Bearclaw

Someone who is already in a Ph.D. program might be in a better position to answer this, but my impression is that it's not something you need to worry about right now. I would see how things play out in the first year and go from there. You might e-mail Prof. X and see if he/she would be interested in working together with Prof. Y, but right now, I don't think it's that much of an issue.

If you're more interested in memory than the war itself, you might consider Fitz Brundage at UNC. His work is all New South era and later, but he is one of the leaders in the study of southern memory. You should also look at Joan Waugh at UCLA. University of Georgia has a solid CW/Reconstruction program, and the rumblings I've heard indicate that they are about to make a big push in that area. UGA isn't Yale or Penn State, but it is already better than Alabama.

If you only read Mumbet's comments, you are likely to get a skewed vision of Louisville. He is right that there are times and places that are not as safe as you might like, but I have spent a lot of time in the city, and I've never had a problem. If you are walking in Old Louisville at night, you should be alert, but the odds of you getting mugged are pretty slim. I lived in Old Louisville for about 6 months (at Cardinal Village, which I would recommend if you want to be close to campus and don't mind a kind of generic apartment), and I never had any issues, but I did know people whose cars were broken into. That is something to be aware of. But, all of these problems are limited to Old Louisville. If you live east of campus, you'll be fine. Also, no one has mentioned living in Clifton/Crescent Hill, which are along Frankfort Ave. Both of those are nice neighborhoods, and usually, you can find some decent prices on rent. Both neighborhoods are starting to get more expensive, but it's still affordable. As someone else mentioned, the Highlands (around Bardstown Road) is a great neighborhood and not far from campus. And, Germantown is an area that is starting to become nicer, particularly if you can find something on the right streets (usually between Eastern Pkwy and Oak St., northeast of Burnett). For all of those areas, you'll have to drive to campus, but you'll be near, if not right in the middle of, the best places to eat, drink, shop, etc. I would avoid living anywhere very far outside of the Watterson Expressway (I-264) because of the commute, unless you have a particular affinity for malls, big box stores and chain restaurants. Like I said, I have been in Louisville for a long time (almost 9 years), and it's a great city. If you are considering going to U of L, living in Louisville is a bonus, not a drawback.

Agreed. I did my MA at a public university in the South with no real reputation for history, but the faculty was great. They were always encouraging and willing to talk with me about my research, even after I graduated, and they were happy to help when I applied to Ph.D. programs. At the MA level, I think the faculty and especially the quality of your work are more important than the name on the school.

I applied to Penn and haven't heard anything one way or the other.

I was one of the first two to post. As for funding, I'm not sure how the package compares to previous years, but they made what I think is a competitive offer.

I am an early Americanist. As far as I can tell, my status hasn't changed on the Davis website.