the process--if only for a moment--and to relax, to breathe, and to enjoy the moment. Take pride in how hard you've worked. Reflect on what you've learned, not only about history, but also yourselves. Understand that in this process you're developing skills that you can use for the rest of your lives. And eat some candy.

LLajax-- You're going to drive yourself nuts. Stop after you've incorporated into your SoP the feedback from the professors and newly minted Ph.Ds.

I recommend that you see if any of the relationships at your previous institution are salvageable. As graduate students, it is very easy to get wrapped up in our own situation and to conclude that doors have closed. But until we go and turn those handles, we really do not know. @Grunty DaGnome. "...professors jump on stuff like that as if they could correct the exhaustion out of you." Damn, that's a nice turn of a phrase.

Tonyum-- Hang in there. You can do it! Remember that your department believes in you, your ability to work hard, and your potential--otherwise they'd not have offered you admission. Your department believes in you. Trust their wisdom. It wasn't by accident that they said "Come, be one of us." Right now, the learning curve looks steep because you're building upon your previous experiences to build new skill sets. As formidable as the new terrain may seem, you have it within you to figure out ways to navigate it successfully. Let go of fear. Your legs are shaky now. Yet visualize yourself on that day in the not so distant future when you'll be running, looking over your shoulder, and laughing "Hey, slowpokes, keep up!" You can do it. Now, in addition to the options outlined above, please consider the utility of the following. Get to know some of your professors. As they have been there and done that, they know what you're going through. Among them may be a professor or two who can offer words of wisdom, an empathetically appropriate response, and maybe even friendship. (If a friendship does develop, keep the boundaries clear in your own mind. And remember that empathy is different than sympathy.) Get to know some of the grad students who have been around a while. They may know some tricks of the trade that will benefit you. Carve out some "me time" in your schedule. As an example, when I was doing my coursework, the interval between the end of my last class of the week and the evening of the following day was mandatory decompression time. Concurrently, I made a commitment to watching most of my favorite team's games--no matter what. Now and again, these requirements led to some long nights to make a deadline. And maybe I'd have been better off missing a Lakers' game to peck away at a draft. But sometimes you just have to stick it to the man. If you do designate "me time," consider a counter-programing approach. For instance, if you're going to have a "Friday night" make that night Wednesday. This way, you'll have to deal with less traffic at popular venues. Carve out some discretionary funds in your budget. I know times are hard and the life of a graduate student can be austere. But designate a certain amount for certain activities and then pursue those activities. As an example, budget fifty bucks a month for music and/or a similar amount for Starbucks. Spend some of your "me time" leisurely spending your money. (Alternatively, you could get some magazine subscriptions at the student rate.) Then, just before you get ready for another session of hitting the books, put your feet up on a chair, take a sip of your mocha while you listen to your iPod, look around, and take pride that you are on your way to knowing more about chemistry than most people who will ever walk the face of the Earth.

How would one ever know? Here's my view. Believe what you want and do not compromise those beliefs. Somewhere down the line, you're going to be in at least one incredible brawl. When that time comes, knowing how to disagree without being disagreeable will be a good skill to have.

FWIW, I'm of the opinion that members of this BB who have strong views about the OWS and/or the TPM who are in the process of applying to graduate school should think very carefully before posting in this thread. Just because I'm paranoid does not mean that cyberspace is as anonymous than one would like to think.. Or as a citizen of the Republic of Korea with the surname of Kim asked me, "How did you find me?" (It took twenty seconds. )

Yes. I'm a big believer in the benefits of having one's name on every piece of paper one hands off to other parties. The x of y page numbering allows a reader to confirm that she has all of the pages. In this situation, I'd come up with another title for the writing sample. The new title would be a slight variation of the original. The reason for this new title is that I'd not want readers to mistake it for the original thesis nor a chapter therein. A quick comment. I am more than happy to throw in my two cents on how one might handle certain aspects of the application process. However, I believe that if aspiring graduate students were to direct these questions to professors and to ABD graduate students at their current institutions, the queries might spark an extended face to face conversations. In turn, these conversations may lead to "hands on" assistance, serious chalk talk, and, maybe mentoring. (For example, a conversation on what headers to use in a writing sample could turn to a discussion of where a student is applying and from there, guidance on how to winnow down the list of schools.) I do understand that some find it difficult to initiate these types of conversations. In my opinion the potential upside makes the risk worthwhile. HTH.

I agree that you are over thinking your situation. I recommend the following course of action. Take the W. Down the line, fulfill the requirement by taking Physics for Poets (or the equivalent) on a P/NP option. During the interval, kick the hell out of your other classes. A caveat. Before enrolling for Physics for Poets make sure you understand what you need to do to pass. For example, if doing well requires a very high attendance rate and that requirement causes a conflict with your work schedule, the course may not be for you. HTH.

PhillyPhan896-- Consider the following option. On the first page, put the full title of the paper. In the first page header, use a smaller font to put the following information in the top right hand corner. Your name Writing sample in support of X Date For the rest of the paper, use the same size font as the body of your paper: LASTNAME: Short Title As a footer, put the page number. (My own preference is to use a Page X of Y format.)

If your master's committee thinks that your thesis is in good shape, the only changes I'd recommend are stripping away some of the required paraphernalia, reducing the margins, (maybe) changing the font size, and changing the header/footer (to make sure your name is on every page). I recommend not spending more than a hour or two on this conversion process because the exercise offers a great opportunity for a first class freak out.

PP-- Consider the value of turning your MFA SoPs upside down. That is, go from a narrative based approach that plugs in parts on your background/education/employment to a thematic approach that centers around your strengths as a scholar and your reasons for applying and plugs in selectively narrative anecdotes. HTH.

WOG-- I've had an experience similar to yours and to FuzzyLogician's. I agree that it sucks. (But I'm not bitter.) Here's what I learned / how I'd handle future incidents. Manage my expectations. Understand that it isn't about me. Voice my concerns to my boss. Accept his/her guidance. If possible, figure out why he/she doesn't want to escalate the issue. (Some of the reasons may actually be good ones, albeit bitter pills to swallow.) [*]Document, document, document. [*]STFU. [*]Go on with my life. Of these seven steps, 1, 7 may be the most crucial to maintaining a good frame of mind, and one can never go wrong with 6. Unfortunately, as I am a person who never has thoughts of bitterness, it would never occur to me the option of treating myself to a nice hot Starbucks beverage and to sip it while looking at both the course and section syllabi. I would never ever think to refine my understanding of the discretion I had as a teaching assistant to, for example, administer an oral exam. Or to ask a student to tell the section classmates about the project. Much less to ask them a detailed question about said work, just so the person's classmates could appreciate all the hard work that went into said project. I most certainly would not recommend to my boss that a specific question in the final exam covered the subject of said project. Nor would it ever occur to me to hold voluntary study sessions for said final exam and spend time talking about the topic of the project and to convey the possibility that said topic may or may not be on the exam. See? There's a lot to be gained by living a life unclouded by bitter thoughts.

IMO, this information can (and should) be conveyed in your SoP. MOO, unless you played a key role in developing or teaching a class, or the successful completion of that course translates into some sort of certification, you should not put that class in your CV. YMMV.

FWIW, over on the CHE fora, and elsewhere, there are many threads that provide insights into the every day life of those making a living in the Ivory Tower. IMO, these conversations provide interesting counterpoints to some of the value judgements on the professionalism of academics being offered in this thread. IME, graduate school is more about picking up what others have put down, and less about having professors hand things off to you. Also, this point bears repeating. As does this one. In regards to those who "work full time and lead a busy life," please do keep in mind that you may be competing against applicants who are willing to make the sacrifices that will advance their candidacy. You may be unable to rearrange your schedule but is missing work the only alternative to sending an email? How badly do you want to go to graduate school?

LandWhale-- The answer to your first question is "yes." Indeed, you may be in a better position than you realize. If you can find ways to let this person's view of history inform your work without co-opting your vision, you may have the opportunity for intellectual synergy. Two of the keys for synergy will be your ability to bend when doing so advances your knowledge of the subject and the person's professionalism as a historian. (You can assess the latter if he/she has reviewed works with which he/she disagreed. If such reviews exist and your potential supervisor was balanced, you may well be GTG.) The answer to your second question is "sort of." For my master's degree, the two scholars on my committee were only tangentially interested in my subject. One was ambivalent towards me personally. The other had offered critical comments of my ah...attitude. (He wanted me to take the craft more seriously.) Neither had the historiographical background to show me how to split the hairs more finely. Ultimately, none of these issues mattered. I was so focused on the research and the writing that the project essentially drove itself. Some letters to a mentor, a phone call to a SME, and lots and lots of time with secondary works took care of the hair splitting. For their part, they were seasoned professionals. They focused on making sure that my writing was clear and that my central arguments were sound. HTH.

Yes. It is called "chronic insomnia." I do not recommend it.

Er, I should have been clearer (or less parenthetical) when I said:

@Morgan18 In my own experience, I've seen how professors treat graduate students who have gone to a top undergraduate institution as opposed to those students who have not. Part of this difference is because of the reputation of some programs. Another part has to do with how some departments want to be perceived. Yet another part has to do with the broader goals a university may have to keep up with its "comparable institutions" and/or to move up a tier. (If you're working a teaching assistant when your department and/or parent institution decides it wants to improve its ranking you may find a drastic increase in your work load as you're tasked to hold undergraduates to a higher level of standards.) But largely, this dynamic is about the persistence of the assumption that pedigree is a good indicator of future performance. I am not saying that this is the way it should be but the way it is. Moreover, professors have to do a lot of committee work. For a variety of reasons many academics resent such obligations--even when that work is directly related to the future of the historical profession or the financial well being of their institution. I have attended "job talks" in which professors were under-prepared and facility planning meetings in which professors were entirely unprepared. When it comes to candidates for graduate work as well as for professorships, an accepted way of streamlining this process is to assume that the best candidates come from the best schools and/or specialize in certain types of history. (IMO, this approach has many pitfalls--not the least of which are departmental collegiality and the focus on what is most important--the teaching and mentoring of undergraduate history majors.) @StrangeLight You may be misreading some of those posts. @kenningsa Members of this BB have done their best to provide you with answers to your questions. IMO, it is exceptionally bad form on your part to ask for guidance and then to get snarky about the advice you receive.

JB24-- Are there other options such as asking for a raise, getting a room mate to lower your costs, developing ways to squeeze more out of your food budget, and alternative means of transportation? If you were in your boss's shoes, how would you feel if the roles were reversed and you learned that an employee had been looking to move on while you were doing her a favor?

If the paper demonstrates a high level of ability in primary source research, historical analysis, critical thinking, writing, and a serviceable grasp of the topic's historiography, it may be good to go. The GPA may not be as useful given the ongoing concerns with grade inflation. Your disclosure that you can imagine yourself doing other things may be problematic for you. You will be competing against applicants who cannot see themselves as doing anything but professional academic history. Before starting this process, I urge you to explore your motivation and your goals. Or, at the very least, make sure you understand the difference between dedication and commitment. (When you sit down to a breakfast of ham and eggs, the chicken is dedicated but the pig is committed.)

It may be a bit late for you to worry about privacy given the information you've disclosed about yourself on this BB in your previous posts.

IMO, the biggest obstacle you'll face is the fact that you've not written an undergraduate thesis. You will be competing against applicants that will have written two (senior and honor theses) if not more (if they double majored). When submitted as a writing sample, the thesis serves as a primary indicator of an applicant's ability to do historical research and writing at the graduate level. Moreover, some applicants will have attended undergraduate institutions where the requirements for the senior thesis are very demanding. (That is, the specific elements of a thesis are laid out in great detail and the courses carry more units.) Were I in your position, I would first determine if it is possible to participate in the honors program--even if that means extending your stay at Penn State another year. Concurrently, I'd initiate conversations with the younger professors of your department. I would focus part of the discussion around their experiences as graduate school and there sense of how well Penn State prepares history majors to go on to graduate school. As you might hear something you really won't like, keep a poker face. By that same measure, you may hear something really neat, like "Hey, kenningsa, why not stay here?" Meanwhile, I'd consult a printed copy of the AHA's directory of history departments. In addition to looking for departments that might be a good fit (based upon your interests), pay attention to professors who did their undergraduate and graduate work at Penn State. If you do this carefully, you'll start to see a "water finds its own level" dynamic. That is, professors at the top schools often do their graduate and undergraduate work at top tier schools. The purpose of seeing how this dynamic plays out for Penn State is to develop a list of potential programs on a similar tier. From this tier, you may be able to identify programs that are a good fit and you may have a better chance of gaining admission. (To be clear, do not let anyone deter you from applying to a least one top program. Someone is going to be that 1%-er who defied the odds. Why shouldn't that person be you?) I also recommend you speak to the professors you have in mind to write your LoRs. Find a way to have discussions that can inspire them to write letters that are more than "decent." HTH.