Pacifist101

I've also been hoping to see one at last. Someone needs to take one for the team!

OP, check out Miami University. They have a funded MA history program and a couple of people working on Early Modern stuff. Also, there is a post with a list of funded MA programs somewhere on this forum. You may want to go through the list and see if any of the programs have your areas of interest.

I want to add that while many schools don't offer good (or any) funding packages for master's students, there are some that do. I'm doing my master's now, and it's fully funded with a livable stipend and some funding for research. So if you're not sure about doing a PhD but may want to do a master's first, you could look around and find schools that would offer you funding. I had several offers from master's programs all of which were fully funded. Don't look for these offers at top-20 schools, because they generally only offer funding to PhD students, but check out schools that are lower ranked but support their MA students.

Thank you, guys! You've made me feel better about it

Hey guys, I am currently a first-year master's student, so I will be applying for PhD programs next year. I think I have a good idea of the relative importance of the writing sample, languages, GRE and GPA, and rec letters. How important are conference presentations and the place where you present? I am just now settling on my thesis topic within my field, and I won't get to the archives until this summer. Once I have something, should I try to present it at one/several conferences or it does not matter much as long as my writing sample is solid? Does the place where you present (e.g. national conference for your field/local conference across many fields) matter much at this level? I haven't seen much on this forum or anywhere else regarding conference presentations and their weight in the application process, so I'd appreciate any input.

I totally understand how you feel; I was in your shoes just a few months ago thinking that my background (I majored in a science field) could prevent me from going to grad school in history. However, I got accepted by a few funded MA programs, and I did not even minor in history, so everything is possible.

Hey guys, I am a prospective graduate student trying to figure out the financial side of things. Obviously, a lot depends on each person's situation and lifestyle, but I am always interested in learning other people's experiences. Would you mind sharing how you live on your stipend? It would be interesting to see how much you make (after fees and taxes), where you live (i.e. big city on the coast, middle of nowhere in the South, etc) and what kind of life you can afford (live with a roommate or alone, own a car, have pets, eat out a lot, etc). Please specify if you get any additional financial help from family (health and car insurance, living at home for the summer, spouse with a real job, etc) or elsewhere.

Thank you for your input, guys! I think I will be able to visit both schools, even though I won't be able to meet with my POI at one of them.

Wow, thank you for the work you have done! I will save this and will probably return multiple times throughout my master's career.

@TakeruK thank you for your input. I am trying my best to go visit both schools, but the timing, the distance and the expenses aren't making it easy. Would you mind sharing why you opinion changed drastically after visiting? Was it interaction with grad students/POI, the place itself or just the general feel?

Yes, there is no formal itinerary from either program. They are both master's programs, so I'm not surprised. How bad is it if I won't be able to visit one of the programs? How much impact on your decision did visiting make?

Mine are all funded master's programs. I should've specified since I assume these things are approached differently at different levels.

How common is it for graduate programs to pay for your campus visit after you have been accepted? Only one of the programs offered to help with travel costs and I'm wondering if it's worth asking other programs if they would be willing to help me out with that as well.

Hi everyone, I would like to visit two universities I have offers from. They are about 3 hours apart from each other and far from home. I'm wondering how much time should I spend touring campus, talking to faculty and chatting with grad students? Would a full day (or almost full) per school be enough to get a feel of each place?

I absolutely loved reading the answers. You guys are awesome and keep up doing great things! As I said, I'm switching from a STEM field, so there's a lot of anxiety associated with such a drastic change of fields. There was never a moment in my life when I didn't love history, but it took me a while before I realized I was willing to take a risk and make it into something more than just a hobby. Of course, I did my research before deciding to change my professional path, but people's personal experiences are an invaluable source of both inspiration and reality check.

Hi everyone, I am switching to history from a STEM field, and all the decisions I need to make within the next few weeks make me a little anxious. I would love to hear about personal experiences of those who are doing a master's or a PhD in history. I have some experience in the field and a good idea of what grad school is like, but I would really appreciate it if some of you shared insights on what it's like to be a grad student in history. Are you happy with the decision to attend your program? Any regrets? What is the most fun and the most difficult thing you've had to do? Is there anything you didn't know that you wish you did when you decided to go to grad school? Did you expect to spend more/less time writing/teaching? Or anything else you would like to share with a prospective history grad student. Obviously, the experiences will be different depending on the person, the program and many other factors, but that's the catch. So even if it's just one thing or a few sentences, anything you have to say is appreciated.

This was just a hypothetical question, but that's a good point that another well-known professor being there could help your case.

How much does it matter who your advisor is for your future? It obviously matters in terms of what they can give you as a mentor during your education, but I'm curious about the name of your advisor itself. So let's say there's Professor L who is known to have had a few successful students and now he has another student about to graduate. Will the student benefit from simply being "Professor L's student"? Conversely, what if there is Professor N, who's a young faculty member and has not yet established a substantial record of placement. Will it harm his student that he's "Professor N's (=no name) student"?

@basura what are your goals and how would either decision help you achieve them?

Why haven't you applied for top-tier master's programs this year? If you're willing to subsidize your expenses, wouldn't it be easier to just do one master's? Just curious. I'm trying to come up with the best strategy for myself now. Unfortunately, money will always be an issue for me, otherwise I'd have applied for MA programs at prestigious schools.

Yep. Hope there's a way to get up there for those who haven't earned their degrees at top 20 schools. I know that in theory there is a way, but looking at students' profiles shows how it actually is.

Looking at current students' CVs helps better understand common trends and gives you a perspective based on real experiences. It's also interesting and motivational to see what people in whose spot you hope to be have accomplished.

Has anyone heard from any other schools in Ohio?

I see, thank you. When you were talking to students, did you just contact them without any prior communication? I've talked to someone like that before, but now wondering if I should try reaching out more.

What do you mean by a solid program? I have been looking at current PhD students' past educational experiences to try and figure out what it takes to get in a top 10 PhD program.