crazedandinfused

Just took the GRE today. 560-660 Q and 750-800 V. I obviously suck at math, but I really liked the verbal and the way the new test is formatted. That said, I don't ever want to take that test again......

Strangelight, you rock. Thank you so much. All my supplemental materials are done (although I'll be tweaking them until midnight, Nov. 31st). I'll email the professor today!

So, would it be within the bounds of propriety to ask the professor whose class I'm currently taking to write me a letter? I'm doing really well in the class, and I'll have all my papers -except for the final one- submitted by the time I ask him. In fact, I'll have my grade before most of the application deadlines. It's just two schools that have a December 1st deadline...

Ok, so I asked a professor whose class i got a B+ in for a letter (in retrospect that was probably a dumb idea) and he was really nice and honest with me about what he could do. He said he would be willing to write one, but that it wouldn't be as strong a letter as I would need. It hurt, but I'd rather get a punch in the stomach now than get 7 rejections in March. My question is: Would it be totally out of line for me to ask a professor whose class I'm currently taking for a letter? Obviously, I would wait until later in the semester (it would really be down to the wire). I'll be able to get three letters without his, but I would really like to get one from a historian.

So I just got my writing sample back from a professor and he slaughtered it!!!!!!! Not the argument itself, nor my understanding of the topic, but he pointed out some stylistic crimes and showed where my understanding of a key concept was quite deficient. I'm quite happy actually, because now I know where to fix it. The first few pages are marked all over in red, but the body of the paper, where I actually demonstrate how the narrative fits with my overall argument, is pretty good. So, I have to read Edmund Morgan and revise....... (history is really fun because it's way more challenging than the social sciences- in my opinion.)

I wonder what percentage of all the applicants are on this board......

At what point in this semester -if at any point at all- would it be ok for me to ask a professor whose class I'm currently taking for a LOR? I would like to have as many historians as possible writing for me..... I could ask him once I get my grade, but that would be past most of my deadlines. Sigh. Also, would it come off as cheesy to say in my SOP that I know that I want to teach and that instead of counting sheep at night I construct various syllabi in my head? Just a thought.

They kill me. I have this terrible habit of reading emails over and over after I send them and by the 6th reading I tend to find no more than one, tiny grammatical error. It's so demoralizing. Anyway..........................

Anyone want to read a very rough draft? I feel like it might be too heavy on the past and not have enough on future plans.......... Also, if there is a professor whose interests align with my own, but hasn't published anything in almost twenty years, should I not mention him as a potential adviser?

Great thanks to everybody. I guess what I'm really struggling with is the issue of specificity. I'm trying to show that while I have very focused interests -even several potential dissertation topics- I'm still interested in pretty much everything. At the same time I don't want to come off as discombobulated. It's a fine line........

I'm actually finding this harder to write than my writing sample. I've already deleted one draft. Any commiseration or suggestions?

Jeez. Chances are you're gonna have to deal with people way more condescending than anyone with the handle Ticklemepink. It was just an attempt to help, I didn't see any condescension. Anyway, one of my letter writers is a retired prof emeritus who doesn't have email. Does anyone know how departments deal with this? I'm thinking I'm gonna have to give him 9 stamped and adressed envelopes and I guess he'll sign the seal? It's amazing -even somewhat admirable- that there are people who still don't have email.

I finished my Master's in International Development (UN/poverty reduction stuff) in April. I took one grad seminar in history as an elective. I did really well on all my papers but never spoke much in seminar, so I got a B+....... I'm taking another seminar now but my grade won't be in by the deadline for all but two of the schools I'm applying to. I'm just getting the normal application season related stress.

Now I'm depressed. I've only taken one graduate history class and I got a B+.... I'm taking another one this semester but my grade won't be posted when I send out my transcripts. Gotta work on my writing sample.

I'm taking the GRE again (I took it in 2008) and I've been having some of the same concerns. It seems like adcoms might view the two scores as comparing apples and oranges... I've been wondering how to address this in my statement of purpose. Any suggestions?

If only we could hibernate.......

It just dawned on me that it will be six months before I even have any idea whether or not I get in anywhere..... I need to stop reading this board!! It'll only get worse in March I suppose.

Any recommendations on what citation style to use? I prefer Chicago style. Also, one school that I'm applying to says not to include a bibliography. Is that for real??

So I'm finishing up my writing sample and it looks like it's going to clock in at about 15 pages without the bibliography. The thing is that the schools I'm applying to have limits in the range of 10-30 pages. I can edit down to ten, but I doubt that I can expand it to thirty without obscuring the argument I want to make... Will it hurt me to submit a fifteen page paper when the limit is 30?

Now I'm starting to get nervous about my LORs.... Since my masters is in a field unrelated to history I will hopefully only have a letter from one historian (the others being from a political scientist and an economist). The history prof I hope to get a letter from is very well known in his field, and is the department chair, but I only got a B+ in his course. I got As on all the papers but I didn't really talk much in seminar. I know he thinks well of me. He told me so and it was on his recommendation that I got admitted to another graduate seminar which I'll be taking this fall. So my questions are: Any advice on how I can secure a stronger letter? I'm taking this upcoming seminar in order to "hone my skills" as it were. (I've always been an introvert) Also, can I ask the prof who I will have this fall for a letter? I wouldn't rely on it because it'd be rather far fetched, but letters from historians would always be better. Is it beyond the bounds of propriety to ask on such short notice and acquaintance?

Ok, so it's getting closer to application season and I am starting to fret about taking the GRE again. I took it a few years ago and I got really lousy scores: 590 V 540 Q 4.5 AW. However, in the meantime I got a Master's in a field totally unrelated to History (International Development. Don't ask.). Should I bother re-taking the test? I'm leaning towards doing it but it's gonna be a pain...............

I'm now thinking about taking a full semester of undergraduate history classes in the fall as a way to boost my application. I definitely want to take the undergrad writing seminar in order to fine-tune my writing sample and level the playing field somewhat with applicants who have a BA in history. Would this help? Or would taking undergraduate classes once I already have an advanced degree look bad or like I was trying too hard? Is there even such a thing as trying too hard?

Very interesting. I would love to go to Yale and I think my interests do really fit in there. I guess I have yet another question about "aligned research interests". I assume that there is some latitude; that if a professor has published on, say, 19th century intellectual history, then he or she would be willing to work on the cultural dynamics/modes of expression of black abolitionist thought... Obviously the closer the fit the better, but am I correct in my assumption that they will crawl out of their comfort zones a little? (Thanks to everyone for their help. It's really great to finally know what I want to do with my career, and any advice to guide me through the complicated process of applying is much appreciated.)

Ok, great thanks. I think I'm on to something. I had really been trying to write a dissertation when all I need (I THINK) is an article which shows that I can use primary sources to address a historical question/thesis. Am I correct in thinking this? Also, if anyone has any tips on getting LORs without irritating professors I would really appreciate it. I feel like every time I've gotten a letter I was pulling teeth. Was that just professorial crankiness?

Your point about MA funding is really useful. I have read an anthology from 2005 which directly addresses the my topic of interest and describes it as essentially a wide open field. So I have an idea of where I want to go, I guess I'm just grappling with how big a subject I should tackle. I don't want to try to tackle a dissertation sized subject in an article, but I also want to say something important. Parsimony can be so elusive.