NoirFemme

I should have put (African) Americanist! I'm concerned with the presence of AAs in Europe during WW1 (maybe 2) and how that influenced their responses to the Cold War. Plus, AAs and communism, and racism and US foreign policy. But the advice about the types of primary sources I might use is a great point. Thanks!

To elaborate on the self-explanatory title: I have one language--reading proficiency--under my belt (French), but I'm waffling over the second because I don't know which one I'll need. Two of my academic interests are WWI and the Cold War. For the former, German is a no-brainer. But would I need to know Russian for the Cold War? (I'm a 20th century Americanist btw)

First I'd ask you if you're reading books by current scholars in modern Spanish history (and your particular field of emphasis). If you're not, then you need to get books and see where the authors teach. I hesitate to say this, because getting a PhD from Yale or UCLA is a big deal; however, you're going to be looking at the schools that have established faculty in your field of study (say you study Spain during Franco years, nationalism, and queer studies...it'd be foolish to only aim at top tier schools if nobody is doing the research on any aspect of this). So in a nutshell, yes, you are going to be scrolling through the websites--not only to look at the faculty, but current grad students, and completed dissertations. Have you also thought about studying in Spain? Or overseas in general? You might find stronger programs over there.

I disagree that public history is less academic. The field applies history methodology to the dissemination of the topic to the public (plus public history theory). My undergrad program in public history required the same coursework as non-ph students. Those who decided to specialize in public history took those extra classes and went out "in the field" to gain hands-on experience. We write papers, present at conferences, etc just like traditional historians. And the bonus to being a public historian is that it is flexible and multidisciplinary--we get to attend AHA, OHA, NCPH, AAM, ALA, et al conferences based on our field of study. OP, I'm not sure about whether switching is terribly common, but I think you're on the right track. Mostly because the museum field is more about experience than a degree. Having that history background--and a specific historical topic--while interning or volunteering during your studies will make you more competitive in the job market. Make sure that you execute actual projects or tasks rather than do busy work or basic work that the curator leaves you alone to do (like cleaning artifacts, lol). Examples would be assisting with every step of creating, researching and mounting an exhibition. Doing community outreach. Guest speaking about the topics. Presenting your research/methods at museum conferences. Museum professionals mean well, but the prospect of free labor from grad students who are just happy to work in a museum, can lead to them not feeling it's important to train you as a museum professional. This is your career and education, and you are their (future) colleague.

If you're hoping another language will boost your grad application, I would advise you show it in your writing sample. Grad schools want you to have reading/translation skills more so than conversational. Instead of the language class, teach yourself to translate Italian texts (relevant to your research, of course) into English.

Do people who complain about Sanders' college education plan realize that a little less than 40% of Americans have a two- or four-year degrees? Most people drop out because they can't afford to put in full time units in order to get out within 4-5 years; they need to work. It's the height of selfishness (and is ironically quite elitist) to begrudge the thought of free undergraduate education. **** "Nearly 40 percent of working-aged Americans now hold a college degree, according to a new report from the Lumina Foundation. In 2012, 39.4 percent of Americans between 25 and 64 had at least a two-year college degree. That was up from 38.7 percent in 2011, the largest single year gain since 2008. But Lumina is promoting a college degree attainment goal of 60 percent by 2025 and the current upward trend isn’t happening fast enough to get us there. Who gets a college degree is still starkly divided by race – 27.6 percent of blacks, 23.4 percent of Native Americans and 19.8 percent of Latinos hold at least a two-year degree, compared to 43.9 percent of whites and 59.4 percent of Asians. There are signs this gap could narrow in the future. The percent of black and Latino enrolling college saw big increases between 2011 and 2012. In 2012, 67.1 percent of recent black high school grads enrolled in college, compared to 62 percent in 2011. Meanwhile, college enrollment for recent Latino high school grads went from 59.7 to 66.6 percent. With more Americans headed to college, the findings of a new Gallup poll may be unsurprising. Paying for college expenses is themost common financial challenge facing those between the ages of 18 and 49." http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/percentage-americans-college-degrees-rises-paying-degrees-tops-financial-challenges/

If you're learning another language for PhD reading/translation requirements, I strongly advise that you not take regular classes, buy software, or join clubs. I struggled badly with a French translation class because I kept trying to fit the instruction into my previous French language course experience. Reading for translation is a completely different skill than learning how to speak the language. Go to Amazon and find books on "[insert language] for Reading." You need to know the grammar rules and vocabulary for your field more so than understanding it like a foreign language speaker. Practicing translating German into English, and checking the accuracy will help you the best.

Easy: which school has faculty you want to work with? Which school has a relationship with 20th century US historic sites and museums, or 20th C material culture scholars? Which school is located in a place where, if they don't have a super strong relationship with your interest, you can easily access opportunities yourself? Your list and academic interest is similar to my own. But do you have plans to apply to the Winterthur program in material culture at Delaware? It's a fully funded MA from what I've seen on the website, and you work in the Winterthur Museum.

That is not a lot for the LA area--or Southern California in general. And you need a car down here. Zillow and HotPads are trusted sources. However, I'm sure USC has a network for finding roomates. With just 19k, you're looking at spending about $500/month in order to live somewhat comfortably. Maybe $600. Your monthly budget will be squeezed tightly if you go over that. I would highly recommend you live as close to campus as possible if you don't have transportation.

That depends on what you mean by "American"? ^^