Brisingamen

I initially announced it to close friends and family and to the mentors I've had. Nobody else, really. I haven't made a Facebook post or anything, but then again, I don't put much about my life on social media. I don't think most people *get it* at all, but they're all being polite. Now, I realize I need to announce it to so many more people -- because I'm moving halfway across the world! And this is weird, because when it comes to extended circles, politeness definitely takes a back seat. I have been told I could do the same course here in India is 2 years (not really), been asked when I'm going to 'settle down' and have had people tell me I should research something entirely different. Heigh ho, that's how it goes.

South Asia/British Empire, labour migration and foodways. Also, see PM!

Hi. I applied to graduate programs this admission season with pretty much exactly the same sort of background you have -- undergraduate degree in literature, masters' degree in literature (with a cultural studies minor), some experience on archival and oral history projects. I was initially dissuaded from trying history programmes and several people suggested interdisciplinary programmes would make more sense, given my background. When I actually wrote in to potential advisors, I got a much more positive response. I'm not sure which history programmes you have been considering, but I was encouraged by three top-twenty programmes in the US to apply (and got into one of them)... it's probably worthwhile taking a shot at some of those history programmes, judging from my experience.

I would ask my letter of recommendation writer to include that information. It's tangential to your SoP.

Completely. I got into my top choice and then agonized over whether I'd be able to hold up (plus there's that thing of my moving 8,258 miles from home). Then my advisor and I talked on the phone and she's suggested I get started with some work already.... aarrrrgh! More terrified than excited right now.

I am struggling with similar questions. I found it really, really helps to talk to students who might also be international and preferably from a similar background/country. You may not have the same likes/dislikes, but they can give you a picture that's (relatively) closer to the impressions you would form by visiting a place yourself. For the rest, relying on Skype and email interaction alarms me too. So am looking forward to seeing what people have to say in response to your query. My decisions have been based on what people are researching, what kind of funding is available, which professors I might want to work with, the kind of interaction encouraged amongst students, general warmth and interest in my application, and attitudes towards/training for the job market. I also had to consider location to be near or with a significant other. I have brought my choices down to two; one program I've been accepted at and one that I'm waitlisted at. They both have blind spots. The one with the better location and a more realistic attitude to the job market (not entirely teaching focused) has less funding for international students. The one with superior funding and which jumped right on my application and accepted me into the program is the one which focuses only on teaching and which has the less convenient location. So it's a tough toss up.

Congratulations to the UMichigan admissions and waitlistees! I am guessing this is the one school that I get an outright rejection from, but no complaints at all. It's been an amazingly successful application season.

Yay! So pleased to hear this. Fingers well crossed for you.

Thanks! I think it does matter; i.e., there are separate quotas for MA and PhD. Good luck to him.

U of T emailed me; I am on the waitlist. That international applicant quota is what did me in. Now to hope the already accepted international students at Toronto decide to go somewhere bigger and better with more money!

And I see a couple of Michigan acceptances on the boards.

Thanks for the update!

Fiz, I wish I could buy your a beer or coffee or make you some tea (pick your poison). I have cold feet just the way you do. In my case, it's compounded by the fact that I have to move to a totally different continent, to a way of life I don't know, and that even though my spouse is moving, he's not moving *with* me -- he'll most likely be living somewhere else. I am very excited at the possibility of what grad school has to offer, intellectually -- but I'm not so happy about the personal changes and about the fact that I will have to put off having kids for at least a couple of years now. I don't know, my instinct is to cut and run back to the comforts of the way things are, but there's a bit of me that says "You can't have everything, but you need to take opportunities when you get them." That's all I can share.

I suspect Michigan is in a huff because I restrained myself and didn't log in five times a day to check.

TMP -- great point, thanks. Yes, I do feel that if a POI doesn't quite see the job market problem, s/he might be a bit out of touch with some kinds of reality...