gnossienne n.3

Yep. Sometimes they want a lot of writing.

It depends on the program! Some British institutions will let you substitute one longer work for two shorter writing samples, and some just really want more than one writing sample. I've found that the writing sample requirements aren't always clear, for instance the requirements listed on the course webpage differ from those in the actual application.

Is it all right to email POIs to let them know I'll be coming to campus for an interview or should I assume I'm going to meet with them? (In this particular case I haven't spoken directly with the POI, only emailed)

Just checked--she was still listed on the website as of a few moments ago. My point was that although Harvard is still Harvard, it's not currently strong for the specific sub-specialty of medieval HoS. It may well be that Wisconsin has more to offer in that particular area, and is therefore a very good match for @psstein and potentially other medieval HoS folks. It's not all that common an area of study, so it really depends on the individual's research priorities. As I said, it didn't make my cut--but determining fit is a complicated, nuanced, and highly personal matter. "Best" is variable.

I can't speak to Wisconsin except to say that it didn't make my cut for medieval HoS programs. Harvard's program is very strong, and the institution has resources that simply cannot be sneezed at, but Katharine Park retired in 2015. Your mileage will vary, but Harvard's HoS faculty doesn't really offer much coverage for the medieval period at the moment.

I'm giving it a shot. I think I'll include the latter part of my textual analysis and focus on the theoretical portion, prefacing the sample with a summary of the earlier primary source work.

I'm wondering how to proceed with revising my writing sample. Most programs have asked for 20-25 pages, but some ask for 10-15. I'll be using portions of my History thesis from undergrad, but substantially revised in light of some recent developments in theory and to demonstrate changes in my thinking on the topic since I graduated. One issue I keep coming up against is length: my History thesis was 50 pages long (including footnotes). I use primary sources throughout, but the majority of my original argument, which is heavily theoretical, doesn't contain many direct references to the primary sources. Consequently, it wouldn't really demonstrate my ability to work with primary sources in the original languages if I were to use only that section. I don't really have very many other papers that fit the bill for a writing sample, and I'm doubtful about writing something fresh given I don't have the same access to an academic library. I don't want to just present a segment with an incompletely articulated argument that shows off my language skills, either. I'm just really stuck at the moment.

If you email within the same thread: Dear Professor X, I'm writing to follow up on our email exchange a few weeks ago. I know it's a busy time of year, and I'm just making sure my email wasn't lost in the onslaught. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Y

Last year @loganondorf started a topic for medieval applicants in the Literature forum, which was a great little group for those of us who applied last year, regardless of discipline. I thought I'd poach it for the History forum this year! So: if you're a medievalist, what are your areas of interest? What are your languages and how do you like to practice? Where are you thinking of applying? What are you up to at the moment? I'm on my second application round, after successes with MA programs in the UK that unfortunately did not come with sufficient funding. I work on later medieval science and technology, with a focus on cross-cultural intellectual exchange. I'll be applying to MA and PhD programs (working on finalizing the list) and working on Latin and German in my free time! In addition to those, I have pretty reasonable working proficiency in French, which I learned in high school and college. I graduated a few years ago, so I've been living and working in NYC for the time being. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Right. One of those programs also has a deadline in mid-October, so if I felt like only adjusting my statements from last year was enough, it would save me a lot of time, and I could apply today if I put my mind to it. I've decided to go ahead and revise my statements pretty thoroughly before applying anywhere, including the places that have offered me that assurance. This means that I'll be saving time down the line with the other applications (including where I was waitlisted) rather than saving that time upfront.

Just to clarify: I'm applying for both MA and PhD programs, with a strong preference for PhD. I was accepted to my top two MA programs and waitlisted at my top choice PhD program (and strongly encouraged to apply again). Fit with the program and faculty is one of the most important factors for me and something I emphasize in my application materials. I know I'm overthinking it re: whether anyone is going to dredge up my old applications. Whether I write entirely new statements of purpose or reuse parts of my old ones, however, is a matter of the amount of time I have to devote to writing new statements and how exhausting I find writing that particular genre. As @hats and @AP recommended, I think I'm going to at least do a thorough refresh. And get going on it this weekend, rather than dithering on this any longer! Thanks for the advice, everyone.

Not harsh at all! I really don't think anyone will remember SoPs a year on. It just strikes me as lazy somehow, which may be an irrational feeling. I would so love to reuse my statements, but it feels like cheating? Idk. I have some edits I'm planning to make across the board. I will be adding how I've spent the last year learning to read German and preparing for competency exams in Latin, for example, and of course where applicable noting that I was previously accepted/waitlisted. It's really a matter of whether I simply change some things (like adjusting for department changes, new faculty contacts, etc.) or if I want to, as you say, paraphrase the entire statement so that it's something "new". I'm treating my previous SoPs as drafts for this year and sending them to various friends and mentors for feedback, so it's likely that they'll change somewhat. I just have no real sense of whether rewriting my SoPs completely is a waste of my time, when very little has changed since I wrote the last ones and I'm not sure how much better they're going to get.

After applying to MA programs last year with success but finding myself unable to attend for financial reasons, I am applying again. I'll be applying to some of the same institutions that accepted me last year, as well as a few others, including a few that previously rejected or waitlisted me. My two top choice MA programs, which accepted me last application cycle, told me that while they can't let me simply defer, I can apply again and they will recommend readmission on the basis of having admitted me previously. My question is essentially this: can I reuse my statements of purpose from last year, simply updated with what little has changed since last year? To what extent is recycling phrases, paragraphs, etc. acceptable? Should I write entirely new statements for all of the institutions I have applied to before regardless of my result last application cycle, repeating no material directly, so that I don't seem disinterested? I doubt that anyone is going to hold my statements up side by side, but on the off chance the same person reads my application this year, it's possible that reusing statements might not give the best impression. So: thoughts?

Hi all--I'm still waiting to see if funding is going to come through for my MAs, and starting to resign myself to not going this year. There's at least a month left of waiting, because the British are very slow when it comes to awarding financial aid, so something might still work out for me. If not, well--going into debt for a degree that might not even give me a leg up in PhD applications this fall just isn't something I can justify. In the meantime, I'm prepping for the Toronto Latin exam in September, I've picked up a summer long-distance research assistant gig, and I'm contemplating starting on German. After @loganondorf, I'm reading The Elements of Academic Style and finding it delightful and intimidating in equal parts. Intimidating mainly when it comes to considering the scale of the project of graduate school and the vastness of what I do not yet know, but still. I'd like to establish the habit of daily writing, though it's harder to figure out when and what without any of the structure of school. I'm still toying with writing a new paper to use as a writing sample--or not, since I just really want to write this one!

I'm really looking forward to the sagas! Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but I never feel as though I've really read a text if I've only read it in part. Fragments of The Canterbury Tales, excerpts of Beowulf, chapters out of the Book of Margery Kempe, etc., left me feeling like I hadn't really dealt properly with the text as a whole. So I'll be revisiting some texts and greeting others for the first time.

Toronto's Latin exams are widely considered the industry standard. If you want to teach yourself, sitting and passing the Level One exam should be sufficient evidence of your Latin abilities. The exams are offered twice a year, in April and September. The deadline to apply to take the exam this September as an "external applicant" (not a Toronto student) is August 1. They have about 20 years' worth of previous exams available on their website, which are probably the best possible practice once you've mastered the basics. If I were you, I would work on building up my French as well, or perhaps in the place of attempting to learn Latin in a summer while juggling a full time job. Unless it's so elementary it's not worth mentioning, you already have a basis to work from, which isn't the case with Latin. Competence in two modern languages is worth quite a lot, as it shows that you have the ability to pick up languages. Having both Italian and French will set admissions committees' minds at ease that you'll be capable of learning Latin at an accelerated rate once you're in the program. Certainly speak with your references and faculty contacts/POIs at the schools you're considering, and look back over the language requirements for your programs. If you lean sufficiently early modern and it makes sense for your research area, building on your French (or Old English, as someone mentioned earlier) might make more sense than trying to cram Latin in around the edges of a summer.

I'm not reading 100 academic books! Probably more like 20-30. I'm filling in some gaps in my primary source repertoire (Beowulf, anyone? Icelandic sagas? Chau--well, now I'm just embarrassing myself) and reading some classics of the field I haven't yet gotten around to, like Montaillou and The Premodern Condition.

Notre Dame is definitely on my list for next year! It didn't make the cut this time for a couple of reasons, but after meeting a few faculty members by chance and actually discussing how my research interests fit with the faculty and program resources, I am much more enthusiastic about it. I have the personal goal of reading 100 books this year, and I'm working on including more academic texts in that number. They tend to take quite a bit longer than novels, though, and I find them more difficult to concentrate on in the early morning during my commute. It's strange how quickly one can feel out of practice! I think I might start counting back issues of Speculum as "books", too. I'm currently reading Joel Kaye's A History of Balance, 1250-1375, which has just won the Haskins Medal from the Medieval Academy. It might seem unbearably dull to some (i.e., all of my friends roll their eyes when I mention it) but I'm finding it thrilling!

Thanks. I've kept my chin up pretty well so far, I think. Next year I'll apply to a slightly larger pool of PhD programs, with an MA under my belt and this year's experience to guide me through the process. On a more general and optimistic note, what is everybody planning on doing this summer? I'm going to keep up with my Latin, look for a summer gig as an SAT tutor, and maybe start learning German. There are also a certain number of foundational texts I haven't read that I want to work through in my dwindling spare time.

Sort of a half-hearted vent, as I'm feeling more discouraged than angry. Yesterday after following up at my top choice PhD program I was informed, very kindly and with sincere compliments on the strength of my application, that the two students who had been offered places had accepted them and there wouldn't be a place for me off of the waitlist. I applied to a very small number of PhD programs and more MA programs. I have three acceptances for MA programs in the UK, and I'm waiting to hear back from one more, but I won't find out about financial aid until the end of July. July! The last month has been agony. I've applied to all of the scholarships, grants, and fellowships available, but I keep searching for more. I'm terrified that I won't be awarded sufficient funding to be able to attend.

I heard back just a few minutes ago. Both of the accepted students decided to take up their spots, so that's that. The DGS was very kind and complimentary of my application, so while I'm very disappointed I have hope for next year.

@loganondorf Thanks for your answer! I bit the bullet and emailed the DGS earlier today.

Hi all! I thought I'd pose a few questions to the collective to alleviate some of the tension of the week! As I take stock of my notes from undergrad and what I hope for from my notes in grad school, I'm coming up with three main issues I'd like to find solutions for. 1) I'd like to find a new physical note taking approach. I strongly prefer to take notes with pen and paper (or pencil; I'm not particular) as I really do believe it aids retention of information over the long term. In my upper level classes I did find that I took fewer notes, in order to participate in the flow of the conversation, but barring recording classes (which I would hardly do without the consent of the class and instructor) I don't think there's much of a way around that. I used spiral bound notebooks throughout college, sometimes keeping all of my classes in a single notebook, sometimes allotting each class its own, color-coded notebook. I'm intrigued by the Midori approach, but I don't care for the shape of the pages, nor the expense of assembling a single notebook with enough pages to get through a semester's worth of classes. I'm very attached to my Moleskine planner and positively wedded to the weekly layout, so I'm planning on continuing to use those for reminders, appointments, and deadlines. I would love to find some kind of full sized book-bound notebook with replaceable blocks of pages, so I could retain the cover/binding while swapping out the contents en masse. Short of buying a ruled journal with refillable pages, I'm not sure there's another way to get what I want. Which brings me to my second point... 2) I'd like to figure out a system for digitizing my notes in a way that could integrate with a digital note taking system. About a year out of undergrad, when I was finally adjusting to my tiny New York apartment, I took to staring mournfully from time to time at the huge stack of notebooks from college that were then taking up residence in a storage ottoman I'd been obligated to buy in lieu of a chest of drawers. I decided to go through them all and digitize the ones I wanted to keep, tearing out pages along the perforations and scanning them all at once in a document scanner. I don't *have* a document scanner, so that step is still pending, as I've shied away from using the scanners at work and couldn't justify the expense of a $100 handheld scanner when I had a regular scanner attached to my old printer. All this is complicated by my desire for a refillable notebook, which wouldn't work with most automated document scanners that feed pages one at a time through the scanner. Handheld might be the best bet--or I could use one of the free apps that convert photos to documents, like the one for Google Drive (I have an Android). And I wonder how realistic I am in thinking that I'd scan all of my class notes regularly. It may be that I only do so at the end of each term. I might well want to hang on to my physical notebooks for years! Though as I try to improve as a student, it's quite possible that I'll actually start doing that thing you're supposed to do, and read over your notes before/after class. I've considered skipping the scanning completely and resolving to type up my notes subsequently, but I know myself--it'll probably be the first thing to fall by the wayside as work mounts. 3) So what about that digital note taking system? I'm not in a position to pay for a service right now, but Evernote and OneNote and various others have been on my radar for some time. I've been writing in Scrivener since about 2010, and although a smooth integration with Zotero is still pretty far off by all accounts, I intend to keep using it to write throughout grad school. Ideally I would want to have my scanned class notes, typed notes on reading, and early typed notes for research papers all in one place. I'm not enamored with having all of this live in one massive Scrivener document, but I'm struggling to come up with an alternative. So: thoughts, reactions, recommendations?

@loganondorf Yes, it's been really interesting! I wouldn't say thrilling, but I've certainly learned a lot from the experience. As April 15 looms, I'm getting increasingly anxious about the waitlist. I know that many people won't decide until this week, with some even waiting until the 15th to commit. Should I reach out to the DGS to see if they have any updates? We haven't exchanged communications since I opted to remain on the waitlist nearly a month ago. I didn't see him during my visit, only my POI. They know that it's my top choice and that I'm very keen. I don't think there's any harm in reaching out, especially since I've hardly been besieging them--or should I just wait another five days? It's so hard to think about anything else!

@loganondorf Thanks! I'm actually on the history side of things, but this is where the medievalist thread was. Toronto was up there in terms of personal preference/ranking, but it wasn't my top choice by any means. I've spent the last few weeks diving back into funding searches for the MA programs (all UK based), just in case there was something I overlooked. There's very little I can do while I wait to hear back about the waitlist. I visited campus and met with my POI in March, and the DGS told me he'd let me know as soon as someone declined a spot. At least I know I'm first on the waitlist! It's something, even if the chances of admittance are slim, and ultimately unknowable. Can I ask how you spent your gap years? I'm about two years out myself, and I've been working in publishing in NYC.