nevermind

Now I see the condescension of the other poster was referring to. I didn't say that marketability was the ONLY factor to consider writing a dissertation on, but it is one of many factors that need to be considered. You don't want to propose an outmoded topic just like you don't want to propose a faddish topic just to cash in on the "trend". People should be working with their advisors on this (and I said "or other people in your university or departments who know you" precisely because I acknowledge that not everybody has a great relationship with their advisor). 

Thanks for your unsolicited feedback. Yes, I do "other things" in order to be successful. There are many ways of networking and cultivating interpersonal relationships, but "going out to bars" every weekend with your cohort doesn't have to be one of them. 

I know you didn't. The OP mentioned this in her post and I was providing what has worked for me as an alternative. I was offering my perspective as an older student and did not ask for your advice or judgement. 

I know you didn't. The OP mentioned this in her post and I was providing what has worked for me as an alternative. I was offering my perspective as an older student and did not ask for your advice or judgement. 

Thanks for your unsolicited feedback. Yes, I do "other things" in order to be successful. There are many ways of networking and cultivating interpersonal relationships, but "going out to bars" every weekend with your cohort doesn't have to be one of them. 

I know you didn't. The OP mentioned this in her post and I was providing what has worked for me as an alternative. I was offering my perspective as an older student and did not ask for your advice or judgement. 

I know you didn't. The OP mentioned this in her post and I was providing what has worked for me as an alternative. I was offering my perspective as an older student and did not ask for your advice or judgement. 

Thanks for your unsolicited feedback. Yes, I do "other things" in order to be successful. There are many ways of networking and cultivating interpersonal relationships, but "going out to bars" every weekend with your cohort doesn't have to be one of them. 

I know you didn't. The OP mentioned this in her post and I was providing what has worked for me as an alternative. I was offering my perspective as an older student and did not ask for your advice or judgement. 

I know you didn't. The OP mentioned this in her post and I was providing what has worked for me as an alternative. I was offering my perspective as an older student and did not ask for your advice or judgement. 

I know you didn't. The OP mentioned this in her post and I was providing what has worked for me as an alternative. I was offering my perspective as an older student and did not ask for your advice or judgement. 

Thanks for your unsolicited feedback. Yes, I do "other things" in order to be successful. There are many ways of networking and cultivating interpersonal relationships, but "going out to bars" every weekend with your cohort doesn't have to be one of them. 

Thanks for your unsolicited feedback. Yes, I do "other things" in order to be successful. There are many ways of networking and cultivating interpersonal relationships, but "going out to bars" every weekend with your cohort doesn't have to be one of them. 

I know you didn't. The OP mentioned this in her post and I was providing what has worked for me as an alternative. I was offering my perspective as an older student and did not ask for your advice or judgement. 

Thanks for your unsolicited feedback. Yes, I do "other things" in order to be successful. There are many ways of networking and cultivating interpersonal relationships, but "going out to bars" every weekend with your cohort doesn't have to be one of them. 

I know you didn't. The OP mentioned this in her post and I was providing what has worked for me as an alternative. I was offering my perspective as an older student and did not ask for your advice or judgement. 

Thanks for your unsolicited feedback. Yes, I do "other things" in order to be successful. There are many ways of networking and cultivating interpersonal relationships, but "going out to bars" every weekend with your cohort doesn't have to be one of them. 

Thanks for your unsolicited feedback. Yes, I do "other things" in order to be successful. There are many ways of networking and cultivating interpersonal relationships, but "going out to bars" every weekend with your cohort doesn't have to be one of them. 

I consider the PhD program as my workplace. I show up to class, am (hopefully) collegial to my colleagues, but I leave campus and go home...I'm not really involved in departmental drama (sometimes people fill me in, but I honestly don't know much). I focus on my work and keep it at that. I have a boyfriend who moved with me across the country and a dog...so when I'm not working, I spend time with them. I have a "social life" with them, but not really with my department. My colleagues know me in class and in a professional setting and I keep it that way. I'm 35 and, at the end of the day, I have different priorities than someone in their late 20's (e.g. finishing by the time I'm 40!).

Honestly, your GPA is only one component of the process and your GRE scores are high enough to compensate past any gatekeepers. If you have great LORs, conferences under your belt, and a strong SOP, I don't understand why you wouldn't at least be competitive for Master's programs, if not some Ph.D. programs. 
I had a really low uGPA too (2.8) due to illness, but did a Master's degree and did really well. I did ANOTHER Master's degree on top of that at an Ivy and did really well again. Now I'm in a top 20-30 Ph.D. program (and top 5 for my subdiscipline) for my field (I also received the highest amount of funding in my program). You have a future in academia as long as you're willing to consider alternative ways of pursuing your research than straight to Ph.D., and as long as you keep coming up with the money to do the requisite stuff to put on your CV (for me, that was some research overseas and language training). I also had a  waaaay lower quant GRE than you and a 165 verbal, so don't count yourself out yet.

Totally, the admission process can be really challenging! You mentioned in the original post that you didn't have a research topic yet, so that was what I was basing my advice on. I think your method of reading papers related to your areas of interest and see who's publishing in that arena is a good way to go. Depending on your theoretical/methodological commitments, you might also check out sociology and geography programs as well.

Serious question: if you don't know what kind of history you're interested in studying, why are you applying to grad school to study history? Sounds to me like it might be useful to take some time off, have some other experiences outside school, and apply to grad school when you have a clearer sense of what you want to do.

Some advice for your summers:
Take at least 2-3 weeks (I would suggest the entire month of August) where you do no academic work whatsoever. No writing, no journals, no books. Travel, catch up on that novel you've been wanting to read, or binge on some Netflix. I know you're excited to get started and organized and are ready to go into it at a million miles an hour, but this is a marathon, and this summer is the last chance you'll have for that kind of vacation - forever, maybe. Enjoy it, and show up relaxed. 

Yes. Here we actually throw a festival to celebrate the undergrads leaving. I can't wait for campus to be as empty as it was last summer!

Pitching in just to say congrats to everyone who had a successful cycle, and hugs and wisdom to those heading back in next year. The attached comic is my favourite, and is precisely what happened to me this cycle. Rejected from Duke and Chicago, wasn't able to get off the waitlist at Columbia, but I ended up getting an offer from NYU so I will be heading there and could not be happier with how everything worked out. Still a little overwhelmed with the idea of NYC, and sad to say goodbye to Canada, but going to work, read, and prep this summer once I've finished my undergraduate thesis.