Katzenmusik

These walls between disciplines are all quite artificial. Before it became its own field, history was taught through other subjects across the academy. If we must categorize, I'd consider history to be a humanities field, since it is primarily about the interpretation of texts. But historians often weave in quantitative analysis and social science methods, making history (to my mind) the perfect mix of not-flaky but also not-boring.

I'm thrilled to be starting my new program soon! There are so many resources to take advantage of and so much going on that I'm interested in, it's a bit overwhelming. But I think I did end up in a place that is right for me. The all-consuming mental torments of last year were worth it! [Edited to add: I've prepared for this semester by doing glorious amounts of nothing. I'm just reading really fun books, like biographies of mysterious failed priests and collections of surrealist Polish stories. I have a project I really do need to finish, but I thought it was important to simply enjoy life for a few months before plunging back in to the academic guilt-complex.] Czesc, what is Cornell's academic calendar like? Hopefully you will get to spend generous chunks of time with your girlfriend until you can both live in the same place again. (Perhaps Syracuse would work?) Give Ithaca and its environs a chance to grow on you -- though if there's anything I've learned from all the anti-grad school articles I've forced myself to absorb Clockwork Orange-style, it's that it's okay to quit down the line if you feel miserable. (And the academic career path seems to demand relocation to random places for most people...so think of this as practice?)

Perhaps you could look for entry-level, paying jobs in the field, whether they happen to be long-term internships or full-fledged positions? Even working as front-line staff at a museum or historic site can be a valuable way in and a good learning opportunity. Also you could try to find a position at your university that may be public history-related -- like working in archives/special collections or for a campus museum. Campus positions might allow a flexible schedule, accounting for your student status, and they might be 9-month positions, allowing you time off to do a summer internship. Basically I do think you should transition away from your current unrelated field and give yourself the time and space to seize new opportunities, otherwise you'll end up right where you were after your BA. But it would be ideal to make connections, build skills, and have an income stream all at the same time so that you don't completely undermine your financial life. Personally, I worked a part-time campus job (assistantship) all through my masters. The stipend paid much less than my job before grad school did, but it was enough to live on and worth it to leave the old job behind.

There is definitely a place for men in studies of women, gender, and sexuality! I for one would welcome your participation -- it's always a bit sad to me when I'm attending a class that is all about breaking down gender norms and furthering the project of equality, but no men are present to learn and contribute. Many men in the field have focused on masculinity, influenced by the work of feminist scholars. If you went in that direction, you might feel less alone. Even if you do end up being the only man in the room, you should follow your interests and forge ahead!

Yeah, I'll probably be in my mid-to-late 30's when I finish my PhD. Hadn't occurred to me to feel like a horse on my way to the knackers. People aren't admitted to PhD programs for their "spirit" but for their potential to contribute to the field. And as far as I can tell, the job market is a gamble for everyone, whether or not you spent your 20's outside of academic institutions.

I feel like I'm pulling you back into a cult, but... you only applied to six schools! And the Princeton wait list is a sign that your application was strong and you were on the right track. Maybe try again, but put more like 10 applications out there?

The undergrad GPA won't kill you. I had a low undergrad GPA in the same realm as yours but an almost-perfect masters GPA. I think my grad GPA erased my undergrad performance somewhat, since I was accepted by three highly-competitive programs. It is possible that my low undergrad grades had something to do with the rejections I received, but if you apply to enough places, you'll hopefully find a few that won't weigh it heavily. So I'd say go for it, and focus on making the rest of your materials the best they can be.

If you're going to retract, it would be best to do so today if possible -- that way the university has a chance to put someone else in your spot, and you could avoid burning a bridge. After April 15, it gets more complicated to retract an acceptance, and doing so is definitely frowned-upon. (It might be worth it, though, if this is your first choice, and you're waiting for the official letter? You'll have to weigh the risks of the situation.) You might want to read the official language surrounding all of this: http://www.cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/CGS_Resolution.pdf

Yeah, my acceptance letters all say things like "This offer stands until April 15." The text refers to an "acceptance" (by the student) left in force, not an "offer" (by the university).

My reading is this: if you've accepted an offer at University A by April 15, but then after April 15 you decide to go to University B, you need to get written permission from University A first. (An acceptance "left in force after April 15" means an acceptance you've made and haven't backed out on by that date.) University B cannot officially admit you until you have submitted this paperwork. It doesn't sound like you need to submit paperwork if you haven't already accepted an offer at another institution. The language definitely gives students an out -- but everything I've heard leads me to believe that backing out on an offer after April 15 is strongly discouraged on a social/cultural level. It might be worth it, but you would risk burning a bridge.

In your shoes, I'd accept Cambridge hands-down. It's a funded offer at a university with a world-wide reputation for excellence. Certainly there are some things that CUNY could offer (teaching experience, coursework, academic networking within the US), but my sense is that a Cambridge degree will open more doors, and you won't be bogged down with an overload of TA responsibilities (which CUNY has a reputation for) as you focus on your research. As others have said, you can do a post-doc in the US if you want to get acquainted with our system. Edited to add: If you're going to back out on CUNY, it would be good to let them know as soon as possible so they can fill your space with a wait-lister. Usually it's considered bad form to turn down an offer you've already accepted... but if you give them a chance to put another person in the spot before April 15, hopefully it won't be as much of a problem.

History Time, you are in a tough position! Do you have a sense of how competitive the UConn GA-ships are? Sometimes it seems like universities have hidden pots of money just waiting for people to ask about them... and other times tons of people are applying for the same limited funds. Perhaps some of the current students could shed some light on the situation and how likely it is to work out in your favor? As anyone reading my post history will see, I'm a funded MA partisan, so in the absence of solid info, I'd go with Illinois. You can use the program as a stepping-stone toward other impressive feats, and house-buying will remain a possibility.

I have also decided where to go! It came down to a choice between the place where I thought I'd personally be happiest on a number of fronts (Interdisciplinary Program) and the place where I'd be set up best for a traditional academic career (History Program). I visited the Interdisciplinary Program and absolutely loved it. I waited a while to see if the warm glow would die down, but it didn't. When I turned down the history program, I felt a twinge of regret, but that dissipated, and I'm at peace with my decision. Exhale.

When you say "the admissions office" do you mean the general Graduate School at Columbia? Would be better to email the Director of Graduate Studies within the history department, if you haven't already.

When I did my first round of applications, I ended up with a choice between a funded, very low-ranked MA, and three different unfunded Ivy League MAs. The low-ranked MA program turned out to be an excellent choice, and now I am in at one of those very same Ivy League programs as a PhD student, without tens of thousands of dollars in debt to drag me down afterwards. I really don't think the prestige of the MA matters. There are fantastic, well-connected professors at lots of different universities, not only those in the top 20. And my sense is that, in academia, people are familiar with the MA cash-cow concept, and it doesn't seem especially impressive to have gone that route. By the way, I posted a over in the history forum -- I'd bet a lot of the same schools would offer funded literature MAs.

Just have to stick up for history for a second here -- "transnational" is not the same as post-colonial. It's more about breaking down nation-states (and empires!) as categories of analysis. The study of history has so often been about "the United States" or "France" and so on, but that approach puts every country in a silo, as though ideas/people/objects/economic shifts/etc. don't flow across borders. Transnationalism not a new idea in history, but hotter topics like borderlands history and environmental history draw from it. History has been interdisciplinary in various ways for a very long time, so I'm not sure what that particular poster meant. It is true that if you have a PhD in something other than History (i.e. a "studies" degree), a certain conservative element of the historical profession will react poorly to your job application.

Below I've posted a list of history programs that seem to offer some possibility of funding to MA students. I found this info by browsing history department web sites (usually it was in the "Financial Aid" section or the graduate handbook). "Full funding" means assistantships and tuition waivers. Sometimes it was unclear whether assistantships included tuition waivers, and in those cases I noted the assistantships only. Please consider this to be a list of leads requiring further research. I don't know these programs personally, so the info might be out-of-date or inaccurate. The DGS in each department will have the best information. Also, I'm sure I missed a bunch of programs, so keep looking on your own! I really hope this helps somebody! Auburn University: MA students eligible for full funding Case Western Reserve University: some MA fellowships through the Julia Edwards Fund, program seems to try to provide tuition waivers as well Florida International University: MA students eligible for assistantships; limited number of tuition waivers also available Georgia State University: MA students eligible for assistantships Indiana University - Bloomington: they "provide multiyear financial support for the vast majority of students admitted at the MA and PhD levels." Iowa State University: MA students eligible for assistantships Kent State University: MA students eligible for full funding Miami University (Ohio): full funding for MA students. No PhD program. Northeastern University: some partial tuition waivers available Northern Illinois University: MA students eligible for funding Ohio University: full funding for MA students Oklahoma State University: MA students eligible for full funding Portland State University: full funding awarded to a number of MA students. No PhD program. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale: "Approximately 60% of our MA and PhD students receive some form of funding." St. Louis University: assistantships available to MA students Texas Tech University: MA students eligible for full funding University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa: full funding available to MA students, limited number University of Cincinnati: tuition waivers (80% - 100%) offered to most MA students, assistantships awarded competitively University of Delaware: MA students eligible for full funding University of Hawaii - Manoa: MA students eligible for full funding University of Houston: MA students eligible for assistantships - also a public history fellowship University of Maine - Orono: MA students eligible for full funding University of Massachusetts - Amherst: full funding for select MA students, merit-based University of Mississippi: full funding awarded to a few, based on merit, as well as some scholarships for unrepresented minorities University of New Hampshire: MA students eligible for funding University of Oregon: full funding available to MAs, awarded on competitive basis University of Rochester: half-tuition scholarships available to MA students University of South Carolina: full funding available to "many" MA students University of Utah: MA students focusing on the American West eligible for the May Fellowship. Possibly other full funding available to MA's (?). Washington State University: MA students eligible for assistantships, awarded competitively Western Michigan University: MA students eligible for assistantships

BadgerAlum: Will do -- I've been traveling & typing on my phone but will post on my return. I hope this thread can help future applicants avoid mountains of debt.

My approach has been to take pictures of as many collections materials as possible with my smartphone, then sort through them later at home. The phone is low-hassle (no having to lug photo equipment), I check to make sure every image is legible, and it works out very well. Before starting on a new box or file folder, I take a picture of its label so I know later what the materials are. And of course it's important to do daily backups onto a laptop and/or into Dropbox (which you can set to automatically sync your smartphone photos). Not every archive will allow photos, but it's worth asking about.

I don't know of any major external funding sources for history MAs. My approach was to visit nigh every history department web site on the internet and apply to those that offered some possibility of funding for masters students.

Yeah, I never had to pay any deposit for my funded MA -- seems a bit unusual to ask for money if they are expecting to fund you. But I guess they're saying it's a possibility... Andean Pat: Yes, hearing their comments made me realize why I wasn't accepted to more programs. But oh well. I only needed one acceptance and am pleased to have three.

The history of emotions. The history of the senses.

Congrats on the acceptance, but... is Temple making you pay tuition for a PhD?

Czesc: The prof's comments were expressed pleasantly, as in 'We thought you would be interesting, though we weren't quite sure exactly what you intended to do.' But I can imagine a similar debate happening at schools where I was rejected... I also mentioned a few possible projects in my SOP (having read that Berkeley essay!), but apparently that was not enough to make me seem normal. (I have a great number of strange and divergent interests but was trying to present myself as being somewhat focused. Lost cause!) Anyway, congrats to the new admits and deciders! I'm not as addicted to this place as I was last month either, but I still like checking in and seeing what's what with the Grad Cafe regulars. It's like we're digital war buddies.

How are everyone's campus visits going? It's been interesting to hear from professors what they thought of my application. One prof said they'd had a debate about me because I'd expressed so many different interests they weren't sure what to make of me. I had thought I'd expressed a fairly narrow set of subfields, but I didn't go so far as to articulate a detailed plan for my dissertation. I was cautioned not to by my MA profs, actually -- in order to demonstrate openness to new ideas. But in retrospect perhaps I swung too far in the other direction and just seemed scattered. Also it's a bit depressing to compare the resources of certain public v. private institutions. Wealthy, private universities have the resources to organize very slick, fancy visits. I won't base my decision on a dog-and-pony show, but I do wonder what other 'extras' those programs might have available for students.