JustChill

My main intention and interest is to do research -- write articles and books. If that comes with a side of teaching, so be it.

This seems like a very vague question, but if you're talking about your primary research language, you'll find that history grad students (and their advisors) are fluent in their primary language, and then have reading knowledge of at least one more. Many have spent long periods abroad studying the languages. I was personally somewhat surprised at how important official and documented (i.e. not really pod casts) language training is for PhD admissions at the "top" programs (for non-US history fields). I spent all my undergrad years studying one language -- a difficult and somewhat rare language -- but then was told that my lack of a second language was one of the primary deficiencies of my profile. Thus, I ended up spending a few months studying the second language in Europe after my BA before I could bring my profile up to par with current grad students in the departments where I was applying. Bottom line, I strongly suggest you email those professors with whom you're interested in working and ask them for advice on language preparation for their programs. That'll give you the most clear idea of what you need to have to be competitive.

As I'm sure you realize, your verbal score is pretty important for history PhD applications. A lot of my friends -- and I too -- underestimated the GRE based on some practice tests we took, on which we always scored well. Once it came to the real thing, almost all of us scored lower than we had in practice runs. I can't comment on which GRE would be "better" for you to take, but which ever you choose, I recommend you spend a good deal of time memorizing those pesky vocab. That will help your analogies problems a lot. Depending on what caliber history programs you are aiming for, you'll usually be expected to score above 700 to be competitive.

I don't know what your field is, but in my field the market is extra lean. Realistically speaking, I know that I'll be lucky to have more than one offer after I receive my PhD, so I'm by no means going to limit myself geographically. As most people, I have some geographical preferences based on my past experiences, but I will go to almost any part of the country for an assistant professorship or tenure (despite the fact that I'm studying in a "top" program, for what it's worth).

I am not speaking from experience, but I would recommend to wait until your final grades are in. Otherwise you're gonna have to send them in separately anyway once they're posted.

I think your best bet is to use next summer for an immersion or intensive summer language program, such as Middlebury or Indiana. I did that twice, and no one has questioned my language preparation. I doubt any proficiency test from a third party is going to do much for PhD admissions. Many applicants have spent years studying the language(s); very often studying abroad.

I'm in a different field, but have encountered a similar trend. I've been told that this is usually because people from the higher ranked programs tend to be applying to a very narrow and limited number of openings -- usually spots that are extremely competitive. Someone from UT Dallas, on the other hand, may not necessarily be trying to get the same "caliber" job as someone from UNC Chapel Hill. They might be perfectly happy staying in Dallas and working for a smaller organization or institution, and not trying to enter the national job market. There is, of course, a lot of assumption and speculation in this theory, but it sound plausible to me.

My experience has been that at that level it becomes less about advanced vocab and more about complicated reading passages. I mean this both in terms of content as well as length and the time it takes to work through it.

No offense taken. Just be careful of making generalizations or assumptions. Best of luck in the application process.

She's lived in the US for "20+ years" and speaks English "very well" but you're worried about her grammar? Have you actually seen any of her writing? Does she make mistakes or not? This seems like an easy problem, because if you've worked with her for a year and a half at some point one would think you'd see something she'd written (an email, document, memo, etc.). I've lived in the US for over a decade, and - while I have an accent - I can write as well and as accurately as any of my peers. Don't assume that she will make mistakes just because she is an immigrant - particularly if she's lived in the US for over two decades.

With most applications you can attach an electronic copy of your CV into the online application system. I noticed you're also applying to UNC, and they use a paper application process, so you can just mail your CV with that packet.

First, I should echo the previous poster's comment about your writing skills. American universities love to see foreign sciences/engineering students who speak and write English well, and you certainly do. In that regard, I am sure you have an advantage over many other international applicants in the same field. Second, my personal suggestion would be to follow option B. I think if you could find some related research work that would not only support you but provide you with added experience and boost your CV, it would certainly not hurt. That is what I would do personally, but of course I don't know all of your particular circumstances. Best of luck to you.

I'm spending some time at my parents' home before I move about 1100 miles to North Carolina at the end of the month. Spending most of my time reading and preparing myself. I keep worrying about being unprepared compared to my incoming peers. I really haven't started packing yet, since I have about three more weeks, but I was lucky to find a fully furnished apartment, so I don't have to worry about taking any furniture.

I've been assigned only one class, but it seems like there'll be plenty of work for it, because they mentioned that it'll take up about 20 hours per week. I hope in the future, when I know I'll have more than one class to teach per semester, I won't have to spend too much more than 20 hrs/week on them. Otherwise, this is going to be a very long program for me.

I would think that having a degree from a program which is better suited to your interests and perhaps even more reputable would be advantageous not only to your career, but to your family as a whole. This is pure speculation, of course, but I would think that studying at a well-known program and having a degree from a place that you like would outweigh the problem of not having other family members around, once you actually move to Waltham/Boston. Since you seem to think of the long run, you should realize that this will indirectly be "better" for your family, as you'd be able to support them more reliably with a more reputable/more appropriate degree. There are always compromises that you have to make, so it's up to you and your girlfriend to decide your priorities and goals.

My professors have always told me that if I'm not offered full tuition+stipend (I'm in the humanities), I'd never get out of debt. It also is an academic honor to have a tuition fellowship from your graduate school, so the thinking is that it's always better to make every effort for full funding (I realize how obvious this sounds, but believe me, there are tons of people who make the mistake of paying for their humanities PhD and then never getting out of debt).

Congrats! An MA should help you in next year's cycle. Is this a History program or area studies or something else?

Did you already sign all the paperwork and give it to the department? If this is a funded offer, especially for a PhD, it might be pretty difficult. I've heard that there can potentially be legal consequences, since this is in essence a legal contract that you're breaking, but my gut tells me that few schools in the US would go to that length to keep a grad student. I suppose you could ask an administrator or a current student in the department about this, but you should realize that this is widely considered to be "burning bridges" with your faculty advisors.

Yeah, I'd say 2-3 hours should be enough. JFK and O'Hare are always jam packed, but Midway in Chicago is usually nice and quick. Either case, I'd say 2-3 hours should be fine.

Depending on your level of interest in the Cold War, I'd recommend you take a look at Indiana and WashU, and especially UNC-Chapel Hill.

I'm going from one of the oldest college basketball programs to another, so it'll be a very interesting transition for me. The two schools played against each other in 2008's Final Four, and it'd be cool to see how the basketball tradition is where I'm going.

yep, I've been getting a few from places in Chapel Hill, but not too bad so far.

I suggest you look into UNC-Chapel Hill. Their Title VI REES (Russian and EE Studies) dept is one of the most developed in the country, and the seamless cooperation with the same departments (poli sci and REES) at Duke make it hard to beat.

I've always thought that a good, personal recommendation from a professor who knows you well would outweigh their title, but I found out the hard way once that it does not. I was told by a committee member at my undergrad school once that part of the reason I didn't get some award was that one of my letters came from a lecturer. The main thing is their title -- lecturer. Ad coms tend to trust the opinion of fellow professors more than those of lecturers or instructors (because usually lecturers and instructors are just beginning their careers). You have to realize that unless you're applying to a very small department at a small school, you're going to have an incredible amount of competition. The vast majority of those people are going to have LORs from professors, not lecturers. My advisor last year told me to replace an Assistant Professor with a full Professor as one of my recommenders, because it would be "more authoritative."

As the previous poster mentions, your main priority should be finding a program that is more "likely" to result in a job. It's better to take out a bit of a loan for a better program and then find a job, than go to a program that no one in your field has ever heard of for free.