nevermind

this is the correct answer.

If you want a solid guide to writing an email to a POI, read this: http://theprofessorisin.com/tag/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-professor/

I'm seeing this post late, but I was running about 9 - 12 miles when I lived in Ithaca. It does suck getting up in the mornings, but my general route was around campus (going up through Cayuga Heights > back to campus > around campus > botanical gardens). I don't generally love running, but I really enjoyed it when I was there--just due to a lot of varying landscapes. Sometimes, losing the motivation, I'd just run 2 miles down the hill and go to Sweet Melissa's and then take the bus back to campus.

Download the Magoosh flashcards if you have a smart phone and drill through the sets. You might be able to raise your score to the 150s if you just drill vocab between now and then. Other than that, with two weeks time, I really don't know what else to tell you.

You should read The Sokal Hoax.

FWIW, I decided last year to apply to seven departments, emailing 3 professors directly at schools and leaving 4 alone (functioning as a type of control group, I suppose). I had really positive responses from each of the 3 POI that I contacted, but ultimately I didn't get into any of their programs. (One did send me a handwritten note on my rejection saying that they simply didn't have funding for me this year, but they are extremely interested in my work and to keep them posted, etc.) Instead, I was contacted by a professor whose work aligns strongly with mine and was ultimately accepted to a school where I had no previous connections. I'm not saying this is typical (or atypical) for anyone, but I wouldn't worry about it either way. In my case, contact with a POI seemed to get my application looked at a little more closely, but it certainly was far from a guarantee of admission. If you want a solid guide to writing an email to a POI, read this: http://theprofessorisin.com/tag/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-professor/

They don't have semesters. It's a quarter system...the academic year will go into mid-June. Hope your classes are going well @Neist!

Anyone else starting at UCSD? Any information about orientation on the 14th (it doesn't look like the webpage is updated).

Well, I moved to San Diego and I am getting settled into my apartment. Classes seem to have started for everyone else, but at UCSD, grad orientation isn't even until the 14th and classes don't start until the 22nd. I totaled the front end of my car on the cross-country drive, so now I'm going to be taking a motorcycle safety class this week so I can buy a scooter. Stress? What stress?

I primarily use Google Docs because it automatically saves every couple of minutes. For regular papers for classes, it's fine. When I need to use something that is more user friendly for reference materials, I'll consider something else.

The only thing(s) I'm doing are: 1. Making a 5 year plan (as suggested in "The Professor is In"), which basically tracks deadlines of important research proposals/funding opportunities. 2. Some light reading regarding a core class I'm taking in the fall. (Reading the assigned texts / articles, so I have more time to devote to other things once I'm in the program.) 3. Brushing up on my foreign languages. But really, nothing major. I'm just enjoying my last summer (except I also work) before my Ph.D., so I don't burn out and don't hate my life.

I haven't taken them online through Hebrew University. I might suggest (if you can swing it) applying through the Middlebury Hebrew intensive program if you're looking learning modern hebrew. Middlebury has a lot of teachers from Brandeis who have produced their own modern Hebrew textbooks. I'm assuming HU uses the text "ivrit min hachathala" (Hebrew from Scratch), which is difficult to do without a classroom experience. (I'm pretty sure that's the text they use in Ulpan on campus, at least it was a few years ago.) I've done both Hebrew and Aramaic, and if you have a solid foundation in Biblical Hebrew, you can probably walk yourself through Greenspahn's text pretty easily. Honestly, if you're solid in those three languages, I'd wait until you're in a PhD program and have someone else pay you to learn them (through FLAS or other grants), rather than taking money to do it on your own.

I took an idea I had in a former paper and re-wrote a new paper about *just* that idea. It was about accounting for scientific knowledge as part of the Zionist exploration (survey of land) to East Africa in 1903-1905, rather than solely viewing Zionism as a product of romanticism, utopianism, nationalism, (and all the other isms). It turned out to be about 20 pages, but I also am an independent scholar right now (no access to an academic library), so to give it a really good treatment, it should probably be longer. My adviser (who interviewed me) commented at length about my paper and even told me that it is "where Jewish Studies is heading and it is what Jewish Studies should be", so I felt that was a high compliment for something that I spent 3 weeks night/day writing (I couldn't decide on a topic...which made my October/November of last year really, really stressful). I did a basic introduction of the topic >brief literature review (and my criticisms of the works) > my point of view > conclusion.

Yes. Go with the one that funds you.

Come to UCSD!!! We can be in the colloquium together!

UCSD! I received a great funding package...but...trying to find a place (that's dog friendly) is stressing me out. Hoping to go out in June to get the logistics of the move finalized. I wish I could fast-forward these next few months of figuring out deposits/moving/downsizing and just start with classes already.

Even in my program (ranked 20-30, depending on source), there was about a 10% acceptance rate for our cohort (not sure what the yield rate is)...200 students applied, 20 accepted. Out of 13 (or so) on visit day, only one person was directly from undergrad, with all of us having a grad school degree + international experience (field work or industry). I wouldn't bank on a school ranked in the #30s being a "backup" school by any stretch of the imagination. Apply to places where about 3 people are doing work related to what you want to do, and make sure your methodological inquires fit as well.

I second this suggestion. I think international experience is extremely valued in the admissions cycle and it can really help you think of more specific intellectual questions for your SOP.

Don't take out loans to do an MA. Go with the funded Master's program, if you can't get funding at option 2. Spending 2 years in a rural environment isn't bad and you can hopefully move to a Ph.D. in a city (and with faculty) that excites you.

Yay @Neist! That sounds like a great deal (especially saving money from moving)! I bet you'll have a lot more opportunities open up for you, especially since you'll work directly with faculty who are (likely) already familiar with your work.

How do you see religion playing a role in your research should dictate where you apply to programs. I suspect the reason you've been recommended "religious studies" departments is that your inquiries have focused on your past research and you've not really clearly communicated your research goals as a historian. This is an important point to consider because if you make this "mistake" in your SOP, you'll likely get rejected from history programs who may think you'd be better suited for religious studies. FWIW, my interests are in religion as well (but not American History) and I have a pretty extensive background in it...however, in my graduate work, the "religious" aspect is definitely not theological in nature and isn't a primary focus...it simply helps contextualize my "historical" research. For example... I don't say: "I'm interested in tracing Judaism and its Other in the making of modern-state Israel/Palestine." (religious studies focused) I *do* say: "I'm interested in how the development of water technology contributes to the making of modern-state Israel/Palestine (1880-present)." (historical focus...specifically, history of science) I hope that example is helpful. --- Some programs to check out might be: (but this is simply from a quick Google search...you may have scholars in mind that you want to work with) Notre Dame (http://history.nd.edu/graduate-programs/areas-of-study/) with a strength in American / Religious History Baylor (http://www.baylor.edu/History/index.php?id=7728) Chicago (https://divinity.uchicago.edu/religions-america) FSU (https://religion.fsu.edu/graduate_phd.html) Yale (http://religiousstudies.yale.edu/academics/fields-study/american-religious-history)

Here are some places to start: http://www.sts.rpi.edu/pl/science-studies-reading-list http://depts.washington.edu/hssexec/library_list.html

Congrats @ladyobscure

Which program did you decide on, @Neist? How was the admit day? I just got back from UCSD and am super excited about their program so I am officially accepting their offer. I finally received my Oregon rejection, but with a nice note from my POI who was interested in my project, but just didn't have funding to offer me this year. So, my Ph.D. admissions cycle is at an end. I'm really glad that I'm finished, got in somewhere, and never have to take the GRE again.

I did a lot of Verbal Reasoning sets and found Kaplan's to be one of the worst because (often times) their choices didn't make that much sense. I even googled why it was confusing and came across Magoosh's best book list which helped me pinpoint my frustrations...so I'd consider ditching Kaplan for one of the "Best" books on their list (if possible). http://magoosh.com/gre/2014/gre-book-reviews-2015/ FWIW = For what it's worth.