Tigla

I'm sorry! This cycle is crazy and many excellent applicants have to be rejected. Take a break away from it all for sometime. Reopen the documents and re-read them with an extremely critical eye. And then, start the process again. It took me 3 cycles to get off waitlists and every time it was a punch in the gut. Right now, it is important to do your best and get away from academia. It will help you think clearly when you return to your materials, but more importantly, everyone needs a break after an application cycle. Every cycle, I would download my documents onto a USB, give them to a friend, and then forget about them. How ever you best decompress and relax, now is the time to do it.

No. No. Americanists and Europeanists have been a high proportion at U-M for quite sometime now, which might change as some profs are retiring in the coming years. Lastly, numbers are difficult. The joint PhDs and solely graduate funded students did not change (about 5-6) while the dept funded students did change (anywhere between 2 and 6, but this changes almost every convo). The major issue with numbers remains the sudden change at the graduate school. Support for incoming students and precandidates was announced at the expense of candidates, so it is a real toss up at the moment. Basically, U-M is going through some major structural and financial changes so it is really hard to figure out what is going on besides general trends, even for us on the inside.

100%! The department is under a lot of strain from the 2019 cohort, but also because the graduate school has refused to help fund extensions for years 5-7 which means the department is picking up the bill. The last 2 cohorts were cut in half and this upcoming one is cut even further due to funding issues caused by a sudden graduate school change to funding. (Sorry, I have been the bearer of bad news from U-M for quite a while on this forum. I promise I'm a happier person in real life. =p )

Thanks for this info. I noticed above that you will be applying for a DAAD scholarship. I suggest that you read into that before applying or reaching out to programs. I missed out on a DAAD scholarship due to a bureaucratic hurdle where I had to apply to the DAAD and then my program, not my program and then DAAD. With that said, I would now reach out to every program you mentioned. Don't give them a huge explanation of your situation, rather focus on the "1/3 credits must be in history" requirements. I'd start by being upfront and saying that you don't meet this requirement according to your transcript, but that your coursework required you to know the history of the subjects. Whether the program is flexible on this requirement is incredibly difficult to know and unless you ask. However, a Global European Studies program or something studies related will be even more flexible than a traditional history program. In short, start asking around and figure out which programs and universities are flexible on the ECTS requirement and which ones see it as a hard-cap. Lastly, your GPA is your GPA. You will not be able to explain dips or highlight great classes. I hate the rigidity of such a requirement, but I also weirdly love it. I couldn't get into many American programs for a multitude of reasons, but a 3.94 GPA got me into all my European programs without a hitch. I know a handful of people who came in around the 3.5 mark, but most had around a 3.7 in undergrad. Your application will be very different with an MS so I'm not sure your BA will be as important.

Having studied in Germany, I can tell you that your GPA is the most important thing in an application to an MA program. They have odd requirements to apply, such as 'x amount of credits in history,' but those can be waived. The other major hurdle will be language proficiency, as you said. Most German programs require at least C1 level German while other "international programs" require B1 German plus B1 in another foreign language that is not your native language. My first step would be to research programs and try to find some that you are interested in. From there, we can begin thinking through how you fit into the program and whether you are eligible to apply. You will find that there are some general rules across universities, but there is a ton of diversity and flexibility if you know how to ask a question. European bureaucracy is a thing, but it isn't as rigid as many people make it seem. With that said, what programs have you looked into? Which ones do you like? Why?

Profs and grad students are scrambling at the moment to move classes entirely online as universities failed to plan ahead for the third wave in the US. It took me a month to respond to a prospective student, not because I didn't want to talk, rather because I have been swamped sorting out the mess my university created with last minute adjustments to only then back away from those guidelines, but then to reimplement them a week later. *deep sigh* A friendly reminder email is probably your best bet, but don't expect immediate responses.

I want to second this comment for you, @Cal2020. I applied with a project discussing German development ideas in Cambodia and the application of these ideas in the genocide museum in Phnom Penh. The project was meant to historicize while also highlight a very specific museum and its relation to the broader debate of development and human rights in Southeast Asia. Since I started my program, I transitioned into a more global/comparative analysis of European development, mainly focusing on West German ideas and programs. According to my current advisors who agreed to take me on, it was important to show that I could tie something very specific to broader trends within the field, than to carefully lay out a complicated project proposal. As people laid out above me, an SOP is not your prospectus and you are not wed to it in the program. See it as a document to show that you are a budding historian with interesting questions that are related to the current state of the field.

Well, I have some more news y'all looking to apply to programs this year. My department is taking max 10 people, but there is a current move to not bring a new class this year because the current graduate students didn't receive any help from upper levels of admin since the beginning of the pandemic. In fact, a lot of current 6+ year candidates had their funding cut off by upper levels of admin, which means the department needs to find a way to support them for at least 2 years. In short, admissions are going to be ruthlessly cut in the coming year - and, probably, for the foreseeable future.

My uni still hasn't made a decision. The grapevines are saying that we will be hybrid, but all graduate students will be expected to come to campus at least once a week. This whole situation is a mess and is not getting better any time soon. Yet, unis are pretending it is over for the sake of money. *sigh*

https://www.insidehighered.com/coronavirus Check out Inside Higher Ed for close to up-to-date information. I think the current court cases against University of Miami and Drexler University are going to set a precedent for higher ed, so I have been trying to stay up-to-date on those cases, too. For more on the ground advice, reach out to current students and ask how they are coping. We don't know much and mostly are running around with our heads cut off, but we do have some plans ready to go depending on what happens. Good luck to all of you!

This upcoming round is going to be increasingly more competitive and your project (not your stats) needs to stand out. More specifically, the above part of your post needs to be expanded upon. What do you exactly want to research? How are you extending the current research? What theories are you employing or want to employ? Why is your MA in American Studies in Germany helpful? What languages will you need for your project and can you use them or must you learn them still? Now, I come to something a bit personal and touchy for me. Most of your second paragraphs should go into a diversity statement, but be careful with what you exactly say. Certain phrases trigger different funding sources and programs designed for specific groups of marginalized communities. Claiming an identity when you aren't part of that group may not harm your application, but it will sour your relationship with your soon-to-be graduate students before you actually meet them. Please, feel free to PM me if you want to talk more about this point.

You might be a bit late to the party to do anything related to German/Modern Europe. If you do a field in Modern Europe, you will need at least 2 European languages to pass to candidacy. Some advisers / committees recommend a third language on top of that in order to make your work more marketable in an increasingly tightening academic field. In your case, you would probably need to get German (ASAP) and French (Year 3 or 4). Instead of opening that can of worms, you can cast yourself as an Americanist who studies American-German cultural relations. This route would still require you to pick up German soon, but avoid the typical standards (if that is the right word) of a Modern European specialization. If you want to pursue the American-German route, then look into a couple programs in Germany (listed below). I mainly picked American Studies based on where your interests lie. History in Germany is mainly German and European history so you would fit more into a "studies program." I know going abroad sounds scary, but doing an MA abroad gives you the chance to learn the language (German in your case) while also having the necessary rigor to do a PhD afterwards. If you do not want to do the American-German route, you could still go abroad to do an MA at any of these universities for American history so long as you are prepared to work a bit blind / on your own. MA in American Studies at JFK Institute on Free University Berlin Joint MA in Global History at Free University Berlin and Humboldt University MA in American Studies at Humboldt University MA in American Studies at University of Leipzig MA in American Studies at University of Heidelberg

They should send you a rejection letter if you aren't accepted off the waitlist. I would not expect a personal email, but some programs might send you one.

For those of you reaching out to students of professors, try your best to get a range of years. Someone finishing their dissertation is going to have a radically different view of a professor as a mentor compared to a current first or second year, especially since most departments are in the midst of "redefining what it means to do a PhD in History." As noted earlier, offer to call the student if you want them to be a bit more candid. Politics are a real thing in grad school and it is best to start learning how to play / avoid the game.

Congrats! It is an amazing opportunity. I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but funding is extremely hard to come by for foreign nationals outside of the Commonwealth in the UK system. I had a fully funded PhD with a TAship and stipend offer 2 years ago, but it was pulled when the university admin realized their "legal responsibility" under the "new UK immigration law" after Brexit. To preempt this issue, I would immediately start looking for American sources of funding. Check out the Marshall Scholarships if their application window is open.