redwine

Speaking as a current PhD student in Russian history, and to enlighten all the people in fields with bigger yields (ie any American field), most schools only ever accept one Russianist, if any at all. That's why it is super hard to get in with our specialty (although arguably, there are few people trying for spots, so that mitigates it somewhat). At my school, which has a strong program in Russian history, it is rare that more than one person is ever offered a place each year. It is tough for the professors frankly because yes, the way the admissions go, a number of schools are often fighting over that same one person they've admitted for Russian. Its unfortunate for Penn (I am guessing Holquist was your POC, Rockchalk?) because they have two wonderful professors there and the last couple of years, I think, their one admit has ended up going somewhere else. Its a dog eat dog world out there in Russian history!

I am in a history graduate program right now, and in my program Americanists have to fulfill two foreign language requirements. Most people come in with at least one fluent or near-fluent language and take classes in another to pass the two language exams. I think if you already had two languages that would be a big positive. Plus, I would reiterate what was said above re relevance of the language - if your research has nothing to do with Italians, it is almost an irrelevance to have it. I think most programs would prefer spanish + french or german. Obviously if your interest require another specific language eg you are interested in Chinese migrants in California, you would also need to have Chinese. Most departments don't want students dragging their feet on their research because they can't read the necessary languages yet.

Humblemumblings - a few Russian history recommendations Soviet: Stephen Kotkin, 'Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as Civilization' Terry Martin, 'The Affirmative Action Empire' Catriona Kelly, 'Children's World' (this is HUGE but very entertaining! A cultural history of Soviet childhood ) Sheila Fitzpatrick, 'Everyday Stalinism' Pre-Revolutionary Jeffrey Brooks 'When Russia Learned to Read' Laura Engelstein 'The Keys to Happiness: Sex and the search for modernity in fin-de-siecle Russia' Richard Wortman, 'Scenarios of Power' David Ransel has a new book out that I haven't read yet called 'A Merchant's Tale' which looks really good, a micro-historical study of the diary of one C18-C19 Moscow merchant. He is a great historian so hopefully it will be interesting. I notice you status says you are in Moldova! I am not sure what the bookshop/library situation is there, but having had the experience of searching the Russian National Library for english language history books such as the ones above I can say its not always easy but you can find them, so hopefully you can locate some in your current hometown

For the people wondering about NYU: I was an applicant last year and the visit day was indeed confusing. I didn't get invited (I'm international) and assumed I wasn't in but actually got in in the end (my would-be advisor called with the news and apologized at the time for the fact that they couldn't invite me to the day!). I do know there were people who were invited who didn't get in in the end. I'm not sure if this is good news or bad (!) and I know its stressful trying to second-guess what the department thinks but thought my experience from last year would help. My boyfriend was in the same situation - he is also an international, also didn't get invited, also ended up getting in and is now at NYU as a PhD student (I'm at a different school). so its really rather confusing! I would say if you go though, it is indeed a good sign - they would only invited people they are really interested in - so make the most of the opportunity to ask lots of questions, get to know professors and eat free food

I can sympathise with those above who have had to carefully word emails to the 'dean in their field.' I had the same problem; and she sent me a perfunctory reply to my long, apologetic email about turning down her program! I am tempted to think I have burned my bridges there and shouldn't even try to approach her at conferences and such like, but I think I will have to swallow my fear and do it anyway as she will be an important contact for the future. Gulp. Most other people I have emailed re turning down programs have been very nice though, and said they understand how difficult it is and that the program I chose should be great etc etc. I just hope they took me sincerely when I said it really was a hard decision - like others above I only applied to a few programs I really liked, so when it came to deciding it wasn't like I could instantly discount any. To be honest, despite the fact that I started this thread...I don't think there is an easy way to decline an offer. Swallow and do it quickly, like pulling off a plaster. That's my advice to everyone else yet to do it

I can completely relate to this - I too am applying to a subfield of history kind of predicated on knowing a language really well (Russian) and I'm terrified my language is not up to scratch, especially as I know some of the other grads in my program are actual Russians/Ukrainians who will be horrified when they hear me stumbling over the grammar or see me painstakingly translating a simple document with the help of a massive dictionary! I did fine in my Russian classes in undergrad and lived in Russia for 8 months, so you think I'd be ok with it, but its a damn hard language and I still really feel I have a while to go on it. I've shared this fear with the various professors at schools I have been accepted to (after the applications of course, when I just stated the bare truth that I had done X number of courses in Russian) and they all think I'm being neurotic, but I'm like, I don't think you quite understand how confusing I still find the language...I too was completely paranoid about my prospective visits in case my potential professors decided to have a little chat with me in Russian - I was practicing verb conjugations on the plane! Fortunately it didn't eventuate, but still, there'll be plenty of opportunity for them to catch me out when I'm there. So suffice it to say I'm spending the summer trying to fit 3 hours Russian study a day in around a 9-5 job, and hopefully I'll pass that language exam when I get there! It would be embarrassing if I didn't...Anyway antigone, just wanted to let you know you're not the only one stressing about this, and hopefully its a common enough problem what actually, our language skills will be no worse than most when we arrive and our extra work on it will be a bonus!

I have a funding question re grants internationals can apply for - this should maybe go in the international grads section, but I thought it should go here as often US students know about funding opportunities internationals can apply for and those they can't (this is my experience talking to other grads anyway...) So, considering many common grants are closed to internationals (I'm thinking especially of language study grants like FLAS, IREX and the DAAD grants for German) does anyone know of any major grants or scholarships actually open to those of us coming from a long way away? I'm particularly interested in language grants as I know I'll be wanting to head to Europe in the summer after my first year to at least learn German intensively (I need it to fulfill my language requirements, despite also having near fluent French and Russian!) But anything else people know about that internationals qualify for would be great, even if anyone knows of grants specifically for those who will need to relocate for PhD study (I have a feeling they are few and far between)...thanks!

Hi - as someone who did not do my undergrad in the US but who got got offers for my PhD at US schools this time round I thought I could offer some insight into what admission committees value - if only because they naturally had to overlook some things in my application which were different to a US application and if they were willing to do so, it suggests these things aren't so important. In terms of cumulative GPA v. history GPA - I expect they look at certain subjects but aren't so bothered by others. So history obviously is the most important, but possibly languages too - I know everywhere I applied wanted to know my marks in Russian, as I study Russian history and its very important I speak the language. I expect they also took note of my French marks (I did both languages at university) when evaluating my ability to fulfill the language requirements. I did no maths or anything though (not a requirement where I;m from) and I was concerned about this, so emailed some schools when I was applying. They said unless I was applying to do hardcore economic history they really couldn't care less! Same went for the quant GRE results, which I did fine in but was paranoid as about before I applied because I haven't done maths since I was 15 As indicated above, I reiterate the need to learn languages - this definitely helped my application. When I was writing last year to various departments, I didn't mention my language proficiencies in the first email (which was the 'Hi, my name is blah, I want to study with you' kind of email) Almost everyone wrote back saying 'Thats nice blah, you sound pleasant, but please note you absolutely must have decent Russian and French or German before we can accept you. If you do not, we suggest you take some time off to learn these languages and then apply.' Again, I know you want to do American history so it may not be crucial but places like Harvard etc say very clearly that for American you must have at least one and preferably two foreign languages up to scratch. And if you've checked out the practice language exams Harvard put online, you'll see you also have to be pretty good at them (I'm spending the next 6 months brushing up before I start my PhD, and I've been studying these languages for at least 5 years, French since I was 7 years old!) Apart from anything else you don't want to spend the first years of your PhD learning languages instead of reading history. In the end, I think the strongest part of my application was my writing sample, and thats what everyone has commented on where I've been offered a place. It was a research paper (based on a longer thesis - which I offered to also provide and everywhere took me up on it) which I had worked on for 9 months and I think it was crucial to my application. They want to see you can write good history - whether you say you can or not. So write a senior thesis and try to make it really good! This went for my boyfriend too - he wrote what was (in my unbiased opinion!) an amazing senior thesis and it meant he was offered everywhere he applied - despite having low GREs. Everyone has commented to him in subsequent emails about his writing sample and how it clinched the deal for him. Thats my 2 cents - hope it helps! Being an international I guess they may have given me leeway in terms of having no maths etc, but really I think they won't let in anyone if they don't fulfill the major criteria and I would say excellent writing sample, good grades in your important subjects, and near fluency in languages are most important - as well as good letters of recommendation too. The Statement of Purpose is obviously crucial too but best not worry about that til you're actually applying then get heaps of people (esp. Profs) to read it and comment on it for you!

Hi, I got positive news from NYU and so did someone else I know, about 10 days ago or so from faculty members themselves. I haven't received my official letter of offer yet though, but have heard from my advisor, the history office and other faculty all confirming that I'm in. If you haven't heard in the same way I don't think it would mean your are definitely out (my friend who also heard in the affirmative found out days after me) but I do know there has been a list of definites around for a while. Maybe just email and say friends have heard news, when should you hear, etc. As far as I know the actual Graduate School is very tight lipped and seems to insist all letters go out at the same time (ie mid march) which means any news from NYU for now is on that informal basis - nothing official can go out until the Graduate school has all information. Hope that helps!

I too was very moved by your post UofChihopeful. It is very tough to feel like you are prevented from doing what you really love. All I can say is if you have a real passion you should hang in there and try again. Perhaps if you take a year break you can think about ways to bolster your application - taking university level language courses, offering research assistance to a professor, presenting an undergrad paper at a conference etc. This would both make your application stronger and show just how passionate you are. Also, to second what was said above about finding a job in the meantime when you can work on your scholarship. I know from experience this can be hard; but for myself I always looked to the example of my Dad (seriously!) He is passionate about historical scholarship but quit his PhD years ago when I was born to get a civil service job he knew could support his family. He regrets it (of course) but he has since written a number of articles and books and is a respected scholar in his field. When he retires he plans to go back and finish that PhD, but in the meantime he spends his weekends in archives and reading great scholarship, and is very fulfilled for it. A friend's father who is also a civil servant (its the town I come from...) is also a historian, has published heaps and said friend and I, bored one day in the library where we were doing undergrad, found half of his books in the Reserve section where they were on hold because they were required reading for core history courses. So you can influence young minds without being a tenured academic! I am sure you will be doing a great PhD soon and a life of civil service work will not be your fate (not that its done my Dad any harm! He would just have preferred working as a historian, of course) But in the meantime remember the academy does not have a monopoly on scholarship. There are some fascinating people writing fascinating work who are not tenured professors. Not to mention all of the journalists and activists who have contributed to historical scholarship. Good luck for future applications!

Ok, so this topic, like the last one, will lay bear my propensity to stay awake worrying in the night. I spent the last twelve months convinced I would not get into grad school, and now I have been accepted everywhere I applied (pinch me! that 200th rewrite of the SOP paid off!) I am starting to fret convincing myself no way am I ready for the intensity of grad school. Through the whole application process I had merry dreams of myself swanning around Harvard reading hot-of-the-presses monographs and talking with likeminded people, in between sitting in little cafes drinking lattes and writing poetry, and basically finally finding an intellectual home. While these were still pipe dreams they were very happy ones. Now they seem to have morphed into the nightmarish realisation of how much work I'll be doing once I get there (one current grad emailed me today and said minimum 60 hours a week just for the class readings? around which I need to write papers?) and the fact that it will be impossible to have a social life/ever do exercise/ever leave my desk for at least two years. Let alone travel to New York to see my boyfriend. Can anyone recommend any resources to prepare oneself for this life change? Or any happy stories to counteract those I've been hearing from current grads who may just be in their 3rd year depressed slump that one comes out of eventually? I know of course it will be a lot of work, and that excites me, but is there any way to prepare oneself for just what it will be like? Thought people could share suggestions here!

I know its a little early yet, and I personally still want to go to all of the places I have been offered (!). But when I'm awake in the middle of the night stressing about graduate school, one of the things I'm now stressing about is this: when I do come to turn down 3 of the 4 schools that have offered me a place, how do I do it so that the faculty there won't take it as a rejection of their kind offers to me!? I have been in contact with faculty at all of the schools and chatted with many on the phone; in my small field I know I will probably meet them all again at conferences or maybe even be interviewed by them for a job in a few years time (ok, I know thats down the track but I'm thinking ahead!) How do I write a polite email/letter saying thank you, would have loved to join you but I am going to X school instead?

Sure, my interests are broadly modern European, but specifically Russia and Eastern Europe, histories of sexuality, history of popular culture, socio-cultural history (ie ways to integrate social and cultural approaches to history), history of Russian Empire - ie Ukraine, Caucasus, Central Asia. Time period: C19 and early C20. Wow, thus was much more concise than on my SOP

Yes, I did decide to make it to one day - the timing was perfect for me and I could find the funds for the initial cost of the flight, despite it being expensive-I do wish I could have made them all but for me to come to all would have been an initial cost for me of more than USD$5000. Although some would be reimbursed I don't have that in the bank just now for the initial outlay! So I'm making it to Harvard in the the hope that I will get a good feel for that institution, and hear about the rest by word of mouth. Still undecided though! Yes, I'd love to hear your impressions of Michigan NSGoddess...

I second the idea that people post about their visit days. I'm going to my first next week, which is Harvard on 13-14 March. I am rather scared, especially as I think I exhausted my (rather large) list of questions in emails to the Profs as soon as I found out I was accepted, and now am quickly reading lots of articles by said profs so I can ask something erudite about their approaches to detailed historical questions! Am also a little intimidated by the other people I will meet at Harvard, especially as I am an international who doesn't know which undergraduate schools are even considered top tier (well, I have an idea, I have just submitted a whole lot of grad applications after all, but suffice it to say as I didn't go to school in the US I am not really worried how people perceive my undergrad institution). Do you think people could also post anything re their experiences? As an international, Harvard is also the only visit day I can make - I am missing Yale tomorrow, because I couldn't get a plane ticket on time, as well as Michigan (because they can't cover the large cost of the plane ticket and I can't either!) and NYU. I would love to hear about any experiences people have had visiting these institutions - especially the person I have read about who has been admitted to the Womens Studies/History program at Michigan. I've also been admitted to that program and if you make it to the visit day, I'd love to hear your impressions!

Just to take up this claim Marxist historians are batty, this may well be true, but again from my Euro perspective, it would be very irresponsible to ignore a MAJOR trend in historiography which has influenced huge amounts of social and cultural history such as Marxist historiography. Some of the seminal works of C20 history (am thinking Thompson 'Origins of the English Working Class' and lots of Hobsbawm, plus the whole Annales school) come from a Marxist perspective. Much critical theory is of course the same - its not Marxism, but you can't actually understand it without delving into Marxist ideas to start with. I just get a little irritated with people who love to dismiss such a huge and influential historical trend. I'm pretty sure Marxist historians will still be being read in 20 years time when terrible relics of Cold War reactionary historiography have been long confined to the dustbin...

I'm not a US historian but as a (Euro) history major I can say it will be hard to find an overview that will give you the requisite knowledge - in my experience most 'overviews' are full of generalisations and occasionally lies. I would recommend instead: a) acquainting yourself with the important journals of US history and reading recent issues - this will give you a good idea of current historiographical debates in the field and mean you are reading serious scholarship by major historians reading historiographical type books - if your background is in critical theory you probably have a fair idea of the theoretical backdrop of the twentieth and merging on twenty first centuries as it is, build on this by looking specifically at which theoretical/methodological movements have been especially important in history. For example (and again, this is a European historians perspective - for all I know US historians have different ideas though I doubt they differ enormously) post-structuralism and Foucaldian/Hayden White ideas of construction have been v important in history in the last 20 years, though there is now some reaction against this (hence there are often fights between neo-social historians, hardcore post-structuralists, and those who have entirely different ideas in journals right now, just look at an issue of Journal of Contemporary History for an example). Basically you can be safe in the (v v general) outline that i) marxism influenced history hugely in the first half of C20 and ii) the cultural turn defined it in the 80s and 90s and iii) everyone is debating what is happening next now. So grab some books on these trends (Lynn Hunt's 'The New Cultural History' comes to mind) and READ!!! and c) once you have done these two things, you will prob have an idea what is really grabbing you in terms of current scholarship on US history. So then you'll have a starting point for which books to go check out of the library. As an earlier poster said, looking at the prelim exam reading lists is a really good idea, but obviously theres too much there for you to read over summer, so I'd say do the above first, then you know what really grabs you and you can check those books out first of all. Hope that helps! Good luck

Just wondering if anyone has heard more from NYU? Any news?

Thanks - we did get into the same program (actually, kind of- mine is joint history/women's studies, his history) Also we are slightly different subfields - Europe, but different parts. I did actually write and indicate as clearly as I could that I needed to know what would happen with him too, and the faculty I was in contact with kindly went and found out for me, but thats how we found out he was on the waiting list, thats all. Apparently they accept up to 6 ppl on the list, so I guess I'll try and find out where on the list he is! Its so confusing!

Just a query for those who can shed light on waitlisting systems (for an international who finds the whole procedure confusing) My partner applied to a PhD at UMich and has been told he is waitlisted but they are 'very hopeful'. (Meanwhile, I got accepted to UMich straight up). I think I am more anxious to find out than him, because though I hate to say it, whether he is accepted or not will affect my decision (ie whether to accept the offer or go elsewhere). Is waitlisting a kiss of death? I know it means you are still in with a chance but how many people really do make it in after being waitlisted (esp at a school like UMich which I know is competitive, so presumably a lot of people will be accepting their offers)?

Hi all, I wanted to post (for the first time) with an update and question re NYU acceptances. First, I heard I've been accepted this morning, very excited ! (by phone, no email or anything yet) Second, my boyfriend is also waiting for news so I still have a vested interest in what NYU are doing re their acceptances. We have both been confused because we are internationals, and so heard nothing about the prospective weekend at all (until it was happening). I thought that meant bad news, and had given up. Then, suddenly, we both got an email saying 'We are reviewing applications, we are very interested in you, we haven't made final decisions yet but please contact faculty you want to work with to make preliminary arrangements to begin.' etc. I had no idea what this meant, except that we were somehow both still in the running (but maybe waitlisted? maybe not? was this just a formality? confusion!!!) Anyway, as I just said, I've heard Im in, via a phone call from the lovely faculty I did contact as the email suggested. Very excited, but also anxious to hear news for my boyfriend. NYU is his top choice and I would love to move to New York with him and not by myself! Anyone else a definite yes/no from NYU? Or knows what is happening? Thanks!