narple

I had a slightly different experience at MAPSS. To be sure MAPSS isn’t for everyone but it fit my circumstances and I did NOT take out 50k. RE: the disappointment with the program, I think it’s avoided if you really know what you are getting. I posted the following under History, but will post here too.
TL;DR types sorry skim the paragraphs to find the pertinent information for [you]
I've written this in email form twice now and thought I would post it here as well. It caters towards undergrads considering the program directly out of school, so ignore bits that are irrelevant to [you] and forgive the familiar language.   Just to give you some background, I was in the MAPSS program for 2016-2017: concentrating in history. I finished my thesis in August 2017 and am in the process of doing PhD apps for 2018-2019 while working.   I will begin with the standard cautionary advice: graduate degrees are career choices. If you are not certain about your career path then you should not consider investing the time or money that an MA will demand of you until you do. If your thoughts change over the course of an MA (which is statistically likely), you might be putting yourself in a position to either not be able to pursue the path you end up wanting or setting yourself up for paying for grad school twice. Many come directly into the program from undergrad, and fewer waited a few years before returning to school. This may be personal bias, but I believe those who waited, performed better and came out of the program in a better position to achieve their career goals. This is ultimately the goal of an MA degree, to put yourself in the best possible for your future career, albeit for doing something you are passionate about. That being said, it doesn’t really matter if this is what you want to do and please disregard this advice. (I was given the same advice by many, I took some time but always knew I would return to grad school to pursue academic work, even when job prospects are not good).   In general MA programs are shit. Not because you don’t learn anything, but because they are used by universities to fund their other programs. This is a fact and MAPSS is not different.  It is also true that they are necessary prep programs for many jobs, in this sense they are more similar to an MBA, MPP, or JD program. Some will say you should never pay for graduate school. I agree that you shouldn’t unless you have reason to. If you need what the program offers then pay. It’s just a question of whether or not it is right for you. MAPSS offers a lot of things, and it is cheaper than many other programs, which is why I chose it. It is not a free ticket, it costs money and will require you to be next to anti-social for 9 months to do well.   My impressions would be that the program is fast-paced, but manageable. The program is on a quarter system, so basically the two/three lazy weeks you are used to at the beginning of semesters don’t exist you just gotta be on it from the beginning. This is an adjustment but fairly easy particularly if you are intentional about choosing your courses (3 per quarter). As a history concentrator you will choose a seminar that will last two quarters (fall and winter). The seminar professor will also be your adviser for your thesis and your seminar paper is usually a first, very rough draft of half your thesis. So this is set up quite nicely cause it forces you to start work early. You will also have to take Perspectives (boring AF, but not difficult) and a Methods class--most likely Historical or Ethnographic Methods. This leaves you with 5 other courses that you can pick and choose from across all graduate level courses, professional schools included. The program is fairly generous with funding. I was initially offered 1/3 scholarship, but after writing a short 1 page summary of my continued work towards my goals, I was able to get 1/2 scholarship. Some get 2/3 and maybe one or two people get full. This is fairly rare for MA programs from what I know.   In terms of staff of the program i.e. your preceptor/advisor, it varies about how committed they are. I don’t feel that I was disregarded, but I definitely had to initiate the relationship (send emails, go to office hours, etc). As one of a cohort of about 250 students, you need to make sure claim the attention you need. I think this is more a feature of graduate school and less the program. It also makes a huge difference about the amount of footwork you do: going to the library early, having research ideas, and knowing some of the historiography before you meet with people makes them more productive meetings, and will show advisers that you deserve their attention. It will also put you in a better position to graduate in June. (It isn’t necessary to graduate in June, most don’t, but it is a huge relief if you can finish in 9 months...I did not.)    I will say the program is not for everyone. I think it really depends on what you want out of the degree. For me, I was transitioning from philosophy to wanting to pursue a history PhD. So it allowed me to get the necessary coursework I needed and also allowed me to work with leading professors in my field and more broadly in historical methodologies. Having these recommenders for a PhD program will significantly improve the competitiveness of my application to “top” PhD programs. Some needed a better institution name on their resume (shitty but unfortunately a reality for many career types). Others needed to gain specific coding languages, math, lab experience, or interview/qualitative research skills depending on their fields. Knowing what you might be needing ahead of time is to your benefit, as the program is short and you won’t want to waste one of your 8 courses on something not worth your time/money. I would look at possible job listings/PhD programs you might want to have and look at the skills they are asking for and then take courses/find volunteer and work opportunities during the MAPSS year to prepare you for them. Also look at the people who have the job you want and look at their CV/resume.    It’s a one-year program which is good for the pocket book and a quick turn around, but not so good for forming relationships, both with others in your cohort and profs. It also means that by the time you are entering you already need to be planning for your next year, which isn’t the easiest task with a full course load and managing your thesis. Also people’s minds change as a result of their research, some decide they no longer want to do PhD others who never considered it apply the following year. If you are considering a PhD you will have a gap year between the end of MAPSS and the beginning of your school year. Those who began figuring out job applications and writing cover letters etc. in Feb/March were much more successful immediately after school. I was fortunate to find a part-time job that helped me work on applications but still gave me enough to live on and the benefits to take language courses at the University.    I have mostly talked about how it relates to extended graduate school careers, but many come to the program for a quick MA from a good school. They leave with excellent job offers (if they put in the right hours for job searches) and are better qualified to pursue what they want. I will say that these options favor those in the harder social sciences (Econ, Sociology, Poli Sci.). I would make sure the program/courses/professors (department websites) offer you want you need. Particularly professors, you need to be able to identify someone you could write a thesis with.   UChicago people can be super pretentious and believe the brand name gives them a right to the privilege it affords. This is shitty and so are the people that think it, but it is true that it gives you a little extra that will help you in whatever your pursuits are. For me, I paid to have access to excellent professors and prep me for grad a PhD and my envisioned career path. Worst case, I was appropriately trained to enter an IR-peace/conflict think tank and find employment that way.  I could have gone to a PhD program, but I had a not so good funding package which hurt to think about. I wouldn’t have been able to get in to recognized programs from my small liberal arts school without an MA. It isn’t that it's an inferior school to other big name institutions, it is just really small and I didn’t have the necessary experiences while there. So for me the program was worth it, but it wasn’t for some of my friends.    Bottomline: you have to decide if the program is worth it for your goals. But if you are interested in an MA and the program offers what you want, it is definitely worth an application. Weigh your options, living expenses, cost of attendance with other programs and then decide. If you get a full ride else where go there, if not you could def do worse than MAPSS.

I had a slightly different experience at MAPSS. To be sure MAPSS isn’t for everyone but it fit my circumstances and I did NOT take out 50k. RE: the disappointment with the program, I think it’s avoided if you really know what you are getting. I posted the following under History, but will post here too.
TL;DR types sorry skim the paragraphs to find the pertinent information for [you]
I've written this in email form twice now and thought I would post it here as well. It caters towards undergrads considering the program directly out of school, so ignore bits that are irrelevant to [you] and forgive the familiar language.   Just to give you some background, I was in the MAPSS program for 2016-2017: concentrating in history. I finished my thesis in August 2017 and am in the process of doing PhD apps for 2018-2019 while working.   I will begin with the standard cautionary advice: graduate degrees are career choices. If you are not certain about your career path then you should not consider investing the time or money that an MA will demand of you until you do. If your thoughts change over the course of an MA (which is statistically likely), you might be putting yourself in a position to either not be able to pursue the path you end up wanting or setting yourself up for paying for grad school twice. Many come directly into the program from undergrad, and fewer waited a few years before returning to school. This may be personal bias, but I believe those who waited, performed better and came out of the program in a better position to achieve their career goals. This is ultimately the goal of an MA degree, to put yourself in the best possible for your future career, albeit for doing something you are passionate about. That being said, it doesn’t really matter if this is what you want to do and please disregard this advice. (I was given the same advice by many, I took some time but always knew I would return to grad school to pursue academic work, even when job prospects are not good).   In general MA programs are shit. Not because you don’t learn anything, but because they are used by universities to fund their other programs. This is a fact and MAPSS is not different.  It is also true that they are necessary prep programs for many jobs, in this sense they are more similar to an MBA, MPP, or JD program. Some will say you should never pay for graduate school. I agree that you shouldn’t unless you have reason to. If you need what the program offers then pay. It’s just a question of whether or not it is right for you. MAPSS offers a lot of things, and it is cheaper than many other programs, which is why I chose it. It is not a free ticket, it costs money and will require you to be next to anti-social for 9 months to do well.   My impressions would be that the program is fast-paced, but manageable. The program is on a quarter system, so basically the two/three lazy weeks you are used to at the beginning of semesters don’t exist you just gotta be on it from the beginning. This is an adjustment but fairly easy particularly if you are intentional about choosing your courses (3 per quarter). As a history concentrator you will choose a seminar that will last two quarters (fall and winter). The seminar professor will also be your adviser for your thesis and your seminar paper is usually a first, very rough draft of half your thesis. So this is set up quite nicely cause it forces you to start work early. You will also have to take Perspectives (boring AF, but not difficult) and a Methods class--most likely Historical or Ethnographic Methods. This leaves you with 5 other courses that you can pick and choose from across all graduate level courses, professional schools included. The program is fairly generous with funding. I was initially offered 1/3 scholarship, but after writing a short 1 page summary of my continued work towards my goals, I was able to get 1/2 scholarship. Some get 2/3 and maybe one or two people get full. This is fairly rare for MA programs from what I know.   In terms of staff of the program i.e. your preceptor/advisor, it varies about how committed they are. I don’t feel that I was disregarded, but I definitely had to initiate the relationship (send emails, go to office hours, etc). As one of a cohort of about 250 students, you need to make sure claim the attention you need. I think this is more a feature of graduate school and less the program. It also makes a huge difference about the amount of footwork you do: going to the library early, having research ideas, and knowing some of the historiography before you meet with people makes them more productive meetings, and will show advisers that you deserve their attention. It will also put you in a better position to graduate in June. (It isn’t necessary to graduate in June, most don’t, but it is a huge relief if you can finish in 9 months...I did not.)    I will say the program is not for everyone. I think it really depends on what you want out of the degree. For me, I was transitioning from philosophy to wanting to pursue a history PhD. So it allowed me to get the necessary coursework I needed and also allowed me to work with leading professors in my field and more broadly in historical methodologies. Having these recommenders for a PhD program will significantly improve the competitiveness of my application to “top” PhD programs. Some needed a better institution name on their resume (shitty but unfortunately a reality for many career types). Others needed to gain specific coding languages, math, lab experience, or interview/qualitative research skills depending on their fields. Knowing what you might be needing ahead of time is to your benefit, as the program is short and you won’t want to waste one of your 8 courses on something not worth your time/money. I would look at possible job listings/PhD programs you might want to have and look at the skills they are asking for and then take courses/find volunteer and work opportunities during the MAPSS year to prepare you for them. Also look at the people who have the job you want and look at their CV/resume.    It’s a one-year program which is good for the pocket book and a quick turn around, but not so good for forming relationships, both with others in your cohort and profs. It also means that by the time you are entering you already need to be planning for your next year, which isn’t the easiest task with a full course load and managing your thesis. Also people’s minds change as a result of their research, some decide they no longer want to do PhD others who never considered it apply the following year. If you are considering a PhD you will have a gap year between the end of MAPSS and the beginning of your school year. Those who began figuring out job applications and writing cover letters etc. in Feb/March were much more successful immediately after school. I was fortunate to find a part-time job that helped me work on applications but still gave me enough to live on and the benefits to take language courses at the University.    I have mostly talked about how it relates to extended graduate school careers, but many come to the program for a quick MA from a good school. They leave with excellent job offers (if they put in the right hours for job searches) and are better qualified to pursue what they want. I will say that these options favor those in the harder social sciences (Econ, Sociology, Poli Sci.). I would make sure the program/courses/professors (department websites) offer you want you need. Particularly professors, you need to be able to identify someone you could write a thesis with.   UChicago people can be super pretentious and believe the brand name gives them a right to the privilege it affords. This is shitty and so are the people that think it, but it is true that it gives you a little extra that will help you in whatever your pursuits are. For me, I paid to have access to excellent professors and prep me for grad a PhD and my envisioned career path. Worst case, I was appropriately trained to enter an IR-peace/conflict think tank and find employment that way.  I could have gone to a PhD program, but I had a not so good funding package which hurt to think about. I wouldn’t have been able to get in to recognized programs from my small liberal arts school without an MA. It isn’t that it's an inferior school to other big name institutions, it is just really small and I didn’t have the necessary experiences while there. So for me the program was worth it, but it wasn’t for some of my friends.    Bottomline: you have to decide if the program is worth it for your goals. But if you are interested in an MA and the program offers what you want, it is definitely worth an application. Weigh your options, living expenses, cost of attendance with other programs and then decide. If you get a full ride else where go there, if not you could def do worse than MAPSS.

I've written this in email form twice now and thought I would post it here as well. It caters towards undergrads considering the program directly out of school, so ignore bits that are irrelevant to [you] and forgive the familiar language.   Just to give you some background, I was in the MAPSS program for 2016-2017: concentrating in history. I finished my thesis in August 2017 and am in the process of doing PhD apps for 2018-2019 while working.   I will begin with the standard cautionary advice: graduate degrees are career choices. If you are not certain about your career path then you should not consider investing the time or money that an MA will demand of you until you do. If your thoughts change over the course of an MA (which is statistically likely), you might be putting yourself in a position to either not be able to pursue the path you end up wanting or setting yourself up for paying for grad school twice. Many come directly into the program from undergrad, and fewer waited a few years before returning to school. This may be personal bias, but I believe those who waited, performed better and came out of the program in a better position to achieve their career goals. This is ultimately the goal of an MA degree, to put yourself in the best possible for your future career, albeit for doing something you are passionate about. That being said, it doesn’t really matter if this is what you want to do and please disregard this advice. (I was given the same advice by many, I took some time but always knew I would return to grad school to pursue academic work, even when job prospects are not good).   In general MA programs are shit. Not because you don’t learn anything, but because they are used by universities to fund their other programs. This is a fact and MAPSS is not different.  It is also true that they are necessary prep programs for many jobs, in this sense they are more similar to an MBA, MPP, or JD program. Some will say you should never pay for graduate school. I agree that you shouldn’t unless you have reason to. If you need what the program offers then pay. It’s just a question of whether or not it is right for you. MAPSS offers a lot of things, and it is cheaper than many other programs, which is why I chose it. It is not a free ticket, it costs money and will require you to be next to anti-social for 9 months to do well.   My impressions would be that the program is fast-paced, but manageable. The program is on a quarter system, so basically the two/three lazy weeks you are used to at the beginning of semesters don’t exist you just gotta be on it from the beginning. This is an adjustment but fairly easy particularly if you are intentional about choosing your courses (3 per quarter). As a history concentrator you will choose a seminar that will last two quarters (fall and winter). The seminar professor will also be your adviser for your thesis and your seminar paper is usually a first, very rough draft of half your thesis. So this is set up quite nicely cause it forces you to start work early. You will also have to take Perspectives (boring AF, but not difficult) and a Methods class--most likely Historical or Ethnographic Methods. This leaves you with 5 other courses that you can pick and choose from across all graduate level courses, professional schools included. The program is fairly generous with funding. I was initially offered 1/3 scholarship, but after writing a short 1 page summary of my continued work towards my goals, I was able to get 1/2 scholarship. Some get 2/3 and maybe one or two people get full. This is fairly rare for MA programs from what I know.   In terms of staff of the program i.e. your preceptor/advisor, it varies about how committed they are. I don’t feel that I was disregarded, but I definitely had to initiate the relationship (send emails, go to office hours, etc). As one of a cohort of about 250 students, you need to make sure claim the attention you need. I think this is more a feature of graduate school and less the program. It also makes a huge difference about the amount of footwork you do: going to the library early, having research ideas, and knowing some of the historiography before you meet with people makes them more productive meetings, and will show advisers that you deserve their attention. It will also put you in a better position to graduate in June. (It isn’t necessary to graduate in June, most don’t, but it is a huge relief if you can finish in 9 months...I did not.)    I will say the program is not for everyone. I think it really depends on what you want out of the degree. For me, I was transitioning from philosophy to wanting to pursue a history PhD. So it allowed me to get the necessary coursework I needed and also allowed me to work with leading professors in my field and more broadly in historical methodologies. Having these recommenders for a PhD program will significantly improve the competitiveness of my application to “top” PhD programs. Some needed a better institution name on their resume (shitty but unfortunately a reality for many career types). Others needed to gain specific coding languages, math, lab experience, or interview/qualitative research skills depending on their fields. Knowing what you might be needing ahead of time is to your benefit, as the program is short and you won’t want to waste one of your 8 courses on something not worth your time/money. I would look at possible job listings/PhD programs you might want to have and look at the skills they are asking for and then take courses/find volunteer and work opportunities during the MAPSS year to prepare you for them. Also look at the people who have the job you want and look at their CV/resume.    It’s a one-year program which is good for the pocket book and a quick turn around, but not so good for forming relationships, both with others in your cohort and profs. It also means that by the time you are entering you already need to be planning for your next year, which isn’t the easiest task with a full course load and managing your thesis. Also people’s minds change as a result of their research, some decide they no longer want to do PhD others who never considered it apply the following year. If you are considering a PhD you will have a gap year between the end of MAPSS and the beginning of your school year. Those who began figuring out job applications and writing cover letters etc. in Feb/March were much more successful immediately after school. I was fortunate to find a part-time job that helped me work on applications but still gave me enough to live on and the benefits to take language courses at the University.    To now, I have mostly talked about how it relates to extended graduate school careers, but many come to the program for a quick MA from a good school. They leave with excellent job offers (if they put in the right hours for job searches) and are better qualified to pursue what they want. I will say that these options favor those in the harder social sciences (Econ, Sociology, Poli Sci.). I would make sure the program/courses/professors (department websites) offer you want you need. Particularly professors, you need to be able to identify someone you could write a thesis with.   UChicago people can be super pretentious and believe the brand name gives them a right to the privilege it affords. This is shitty and so are the people that think it, but it is true that it gives you a little extra that will help you in whatever your pursuits are. For me, I paid to have access to excellent professors and prep me for grad a PhD and my envisioned career path. Worst case, I was appropriately trained to enter an IR-peace/conflict think tank and find employment that way.  I could have gone to a PhD program, but I would have had a not so good funding package which hurt to think about. I wouldn’t have been able to get in to recognized programs from my small liberal arts school. It isn’t that it's an inferior school to other big name institutions, it is just really small and I didn’t have the necessary experiences while there. So for me the program was worth it, but it wasn’t for some of my friends.    Bottomline: you have to decide if the program is worth it for your goals. But if you are interested in an MA and the program offers what you want, it is definitely worth an application. Weigh your options, living expenses, cost of attendance with other programs and then decide. If you get a full ride else where go there, if not you could def do worse than MAPSS.

I had a slightly different experience at MAPSS. To be sure MAPSS isn’t for everyone but it fit my circumstances and I did NOT take out 50k. RE: the disappointment with the program, I think it’s avoided if you really know what you are getting. I posted the following under History, but will post here too.
TL;DR types sorry skim the paragraphs to find the pertinent information for [you]
I've written this in email form twice now and thought I would post it here as well. It caters towards undergrads considering the program directly out of school, so ignore bits that are irrelevant to [you] and forgive the familiar language.   Just to give you some background, I was in the MAPSS program for 2016-2017: concentrating in history. I finished my thesis in August 2017 and am in the process of doing PhD apps for 2018-2019 while working.   I will begin with the standard cautionary advice: graduate degrees are career choices. If you are not certain about your career path then you should not consider investing the time or money that an MA will demand of you until you do. If your thoughts change over the course of an MA (which is statistically likely), you might be putting yourself in a position to either not be able to pursue the path you end up wanting or setting yourself up for paying for grad school twice. Many come directly into the program from undergrad, and fewer waited a few years before returning to school. This may be personal bias, but I believe those who waited, performed better and came out of the program in a better position to achieve their career goals. This is ultimately the goal of an MA degree, to put yourself in the best possible for your future career, albeit for doing something you are passionate about. That being said, it doesn’t really matter if this is what you want to do and please disregard this advice. (I was given the same advice by many, I took some time but always knew I would return to grad school to pursue academic work, even when job prospects are not good).   In general MA programs are shit. Not because you don’t learn anything, but because they are used by universities to fund their other programs. This is a fact and MAPSS is not different.  It is also true that they are necessary prep programs for many jobs, in this sense they are more similar to an MBA, MPP, or JD program. Some will say you should never pay for graduate school. I agree that you shouldn’t unless you have reason to. If you need what the program offers then pay. It’s just a question of whether or not it is right for you. MAPSS offers a lot of things, and it is cheaper than many other programs, which is why I chose it. It is not a free ticket, it costs money and will require you to be next to anti-social for 9 months to do well.   My impressions would be that the program is fast-paced, but manageable. The program is on a quarter system, so basically the two/three lazy weeks you are used to at the beginning of semesters don’t exist you just gotta be on it from the beginning. This is an adjustment but fairly easy particularly if you are intentional about choosing your courses (3 per quarter). As a history concentrator you will choose a seminar that will last two quarters (fall and winter). The seminar professor will also be your adviser for your thesis and your seminar paper is usually a first, very rough draft of half your thesis. So this is set up quite nicely cause it forces you to start work early. You will also have to take Perspectives (boring AF, but not difficult) and a Methods class--most likely Historical or Ethnographic Methods. This leaves you with 5 other courses that you can pick and choose from across all graduate level courses, professional schools included. The program is fairly generous with funding. I was initially offered 1/3 scholarship, but after writing a short 1 page summary of my continued work towards my goals, I was able to get 1/2 scholarship. Some get 2/3 and maybe one or two people get full. This is fairly rare for MA programs from what I know.   In terms of staff of the program i.e. your preceptor/advisor, it varies about how committed they are. I don’t feel that I was disregarded, but I definitely had to initiate the relationship (send emails, go to office hours, etc). As one of a cohort of about 250 students, you need to make sure claim the attention you need. I think this is more a feature of graduate school and less the program. It also makes a huge difference about the amount of footwork you do: going to the library early, having research ideas, and knowing some of the historiography before you meet with people makes them more productive meetings, and will show advisers that you deserve their attention. It will also put you in a better position to graduate in June. (It isn’t necessary to graduate in June, most don’t, but it is a huge relief if you can finish in 9 months...I did not.)    I will say the program is not for everyone. I think it really depends on what you want out of the degree. For me, I was transitioning from philosophy to wanting to pursue a history PhD. So it allowed me to get the necessary coursework I needed and also allowed me to work with leading professors in my field and more broadly in historical methodologies. Having these recommenders for a PhD program will significantly improve the competitiveness of my application to “top” PhD programs. Some needed a better institution name on their resume (shitty but unfortunately a reality for many career types). Others needed to gain specific coding languages, math, lab experience, or interview/qualitative research skills depending on their fields. Knowing what you might be needing ahead of time is to your benefit, as the program is short and you won’t want to waste one of your 8 courses on something not worth your time/money. I would look at possible job listings/PhD programs you might want to have and look at the skills they are asking for and then take courses/find volunteer and work opportunities during the MAPSS year to prepare you for them. Also look at the people who have the job you want and look at their CV/resume.    It’s a one-year program which is good for the pocket book and a quick turn around, but not so good for forming relationships, both with others in your cohort and profs. It also means that by the time you are entering you already need to be planning for your next year, which isn’t the easiest task with a full course load and managing your thesis. Also people’s minds change as a result of their research, some decide they no longer want to do PhD others who never considered it apply the following year. If you are considering a PhD you will have a gap year between the end of MAPSS and the beginning of your school year. Those who began figuring out job applications and writing cover letters etc. in Feb/March were much more successful immediately after school. I was fortunate to find a part-time job that helped me work on applications but still gave me enough to live on and the benefits to take language courses at the University.    I have mostly talked about how it relates to extended graduate school careers, but many come to the program for a quick MA from a good school. They leave with excellent job offers (if they put in the right hours for job searches) and are better qualified to pursue what they want. I will say that these options favor those in the harder social sciences (Econ, Sociology, Poli Sci.). I would make sure the program/courses/professors (department websites) offer you want you need. Particularly professors, you need to be able to identify someone you could write a thesis with.   UChicago people can be super pretentious and believe the brand name gives them a right to the privilege it affords. This is shitty and so are the people that think it, but it is true that it gives you a little extra that will help you in whatever your pursuits are. For me, I paid to have access to excellent professors and prep me for grad a PhD and my envisioned career path. Worst case, I was appropriately trained to enter an IR-peace/conflict think tank and find employment that way.  I could have gone to a PhD program, but I had a not so good funding package which hurt to think about. I wouldn’t have been able to get in to recognized programs from my small liberal arts school without an MA. It isn’t that it's an inferior school to other big name institutions, it is just really small and I didn’t have the necessary experiences while there. So for me the program was worth it, but it wasn’t for some of my friends.    Bottomline: you have to decide if the program is worth it for your goals. But if you are interested in an MA and the program offers what you want, it is definitely worth an application. Weigh your options, living expenses, cost of attendance with other programs and then decide. If you get a full ride else where go there, if not you could def do worse than MAPSS.

I had a slightly different experience at MAPSS. To be sure MAPSS isn’t for everyone but it fit my circumstances and I did NOT take out 50k. RE: the disappointment with the program, I think it’s avoided if you really know what you are getting. I posted the following under History, but will post here too.
TL;DR types sorry skim the paragraphs to find the pertinent information for [you]
I've written this in email form twice now and thought I would post it here as well. It caters towards undergrads considering the program directly out of school, so ignore bits that are irrelevant to [you] and forgive the familiar language.   Just to give you some background, I was in the MAPSS program for 2016-2017: concentrating in history. I finished my thesis in August 2017 and am in the process of doing PhD apps for 2018-2019 while working.   I will begin with the standard cautionary advice: graduate degrees are career choices. If you are not certain about your career path then you should not consider investing the time or money that an MA will demand of you until you do. If your thoughts change over the course of an MA (which is statistically likely), you might be putting yourself in a position to either not be able to pursue the path you end up wanting or setting yourself up for paying for grad school twice. Many come directly into the program from undergrad, and fewer waited a few years before returning to school. This may be personal bias, but I believe those who waited, performed better and came out of the program in a better position to achieve their career goals. This is ultimately the goal of an MA degree, to put yourself in the best possible for your future career, albeit for doing something you are passionate about. That being said, it doesn’t really matter if this is what you want to do and please disregard this advice. (I was given the same advice by many, I took some time but always knew I would return to grad school to pursue academic work, even when job prospects are not good).   In general MA programs are shit. Not because you don’t learn anything, but because they are used by universities to fund their other programs. This is a fact and MAPSS is not different.  It is also true that they are necessary prep programs for many jobs, in this sense they are more similar to an MBA, MPP, or JD program. Some will say you should never pay for graduate school. I agree that you shouldn’t unless you have reason to. If you need what the program offers then pay. It’s just a question of whether or not it is right for you. MAPSS offers a lot of things, and it is cheaper than many other programs, which is why I chose it. It is not a free ticket, it costs money and will require you to be next to anti-social for 9 months to do well.   My impressions would be that the program is fast-paced, but manageable. The program is on a quarter system, so basically the two/three lazy weeks you are used to at the beginning of semesters don’t exist you just gotta be on it from the beginning. This is an adjustment but fairly easy particularly if you are intentional about choosing your courses (3 per quarter). As a history concentrator you will choose a seminar that will last two quarters (fall and winter). The seminar professor will also be your adviser for your thesis and your seminar paper is usually a first, very rough draft of half your thesis. So this is set up quite nicely cause it forces you to start work early. You will also have to take Perspectives (boring AF, but not difficult) and a Methods class--most likely Historical or Ethnographic Methods. This leaves you with 5 other courses that you can pick and choose from across all graduate level courses, professional schools included. The program is fairly generous with funding. I was initially offered 1/3 scholarship, but after writing a short 1 page summary of my continued work towards my goals, I was able to get 1/2 scholarship. Some get 2/3 and maybe one or two people get full. This is fairly rare for MA programs from what I know.   In terms of staff of the program i.e. your preceptor/advisor, it varies about how committed they are. I don’t feel that I was disregarded, but I definitely had to initiate the relationship (send emails, go to office hours, etc). As one of a cohort of about 250 students, you need to make sure claim the attention you need. I think this is more a feature of graduate school and less the program. It also makes a huge difference about the amount of footwork you do: going to the library early, having research ideas, and knowing some of the historiography before you meet with people makes them more productive meetings, and will show advisers that you deserve their attention. It will also put you in a better position to graduate in June. (It isn’t necessary to graduate in June, most don’t, but it is a huge relief if you can finish in 9 months...I did not.)    I will say the program is not for everyone. I think it really depends on what you want out of the degree. For me, I was transitioning from philosophy to wanting to pursue a history PhD. So it allowed me to get the necessary coursework I needed and also allowed me to work with leading professors in my field and more broadly in historical methodologies. Having these recommenders for a PhD program will significantly improve the competitiveness of my application to “top” PhD programs. Some needed a better institution name on their resume (shitty but unfortunately a reality for many career types). Others needed to gain specific coding languages, math, lab experience, or interview/qualitative research skills depending on their fields. Knowing what you might be needing ahead of time is to your benefit, as the program is short and you won’t want to waste one of your 8 courses on something not worth your time/money. I would look at possible job listings/PhD programs you might want to have and look at the skills they are asking for and then take courses/find volunteer and work opportunities during the MAPSS year to prepare you for them. Also look at the people who have the job you want and look at their CV/resume.    It’s a one-year program which is good for the pocket book and a quick turn around, but not so good for forming relationships, both with others in your cohort and profs. It also means that by the time you are entering you already need to be planning for your next year, which isn’t the easiest task with a full course load and managing your thesis. Also people’s minds change as a result of their research, some decide they no longer want to do PhD others who never considered it apply the following year. If you are considering a PhD you will have a gap year between the end of MAPSS and the beginning of your school year. Those who began figuring out job applications and writing cover letters etc. in Feb/March were much more successful immediately after school. I was fortunate to find a part-time job that helped me work on applications but still gave me enough to live on and the benefits to take language courses at the University.    I have mostly talked about how it relates to extended graduate school careers, but many come to the program for a quick MA from a good school. They leave with excellent job offers (if they put in the right hours for job searches) and are better qualified to pursue what they want. I will say that these options favor those in the harder social sciences (Econ, Sociology, Poli Sci.). I would make sure the program/courses/professors (department websites) offer you want you need. Particularly professors, you need to be able to identify someone you could write a thesis with.   UChicago people can be super pretentious and believe the brand name gives them a right to the privilege it affords. This is shitty and so are the people that think it, but it is true that it gives you a little extra that will help you in whatever your pursuits are. For me, I paid to have access to excellent professors and prep me for grad a PhD and my envisioned career path. Worst case, I was appropriately trained to enter an IR-peace/conflict think tank and find employment that way.  I could have gone to a PhD program, but I had a not so good funding package which hurt to think about. I wouldn’t have been able to get in to recognized programs from my small liberal arts school without an MA. It isn’t that it's an inferior school to other big name institutions, it is just really small and I didn’t have the necessary experiences while there. So for me the program was worth it, but it wasn’t for some of my friends.    Bottomline: you have to decide if the program is worth it for your goals. But if you are interested in an MA and the program offers what you want, it is definitely worth an application. Weigh your options, living expenses, cost of attendance with other programs and then decide. If you get a full ride else where go there, if not you could def do worse than MAPSS.

I had a slightly different experience at MAPSS. To be sure MAPSS isn’t for everyone but it fit my circumstances and I did NOT take out 50k. RE: the disappointment with the program, I think it’s avoided if you really know what you are getting. I posted the following under History, but will post here too.
TL;DR types sorry skim the paragraphs to find the pertinent information for [you]
I've written this in email form twice now and thought I would post it here as well. It caters towards undergrads considering the program directly out of school, so ignore bits that are irrelevant to [you] and forgive the familiar language.   Just to give you some background, I was in the MAPSS program for 2016-2017: concentrating in history. I finished my thesis in August 2017 and am in the process of doing PhD apps for 2018-2019 while working.   I will begin with the standard cautionary advice: graduate degrees are career choices. If you are not certain about your career path then you should not consider investing the time or money that an MA will demand of you until you do. If your thoughts change over the course of an MA (which is statistically likely), you might be putting yourself in a position to either not be able to pursue the path you end up wanting or setting yourself up for paying for grad school twice. Many come directly into the program from undergrad, and fewer waited a few years before returning to school. This may be personal bias, but I believe those who waited, performed better and came out of the program in a better position to achieve their career goals. This is ultimately the goal of an MA degree, to put yourself in the best possible for your future career, albeit for doing something you are passionate about. That being said, it doesn’t really matter if this is what you want to do and please disregard this advice. (I was given the same advice by many, I took some time but always knew I would return to grad school to pursue academic work, even when job prospects are not good).   In general MA programs are shit. Not because you don’t learn anything, but because they are used by universities to fund their other programs. This is a fact and MAPSS is not different.  It is also true that they are necessary prep programs for many jobs, in this sense they are more similar to an MBA, MPP, or JD program. Some will say you should never pay for graduate school. I agree that you shouldn’t unless you have reason to. If you need what the program offers then pay. It’s just a question of whether or not it is right for you. MAPSS offers a lot of things, and it is cheaper than many other programs, which is why I chose it. It is not a free ticket, it costs money and will require you to be next to anti-social for 9 months to do well.   My impressions would be that the program is fast-paced, but manageable. The program is on a quarter system, so basically the two/three lazy weeks you are used to at the beginning of semesters don’t exist you just gotta be on it from the beginning. This is an adjustment but fairly easy particularly if you are intentional about choosing your courses (3 per quarter). As a history concentrator you will choose a seminar that will last two quarters (fall and winter). The seminar professor will also be your adviser for your thesis and your seminar paper is usually a first, very rough draft of half your thesis. So this is set up quite nicely cause it forces you to start work early. You will also have to take Perspectives (boring AF, but not difficult) and a Methods class--most likely Historical or Ethnographic Methods. This leaves you with 5 other courses that you can pick and choose from across all graduate level courses, professional schools included. The program is fairly generous with funding. I was initially offered 1/3 scholarship, but after writing a short 1 page summary of my continued work towards my goals, I was able to get 1/2 scholarship. Some get 2/3 and maybe one or two people get full. This is fairly rare for MA programs from what I know.   In terms of staff of the program i.e. your preceptor/advisor, it varies about how committed they are. I don’t feel that I was disregarded, but I definitely had to initiate the relationship (send emails, go to office hours, etc). As one of a cohort of about 250 students, you need to make sure claim the attention you need. I think this is more a feature of graduate school and less the program. It also makes a huge difference about the amount of footwork you do: going to the library early, having research ideas, and knowing some of the historiography before you meet with people makes them more productive meetings, and will show advisers that you deserve their attention. It will also put you in a better position to graduate in June. (It isn’t necessary to graduate in June, most don’t, but it is a huge relief if you can finish in 9 months...I did not.)    I will say the program is not for everyone. I think it really depends on what you want out of the degree. For me, I was transitioning from philosophy to wanting to pursue a history PhD. So it allowed me to get the necessary coursework I needed and also allowed me to work with leading professors in my field and more broadly in historical methodologies. Having these recommenders for a PhD program will significantly improve the competitiveness of my application to “top” PhD programs. Some needed a better institution name on their resume (shitty but unfortunately a reality for many career types). Others needed to gain specific coding languages, math, lab experience, or interview/qualitative research skills depending on their fields. Knowing what you might be needing ahead of time is to your benefit, as the program is short and you won’t want to waste one of your 8 courses on something not worth your time/money. I would look at possible job listings/PhD programs you might want to have and look at the skills they are asking for and then take courses/find volunteer and work opportunities during the MAPSS year to prepare you for them. Also look at the people who have the job you want and look at their CV/resume.    It’s a one-year program which is good for the pocket book and a quick turn around, but not so good for forming relationships, both with others in your cohort and profs. It also means that by the time you are entering you already need to be planning for your next year, which isn’t the easiest task with a full course load and managing your thesis. Also people’s minds change as a result of their research, some decide they no longer want to do PhD others who never considered it apply the following year. If you are considering a PhD you will have a gap year between the end of MAPSS and the beginning of your school year. Those who began figuring out job applications and writing cover letters etc. in Feb/March were much more successful immediately after school. I was fortunate to find a part-time job that helped me work on applications but still gave me enough to live on and the benefits to take language courses at the University.    I have mostly talked about how it relates to extended graduate school careers, but many come to the program for a quick MA from a good school. They leave with excellent job offers (if they put in the right hours for job searches) and are better qualified to pursue what they want. I will say that these options favor those in the harder social sciences (Econ, Sociology, Poli Sci.). I would make sure the program/courses/professors (department websites) offer you want you need. Particularly professors, you need to be able to identify someone you could write a thesis with.   UChicago people can be super pretentious and believe the brand name gives them a right to the privilege it affords. This is shitty and so are the people that think it, but it is true that it gives you a little extra that will help you in whatever your pursuits are. For me, I paid to have access to excellent professors and prep me for grad a PhD and my envisioned career path. Worst case, I was appropriately trained to enter an IR-peace/conflict think tank and find employment that way.  I could have gone to a PhD program, but I had a not so good funding package which hurt to think about. I wouldn’t have been able to get in to recognized programs from my small liberal arts school without an MA. It isn’t that it's an inferior school to other big name institutions, it is just really small and I didn’t have the necessary experiences while there. So for me the program was worth it, but it wasn’t for some of my friends.    Bottomline: you have to decide if the program is worth it for your goals. But if you are interested in an MA and the program offers what you want, it is definitely worth an application. Weigh your options, living expenses, cost of attendance with other programs and then decide. If you get a full ride else where go there, if not you could def do worse than MAPSS.

So I grew up in StL. It is a neighborhood-based city, but great number of the metro area which is considered STL lives in the suburbs (50-60s white flight). This is changing to a certain extent, especially in the last 10-15 years, but it has also created a dialogue of safe and unsafe neighborhoods. This has been perpetuated both by the city population as a whole and institutions like SLU and WashU. So the result is that students tend to gravitate to the areas by campus that are considered "safe."
This being said, there are definitely areas that I, as a young person, would not want to walk through alone at night. These areas frequently border some of the most fun parts of the city too. My point is to take all the discussions of "safe/unsafe" areas with a grain of salt and go see the areas for yourself. 
But to your point about more "cultural areas": Cherokee street is the sort of LatinX and Mexican area of the city (though its small) its also a street with a lot of bars and STL style chill (small dance bars). The Grove (mentioned above) is STL's open queer scene (i.e. lots of gay bars and undergrads). The Hill (italian food and groceries); Benton Park=hipster-dom (but with a little money); Lafayette and Soulard are the French quarters (and excellent BBQ). The Loop used to be edgy and was the new area before the Grove (which was before Cherokee), but has been bought up a lot by WashU. Grand/ Tower Grove are my personal favorites- yummy variety of food and on the affordable side. Botanical Gardens are also in the area and close to SLU. Mid-town is kinda industrial, but has lots of theaters small for standup and large for broadway. New hip restaurants etc. Central West End is sorta the affluent closer to the city area, best indie bookstore in the city (Left Bank Books) and lots of Med students. ON the opposite end of Forest park from WashU. Wash Ave is the downtown "Night Out Street". A lot of "business types chill around there. 
My descriptions are generalizations-and I am sure I skipped some good ones-but it gives you an idea of the layout.

Hi all. I am curious about the pet situation? I’ve got a pup. I saw the earlier discussion about cats, but didn’t see much about dogs and I on campus prospects are seemingly non-existent. 
Where should I be looking for pet friendly accommodations?

So I grew up in StL. It is a neighborhood-based city, but great number of the metro area which is considered STL lives in the suburbs (50-60s white flight). This is changing to a certain extent, especially in the last 10-15 years, but it has also created a dialogue of safe and unsafe neighborhoods. This has been perpetuated both by the city population as a whole and institutions like SLU and WashU. So the result is that students tend to gravitate to the areas by campus that are considered "safe."
This being said, there are definitely areas that I, as a young person, would not want to walk through alone at night. These areas frequently border some of the most fun parts of the city too. My point is to take all the discussions of "safe/unsafe" areas with a grain of salt and go see the areas for yourself. 
But to your point about more "cultural areas": Cherokee street is the sort of LatinX and Mexican area of the city (though its small) its also a street with a lot of bars and STL style chill (small dance bars). The Grove (mentioned above) is STL's open queer scene (i.e. lots of gay bars and undergrads). The Hill (italian food and groceries); Benton Park=hipster-dom (but with a little money); Lafayette and Soulard are the French quarters (and excellent BBQ). The Loop used to be edgy and was the new area before the Grove (which was before Cherokee), but has been bought up a lot by WashU. Grand/ Tower Grove are my personal favorites- yummy variety of food and on the affordable side. Botanical Gardens are also in the area and close to SLU. Mid-town is kinda industrial, but has lots of theaters small for standup and large for broadway. New hip restaurants etc. Central West End is sorta the affluent closer to the city area, best indie bookstore in the city (Left Bank Books) and lots of Med students. ON the opposite end of Forest park from WashU. Wash Ave is the downtown "Night Out Street". A lot of "business types chill around there. 
My descriptions are generalizations-and I am sure I skipped some good ones-but it gives you an idea of the layout.

There is definitely less motivation to go outside, but the city itself is comparatively active in the winter. I see people running along the lake all year long, even with strollers and wind guards/fleece shields covering the babies. People still go out to parties, clubs, public transit it solid (even from Evanston down to the city). Winter doesn’t stop people, but you are more likely to choose destinations specifically and less likely to go on a pub crawl. It really is up to you. The city is still there in the winter with all it has to offer (it’s just inside instead of on the patio or in the park, etc).

Boystown is the “traditional” queer neighborhood, but would be a not so fun commute if you’re headed to UIC. That being said, I think anywhere within the city would be chill. Stereotypically, most nightlife is on the north side, it is also a much whiter, privileged, and gentrified part of the city. South side is more diverse, less nightlife, but not abesnt, and more affordable. If I were going to UIC, I wouldn’t want to go north of Ukrainian Village/Noble Square (commute south on the 90/94 is brutal) it’s doable if you have a reason to be north (ie family, partner, etc) but not ideal

So I grew up in StL. It is a neighborhood-based city, but great number of the metro area which is considered STL lives in the suburbs (50-60s white flight). This is changing to a certain extent, especially in the last 10-15 years, but it has also created a dialogue of safe and unsafe neighborhoods. This has been perpetuated both by the city population as a whole and institutions like SLU and WashU. So the result is that students tend to gravitate to the areas by campus that are considered "safe."
This being said, there are definitely areas that I, as a young person, would not want to walk through alone at night. These areas frequently border some of the most fun parts of the city too. My point is to take all the discussions of "safe/unsafe" areas with a grain of salt and go see the areas for yourself. 
But to your point about more "cultural areas": Cherokee street is the sort of LatinX and Mexican area of the city (though its small) its also a street with a lot of bars and STL style chill (small dance bars). The Grove (mentioned above) is STL's open queer scene (i.e. lots of gay bars and undergrads). The Hill (italian food and groceries); Benton Park=hipster-dom (but with a little money); Lafayette and Soulard are the French quarters (and excellent BBQ). The Loop used to be edgy and was the new area before the Grove (which was before Cherokee), but has been bought up a lot by WashU. Grand/ Tower Grove are my personal favorites- yummy variety of food and on the affordable side. Botanical Gardens are also in the area and close to SLU. Mid-town is kinda industrial, but has lots of theaters small for standup and large for broadway. New hip restaurants etc. Central West End is sorta the affluent closer to the city area, best indie bookstore in the city (Left Bank Books) and lots of Med students. ON the opposite end of Forest park from WashU. Wash Ave is the downtown "Night Out Street". A lot of "business types chill around there. 
My descriptions are generalizations-and I am sure I skipped some good ones-but it gives you an idea of the layout.

So I grew up in StL. It is a neighborhood-based city, but great number of the metro area which is considered STL lives in the suburbs (50-60s white flight). This is changing to a certain extent, especially in the last 10-15 years, but it has also created a dialogue of safe and unsafe neighborhoods. This has been perpetuated both by the city population as a whole and institutions like SLU and WashU. So the result is that students tend to gravitate to the areas by campus that are considered "safe."
This being said, there are definitely areas that I, as a young person, would not want to walk through alone at night. These areas frequently border some of the most fun parts of the city too. My point is to take all the discussions of "safe/unsafe" areas with a grain of salt and go see the areas for yourself. 
But to your point about more "cultural areas": Cherokee street is the sort of LatinX and Mexican area of the city (though its small) its also a street with a lot of bars and STL style chill (small dance bars). The Grove (mentioned above) is STL's open queer scene (i.e. lots of gay bars and undergrads). The Hill (italian food and groceries); Benton Park=hipster-dom (but with a little money); Lafayette and Soulard are the French quarters (and excellent BBQ). The Loop used to be edgy and was the new area before the Grove (which was before Cherokee), but has been bought up a lot by WashU. Grand/ Tower Grove are my personal favorites- yummy variety of food and on the affordable side. Botanical Gardens are also in the area and close to SLU. Mid-town is kinda industrial, but has lots of theaters small for standup and large for broadway. New hip restaurants etc. Central West End is sorta the affluent closer to the city area, best indie bookstore in the city (Left Bank Books) and lots of Med students. ON the opposite end of Forest park from WashU. Wash Ave is the downtown "Night Out Street". A lot of "business types chill around there. 
My descriptions are generalizations-and I am sure I skipped some good ones-but it gives you an idea of the layout.

MAPSS will probably release results closer to the end of FEB or March. I don't think I got mine until March. 

Congrats Stanford admit!! ?? If you don’t mind me asking what’s your specialization/who is your POI? Feel free to DM! 

I had a slightly different experience at MAPSS. To be sure MAPSS isn’t for everyone but it fit my circumstances and I did NOT take out 50k. RE: the disappointment with the program, I think it’s avoided if you really know what you are getting. I posted the following under History, but will post here too.
TL;DR types sorry skim the paragraphs to find the pertinent information for [you]
I've written this in email form twice now and thought I would post it here as well. It caters towards undergrads considering the program directly out of school, so ignore bits that are irrelevant to [you] and forgive the familiar language.   Just to give you some background, I was in the MAPSS program for 2016-2017: concentrating in history. I finished my thesis in August 2017 and am in the process of doing PhD apps for 2018-2019 while working.   I will begin with the standard cautionary advice: graduate degrees are career choices. If you are not certain about your career path then you should not consider investing the time or money that an MA will demand of you until you do. If your thoughts change over the course of an MA (which is statistically likely), you might be putting yourself in a position to either not be able to pursue the path you end up wanting or setting yourself up for paying for grad school twice. Many come directly into the program from undergrad, and fewer waited a few years before returning to school. This may be personal bias, but I believe those who waited, performed better and came out of the program in a better position to achieve their career goals. This is ultimately the goal of an MA degree, to put yourself in the best possible for your future career, albeit for doing something you are passionate about. That being said, it doesn’t really matter if this is what you want to do and please disregard this advice. (I was given the same advice by many, I took some time but always knew I would return to grad school to pursue academic work, even when job prospects are not good).   In general MA programs are shit. Not because you don’t learn anything, but because they are used by universities to fund their other programs. This is a fact and MAPSS is not different.  It is also true that they are necessary prep programs for many jobs, in this sense they are more similar to an MBA, MPP, or JD program. Some will say you should never pay for graduate school. I agree that you shouldn’t unless you have reason to. If you need what the program offers then pay. It’s just a question of whether or not it is right for you. MAPSS offers a lot of things, and it is cheaper than many other programs, which is why I chose it. It is not a free ticket, it costs money and will require you to be next to anti-social for 9 months to do well.   My impressions would be that the program is fast-paced, but manageable. The program is on a quarter system, so basically the two/three lazy weeks you are used to at the beginning of semesters don’t exist you just gotta be on it from the beginning. This is an adjustment but fairly easy particularly if you are intentional about choosing your courses (3 per quarter). As a history concentrator you will choose a seminar that will last two quarters (fall and winter). The seminar professor will also be your adviser for your thesis and your seminar paper is usually a first, very rough draft of half your thesis. So this is set up quite nicely cause it forces you to start work early. You will also have to take Perspectives (boring AF, but not difficult) and a Methods class--most likely Historical or Ethnographic Methods. This leaves you with 5 other courses that you can pick and choose from across all graduate level courses, professional schools included. The program is fairly generous with funding. I was initially offered 1/3 scholarship, but after writing a short 1 page summary of my continued work towards my goals, I was able to get 1/2 scholarship. Some get 2/3 and maybe one or two people get full. This is fairly rare for MA programs from what I know.   In terms of staff of the program i.e. your preceptor/advisor, it varies about how committed they are. I don’t feel that I was disregarded, but I definitely had to initiate the relationship (send emails, go to office hours, etc). As one of a cohort of about 250 students, you need to make sure claim the attention you need. I think this is more a feature of graduate school and less the program. It also makes a huge difference about the amount of footwork you do: going to the library early, having research ideas, and knowing some of the historiography before you meet with people makes them more productive meetings, and will show advisers that you deserve their attention. It will also put you in a better position to graduate in June. (It isn’t necessary to graduate in June, most don’t, but it is a huge relief if you can finish in 9 months...I did not.)    I will say the program is not for everyone. I think it really depends on what you want out of the degree. For me, I was transitioning from philosophy to wanting to pursue a history PhD. So it allowed me to get the necessary coursework I needed and also allowed me to work with leading professors in my field and more broadly in historical methodologies. Having these recommenders for a PhD program will significantly improve the competitiveness of my application to “top” PhD programs. Some needed a better institution name on their resume (shitty but unfortunately a reality for many career types). Others needed to gain specific coding languages, math, lab experience, or interview/qualitative research skills depending on their fields. Knowing what you might be needing ahead of time is to your benefit, as the program is short and you won’t want to waste one of your 8 courses on something not worth your time/money. I would look at possible job listings/PhD programs you might want to have and look at the skills they are asking for and then take courses/find volunteer and work opportunities during the MAPSS year to prepare you for them. Also look at the people who have the job you want and look at their CV/resume.    It’s a one-year program which is good for the pocket book and a quick turn around, but not so good for forming relationships, both with others in your cohort and profs. It also means that by the time you are entering you already need to be planning for your next year, which isn’t the easiest task with a full course load and managing your thesis. Also people’s minds change as a result of their research, some decide they no longer want to do PhD others who never considered it apply the following year. If you are considering a PhD you will have a gap year between the end of MAPSS and the beginning of your school year. Those who began figuring out job applications and writing cover letters etc. in Feb/March were much more successful immediately after school. I was fortunate to find a part-time job that helped me work on applications but still gave me enough to live on and the benefits to take language courses at the University.    I have mostly talked about how it relates to extended graduate school careers, but many come to the program for a quick MA from a good school. They leave with excellent job offers (if they put in the right hours for job searches) and are better qualified to pursue what they want. I will say that these options favor those in the harder social sciences (Econ, Sociology, Poli Sci.). I would make sure the program/courses/professors (department websites) offer you want you need. Particularly professors, you need to be able to identify someone you could write a thesis with.   UChicago people can be super pretentious and believe the brand name gives them a right to the privilege it affords. This is shitty and so are the people that think it, but it is true that it gives you a little extra that will help you in whatever your pursuits are. For me, I paid to have access to excellent professors and prep me for grad a PhD and my envisioned career path. Worst case, I was appropriately trained to enter an IR-peace/conflict think tank and find employment that way.  I could have gone to a PhD program, but I had a not so good funding package which hurt to think about. I wouldn’t have been able to get in to recognized programs from my small liberal arts school without an MA. It isn’t that it's an inferior school to other big name institutions, it is just really small and I didn’t have the necessary experiences while there. So for me the program was worth it, but it wasn’t for some of my friends.    Bottomline: you have to decide if the program is worth it for your goals. But if you are interested in an MA and the program offers what you want, it is definitely worth an application. Weigh your options, living expenses, cost of attendance with other programs and then decide. If you get a full ride else where go there, if not you could def do worse than MAPSS.

Just received an email from University of Washington (Seattle). The DGS said they had 136 applicants and might admit eight applicants. This is my first result, feeling lucky enough. The UChicago acceptance made me really nervous yesterday. Good luck to everyone! 

I am in Hyde Park (not the cheapest not the most expensive neighborhood) and do that easily, but it depends on how much you eat out/drink/spend on extra stuff. In college housing areas like HP a big tip is to see if you can post-pone or move up your move-in date to be off the university move-in schedule.  Rent prices gone up $100-300 if you have a desired move-in date between June and September. My friend and I looked at two apartments with the exact same 2-bedroom layout & upgrades  (kitchen, dishwasher, and bath) but one had a sept 1 move-in date at $750/month and the other, an Oct 1 move-in at $650 with better light. It’s easy to find temporary housing if you’re willing to move twice and look to find cheaper housing. If you’re part of the U Chicago community (you have an email) then you can also access the Marketplace which is the most efficient place to find listings in HP area.

I don't think there's really any excuse for a lack of familiarity with major theoretical trends. Every historian should have at least a broad strokes understanding of the history of philosophy - there is a disappointing tendency to read big 20th century names (Foucault especially) with no attempt to contextualize them. Kant and Hegel especially are thinkers people avoid taking the time to read (because they are very difficult) but you can't really get what's going on in most of western thought through to the present without them. Hegel particularly is important for historians; too many people read trendy Marxist thinkers without really understanding dialectical method.

And MANY others (lurkers, too):
These professors know you want to get in. They have so many other things that they have to do besides reviewing applications such as teaching, committee work, advising students, reading dissertations and exams, their personal lives, and the list goes on. Oh, and research if they even have 10 minutes. Not everyone's schedule mesh so it takes time for communications to go back and forth.... via e-mail and phone calls, not texts or social media. You have the results board on Grad Cafe to give you an approximate timeframe of various levels of decisions (they are usually consistent from one year to another).
Please refrain from contacting anyone unless you were specifically asked by your POIs to check in. What you do not (or want to) know is that your POI has likely been in touch with other eager applicants like yourself. S/he cannot show "favoritism" because the Admissions Committee is the one making the absolute final decision.  It is exceptionally rare for a POI to identify a "favorite" applicant early and and expect that person to be admitted outright because there are just too many good applicants and the student needs to be able to fit with the imagined cohort being built by the committee with other faculty members' nominations.
This is a good but HARD lesson to learn because you will not be able to do such things for fellowships, grants, and journals (unless there's been a serious delay; journals don't expect you to check in until 6 months after the first contact) and, eventually, academic jobs.  All you will get is a very annoyed admin, no matter how nice the reply (If you've worked as one, you'll know what I mean).
I generally recommend holding off contacting the POI/department until the beginning of the March when the last of most PhD programs have notified for acceptances/rejections.
This is my tough love. /mic drop

I didn’t meant to say that it is always the case. But wanted to bring up the different types of negotiations that might occur. Along the lines of what @TMP explicated.

I didn’t meant to say that it is always the case. But wanted to bring up the different types of negotiations that might occur. Along the lines of what @TMP explicated.

I got a call and the caller ID said "Palo Alto". I was like, "OMGOMG STANFORD!"...
It was Apple... asking if my recent customer service experience was positive.... 

There was a couple notifications from Penn about interviews for the Ancient field, but from previous years they tend to send their requests earlier than others (or at least i’m hoping that is the case).

Interviews will start appearing next week and usually trickle out until mid-February. An interview can be given for a lot of reasons; as well as not given. On the one hand, interviews go to strong candidates that the department wants to talk with and engage with. This is important because most programs will have roughly 20-25 students who are ideal fits for their program, however, the program can admit a maximum of 10-15. Therefore, the department needs to cut the pool in half for banal reasons. On the other hand, you may not receive an interview, but be offered admission to the program. However, receiving an interview is a very good sign and should be seen as an opportunity, rather than a guarantee of admission.